Taiwanese studio A Little Design has transformed a former studio in Taipei, Taiwan into a tiny apartment with built-in space-saving furniture.
Previously there was a music studio here. The apartment covers an area of 17.6 square meters but has a good ceiling height of 3.4 meters, however, a concrete beam running across the entire width of the apartment limits the available space.
The architects redistributed the space so that the living area, sleeping area and bathroom were well-proportioned. The bathroom and kitchen have swapped places. A washing machine, refrigerator, and electric stove are located along two walls of the kitchen. The work surface is conveniently equipped with shelves and cabinets installed above and below it.
Although the bathroom is reduced in size, its new location provides better ventilation and ample sunlight. A sliding mirror door makes the bathroom seem more spacious.
The beam that runs through the apartment now serves to separate the living and service areas, and the space under the beam has been converted into wall cabinets that run along the stairs. The staircase not only provides access to the sleeping mezzanine, but also increases access to the tall built-in wardrobes in the wall.
The refrigerator is built under the stairs next to additional cabinets that serve as an extension of the kitchen. The sofa also serves as storage space with a built-in shoe cabinet. Next to it is a table that folds out from the adjacent wall and can serve as both a dining table and a work table. The floor is raised to a level at the base of the stairs between the bathroom and living area to accommodate the piping.
This project is the designers’ response to the problem of high housing costs in Taipei; they hope that their version will help owners of micro-apartments intelligently redevelop modest square meters.
