Small Spaces

“There’s that iteration you go through, trying to both maximize space and the feeling of space,so that it doesn’t feel cramped.”—Andrew Simpson

Using natural materials is one way of bringing nature indoors. Oiled white ash floors and ceilings, along with Italian poplar and Lawson cypress joinery, are found throughout architect Andrew Simpson’s 538-square-foot home outside Wellington, New Zealand.

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

"Light colors make [your space] feel more spacious and airy," says Macy Miller. Miller's compact home in Boise, Idaho, built for only $11,000, is featured in our September issue.

More fragment pillows adorn the bed, which is covered in a reversible bedspread by artist Jane Kifer. To the left of the window is a painting by Shumate.

The blue ceiling continues into the bedroom, filled with art by Howard’s friends. The yellow-and-white poster is by Mike Mills, and the signed Rolling Stones drumhead was a gift. “It feels like a New York apartment at the beach,” says Shumate.

Hang the folded chair in a closet until it's ready to be used.

For the renovation, Bradley sourced many materials from construction sites.

The Box Kitchen contains two burners, a ventilation hood, a sink, a dishwasher, and a microwave. A fold-down laminated countertop creates a prep surface.

In its closed position, the piece looks like a storage unit. A door on wheels slides open to reveal a kitchen inside.

The Entertainment Shelf includes a panel that slides to reveal easy-to-reach shelves on either side.

From Menu, The Kaschkasch Floor Mirror is a decidedly modern home accent that is designed with small spaces and apartment living in mind. The full-body mirror has a triangular shaped frame, making it easy to fit into the corner of a room. The thoughtful design also enables the mirror to lean flat against a wall, and even stand on its own in varied directions. There is a gap between the top of the glass mirror and the powder-coated aluminum frame, making it easy to hang clothing or drape scarves, belts, or necklaces.

The plan allows for a full length tub in the bathroom – usually a luxury in a studio apartment. 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

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 kitchen cabinetry echoes the new blue ceiling. The brick tile is from Heath Ceramics, as is the dinnerware. Behind the Viking stove is powder-coated corrugated metal (“Very trailer,” says the designer). The refrigerator is from Big Chill. On the table is a bowl by Victoria Morris.

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

Like a Murphy bed, the dining table tucks into the wall when not in use.

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.

A green Dish Doctor by Marc Newson for Magis adds just a bit more color to the blue facing of the kitchen sink and cabinets.