How to Remake A Tiny Tenemant-Era Apartment

We admit that we’re a little late to this NY Times Magazine article, but we think the changes architect Ghiora Aharoni made to his 550 square-foot West Village apartment merit a second hearing.

Herewith, the (space-saving) rules according to Aharoni:

1. Remove as many walls as possible
2. Lay down a continuous floor – his is cherry wood
3. Design cabinetry to “look like furniture”
4. Expose hidden brick walls
5. Install plants and other greenery outside the windows to mask bad views
6. Create built-ins, as in shelves, bookcases and storage
7. Find a bed-with-drawers
8. Use sliding doors instead of swinging ones
9. Think pragmatically
10. Learn to "listen" to a space

What are your tips?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jill Priluck in Arts & Entertainment on April 20, 2007 2:44 PM

Comments [rss]

whatever

I'm particularly fascinated by the intriguing placement of the bushes/trees in the windows of Aharoni's small apartment. Are they real?

horst buchholtz

I lived in a cabinet once. A loft bed made a big difference. It added living space underneath it.

Ross

Wait, this is a good thing? I thought being charged $2000 for what is and always shall be a tenement slum was wrong? Oh wait it is still, thats right.

Frank Zabatka

- use glass (reeded or clear) cabinet doors in kitchen

- use glass paneled refrigerator

- push toe-kick under kitchen cabinets back 3-5 more inches

- don't install any cabinetry totally to the ceiling, leave a 4-5 inch reveal

- use mobile furniture (on wheels if possible) to help recreate the space when needed

- run the flooring perpendicular to the long direction of the space

- increase ceiling height to maximum if at all possible.

- keep clutter and junk to a miminum, make every storage space count