Small Spaces

This archetypal Swedish building form, shaped like a Monopoly house, serves as an artist’s studio, with a simple plywood interior and massive skylights to let in natural sunlight.

Eric Schneider and Michael Chen take in the space-efficient renovation.

A large metal floating mirror from Restoration Hardware seemingly doubles the 675 square feet of the Schmidt-Friedlander apartment in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn. The family of three dines at an oak table from Canvas Home, with Wishbone chairs by Hans Wegner. Decorators White paint by Benjamin Moore and oiled Hakwood European oak flooring are used throughout.

In lieu of a fireplace, the pair opted for an exposed ethanol burner mounted on exposed concrete (the wood is just decor).

Averse to the idea of a television being the centerpiece of a space, the owners instead opted for a clever alternative in the library/media room. Continuing the theme of movable and multi-functional design elements, a rolling chalkboard panel was designed to conceal the TV when not in use. Throughout the home, the family’s furniture is an eclectic mix of purchased, custom built, inherited, and self-made pieces. The room is accented with a reclaimed red office chair with custom white oak armrests made by Scholz.

The outer wall means residents don’t have to worry about privacy when the sun goes down and the house’s windows begin to glow.

In a bathroom otherwise dominated by the neutral tones of Statuario marble, a powder-pink wall of cabinetry adds a colorful contrast—and creates ample storage to boot.

The kitchen features oyster gray Laminex countertops, an Astra Walker brass-plated sink, and a Miele oven.

The gap between the house and the fence creates a small patio with space for raised bed vegetable gardening.

The Accessory Building is accessible from the street through the courtyard. Though it’s currently used as an art studio, it was designed to transition into additional living space for the main house.

The Fung/Blatt family enjoys the backyard of their Mount Washington home. Despite its 5,000-square-foot lot, the house is just 1,640 square feet. Michael Blatt admits, “If we could add anything to this house, it would be five walk-in closets.”

Architect Rocio Romero designs ADUs that are conceived as studios, backyard offices, guest cottages, and short-term getaways. She’s sold over 50 prefab units in 17 different states, and recently launched a series of more modestly sized, construct-it-yourself structures dubbed the Camp series. The 456-square-foot Base Camp and 312-square-foot Fish Camp will both be priced in the $20,000 range. At just over 300 square feet, the Fish Camp is the smaller of the two Camp styles, but the prototype illustrates its utility as guesthouse or office.

Beach chalet, at 388 square feet, designed by Studiomama.

Davor (with his wife, Abbe, and son, August) designed the main living and dining pavilion as a double-height space to increase its perceived volume, and added high cubbies for extra storage.

Think Small features a nautically inspired New York home and a little red house with a lot of character in Seattle. Photo by: Adam Friedberg

A couple of quick and easy folds and tucks make transforming the couch into a bed at the end of the day easy even for the most bleary-eyed. Micro-unit LaunchPad. Clei s.r.l/Resource Furniture; Designed by Pierluigi Colombo and architecture by Amie Gross Architects. Photography by John Halpern. Courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York

The modest entry to the cottage opens up to steeply angled ceilings for dramatic spatial effect.