apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

how much does rent cost in NYC, before i came to this site, i have never considered 340 sq to be a livable space...

Dynamite.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! This is really nice! I hope to find a studio in NYC like yours. I'm sold on living in a smaller space. Just hope I can afford the price tag : ) -- Hope you make the finals!

Iroh - Take a look at craigslist some time; NYC real estate prices are many multiples of what the same square footage would cost anywhere else in the country. As for liveability, it's all relative; I have 425 sq ft in Philadelphia - a much, much cheaper market than NYC - and I'm starting to feel like it's too much.

As for the post: Amazing; I love the map decal against the gray.

This is it!

Love the teak tiles in the bathroom.

Brilliant and tastefully done - Especially considering the wackadoo space!

One question -- is that a full size bed in your studio?

Great job. I'm just wondering how you clean around the toilet and sink.

Flawlessly Done!

This might be my favorite thus far.

Absolutely incredible. I cannot believe how many challenges you overcame, and even managed to turn into *features.* I love the bathroom and may need to do something similar for my own icky rental bathroom. But the gem has to be the amazing transformation of the blue-striped wall.

Is there a kitchen? Did I miss it?

Tomorrowful: Most ads have a price but no sq ft number, kind of meaningless.

So how much does a 340 sq ft place usually go for in NYC?

nice! nice! nice!

iroh- The only thing in Manhattan I saw for under $2000/month was a dorm-style thing where you have to share a bathroom.

My ex lived in an apt in Brooklyn where his room wasn't big enough for a twin bed and a desk chair (he needed to use the desk for work), so he leaned his mattress up against the wall during the day. Classy!
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My favorite thing is how from the living area you can't tell that your bedroom is directly behind. Genius use of space!

Wow, this space is fantastic. Not only did Emile luck out in getting a really funky space (especially for a rental) but he made it his own. I especially love the tip about customizing the bathroom floor, I never would have thought about that and it's tips and tricks like that which bring me back to AT.

Also, another very small space that I could actually see myself living in.

Wonderful!

Emile...awesome job!! where did you find the plug-in track lighting?? my rental also lacks overheard lighting, and i love that idea!

Great furniture pieces. The teak floor in the bathroom looks very nice.

Very nice - would love to know where to find ladders like that?

great place, although it seems like you are struggling with tastes more suited for a larger place (or at least taller ceilings). the arc lamp is a touch overwhelming and the library ladder, while cool (I really want one as well), seems unnecessary - a step stool, or tiptoes, look like they'd suffice, unless you're under 5' tall.

I'm really impressed.

Wow, barely livable space - though nice design.

great use of space! love the "spa" bathroom concept and how you "hide" the bed so well behind that bookcase. thumbs up!

Really creative ideas.

I'm moving in to a new apartment next month and will incorporate some of these ideas. Great job, especially for a rental unit where options are limited. This is perhaps my favourite so far.

I love the bathroom! It's enchantingly inviting, and makes me want to sit on the toilet just because :)

nice apt....about the size of my space. does anyone know where you can get a bookshelf thing like this one? i've also seen other ones that are just floating books..some how a bracket is used to adhere the books to the wall...has anyone seen this before and if so have you seen it @ a store for purchase?

Thanks.

i love the spa bathroom great idea. love the space in general good use of the cabinets!

I love the painted headboard.

just a question though wheres you kitchen?

@ topherburk - Do you mean the Sapien bookcase? You can find it at Design Within Reach and CB2 also carries a knockoff.

That bookshelf is amazing! where can I get something like that / who makes it?

So many good ideas in such a small unit; I'm going to steal the teak floor in the bathroom idea from you. Love everything about this place; congrats on your stellar work, Emile! I want to see more of this home.

Brilliant use of small space. I love the idea of creating a "spa" bathroom, and I also love your use of the high shelving. This is my absolute favorite in the "tiny" category!!! Bravo!

To answer some of the questions:

- The bookshelf is the Sapien from DWR. The CB2 one is authentic (and only $10 less) but comes in different colors.
- The ladder is from Ikea, $50, and it is necessary to reach the storage space above the air-shaft (it is hard to tell how far back and high that space is from the pictures). I am 5 '9 and would not be able to reach back there without it.
- The arc lamp is not particularly overwhelming -- the ceiling is actually taller than it looks from the pictures, over 8ft. Plus, as this is a rental, I purchased furniture that I will continue to use in future apartments. The sofa also unfolds into a queen-size spring/air-mattress bed for out-of-town guests
- The plug-in track lighting was purchased from Home Depot, it is their standard Hampton Bay track lighting, but has a plug-end module.
- There is a Kitchen. It is directly across from the bathroom, however, it cannot be seen in the pictures. It is the tiled area on the floorplan to the right of the entry.
- The bed is full size
- I clean around the toilet and sink with a mop (carefully)

Thanks for all your comments!

I'd put down the teak tiles myself in my bathroom but I think that'd not work too well since my door does swing in and I have a nice piece of vinyl w/ navy blue diamonds that go w/ the original blue fixtures so I'm lucky in that regard as mine is a rental as well. However, that said, it might be fun to get one of those teak mats to put in front of the tub though.

The rest of the space, nice work! a long narrow room can be a challenge to arrange but arrange it you did and making what would be an eyesore and making it a usable feature of the space is simply brilliant. Love the color scheme where you use blues and grays w/ some greens and orange for variety.

Amazing how so many think they can't live in a space like that but if you think it through, it's amazing what you CAN do in small spaces.

Looking at this is like staring in awe at someone putting a complex puzzle together. Good job.

Where is the orange dining table from?

I moved from NY to LA and i cannot tell you how many hideous bathrooms and kitchens i've seen out here...the tile color combos are awful. Be thankful for plain generic white at least you can make it your own with a blank slate.

Beautiful job!

oh goodness, I love that bathroom idea with the rock and the wood and the ooooh yes, that might have to happen in a future apartment.

340 is very livable. I have a 500 sq ft 2 bedroom (tiniest. rooms. ever.) and I rarely use the spare bedroom. Granted, I live by myself and when my girlfriend comes to visit, it feels pretty small -- this is mostly because of the floorplan that makes very little sense.

bad ass apartment. one of my favorites!

Some great ideas, and a very worthy entry. The decal reads a little 'student' for my tastes, but I love the overall finished result. Congrats!

Love the orange dining table and white chairs. A great touch of accent color. Good luck in getting to the finals!

Very cool. I must admit that when I looked at the photo of the bathroom (before reading the description) I thought the stuff around toilet and sink was shag carpeting! so glad it's not! Still...cleaning must be interesting. In addition to mopping (carefully, as you have said) do you sometimes pick up the stones and clean them in a bucket of soapy water? Just wondering.

As far as prices in NYC go...it varies wildly! I live uptown in a 2 bedroom (900sf.) for $1700, I know people in the same area with 300 - 600sf for more...and 2000sf for less! You never know until you look.

aad hit the nail on the head; completely badass! love it. although i must admit that my ocd-self would constantly be soaking the river rocks in bleach - such a great look, but MAN!

Your bathroom is my favorite spot in the apartment. Using teak decking and river stone creates such a a beautifully serene space. Wonderfully done.

Thank you for responding to all of the questions! I love you place! thanks again!

Such a cool place but it would have been nice to see a shot of the kitchen or something else besides the two almost identical ones of the main living area. I get that you wanted to show how that orange table pulls out from the wall, but I'm having a hard time understanding how the space hangs together overall.

Fantastic! Unbelievable! This is the art of using the space to its maximum potential. Very sexy and comfortable.

I enjoyed looking at your decor design so much until I would love to see what you've done with the kitchen also. I am loving the stacked book idea, the placement of the bed and that great world decal. Really great place!!

I have the arc lamp as shown here.
However, it does not seem to light up the room as much as i would like. What type of plug in track light did you use? I am in search of something but valo no longer makes it. Please help. Also, does anyone know how i can post to AT? I'd like to post a question about my living area lighting with photos.
Thanks to all.

@iroh
From what I can tell, NYC real estate's about $1000/sf.

The orange table is from IKEA.

Dig the map. Big ideas for a great teeny tiny space.

You were robbed. This place is awesome. Creative and classy.

Very original look. You offer nice resourceful ideas. In today's luxury New York City real estate market, it's nice when people give such inspiring ideas.

Great apartment space! I would love to know what is the name of the gray paint you used for the apartment, and also where I can get that great world map graphic.
Cheers
-Patrick