Because the cost of living and real estate is high in many urban areas, many people who prefer to live alone are turning to the idea of micro apartments. To get the most out of the small living space, which is all they can afford, they're turning to design tips and tricks that places like IKEA have nearly perfected.
Micro apartments are somewhere between 300 square feet and smaller. There are laws in some cities about how small a place can be to qualify as an apartment. In San Francisco someone can legally make their home in a place as small as 220 square feet. There are plans in the works in New York City for the first micro-unit apartment building that will house 55 spaces ranging from 250 to 370 square feet.
Jordan Parnass, a principal of Digital Architecture, says making a micro-unit seem not quite so tiny “comes down to reducing the clutter using lots of built-ins which serve multiple functions.” For a client’s teeny New York studio-turned-one-bedroom loft, Digital Architecture designed a “staircase-dresser” with risers that face into drawers leading to a loft sleeping space. (Source: Forbes.com).
Other ways to utilize the space that IS available in micro apartments is to use strategically placed room dividers, pull out pantries, fold out counters, and reduce personal belongings and clutter. Good ideas to make the most of the space you have even when you feel cramped living in apartments in Chico or Redding.
The Museum of the City of New York wanted to give people an idea of what living in a micro apartment might be like. Watch the video below to get an idea for yourself.
While micro apartments definitely aren’t for everyone, they can be cozy and comfortable, and if the space is utilized correctly and decorated right, can feel amazingly roomy.
We may not have a demand for micro apartments in Chico or Redding, but we can use some of the concepts they give us to help our own spaces feel less cluttered and more comfortable.