A loft-like apartment that’s 650 square feet but feels spacious, has ample mild and is efficiently created is a rarity in the dense landscape of urban sprawls. That is why you might need to pick up your jaw off the floor after seeing the architect Robert Garneau has transformed what was a rundown prewar studio into a contemporary and adaptable open space.
“Though size was certainly a struggle, this project isn’t what many typically call a micro flat. It is a compact space that has a loft-like feel, one that needs the customer to be selective in what he brings into the space,” says Garneau. The flat and all in it are extensions of the values behind the design: multifunctional, compact and semi designed.
in a Glance
Who lives here: A few in the design sector
Location: Chelsea area of New York
Size: 650 square feet
Design challenge: Finding a personal placement for the mattress that was discreet from the living area and the kitchen
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The sleeping quarters necessary to have access to solitude, not be directly near the working kitchen and have some sort of division from the living room, where the customers amuse.
Garneau’s answer was a habit Murphy bed. From the open position it provides the comfort and luxury of a queen mattress.
Murphy bed: habit, Studio Garneau
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A floor-to-ceiling sliding door creates privacy for your own sleeping nook. White on the outside and a luxurious oiled walnut finish on the inside, the wall immediately warms up the mostly white bedroom.
“We engineered the sliding wall and the neighboring inner walls to be soundproof; they are made from high-tech acoustic products, which has the additional advantage of developing a solid wall,” says Garneau.
Now you see the mattress along with the sliding wall …
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… and you don’t. The sliding wall may also close off and contain the living room area.
When tucked away, the sleeping nook may be utilized as an extension of their living room or just left vacant. The negative space provides visual relief to the adjoining living room, which makes it feel more open and reflecting more light.
Yanagi blossom stool: Hive Modern
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Garneau has great respect for the thoughtfulness of nautical design, and implemented its craftsmanship and meticulous detailing here. Each millimeter is accounted for in the unit. Rather than clunky bedside tables, markets were customized into the wall, giving the customers a place to store books and a bedside light.
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The toilet has a special area in Garneau’s heart. “Bathing in this feels a bit like you’re in a spa, together with the blue tile and double rain bath,” he says.
Water use in the bath is reduced via low-flow taps and showers and a dual-flush bathroom.
Tile: cobalt, Nemo Tile Company
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Most elements in the flat are multipurpose — even the toilet towel rack, which opens to reveal more cabinetry along with also a laundry hamper.
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Garneau created the most of each surface place by converting it into storage for books, art supplies, linens, shoes and bathroom toiletries. The contrast of blue tiles and timber cabinetry is stunning.
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“The flat shows how it is possible to extend the limits of customized design and actually utilize it to work for you. Every storage unit or furniture piece is meant to be a long-term solution; nothing here’s a quick, generic solution,” says Garneau.
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The flush cabinetry and intrusive drawer brings hide the shelving components. To the left of the picture is that the shower’s sliding glass door, barely marked by the pull’s hardware.
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The customers are by no means. Instead, they have chosen to pare down their belongings without restricting their daily rituals, which to them are still “both pleasurable and simple.”
Here we visit one-half of the closet, which conveys the entire wall; a slim cubby on the best even homes a steamer and an ironing table.
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The closet takes advantage of its depth by incorporating a shoe shelf on the doorway, a closet rod that automatically lights up once the door opens and side shelving for bags and accessories.
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As can be expected, racks have to go vertical; a hook makes the hard-to-reach blouses on leading accessible.
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Garneau was able to open the room visually while maintaining the kitchen in its first site.
Benches on brakes may be used together with the table or wrapped to a different part of the apartment to get entertaining.
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The sofas, consoles and benches are on lockable casters and comprise storage within them, making a large number of seating and table arrangements.
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“There were possessions that needed to be accommodated in the plan and stored in a logical and easily accessible way without overwhelming the distance,” says Garneau. Books and decor have their location in the home and therefore are flush against the walls; not once does a backbone or curve interrupt the visual plane.
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To fight the heat and humidity from New York summers, Garneau set up an energy-efficient ceiling fan.
Green area rug: ABC Carpet & Home
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Here an image is projected from the back of the room. A wireless speaker program on the floor can be transferred to various locations in the home.
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The floor plan shows how each space in the attic is connected. For Garneau, the apartment’s design boils down to some quality-of-life matter. “Small-space living naturally restricts our consumer trends and forces us to consider what we genuinely love or like.”
