Kirsten Dirksen from faircompanies sent me some more videos to share with you and I thought this one was great on organizing a tiny space.
Felice Cohen lives in a 90-square-foot Manhattan studio, but she doesn’t see it as a sacrifice. What keeps it cozy and not cramped is in the organizing. “I think the trick is really seeing what you need. I mean we have so much stuff.”
In this video, Cohen talks about how everything has a place and why in New York when organizing you need to go up.
To view a tour of Cohen’s apartment and see where she sleeps, etc. visit this post.
90 sq. ft. is really impressive. With all those shelves everywhere it looks like she IS living in a closet! Maybe she could add some curtains so it would look less cluttered?
A tour would have been nice. I’d like to see where she sleeps.
I featured a video earlier of a tour of her home and you can view it here: http://tinyhouseblog.com/apartment-living/manhattan-90-square-foot-microstudio/ I’ll also add a link in this post.
@ Kent, just saw your video. I like the loft look but hers is pretty tight area. I’m glad she’s happy with her apartment.
I was thinking the same thing – where does she sleep ? .. does she use a sleeping bag or sleep on the floor.
A hammock can be stored away when it is not in use.
Wish I wasn’t on a slow as H E double hockey sticks dialup and could watch the video! Smaller than I would ever wish to go, but interesting concept for those who have to live in such a small space. 😉
Two key concepts for storage – 1)containerize so you can move lots of stuff at a time for quick access in heavily stacked spaces. You can even pick the containers first and customize the space to fit them to avoid wasting any important inches. If your home is mobile, make sure to minimize motion in the container or you’ll get wear and tear. Tapered or round containers waste more space than very straight sided ones, and multiple same size containers stack better than lots of oddball ones. You can even further containerize inside the large container. Some containers are in the form of drawers, sacrificing a bit of space for a lot of functionality.
2) Organize and store by use and label well. Keep the stuff you use most in each area together and easily accessible. Even if you don’t have a lot of stuff it can still drive you bonkers shuffling and sifting to find your daily items. One of the advantages of a small space is that things can be within easy reach. A master inventory/location list can help too, as well as a list in each container.
In my small trailer I’m gradually converting all the top access under bed and bench storage areas into fully open spaces with neatly fitted containers. Easier access and better air flow. I keep a list that shows needed items and the best sizes to fit so if I run across something I can see right away if it will work. I made decorative paper labels to slip inside the front of the clear containers so I know what’s in there and don’t see all the clutter. Clothes and bedding can be stored using those plastic bags you roll up to remove excess air and take up a lot less space. Also helps keep dampness out (as long as they’re dry when you store them!)
Her apartment is cute but it lots more like a room.
The owner should have gotten rid of the bath tube. Bath tubes take up alot of space. Just install a one-person shower.
Another thing I can see beneficial are the toilets with a sink on it. I saw them on YouTube. Good way to save water, money & can use the area for space where the sink/basin use to be.
The US Gov can make places like this for one person that’s on a fixed low-income to live in.
This whole concept of a tiny home is so we dont have to rely on the government, who by the way is looking less and less likely to provide a safety net to our aging, and increasingly lower income masses. These small abodes make it more likely we can be self-sufficient in a increasingly more difficult enviroment and provide the comforts on a reduced income we used to take for granted.
Agreed! And if we lived ‘small’ to begin with, we would not spend our lives slaving for and feeding out government.
Really cool, I’m looking into these same issues in my design.
good stuff kirsten! keep it up! Enjoyed it!
-Deek
Relaxshacks.com
She has far too many clothes relative to the size of that
apartment. Since she doesn’t appear to have a dress-code job, she
could get by on a week’s worth of clothing (zip-off pants with
T-shirts, maybe a dress), and free up some room for yoga. I assume
she does her laundry in the building somewhere or sends it
out.