Small, Cool 2010
I decided to embrace our 300 sq. ft. and enter our humble abode into the Apartment Therapy: Small, Cool 2010 Contest. Although our space lacks our favorite antique furniture pieces and quirky knick-knacks (all in storage back in NC until we upsize) I thought it might interesting to some, to see how you do it ... cram a couple with their pup into an alcove studio.
At times the walls definitely close in -- and at other times it catches up with you how much you love this person you're sharing a tiny home with. Believe it or not, we keep a tidy home most of the time, notice the word most. And yes, it's a bit overkill with ikea -- but there's no better place to find affordable, space saving solutions.
Any-who, feel free to give us a thumbs up if you like our space. This summer we're planning on moving into at least a one bedroom (anyone know any good, affordable new york spaces coming available, hit me up) but for now we're living peacefully (minus the east village horns and sirens) in our teeny-tiny space.
decorating 
Reader Comments (22)
it looks great! and SO much bigger!
We live in Raleigh (in Five Points) and we are trying to upsize, but compared to 300sf, our 900sf look pretty big!
I applaud you guys for doing it so well, we're still trying to figure out how to make the most of a small space! I think it really comes down to organization.
That sure is teeny tiny, but it looks like you did make the best of it, and it kinda' even looks spacious! I sure hope you guys win ;)
As for the Ikea overkill, I say, as long as we're not rich enough, Ikea is a palace in my eyes!
GREAT!! I am a big fan of Small Cool and yourself, so it is great to see both things together. Kudos! And of course, you have my thumbs up :)
My husband and I lived in a 250 sf studio in Little Italy for a year before we bought an apartment in Brooklyn. Now we live in a whopping 600 sf studio duplex. The thing that I love about small spaces is that it forces you to edit and be selective about what you have in your home. You have a lovely cozy space.
looks cool clean and lovely. ive been trying to simply my space, my wardrobe, etc lately, but i have this natural tendency to want to add layers, decor, accessories, etc. this is motivating that im heading in the right direction though!
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impressive the way you have made it look a lot bigger!
300 square feet? You are brave! Looks great! Cute puppy!
try searching apartments on streeteasy.com as well. they have some great options that sometimes are not on craigslist.
You have my thumbs up! It's definitely a change from the quirkier style in Savannah, but I love that you edited your things to work in the space so that's it's uncluttered, but it still feels like you.
I LOVE this. i love small living spaces. you guys did great at making it so home-y
Check out ft. greene, sunnyside & astoria - seriously. I moved from the East Village to Long Island City and am about to make the jump to Sunnyside - I really love the LIC area and you get SO much more for your money...and the commute I have right now is shorter to work than my commute from the EV was.
I saw you on AT yesterday and figured you would post about it :) Thumbs up!! And I wanted to ask you about your bed. We have the same kind and I love its clean lines, but do you also have constant bruises on your shins from bumping into the sharp corners? Our bedroom is small and we have about the same space around the bed as you do and as hard as I try to remember to avoid the corners I think my shins are permanently black and blue! Do you have any ideas about tactfully cushioning the frame? I'm this close to grabbing an old t-shirt (I'm afraid foam won't be thick or sturdy enough) and duct-taping it on, lol!
so cool, and you managed to fit two desks in! i kinda like living in a small space -- it's cozy & safe. :]
This is amazing! What you've done with so little space seriously blows me away!
Wowwwwww... I envy your boldness for entering the contest! Your home is incredibly streamlined for being such a small space- it's what Small, Cool is all about. I'll stop by AT and give you a thumbs up!
very impressive! looks bigger than it is b/c its so well organized and bright.
also - the sofa/futon looks comfy. where's it from?
Very nice. I like the light and the color palette. I would definitely vote for it.
I enjoy your blog, especially the wedding and decorating aspects. I am looking to get married in May of 2011. I am a little nervous, because I am heading back to graduate school full-time and my boyfriend is a PhD student with a few years left. I looked through your wedding posts for ideas. If you have any additional suggestions on how to hold a tasteful and fun wedding on a budget, I'd appreciate it!
very nice place, I love how much light comes in, and loving the Ikea shelves, way cool!
It looks fantastic. Clean and warm and lovely.
love your place.
Your apartment is super cute - I love the kitchen and the brick wall. Well done! You get a thumbs up from me.
I looked through your wedding posts for ideas.