Small Spaces

Dan and Mike made a great purchase that they’ve since gone on to make even greater: a one-bedroom condo in an old converted piano factory, in one of Manhattan’s most coveted neighborhoods. Although their apartment had a lot of things going for it, one thing that they didn’t love was the kitchen, hidden away from the rest of the apartment by a wall with an awkward passthrough.

When Megan and Ryan moved into their new place on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, they decided that renovating the bathroom had to be their first priority. Although, at a glance, their bathroom might not seem so bad, up close it was a bit of a disaster: a crumbling vanity cabinet, discolored and mismatched tile that had been painted (yes, painted) over, and a bathroom window that had been painted and tiled shut.

With a baby on the way, Anna and her husband had to decide how they were going to fit a little person in their San Francisco one bedroom. The walk-in closet held the solution. From Anna: We had no extra room for a baby. The only “room” we had was our walk-in closet so we decided to convert that to our nursery. Or what we so lovingly call, a “Closery.” It took us about 2 months to purge all of our stuff and find wardrobes to replace the clothes we were keeping.

This ‘before’ bathroom might be the ugliest befores I’ve ever seen — and it’s certainly one of the strangest. Years ago, the person responsible for retrofitting a bathroom into this one-bedroom apartment in a former tenement building made a very unusual choice: in order to fit a bathtub into a very narrow space, they shoehorned it in lengthwise, so that you had to climb in from the short end. It was awkward, to say the least.

If you want to know about glitter and fitness, ask Richard Simmons. For answers about small spaces and storage, go straight to the owners of trailers, RVs, and campers. They wrote — and regularly revise — the book on compact living, and we reap the benefits of their knowledge, ideas and inspiration. Take a look at these, and learn… Like the idea of this post?

In their Clinton Hill co-op, Mario and Joe were struggling with a problem common to many apartment dwellers — a cramped, tiny bathroom with hardly any storage space. So they decided it was time for a renovation and, working completely within the room’s existing footprint, made a few changes that completely transformed this cramped space. The biggest change: converting the old tub into a walk-in shower with a frameless glass door, which opens up the room considerably.

Think you don’t have room for a bar, dining nook, or food prep station in your small outdoor space? Think again. These DIY tables, bars, and carts fold flush to the wall, wheel inside, and make use of plain ole’ efficient design—turning the dream of al fresco dining into a reality for small space dwellers. When open, this Murphy bar offers plenty of shelf space for cutting boards, bottles, and glasses, plus, a dining table for two.

Chris and Amber had a problem common to a lot of New York City homeowners: a family that kept growing, and an apartment that stubbornly remained the same size. After the birth of their first son they decided to look for a two-bedroom apartment, but were unable to find anything acceptable in their price range. When the impending arrival of a second baby really raised the stakes, they decided that maybe the solution was to renovate the apartment they already had.

Clashing patterns, chipping paint, and mismatched furniture is far from unusual in Beijing’s rental market. But Becky Lane’s apartment in an older neighborhood near the city’s fashionable Sanlitun district was another ordeal entirely. Despite this apartment being at the higher end of her budget and in a state that would make most expats go running for the nearest renovated home, Becky said yes to renting.

Brandon and Gabi aren’t just living a dream life — traveling around and enjoying the beauty of our country — they’re doing it while living in this dreamy Airstream trailer. As we showed in their house tour, tons of thought went into the DIY details of their tiny mobile home, from storage to lighting and more. And while the end result is certainly beautiful, it took A LOT of work to get it there.

Every little bit helps.

Behold this tragic trailer, 63-years-old and abandoned in the woods of rural Mississippi. Is there any hope for this rusty, busted, pest-infested little sweetie? Hold out for a hero, brave Airlight! It’s so SHINY!

You know we are suckers for smart storage — especially in small spots — and when it’s well-designed and executed storage, we get especially excited. This 550-square-foot Toronto apartment is not only a beautiful home, but it packs in tons of clever, built-in solutions that check off all the right boxes. The apartment comes from Stacey Cohen Design, who called upon a wealth of design knowledge and experience in taking advantage of every square inch of space, in every room.

This post is especially for those of us who have lived in 400-ish-square-foot homes, and with a loved one we’d like to keep loving. We can relate to the limited storage, style compromises (there’s zero “me” space), multi-multi-use rooms, and eccentric bed positioning. This studio, shared by a married couple, is an inspiring small space, both pre- and post-renovation. This dreamy decor was designed and executed by Kate Lemmon of Kate L Photography.

When you’re dealing with a small space, very minimal designs are usually the preferred choice (or so the thinking goes). But when Nancy decided to remodel her Upper East Side studio, she made some bold choices in the tiny six-foot-wide kitchen—things that you might not expect in a room this size, but that give this little space a character all its own. Previously, the kitchen was a bit of a blank slate.

Instagram is overflowing with renovated vintage trailers: they’re all adorable, and they all have adorable names. Check out the amazing work that’s been done on Sprite, Scamp, Rosie, Rubie Jane, Lula, Lorelai, Peach, and 12 others—most of these homes-on-wheels are at least 40 years old, and they all look better than ever. This minimal beauty is enormous for a trailer, but fairly small for a family of five!

We had so much fun exploring The Best Vintage Travel Trailer Makeovers on Instagram that we’re back with 20 more. This time the focus is on exterior paint jobs, but the adorable trailer names—Sassafras Lou, Delilah, Sprout, Beatrice, Archie, and Mrs. Schmick—are still going strong. Let’s hit the road! These pink scallops are the sweetest, cutest thing ever, and a big change from the original mossy-green stripes.

A reader moved into this trailer without realizing how much work it needed, and it’s always so much more difficult to renovate a space when you’re already living in it—especially when your home is essentially one room. It took some serious determination and a bit of boldness, but this trailer is now home sweet home.

This Airstream trailer is 33 years old, and while its exterior is apparently in fantastic shape, its interior needed a lot of love. In less than three months, one power couple was able to take this rolling home from neglected to elegant. The travel trailer’s new owner described exactly what they were up against: We acquired this neglected 1985 Airstream Sovereign (34-foot) back in May 2018. Overall, the exterior was in excellent condition, so we took a chance and brought her home.

When Bonnie Christine found this 55-year-old travel trailer for sale, it was already in pretty damn good shape, but it got majorly upgraded into a gorgeous glamper that’s more elegant and luxurious than many stationary homes. She had been looking for one for a decade when they finally found the perfect specimen: A 1962 26-foot Airstream Overlander.

This darling little houseboat brings to mind the Gorton’s fisherman, and perhaps the Belafonte from The Life Aquatic, but none of those associations will prepare one for the elegance—and shocking spaciousness—that lies within. How in the world does this much fabulousness fit into that little boat? If there’s one thing not generally associated with houseboats, it’s luxuriously open spaces.

Etsy is a fantastic resource for unique artwork, one-of-a-kind vintage pieces, and cross-stitch patterns. And tiny homes. You may be surprised, but the website for makers also hosts a small cottage industry of teeny micro homes and structures eager to support your next adventure. As with all tiny homes, know what you’re getting (and not getting) before you buy. Some of these are kits, which require assembly, and the purchase of additional finishes, to be livable.

In a studio apartment, every single inch is precious. And while having an upstairs bedroom in a studio is a luxurious division of living area, a stairway seems like a massive waste of space. But fortunately, the designer of this tiny but totally enviable home saw so much more. Maggie Crowley of Maggie Davis Style is responsible for this glorious studio, and everyone who lives or has lived in a studio apartment is probably currently wishing Maggie could have worked this magic on those too.

This Paris pied-à-terre had been sitting unused for years. It was owned by Laurence Moinet-Saussereau’s father, who bought it in the 1980s for work and kept it even after he moved away from Paris. A few years ago, he donated it to Laurence and her sister, who had been dreaming of remodeling it and renting it out. Though we often focus on full-time homes to tour at Apartment Therapy, every now and then a rental space comes along that’s so delightful it deserves a deep look.

Quitting the nine-to-five grind, selling your belongings and hitting the dusty trail—we’ve all dreamt of it. One family of four took the leap and made their dream a reality, and they’re doing it in only 86 square feet. The Rosene family—husband and wife Travis and Lexi, along with their kids Finley and Zealand—are living full-time in a 2017 Mercedes Sprinter 3500 that they transformed into a home on wheels.

Recently we’ve been following the adventures of the Rosenes as the family of four hits the open road in their 2017 Mercedes Sprinter 3500. Husband and wife Travis and Lexi gave us the nitty gritty details on what it took to convert their van into a comfortable, livable 86-square-foot home for their brood.

This little shed was lurking in its new owners’ backyard, too large for their storage needs and far too large and unsightly to ignore. After a year of sneaking in DIY work in the evenings and on weekends after their day jobs, the couple now has a charming tiny house for beloved—and paying—guests.

There are a lot of fabulous tiny houses out there, but very few of them started life as a car dealership office before serving as a beloved taco stand for two decades. This is no ordinary tiny house, and after 50 busy, bustling years, it now provides a peaceful retreat for visitors in rural Texas.

Embracing the tiny house lifestyle inevitably means forgoing some comfort and convenience. Compromise comes with the territory. In exchange for a small mortgage and freedom of movement, you give up space and material possessions. Some would argue that’s no hardship, but others might miss certain benefits of a traditional home—say, a washer and dryer?

This 2008 Dodge Sprinter is like the TARDIS from Doctor Who and the tents from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; it’s unassuming on the outside, but surprisingly livable and functional inside. The van’s adventurous owners have somehow found enough space to sleep, cook, store outdoor gear, and drive, allowing them to travel to some of the country’s most gorgeous natural locales. Welcome to a wonderland on wheels!

The owners of the impressive and inviting converted Sprinter van we featured recently made a conscious decision not to install a bathroom. But, the owners of this van decided a bathroom was a must, and somehow manages to squeeze in a toilet and a shower. Rob and Emily of The Road is our Home—@theroadisourhome on Instagram—transformed an LWB Mercedes Sprinter into a rolling home.

As if a plywood stairway weren’t enough, this San Francisco house boasted plywood ceilings, peeling floors, and plastic bathroom walls—all in all, a “really terrible looking” 720 square feet. After a major renovation, the home now looks bright and modern, no plywood required. Reader Stephanie Perry—@stoop_sf on Instagram—shares the love story behind this house—as well the challenges it posed: It was SO SMALL.

Project by: Melissa Location: Upper East Side — New York, New York My girlfriend Melissa and I purchased a small studio apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in October 2015. With a reasonable renovation budget, our goal was to take this fixer-upper, maximize the space and create a home for us for the next few years. Since Melissa loves to cook, and I love to eat, we made the kitchen our main priority. Deciding to tear down the wall that separated the kitchen was a no-brainer.