That's pretty crazy!

Her stufff has her.

I think I would have made the bed a bit lower and had less shelves. But, my house is 1761sqft bigger than her apartment, so I guess I shouldn't talk.

Amazing!

Claustrophobic.

People know that there are reasonable apartments in NYC, right? Like, $1000 or $1200 for an actual one-bedroom? No need to go crazy!

She lives within her means. Her home's clean, she has what she needs, and can find her things. It looks she's made herself a good life. That's sensible, not crazy.

This woman is my hero. Knowing what you need is 3/4 of the battle of life. I admire her greatly.

so crazy...

I was more saying it's insane that 90sqft is $700 in NYC. There are whole houses for less than that here.

I find this so appealing. If I didn't have pets, I would consider doing this.

@HernandoHouse Ikr! I pay $600 for 700 sq feet.

I think this is an example of going to extremes. Okay, so she REALLY wants to live in a particular neighborhood and is willing to pay a premium, but I think for most people this is not an option. 90 square feet? I live in cramped SF and even to me this is too small.

It seems to suit her lifestyle but lets be honest she rents a room with en-suite not an apartment. For it to be classed as an "apartment" you should have at kitchen of some sorts.

I'm obsessed with the ability to live in tiny spaces. I think it's an art. But I also believe your home should represent your personality. 3 years there and it still looks like a dorm room? Small? Yes. Cool? No.

I would really like to move to a small apartment and get rid of half of my stuff but I think this place would cause me panic attacks. It's a little too small or maybe it's the shape. Maybe if it wasn't so narrow.

That's almost $8.00 per square foot.This woman seems at peace. Good for her. To not be bound to "the stuff" is really freeing. I'm sure she's laughing all the way to the bank!

I was not impressed when I first saw this a few weeks ago. It looks like she's living in a cluttered closet -- not an urban micro-cabin, free from worldly possessions, a la Thoreau.

From the Daily Mail story: "The bathroom is so small that she has to sit sideways to go to the toilet." Really? Well, maybe if you never spend time there....

Honestly, while the lofted bed is a good idea, even if it is pretty close to the ceiling, I would have laid the place out differently, so that it feels less cluttered and overwhelming. I think the issue is mostly the tall shelving clustered near the window.

For storage, I would have put a tall bookshelf on the wall near the entry door, where the height would not impose on you when you walk in, instead of a little cabinet in that corner with all the wall space above it basically wasted. Next to that, I'd have a small kitchen area w/fridge and small cabinet, with some type of counter top across them for work space and small appliances, and shallow (<8" deep) wall shelving above for kitchen storage. Then I would make a pull down dining table/desk that normally looks like a painting on the wall, that you can pull down in front of a long cushioned window seat w/storage drawers underneath, going all the way across the back wall. I'd have a shallow rolling storage cart positioned under the painting but then used as the support for the table when pulled down. I'd put down a bold striped rug to make the place look longer, and throw in a couple of ottomans as coffee tables/additional seating.

Hmmm... I respect and admire her will and discipline to live where she wants to live, but can't help feeling that the place is not being used in the best way possible; seems needlessly higgledy-piggledy to me, and I am only being critical of this aspect because she is billed in the introduction as a "professional organiser". Fair play for sleeping in that bed, though!

Does this woman have sex in there?

I've been fascinated by Cohen's apt because my tiny studio has much in common with it.
The next best thing about the vid was discovering the FairCompanies youtube archive.
Great stuff!

Speaking of yt, there's actually a NY guy with a vid about his 55sqft apt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1HIJlSmouU&feature=related

AT, why are you re-running this story? Please, if you don't have new content, then don't re-run the same old ones. I come here everyday so I notice. Anyway, like I said the first time, this space is definitely not cool. Too claustrophobic. I love small and being frugal but this is taking it too fine. As a recovering room mate haver, I've always lived in decent places, in decent neighborhoods with spacious bathrooms, backyards, kitchens and public transportation for decent money. How did I do it on college student budget and then young professional budget? I had room mates and didn't feel the need to be in the heart of the city--I'm not enamored with city life so that part was easy. I saved up money then I got my own place with no room mates. I also didn't shop incessantly or feel the need to eat out everyday or "travel" constantly.

It's fine that she thinks living like this is great, but I think it's sad. I'd rather be homeless than have the ceiling 2 inches from my face. I'd feel like I was sleeping in a coffin. Hmmm maybe that's what she's into.

She chose her home thoughtfully, worked hard on it, and seems fond and proud of it. She seems to spend much of her waking time outside her home enjoying her community. She seems to have a productive, outgoing, enjoyable life exactly where she most wants to be. She may be able to save for her future by living small, and her lifestyle looks greener than many. Her home looks like a good example of one way to think outside the box in order to thrive in the new normal. It's irrelevant that it's not my cup of tea.

Reminds me waay too much of a couple dorm rooms I had in college. I don't see why this is so amazing? I lived like this (slightly bigger rooms) for 3 years of my life. 2 of those with a roommate. We had a mini fridge, microwave and sometimes an *illegal* george foreman grill. Granted we didn't make ALL of our meals there but we did have parties/sleepovers with 10+ folks...

I do admire the choices that she has made to live smaller in order to keep expenses in her budget and to enjoy the city.

I don't like what she's done though, especially as a professional organizer. It just looks messy and I about died when she stood on her office chair to get to the shelving, there are so many falls in our office when people do that so its prohibited, you need to use the stepstool.

But who am I to criticize, she's basically living in a space that is about the size of my closet. But I did use to share a dorm room that would be an equivalent and I think I would just return to a minimum amount of posessions if I had to live in a small space like this.

I'm afraid I don't believe she actually lives there. It's a good story to put her professional organizing business on the map. Smart.

There looks like there would be lots of room on her floor for sex..throw down some blankets...all set. She wants to live where she wants to live and this way she can afford it! Thumbs up!

That place doesn't seem very organized to me. Not enough to feel inspired to seek out her services.

Wow. My mortgage is less than her rent and I have 10x the space.

Is it in Manhattan?

Sorry to say this, but that's just bonkers! She doesn't actually live there, does she? And she's calling herself a professional organizer - that space is a closet-sized clutter box!

That place is just too small. Period. I can get with small and cool all day long, but that place is tiiiiiny and really not all that cool or even cute.

I'm starting to wonder about this small cool thing though. It's like people are trying to one up each other. "You think living in 200 square feet is small? Ha! I live in a refurbished linen closet that's only 90 square feet. I have to twist and contort my body to pee. I don't have a real stove or kitchen sink. I'm a grown woman and I sleep in a bunk bed. Beat that!"

Yay. You live one block from Central Park. I personally would rather live a couple more blocks away (or even a train ride away) if it meant I could wake up and stretch my arms in the morning without bruising them on the wall or having a damn anxiety attack.

I hope that some other commenters are wrong to think that this post is phony. It's an inspiring, reassuring story considering that the ways I made myself a home don't exist for my half-dozen nieces and nephews. They'll have to be flexible and creative, even redefine the word home, in the present and future economy.

People get upset if you showcase a 3500 sq. foot place ("I don't come to Apartment Therapy to look at McMansions!"). Then AT profiles someone like this, who's making it work in 90 sq. feet, and people seem to be offended by that too.

I once stayed in a hotel in Tokyo like this...

I wish I could see more pictures. It honestly doesn't look that cluttered to me, just a lot of furniture (there is barely anything on the desk under the bed).

In college, I had a 48 square foot bedroom/office... but I'm not sure how it would work with a kitchen and a bathroom.

I have to agree with the critical commenters here - I have never been more disappointed in a space featured on AT. I've been in many tiny dorm rooms that were styled better than this studio. It just looks like a cluttered, poorly organized closet. If there was some consistency with the furniture, or even nicer furniture for that matter, it would look a lot better.

All that being said, it's still impressive living in 90 sq.ft.

It strikes me as more a workspace with a place to sleep than a living space. More power to her if she's happy there.

I'm sure she's a perfectly fine professional organizer, and what she has here is a storage/work/living space done on probably a very small budget. She's NOT a professional designer, and the space isn't being presented as "hey wow look at this wonderfully-designed space." More like, "hey neat, look what can be done."

I couldn't live without a couch. I'd have a foldout and less stuff, but in fairness she needs work files and stuff.

Nope, sorry - and based on the video, no way would I hire her to organize anything. Nothing clever, just too much stuff.

Great! Life in Manhattan is about living! Live, sleep, work and be able to do de-stress with yoga too. And have peace to write a book, make shrinky art, dream. And take a walk in the park. And go to a concert, ballet, opera, museum without worrying about the cost, subway, etc. Poor, smart, creative people have been doing this for a long time for a good reason. It's the only way. She's organized alright. This young woman has her priorities set straight. Bravo!

I think AT presents lots of ideas for lots of different styles. I don't like everything on this site...but it doesn't mean it shouldn't be here. :) The smaller (and still functional) the better imo.

I think it's great that she found a place to live in a neighborhood she likes at a rent she can afford. She has certainly done a good job of using her vertical space, but I definitely agree with others who say that it could be done in a way that feels like living space rather than a closet, and on the whole, she needs to purge more of her stuff.

I have a friend who lived in a space about this size in Paris for a year, and her space was much more comfortable and useable. I can picture how I would put my things if I were to live in this space, and I would definitely prefer to rely on very harsh editing of my things rather than storing things up to the ceiling. When I lived abroad, I had far fewer things, but it was easier to really edit down to exactly what I would need to bring or buy for the limited time I would be there. To really enjoy living in a space like that, I would have to place the same limits on myself and get rid of the things I plan to use "someday" or the things I have just for variety.

I would like to know where you live paying 600$ for 700 square feet. Are you rent controlled? Although I will say I would choose another neighborhood before I'd stay in 90 square feet. We pay 2200$ for Gramercy for 600sq ft 1br.

I'm with TKPKgirl on this. This exact story was posted a few weeks ago, with lively commentary, much of it repeated here. I'm over this chicks apt. For someone who is a self-described professional organizer, this is a very cluttered space.

I wouldn't do what she's doing -- it's harsh, unattractive, and to be honest it's just unnecessary. You can live only a few stops out of Manhattan (or technically within Manhattan) and live next to nice parks, in reasonable areas, with tons more space, for the same rent -- or less. If you work in Manhattan, your commute may be 15 minutes longer (so what?) or even shorter if you live near an express stop. This isn't sensible; it's just unnecessarily difficult and unpleasant.

::I'm scared::

... I could live in a 90sqft space... if you paid me. Though I like cooking, $700/month can get you some pretty nutritious takeout, I guess. But yeah, I'm more appalled that she is apparently paying that much for this than that she's living in a space this small, however cluttered.

I think this is an interesting and provocative idea. Apparently, we really can't make everyone happy. I couldn't do what she's doing but I'm not her. And if she's getting what she wants, bless her soul and her bravery. I have to show this to my friends, since they think my 300 sf LA cottage is small. LOL. And I would have done a better job of decorating - on the other hand, it brings to mind that maybe much of what we have in our homes is fluff. Maybe the fluff matters to some, maybe not to others. You can always buy a sofa but you can't buy the memory of experience or "a walk in the park". (Although I will never again complain about being without a soaker tub)

Admirable, but a little worried about someone who needs to hang out in their childhood closet to feel normal.

I saw this on Yahoo a few weeks ago. It looks more like an office than a home. The shelves are too high and the bed is too high. Nothing pretty has been done to the place.

For a professional organizer, she has a lot of clutter.

I wonder how she got down from that bed, as that part seemed to be cut from the video.

Instead of a bunk bed with 23" of headspace the idea of which makes me feel claustrophotic, I would opt for a trundle bed and leave the space near the ceiling for books and files.

I agree with the other posters that the place feels cluttered, rather than neat. The organisation system just seems to be everything put into containers, rather than making clever use of space.

this woman was inspiring! she seems happy and it works for her life and i think that is great! i like how she mentioned her friend who lives close by in a larger space prefers her smaller cozier place to hang out.

Kudos to Felice for finding an affordable space in the right location and making it work. That said, I agree with the other posters that she still has too much stuff for her space. Not only that, it doesn't look particularly organized - just really sloppy with stuff crammed into nooks, crannies, and open storage containers. If it were me, I'd need to have things enclosed, perhaps have curtains or canvas covering those open shelves to bring some cohesiveness to the space.

It is fun to see how much you can pare down and still live comfortably. Years ago, I rented a room in a house. I had limited kitchen privileges and shared a disgusting bathroom (couldn't leave anything in there or someone else would take it). My room was just big enough for a small desk, books on shelves mounted above the desk, a chair, table and lamp (both had been my grandmother's), shelves for my stereo and music (this was back in the days of turntables and vinyl record albums). I had an area rug and art on the walls. No TV. No bed. Seriously, no bed, other than a sleeping bag that I would roll out on the floor to sleep in and then roll up again in the morning to stash in the closet. That room was my home for a year. Felice's sleeping arrangements seem pretty good to me!