Small Spaces

Living room with a beige sofa, colorful cushions, wooden coffee table, and a gallery wall with framed art and a moose head.

Name: Brad and Joe, plus Lilly (dog) and Olivia (cat) Location: East Lakeview — Chicago, Illinois Size: 420 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Brad and Joe’s Lakeview apartment is a wonderful lesson in making the most of a small space. This 420 square foot apartment is home to two men, one sizable dog and a cat — and yet it actually feels spacious, clutter-free and comfortable. Joe and Brad have made great use of every inch of space in their small apartment.

Jason Loper

Sep 4, 2012

Less Is More: 15 Pieces of Furniture You May Not Really Need

Minimalism certainly isn’t for everyone. In fact, it probably isn’t for most people. But in the words of Francine Jay, thinking like a minimalist can be “a fun little thought-experiment on what’s truly necessary.” If you want to play along, here’s her list of 15 pieces of furniture that you may be able to live without. Be forewarned: this list is probably going to strike you as extreme.

Carolyn Purnell

Aug 16, 2012

Real Life Advice: Hosting Guests Without a Guestroom

Looking through all the Small Cool entries this month has me pining for the small space I used to inhabit — I loved it so much, but I don’t miss the challenge of hosting overnight guests in such a small house. We had one bathroom and one bedroom, and frequent houseguests that would often stay for two or three nights — sometimes more. While we love to host family and friends and put them up when they visit, it can pose a real challenge to keep everyone happy, healthy, and sane.

Sarah Dobbins

Apr 17, 2012

20 Small Kitchens with Style

Small spaces are often tricky, and given how much gear goes into the kitchen, it’s undoubtedly one of the most difficult areas to keep compact, functional, and stylish. Here’s some inspiration to help you infuse your tiny kitchen with character and convenience.Obviously the aesthetic possibilities of the kitchen can range just as widely as that of other rooms.

Carolyn Purnell

Apr 5, 2012

Tips For Storing Luggage at Home

For those of us who don’t have much closet space (let alone garages, attics, or basements!) where oh where are we supposed to store our luggage? Sure, there are some decent soft-sided suitcases out there, but many of the most durable suitcases are not exactly beautiful and they have hard sides and take up some serious space. One solution comes from the folks over at the blog In Decent Order who screwed in hooks high up on the wall of a large closet to hang their luggage from.

Catrin Morris

Apr 3, 2012

Kirstyn’s Peaceful Pacific Heights Hideaway

Name: KirstynLocation: Pacific Heights — San Francisco, CaliforniaSize: 700 square feetYears lived in: 2 — rented Kirstyn’s apartment is the quintessential San Francisco home, chock full of the impeccable architectural details we go crazy for. Each element, from the built-ins, to the molding, to the hardware, has been restored and finished with care.

Lindsay Tella

Nov 22, 2011

Ryan’s Georgetown Vintage Americana

Name: Ryan ZagoneLocation: Georgetown — Washington, DCSize: 330 square feetYears lived in: 1.5 — Rented In a leafy corner of Georgetown that is also a quick walk to Dupont Circle, Ryan has made a studio apartment into an efficient home. He has drawn on some of the District’s best resources for vintage and antiques while adding contemporary pieces and travel finds. The result is distinctly masculine and simultaneously rustic and refined.

Kim R. McCormick

Jul 26, 2011

Savannah’s Sophisticated Studio Apartment

Name: Savannah Farris-GilbertLocation:West Hollywood — Los Angeles, CaliforniaSize: Studio apartment Years lived in: 1 — rent Savannah, a Graduate student in the Architecture-Interior Design program at UCLA is perfecting her love of Interior Decorating. I think it must be a craft she honed in on very early — as she told me her mother often helps her hunt for new pieces for her apartment.

Bethany Nauert

Jan 19, 2011

Annie & Paul Build a Home in Sync

Name: Annie and PaulLocation: Upper West Side — New York, New YorkSize: 390 square feet — 1 bedroom Years lived in: 2½ — rented “We both roll with the same taste,” explain Annie and Paul when I ask if it was hard to design their first home together. Architects who met while learning their trade, Annie and Paul had each lived, previously, with roommates whose priorities diverged from home making.

Jill Slater

Oct 6, 2010

Sarika’s Studio Apartment

Name: SarikaLocation: Lower East Side — New York, New York My studio apartment is smack dab in the middle of New York City’s Lower East Side — a neighborhood that recently topped a list of best places to live for the “young, single and cash-strapped.” Fitting the bill on all three of those things, and zeroing in on the last item (working on a reporter’s budget here!

Aaron Able

Aug 6, 2010

Wendy’s Shoebox Studio

Name: WendyLocation: Hell’s Kitchen — NYC My apartment is a 350 square feet studio apartment located in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan. I recently moved in back in February of 2010, so I’ve been living here about 4 months. I think it would make an great Apartment Therapy House tour because of the limited space as a studio.

Aaron Able

Jun 14, 2010

Small Space Crib Review: The Stokke Sleepi

My husband and I decided we’d allow ourselves one splurge purchase for our baby. We had admired the Stokke Sleepi crib, but decided it was just too expensive – not just for our budget, but in principle. But when we started trying to figure out how to incorporate a crib into our home office space, the smaller Stokke started looking better and better.

Carrie McBride

Apr 24, 2009