Size Doesn’t Matter When It Comes to Cool…
Several Seattle residents are showing the Internet that you don’t need a lot of square footage to live in a wonderful home. They’re sharing photos and tips – such as buying double-duty furniture – for outfitting a small space that is every bit as cool as their more well-endowed neighbors.
The residents entered Apartment Therapy’s Smallest Coolest Home contest, which is opened to anyone in the U.S. who lives in a space under 1,000 square feet. Most of the entries, though, are for homes that are half that size.
Danl of Seattle, for example, downsized to a 460-sq. ft. studio after recently becoming single. Despite the limited space, he hung onto most of his belongings and “having those things close to me, it feels like a hug.”
Danl’s living room
Danl planned the space so that furniture items served more than one purpose. The sleigh bed above can provide a good night’s rest and a place for guests to sit on. The coffee table is an old ice chest which Danl uses to store winter blankets and extra linens. Below, Danl found a narrow church pew to keep the breakfast area as open as possible.
For Khris and Valerie of Seattle, their 565-sq. ft. open one bedroom provides a cozy and romantic space, but a lack of storage is an issue. The couple is constantly looking for creative opportunities to store things. And they have managed to do it in a way that makes the storage a part of the decor. Below, for example, the antique chamber pots and crocks are also hiding places for craft supplies.
Creative storage in Khris and Valerie’s home
Meanwhile, in a small closet by the front door, Khris and Valeri keep a “secret mini-brewery”, which consists of a small fermenting container that produces two glasses worth of home brewed beer. “There’s no need to compromise our hobbies just because of a lack of square footage,” the couple said in their entry.
Hannah of Seattle also gets points for craftiness. As a “young and poor” Seattleite, Hannah has to make it work in a 350-sq. ft. apartment. The only thing smaller than the studio is the budget she used to outfit the space. Among her finds: a bedbug-free pull out couch for $15 on Craiglist; a TV console she found on the street; a child’s playroom mat as a rug for the living room. All of the touches contribute to a colorful and cool home.
Hannah’s studio on a “make it work” budget
Hannah’s TV console is a dresser she found on the streets.
Among the entries, we found a number of other Seattle residents and their cool, compact spaces, including…
- Stefan’s 650-sq. ft. condo on the 31st floor of the Olive 8
- Ellen’s 655-sq. ft. apartment in a “building with significant design from the 1930’s and hints of the Art Deco era.” (It looks like the The Belroy to me…)
- Kristen’s 530-sq. ft. one bedroom apartment with a “one butt kitchen”
- Malissa’s 140-sq. ft. hand built home (The home is actually in Snohomish but Malissa and her partner get a pass for making it work in such a tiny space)
You can vote for your favorite small cool home design on Apartment Therapy’s website until May 31st. The top five vote-getting entries in each size division will be reviewed by a panel of judges, followed by another round of voting. The top cash prize is $3,750. Win or lose, we at Urban Living salute these residents for representing small spaces and Seattle so well.