Small Space

Teacher and resident Eric Schneider’s 450-square-foot space needed to be able to accommodate individual areas for cooking, storage, sleeping, entertaining, and, of course, working—without filling the diminutive abode with furniture, or eliciting claustrophobia by chopping it into tiny spaces. The simple and elegant solution was to knock down most of the apartment’s walls, and concentrate all of the living space’s functionality—kitchen storage, closet, bar, bed, lighting, and office—into a single, transformer-like cabinetry unit.

The interior of the Murphy bed compartment is lined with a stained cork panel and contains a smaller shelving unit for bedside reading, alarm clock, and reading lamp.

Bishop is an avid record collector—Rolling Stones albums are a sought-after favorite—and he keeps his vinyl in the shelving unit ”1.1,” a reproduction of Arbel’s first completed work. The kids can often be found playing video games at the desk in the great room.

Arthur installed shelving from Ikea and poured a cast-in-place concrete shelf to create a small media nook.

Designed by Jagoda, the door swings open to fit in front of a bookshelf.

Shibata made the 10-person dining table using $130 sawhorse legs from Maruki Wood Products Company topped with a sheet of birch plywood. A hole in the sliding wall fits over the table, enabling it to be used in both the library and the meeting room. malki.jp A movable wall clad in wainscoting on one side slides along tracks in the dining-room ceiling, dividing the room into a meeting space and a library. The Shiro Simple Modern Pendant lights can be easily removed and reattached after moving the wall. vanilladesign.jp

This portrait of furniture maker Sophia Lithell's Malmö studio captures a work in progress, the Näver stool, which is a piece created with birch bark using traditional weaving techniques.

Furniture designer Sami Kallio may work in Gothenburg, Sweden, but his Finnish heritage comes through strongly in his chairs and lighting (his breakout collection was called "The Finnish Blood in Me").

On the wall, a modular shelving system by Julien de Smedt provides a place to store odds and ends. An eco-friendly material from AmCork wraps around the walls of the office, serving both as a cork board for holding documents and a way to control acoustics.

In his home office, Wardell runs his online art gallery Chester's Blacksmith Shop and researches his next project: opening a boutique hotel in New Zealand. His nephew peeks down from the "napping nook" secreted above the office. The desk is from Room & Board.

This 450-square-foot apartment includes an origami-like desktop that unfolds to reveal a perforated-steel divider that allows the passage of computer cables hidden inside the office compartment. This transformer-like cabinet helps maximize limited square footage.

Langston-Jones works tucked in his office beneath the stairs.

The architect brought the solid walls of certain rooms down to 7’ 8”, filling the remaining 4’ 2” with glass. This defining feature allows sunlight penetrate deep into the core of the space. The clients say the bright reds, oranges, and yellows of sunsets race across the ceiling and white walls.

A matching desk also folds up and away.

Working is much more pleasant when you have natural light to brighten up your space. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a window, then invest in some stylish lighting.

Impromptu reading time in the open-plan kitchen is encouraged.

One of the bedrooms became Norelius’s studio, which includes lighting from Artemide above a custom desk.

The guest bedroom also doubles as the primary homework area for the kids. Orange school chairs add a playful pop of color to the space. Large window openings bring in light and offer views of the lush surroundings.

Dan Garness used paint and well-placed windows to keep Duane’s office bright and airy.