What is your one favorite element in your small, cool home? Overall my favorite element is the mix of old and new. The building is very old (late 1800's) so it still has the feel of an old firehouse with beautiful woodwork and attention to detail while still having all of the modern updating that gives it a contemporary feel. If I had to pick just one element in my space I would say it's the stained glass windows that are hung in my living area. They were recovered from an old church rectory attic in Jamaica Plain and given to me as a gift.
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What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in furnishing your small home? I think the biggest challenge for anyone in a space that is 300 square feet is the sheer tininess of the space and making it work for your needs. My biggest challenge is me. I am an artist/art teacher so naturally I want to surround myself with every color, pattern and beautiful object that inspires me. Living/working in a small space has taught me to appreciate these elements a few at a time. If I introduce something new to the space I keep in mind that something should come out. So I rotate my most beloved things every season and when they come back around they feel like new again. It's like seeing the forest through the trees. The most important thing I look for when introducing a new item into my space is can it do or be more than one thing. For example, when designing the kitchen counter/island I was mindful that it had to serve as a kitchen workspace, dinning area, and also have storage. The resources that I have found most helpful (and reasonable) are: Boston Building Materials Co-op for both new and used items, Extras for Creative Learning, this place is a gold mine and a godsend. Obviously IKEA, great blogs and having talented artist/designer friends that inspire me every day.
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I like this one. I love the cozy feel of the place. I love the bookshelf. It's amazing how this is only 300 sq. ft and yet it has a bigger feel to it.
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This entry is awesome...it combines traditional elements, whimsical elements, and a touch of modern sensibility, too.
You have worked your space girl!!!!!! You inspire me and my home! MUAH!
This is the most elegant and organized of the small spaces I have seen and the voting has suspended? Is there a site problem since there are 0 votes and 0 comments?
I give a thumbs up to ANYONE who can live in 300 sq. feet. Is that a typo???
where do you keep your clothes? thumbs up it is beautiful
Very well done for the small amount of space.
This place is a big WOW. It appears much roomier than 300 square feet. I love the cozy feel of the bedroom. I once lived in a 650 square foot apartment and it made a demand to be both practical and creative about space: everything had to have multiple functions. There is something about living small that is very satisfying and requires left and right brain skills. Bravo to you for creating this amazing home.
The place has a nice feel to it - cozy, organized and, for lack of a better word, grown-up.
Fabulous. Only thing I don't like is the (fake? portable?) fireplace in the livingroom. Just feels like it is pretending to have the character the rest of the apartment has in spades. But that is just personal preference and you have done a great job here.
Amazing job getting so much out of such a small space. Having said that, I think it would look even better if you pared down what's in it. So many books! The living room in particular feels crowded with the big ottoman and large sofa. And where do you store things? It looks as though the only closet is that tiny corner space in your bedroom.
Wow, this is fantastic! I can't believe you made 300sqft look that liveable and inviting! My favorite, so far...
Ha, I love the kitty on the bed in the floorplan.
one quibble: why does a single person living in 300 sq. feet need a 30" stove that could cook dinner for 20 people? I don't get why they put such huge appliances in such little spaces?!
Great space, love, love, love it.
Love it! My new apartment is pretty much this exact size and I'm at a total loss as to how to decorate around it. This is really giving me some inspiration!
So cozy!
Amazingly organized and functional.
(and I thought I had no closet space. wow).
This place is almost as big as my studio, but definitely feels much more spacious than what I can come up with.
Good work!!
very warm and inviting, great place.
Beautiful.
Cool toaster! :)
love the super-organized and (it looks like) functional office-in-a-closet. It's not overly designed like some of the oh so pretty ones I've seen. BRAVO! I have new inspiration for fixing up my own.
Overall, I absolutely love it even though it's not exactly my taste. This is fantastic!
Wow.
based on the floorplan, if that's a full sized bed then i'd guesstimate the apt is 360-ish sf (18x20?), which is still extremely impressive.
where IS all your clothes?? and is that chalkboard paint for a backsplash?
so much creativity and thought in your space! awesome!
Wow again. What a fantastic job you've done.
Seeing this makes me a little jealous.
You have 300 REALLY nice feet, I'd be willing to downsize from my 550 slightly below average feet if I found something like this.
I once lived in an apartment that was a little less than 300 sq. ft with roughly the same layout as this place. My bedroom was 8'x8' or 8'x10' if I recall and I could fit my full size bed plus a dresser next to the bed that was 31" wide. I don't doubt this apt. could be 300 sq. ft.
as a person who lived in a 300sf apartment for a few years, this is a very impressive use of space! since the main closet appears to be your office, where do you store clothes?
Oooh, now this is my kind of apartment. It looks HUGE for 300sq feet. Maybe because the bed is in a separate room? Either way, it's organized but warm and cozy yet not claustrophobic. Lovely!
I adore this place. It is so homey and lived in and welcoming.
To answer a couple questions, The place is actually 300 square feet. Some of the places here in the firehouse are set up as studios and actually feel much bigger than mine and I thought about taking down the wall but I decided against that move. I change my clothes out every season so I have space to put them in the closet, dresser, on the left and right of the workspace closet, under every piece of furniture and wall cabinets on the top of the wall running the length of the living space that you cannot see in the pics.
The stove came with the unit and I would like to change that and the fridge to an under cabinet one or something. Hopefully I can post more pics soon. Thank you for the positive feedback.
it definetly looks much bigger which means you did a great job!!! I love your bedroom, so soft & cozy.
Exact measurements are 15x20. I just measured to be sure. You made me question it! Believe me it look much bigger in pics thats what everyone who has seen both pic and in person says. My brother wouldn't even speak to me after seeing the size of it with the realtor. He said it was ridiculously small and unlivable and it would be stupid to buy it.
*yes thats a chalkboard wall behind stove/sink.
Even a bedroom and full office space in only 300sf! Great job.
I LOVE this one. I'd move move in just now!
The layout, the warm colors, the furniture selection -- everything seems just right for that space. I'm jealous!
Love the closet office! The sand dollar print on the bookshelf is priceless.
I am not a fan of the dark kitchen island or bookcase but aside from that it is so well thought out
It's beautiful! By the way, I would absolutely pare down the clothes before the book collection. It's a personal preferance - and firehousecat really dosen't have that many books, esp for a teacher. Well done!
wow great job!
Nice touch with the stained glass windows! I heard somewhere that those are wicked heavy...I hope you had help hanging those up!
very funny brother....
I really like this place. Screw "editing". If you want it, keep it.
Well done.
yes.
I am in awe of your bed linens. The whole space is very serene, very relaxing, very elegant.
Sweet
Your bedroom looks so lovely and inviting. I love it.
I've never seen 300 sq. ft. look so spacious. Nice work!
I think that this is soooo homey and fun!! By far I think that this would be the home that I would love to curl up on the couch with a hot tea and just relax. Nice job using the small space in a fresh and welcoming way....You go girl.... MAT & H
Your place looks great Cathy but they sure don't make it easy to join this site. I have tried several times to register and finally I was able to get on. I wish I could see more pictures.
love what your postage stamp size apartment can look like with creativity as well as imagination. Did you do it yourself or CHEAT WITH A DESIGNER. Does the fire place actually heat your house? Do you have more stain class windows I could use?
best of luck great job
Beautiful apartment!
Amazing planning and efficiency. And yet you have that tranquil and serene separate bedroom. I keep looking at all the pictures over and over again, what fun to look at this place.
WOW, looks so cool.. Is it art imitating life or life imitating art?
I love it! I wish I could vote twice. :)
Beautiful and cosy. I love your home.
I give you a Thumbs Up. I love it...you have created a wonderful and neat home...It just goes to show you..."Less is More"
i think i have commented on how beautiful your place is and what a VISION you have WITHOUT A DESIGNER! YOU HAVE TO WIN
Awsome job for a small place. Very Chic and Trendy.
Very impressive. You've come a long way since your (our) first apartment in Boston on Huntington Ave. Maybe you ought to think about switching careers. Can I have your current job?
It's sophisticated, on top of all the other adjectives (beautiful, cozy, lovely, etc) already applied. I'd take exception to a previous comment that the [fake?] fireplace should go---I think I fake fireplace in an old fire house is hilarious----
I'm not a huge fan of the design (I'm not a fan of the 'Chic and Trendy' look chod142 is into), but it's nicely efficient.
Well done.
very nice space, who do you rent from! i have been looking around JP and such neighbor hoods for a nice cozy place.
to answer your question, I own it but I know a couple of owners in the building that rent their units out. I know its pretty hard to find a decent 1 bed in JP because most of the rentals are in 3 families which are larger than one beds. These days you can probably get a nice two bed for what a one bed would have cost a few years ago. Then you can have an office/workspace/guest room or something. Good luck and thanks for the positive feedback. Bye the way this place was not cozy when i bought it. Once you give any place some love and attention it will be warm and cozy.
Love the space, both the architecture and what you've done with it. Great work!
love this because it looks like a house that someone actually lives in!
The problem with perfectly curated spaces is that one piece of clutter throws the whole place off.
This place looks like it would be a pleasure to live in!
Love it, Love it, Love it... Love the floor plan..
gosh darn it! i saw this too late to vote. now the whole shebang is over. but this space is a fantastic and inspiring use of 300sq ft.
I love this tiny apartment. It's a one bedroom, but cozy. Much better than the other places where it is just a studio. It's nice to have that other room to go into.
A place that looks lived in and homey. I love it!
Wow did I cheat with a designer??? No I am an art teacher with a good eye if could afford a interior designer would I live in this tiny space.....silly comment! would love to be one of I was not a teacher though!