Over two years ago we asked our readers to help pitch their ideas for Treehugger founder Graham Hill's new 420 square feet apartment. Earlier this year we gave a sneak peek at the design concept, and now the project has been completed! With tons of transforming spaces and multipurpose furniture, it's a great exercise in small space living.
Graham Hill's new apartment was designed via a competition through his company LifeEdited. A couple of goals were to be able to seat 12 people for dinner, and have space for guests to sleep and work. While the actual apartment is 420 square feet, Hill states that it provides the equivalent functional spaces of a 1100 square foot home. It has all kinds of great space saving features that will work in other people's homes — here are a few highlights:
• A murphy-style bed from amazing small-space furniture distributor, Resource Furniture. The cool thing about it is the shelf flips such that objects do not have to be removed when the bed is lowered.
• A sliding wall on tracks that can enclose the bedroom and create a second sleeping space with bunkbeds, a work zone, and lots of storage behind.
• Undercounter refrigerator and freezer drawer to save space and energy.
• Modular, portable induction cooktops that can be stored away when not in use.
• An expanding dining table from Resource Furniture that stows away within the kitchen island when not in use.
As Treehugger contributor, Lloyd Alter, states, "Most people have to make lots of compromises in comfort and quality to live in New York, and give up a lot of the things that people have in bigger homes, Graham has demonstrates that you don't have to give up a damn thing."
Read More: Visiting Graham Hill's Amazing LifeEdited Apartment at Treehugger
(Images: 1 & 7 - Lloyd Alter; All Others - Graham Hill/LifeEdited)
MORE OF GRAHAM HILL'S APARTMENT ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Graham Hill's Ultra Green Renovation in NYC Needs Help
• Submit Your Design Ideas For Graham Hill's Apartment
• Green Home Renovations: The Most Helpful Resources
• Hidden Home Theater and Office Inside Ultra-Compact LifeEdited Apartment
Where to Squeeze a Home Office into a Full House?
Juan's Garage Turned Modern Guest House
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Commercial Flour Sa...
Yuck: A Fourth Grader Reveals What School Lunches Really Look Like
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That convertible furniture is pretty friggin' cool.
Cool to be able to move walls.
These small apartment mods are really awesome. But I wish you guys would provide the budget for projects like this. It can't be cheap, and I'd really like to know what something like this costs.
Also, it'd be great to know if they hired an architect or if they did something like this themselves. This particular project doesn't look very DIY, and it'd be great to know what kind of work went in to creating it.
Thanks!
What an awesome apartment. If only more Manhattan rentals were like that, then New Yorkers would feel a little less cramped!
@JMILLSPAYSBILLS -- I'm not sure if they list the total project budget, but a competition brought about the design, and an architecture firm was used to get it built. There's tons more info through the links list in the post, as well as this site about this history of the project.
Would love to know what the budget was for this project.
@Wallflowerpower: Check out the 'Domestic Transformer' apartment from Hong Kong. It's featured on AT just search for it. This one won't seem as unrealistic!
I agree it takes a bit of effort to "move" from one space to another, but think of it as cleaning before guests arrive. It's also a good way to completely break away from the living room when you decide to go to bed. And, I'm one who gets bored of my surroundings very quickly so I like that the entire teeny apartment can change to different things. I can always pass out on a couch if I'm too tired to knock down the bed. I really love this.
I love that dining table. What a great idea for lots of spaces, even bigger ones. How often do you really need a big table? In my house my big dining table mostly gathers dust and Stuff.
My problem with this concept (which is way cool overall) is that it only would work if you lived alone or if your partner was on exactly the same schedule as you. Not possible for one to stay up late reading while the other goes to bed, y'know. (And never in my roommate or relationship life was I on the exact same schedule as anybody!)
Meanwhile, I want that table! Especially if it is adjustable as to how many leaves you use at one time.
Interesting but too much work! I'm way too lazy to deal with the constant arranging.
@jmillspaysbills, according to the New York Times article about this apartment a couple of weeks ago, the reno cost $365,000 which included a $50k upcharge to the builders for an accelerated deadline. He bought the apartment on Sullivan St for $287k. so that means he's got over $650,000 in 420 sq ft.
He does regard this apt. as more of an experimental prototype and is looking for ways to get all the expanded functionality they achieved here in such a small footprint without the steep price. For example, the hardware for the moving wall alone cost $4850 and he recognizes they've got to come up with a substitute system that's more mass market-friendly.
I love the table from esource Furniture but it's sooo expensive at Resource Furniture. When you were planning, did you see any other tables like your that are less expensive?
I think the functioning built in wall design is essential to alimenting clutter. Storage and the ability to customize a space to fit your needs is great. I love the kitchen area so much. I also have a removable cook surface it, really works for someone who needs to free up counter space and if you don't cook that often who, wants to look a a stove all the time in a small space. The dinning table is amazing with it expansible design, just by adding a removable leaf. Same goes for the wall bed if, you use your live space as your work space who, wanted to look at a bed all the time. great space! thank you for inspiring!
Here is a link to several of the design ideas used in the space. Including the dining room table and bunk-bed.! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nljmEUeLbY&feature=colike
enjoy!
I love it! I'd like to have something like that for my apartment, too. There are only two things I'm wondering about, what about privacy, if there are nor reals rooms (bunk beds, are kids involved?) And the cost? Doesn't look very DIY to me either.
so cool, glad he's experimenting with functionality in small spaces - good information to develop.
I like the individual kitchen eyes. I've always disliked the "stove" and did this in my own kitchen 18 years ago. Works beautifully, one burns out - just get another. I love that I can put them away if I'm not going to use them.
How cool! I saw a similar design from a Chinese designer for his tiny apartment in Hong Kong, I believe. Such a great use of space! I can see how it may get tedious to pull the bed up and down and move things around, but it beats wasting space!
My grandmother had a dining room table that operated just like this one. It served as a coffee table, but very easily converted to a very large dining room table when you lifted it up, turned it and pulled it open. This was back in the early 70's. I always thought I would get the same kind of table when I grew up and had my own apt., but I have never seen one like this again!