Saturday
Apr092011
Teeny, tiny reader's home
Sat, 9 Apr 2011 
Elizabeth lives in a 350 square-foot apartment in the lower east side of Manhattan. YES, it's that small! However she and her boyfriend have managed to make it look cute, inviting and cozy! And best of all they are very happy in their small home. To find out more about why they live in such a tiny space you can head to her blog In Between Seams. Could you do it? Even with the pay off of living in Manhattan?
Reader Comments (33)
not working for me..there isn''t much to talk about..they could paint the folding screen a distrees white/ pale aqua..to add a bit of zing to their sporroundings...sorry just not happy with this post :( xx meenal
Nice! I dont´t know the conversion of foot to meters, but me and my bf used to live in a 32 squaremeter apartment in an old stable in the middle of Oslo (capitol of Norway) - and we LOVED IT! We now live in an apartment three times the size and offcourse it is more practical, but we loved our previous place so much and nothing can never beat the cosy-ness of living small!
If you want to see the tiny apartment then check this link: http://projectvibes18.blogspot.com/2010/04/hjemme-hos-oss.html
just found a converter - 32 squaremeter is aprox 340 squarefoot!
I like it. That's a home.
I get it too. A real home without all the trimmings right in the middle of the most amazing city in the world. Sometimes you have to give up the Elle Decor aspirations to have the ride of your life in the big apple or sometimes they just don't matter because home is home. You can always have the huge McMansion in a tiny side tracked town full of designer furniture you had shipped in if you want or you can have a sweet crib which is perfectly styled and tidied for the photo shoot and be a hip stylin' dude or you can be real and send photos of how you live the way you live. I want more real homes. Just don't ask me to send photos of mine because last nights dishes are still in the sink and there are towels on the floor near the washer!
I like it. It is a real apartment of a young (I presume) couple and its cute and cosy. Maybe they could add some colour to the bathroom but that's a question of taste.
I like the folding screen just the way it is. It is an amazing piece with a character of its own.
And let's not forget, they live in the center of the known world! :))
I am sure it is very cleverly organised and probably nice and friendly but I must admit it doesn't really work for me. I think there are more inspirational and aspirational small flats out there.
Sorry
I'm with Phoebe - real homes! I know the gorgeous ones by the sea are amazing and wonderful... but I doubt I'll ever see one in 'the flesh' in my lifetime. So, it's good to see a balance. I've got the dishes in the sink, towels piled up by the door for the animal shelter, three projects piled up on he dining table... and let's not talk about the room of shame, piled with fabric, books, wool.
But do two people really sleep in a single bed? I've got a QS for just me!
I must agree with my previous speaker. Even with a very small home you can make it cozier or at least more spectacular (like a really big, gorgeous poster on the wall over the sofa, paint it in a lighter way, have your book shelve more organized). This is more an inspiration to CHANGE that home. Sorry
I'm with Meenal, Selena and Theresa, there's nothing inspiring about this flat. It's cute and tiny...but that's it. Just BTW, New York is a wonderful city but it's not the only one and it is certainly not the centre of the universe.
I could easily live here. I love a small space. But I am also mystified as to why the reader doesn't make it prettier. Maybe in time, and with reading your blog!
Have to agree with some of the others. It's a nice little place, and more importantly, I hope it's a happy place, but I can't imagine why it's on a design blog.
meh. have seen much nicer tinies on, say apartment therapy's "small cool" and they were real places too, not designer showcases. could've been nicer and dear god, an unmade bed always makes me feel unwell, don't know what they're trying to show with that!
so yes, kudos to them for living in a cute place in manhattan but this isn't the place for a home like that. we come here for eye candy, not a half eaten packet of crisps.
Hi guys, this is my apartment you're looking at! Thought I'd share a few words! I understand not everyone is impressed--I'm not even that impressed! But, this is what it looks like to be 21 years old, have no steady income because you're in school and intern, and care about what your surroundings look like! Everything in my home was under about $200 and bought at a flea market (except the Ikea items) and I try my best to make it look nice. One day, when I'm an editor at a magazine or something, I hope I can share my home and that EVERYONE will be blown away because I promise, I do have a good design sense, I just don't have the pocket to support it!
As for the screen, I really like the color it is now? It's from India and came that way. If you were to see it in person, you'd see it has little hints of blue sticking out. It's actually quite nice.
@polish chick as for the bed, I was about to make it but I decided not to. It was more of a photography thing. I liked the textures the sheet gave off in the photo! And, just as a note--my bed is ALWAYS made. My boyfriend doesn't like it any other way! Unless we're sleeping on it. And, if I thought Desire to Inspire was more than just eye candy...that's why I like the "readers homes" post--they're more realistic!
x Elizabeth
Pictures are all broken links, could you please check? thanks, I love your blog and look forward to it daily.
I lived like that when I was a student except the floors were strewn with paper (pre laptops kiddies lecture notes were on paper) and I lived in a run down flat a drunken stumble from the clubs and pubs. I loved it. Not a single dish matched. We drank wine from McDonald's give away glasses and there was always a puddle of water under the fridge. It wasn't pretty but it sure was fun. Now I have designer furniture, everyday AND good china, a cleaning woman and a beautiful home a lot further out. I work hard. I have lovely things. I had fun when I was a student though! God I had fun! Thanks Elizabeth for reminding me and thank god too I have moved on.
OMG. I have a pair of matching plywood/metal chairs that I picked up from the trash in front of the elementary school in my neighborhood when I lived in Manhattan.
I appreciate this. I don't necessarily think it is super exciting, but I don't think that's the point. As a broke 23-year-old graduate student living in Manhattan, I can appreciate the effort. I have always loved super small spaces because the projects don't seem so daunting and when you have very little money, you don't have to worry about "filling" the space.
Looks cosy!
I love the sitting area with an utterly beautiful distressed white table, the wall colour and the 3 prints. And I think painting the screen would be criminal.
First the positive: I love the first and second photos. The space looks cozy. The fire escape photo is great -- the color, the angle, the street scene is very NYC. I agree with Elizabeth, who lives in the apartment, that the unmade bed has a nice texture to it, and a casual feel. What struck me the most before I read the comments was the sheer smallness of the space, and how minimalist one must be to live in an apartment of that size. I complain about the size of our home (1340 sq. feet) which is huge in comparison. So I admire her ability to live in a 350-square-foot space, for sure. As a blogger, I would definitely have spruced up a bit (organized the shelves, rolled up the toilet paper and hung some towels on the towel bar) but otherwise, it is what it is: real.
no way i totally disagree with most of the posts. i absolutely love their aesthetic. too much would be so cluttered. they make it look so comfy, clean and beautiful! are you kidding? the screen is fabulous. i love the prints, the purple wall and the gorgeous peaceful light of the bedroom. the white table is the perfect fit, too. sorry to gush but i have to say it's a huge inspiration to see this space in all of it's simplicity and unpretentiousness. reminds me of a tokyo flat. thanks for showing it.
I did and would again (although not much room for a growing family). It was on 71st, top floor penthouse. A tiny bird cage, all windows. I felt like I floated on top of the city. It didn't hurt that it came with the same size outdoor deck.
The space is clean and simple. A lovely home, especially for a young couple starting out. Kudos to anyone that shows off their space on this blog, I believe it takes some courage to put yourself out there.. My question is: is that bed really big enough for two people to sleep in?
I can definitely relate to this home. I am a 20 year old San Franciscan. I'm living in a slightly larger space, but it's a roommate situation, so we have a room a piece for three girls- and a kitchen, and bathroom as common area. We are all students, and we all do the best we can with limited income and teeny tiny rooms. I think that they have done a great job of making this space look cosy, uncluttered, and stylish. I like seeing spaces like this, because I see elements that I can actually introduce into my own space. Maybe it's not the drool inspiring, designer, daydream homes that are often featured here (and I like seeing those too), but it is something actually applicable to my own circumstances, and for me inspiring in it's own way. Great use of space, great design elements, thanks for sharing!