Apartment Living

Seattle aPodments

Cash strapped minimum wage workers and students in the Seattle area are seeking and welcoming more affordable housing in their city, but the explosion of the aPodment micro housing units in Seattle is drawing new criticism in this dense metropolitan area. City officials are claiming that these 200 square feet … Read more

Deek’s Seattle Apartment Visit

by Kent Griswold

Hey All! Its been a busy two weeks, from teaching a Tumbleweed Tiny House Workshop in Nashville, TN (what a great city, and great group!), to shooting and hosting a few days for an HGTV program, working on a new tiny, tiny, trailer house project (to bring to the Yestermorrow … Read more

Urban Tree House

by Kent Griswold

Daniel LiCalzi (Product Designer and Co-founder of sustainable design studio Design Since), transformed his 271-sq-ft Brooklyn apartment into an Urban Tree House modeled after Disneyland’s infamous Swiss Family Treehouse. Daniel recently gave the SPACEStv Home & Design YouTube Channel a tour of his space and showed viewers how he was able to give such a tiny space the feeling of the open outdoors.

In the episode, Daniel showcases his newest “green” design products which include an AC unit covered with synthetic grass, a platform loft bed made of reclaimed metal and plywood, and a foot stool constructed out of reclaimed shoe soles. He also reveals these exclusive design tips on how-to open up a tiny space:

Loft your bed – With a lofted bed, Daniel is able to utilize the space underneath and use his hollowed out steps for extra storage.
Position tables and furniture towards a window – Daniel arranged his kitchen counter to point out towards the window giving the space a feeling of openness.
Bring the outdoors indoors – AC units are an eye sore, but Daniel covered his with synthesis grass to create something beautiful that transitions the outdoors indoors.

tiny apartment

The Man with the Million Cabinet Apartment

by Kent Griswold

by Jessica Tenny I work with the guys behind YouTube’s home and design channel SPACEStv (NYT) and wanted to send you the newest episode of “Tiny, Eclectic, Amazing Spaces,” a show which profiles people living large in small spaces. Michael Pozner (former Head of Retail Development for American Apparel) and … Read more

Luke Tyler’s 78 Square Foot NYC Apartment

by Kent Griswold

Freelance architect Luke Clark Tyler has managed to turn 78 square feet of dull space into a cozy NYC apartment, and now he’s sharing his innovative design tips exclusively on Offbeat Spaces, a new web show on YouTube’s newest home & design channel called Spaces. How to make the most … Read more

The Tiny Cottages of Faubourg Marigny

by Christina Nellemann

The French Quarter of New Orleans usually gets most of the attention for its architecture, stylish balconies and lively street life, but a small neighborhood just east of the Quarter has a selection of some of the best Creole and Classic Revival cottages in New Orleans. In addition, many of them are tiny.

My husband and I recently went to New Orleans to visit with family and we rented a small apartment in the Fauborg Marigny area of the city. It’s only a few blocks from the French Quarter, but it feels like a different city altogether. The vibe is more historical and bohemian and less touristy and Bourbon Street-y. The main road is Frenchman, which is called the “local’s Bourbon Street”, and is known for its great restaurants, coffee shops and jazz clubs. Because the neighborhood is on higher ground, it escaped the worst of the Katrina flooding.

Canada’s Smallest Rental

by Kent Griswold

Micro-lofts and Housing Affordability

Burns Block is an innovative market rental housing project built by Vancouver companies Reliance Properties and ITC Construction Group. Located at the site of the historic Burns Block in the Gastown neighborhood of the Downtown Eastside, the building dates back 100 years and is on the Vancouver Heritage Register. The building features 30 self-contained affordable furnished market rental suites or “micro-lofts.” Suites range from 226 – 291 sq. ft., making them the smallest in Canada. The spatially-efficient design contains built-in, pull-down wall beds with integrated folding tables, flat screen televisions, compact appliances, ample storage and built-in safes for storing valuables. Typical rental value for each suite is $850 per month, including cable and Internet, and starts as low as $760 per month. The building is 18,000 sq. ft and has five floors. The majority of occupants are between the ages of 25 and 35 and include students and those working in the heart of the downtown area.

While the former use of Burns Block was for a Single Room Occupancy hotel (SRO) with shared facilities, suites in the redeveloped building each contain a “wet” bathroom and full kitchen. The building also features a rooftop garden, basement gym, bicycle storage and several environmentally-friendly elements. The Bitter Tasting Room, owned by Heather Hospitality Group, is conveniently located on the ground floor of the building, which also includes 1,421 sq. ft. of future retail space.

Lego Style Apartment Transforms

by Kent Griswold

Kirsten Dirksen from faircompanies.com just sent me a new video she produced about a transformable tiny apartment in Barcelona. When Christian Schallert isn’t cooking, dressing, sleeping or eating, his 258 square foot apartment is an empty cube. To use a piece of furniture, he has to build it. If Christian … Read more

Manhattan 90-square-foot Microstudio

by Kent Griswold

Kirsten Dirksen from faircompanies.com located in Barcelona, Spain contacted me the other day to share some more of her videos. I had posted a couple of her videos about Jenines tiny house and she is sharing a series on tiny spaces with the Tiny House Blog. I have started a … Read more

Minimalist Apartment Living

by Kent Griswold

Tammy Strobel is off on vacation this week and is taking a digital break as too. Tammy writes about minimalism and she also lives the life that she promotes. Tammy recently took these pictures of their small apartment in Portland to share with her readers and before she left on vacation gave me permission to share them with you. Tammy and Logans apartment is less than 400 square feet.

When Tammy and Logan moved from Sacramento to Portland they downsized to where they were able to load all their belongings into the back of a standard size pickup. That is quite an accomplishment. The neat thing is that they have stuck with a minimalist foot print. Just check out Tammy’s tiny library and the clothes closet.

If you are interested in minimalism which most of us are who follow this blog be sure and read Tammy’s blog Rowdy Kittens and check out her books Smalltopia and Simply Car-free. Thank you Tammy and Logan for sharing your life with us.

Photo Credits: Tammy Strobel

Tammy and Logan plan to eventually build a tiny house on wheels and are planning to have Dee Williams and Katy Anderson from Portland Alternative Dwellings assist them in the construction. I am looking forward to seeing that project started.

Pocket Suites in Winnipeg

by Kent Griswold

Amanda brought to my attention the Pocket Suites in Winnipeg. The Pocket House model is a recent development aimed at alleviating one segment of the affordable housing need in Manitoba.

The study concluded that construction of new buildings on scattered narrow infill lots would fit well with the City of Winnipeg’s inventory of vacant lots in residential neighbourhoods.

Each building is two storeys high and has 8 units each with separate entrances, private washrooms, and separate ventilation systems. Each Pocket House features three barrier-free suites and one fully accessible suite on the main floor, with four other suites on the second level accessible by two outside staircases.

Tiny Seattle Apartment

by Kent Griswold

Chelsea brought this article and this fantastic little apartment to my attention. I am guilty of not covering apartments very often but I love the use of space in this one and you must see it. The article written by The Seattle Times Rebecca Teagarden is titled “Tiny apartment shows … Read more