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Posts Tagged ‘Apartments’

Tiny Apartment’s Rooftop Terrace Features Flat-Folding Deck Chairs

14 Jun

[ By SA Rogers in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

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A cramped, stale and long-neglected 400-square-foot studio apartment in Hong Kong feels downright luxurious with the addition of a rooftop terrace and some pretty cool space-saving features. Design firm Liquid Interiors maximized the space, which is essentially one big room with a combination bedroom/living room, by hiding many features behind sliding doors to keep clutter to a minimum. But their smartest innovation is upstairs, where a pair of wooden deck chairs fold flat into the floor when not in use.

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The terrace serves ash an outdoor exercise and meditation space, complete with a full-sized canony bed on a wooden platform, a minimalist stone table and a projector screen for watching movies outdoors when the weather is cooperative. The deck chairs pop up when the residents want to lounge in the sun, and blend into the wooden decking when more floor space is desired. A green wall adds a splash of color and helps capture some of the heat. Two iron safes used as bedside tables match the iron door that leads back into the apartment.

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The architects wanted to “create a sanctuary right in the middle of Central” for the owner, who’s a pilot and and often sleeps at odd hours. With the need to block out daylight in mind, they integrated double-glazed, sound-insulating windows, 100% blackout blinds and a smart circadian lighting system for minimal disruption to the biological sleep cycle.

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In the kitchen, the skin, refrigerator and all tableware and implements are hidden behind stainless steel cabinet doors, while the table in the center packs in multiple functions including cooktop, dining table and workstation. A television and beanbag seats can be pulled out from similar cabinets in the bedroom when the residents just want to hang out.

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Smart Move: Domino Loft Maximizes Space in Micro Apartments

27 Feb

[ By Steph in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

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A 500-square-foot condo feels a lot larger when you can manage to fit a bedroom, guest bed, dining area, work space and closet in one tiny room without cluttering every possible surface. To prove that it’s possible, the designers at ICOSA teamed up with Peter Suen to make the most of a very modestly sized residence in San Francisco’s Financial District, creating a clean, contemporary, adaptable solution that translates to other small spaces.

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The Domino Loft is the result of testing a wide variety of space-saving features within the limited apartment, which has high ceilings, but only one room to work with aside from the kitchen and bathroom. The designers tried drop-down ceilings, movable walls and other more complex ideas, but ultimately settled on the tried-and-true loft concept as the simplest and most effective way to maximize every inch of available space.

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The room-within-a-room features a partially enclosed space topped with a sleeping loft, which is accessible via sliding library ladder from the closet area. Inside, a thin and light bed comes down from the wall, and its bottoms surface acts as a whiteboard when stowed away. There’s a built-in bench next to a fold-down dining table, a standing desk and lots of storage. The closet fits an impressive number of shoes and offers drawers as well as space for hanging garments.

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Made of concrete panels, wood slats, metalwork and custom cabinets, the components were fabricated off-site in an Oakland workshop before assembly within the apartment.

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Time Capsule Apartments: 10 Perfectly Preserved Interiors

02 Feb

[ By Steph in Culture & History & Travel. ]

time capsule chicago

Never-updated interiors may be considered ‘dated’ within a decade or two of being in style, but give them some more time and they become vintage time capsules capturing the essence of their particular era, from swinging ’70s penthouses and pristine ’60s kitchens to luxurious Parisian apartments abandoned during World War II. Frozen in time, some of these interiors lay abandoned for decades before being rediscovered, while others have finally been sold after never being updated by their elderly original owners.

Chicago Condo Untouched Since the ‘70s
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Untouched for decades, a swingin’ 70s penthouse in Chicago’s Winston Towers condo recently went up for sale for just $ 158,000, with the original furniture, decor and even bottles of perfume on the bathroom shelves still intact. The 1,877-square-foot three-bedroom condo would have been considered garishly dated in the ‘80s, but over forty years after it was furnished and decorated, it’s like a living snapshot of the tastes that were popular at the time and has big appeal for vintage enthusiasts.

Paris Apartment Untouched for 70 Years
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Thanks to a wealthy estate that paid its bills without checking on anything too carefully, an apartment in Paris was left isolated for 70 years after its owner fled the city during World War II. The interiors are exactly as she left them, full of vintage Parisian treasures, including a 19th century painting by celebrated Italian artist Giovanni Boldini of the owner’s grandmother, actress Marthe de Florian. The time capsule was discovered after the woman’s heirs decided to take an inventory of her possessions.

Scott’s Hut & Shackleton’s Hut, Antarctica
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100 years after explorers built their own wooden shacks on the freezing, windy, desolate continent of Antarctica, the structures are exactly as they left them. British adventurers Ernest Shackleton and Robert Falcon Scott and their crews created the dwellings and stocked them with whiskey and brandy, which can still be seen on the shelves and tables today. It’s a wonder that the shacks – made to be temporary at the time – are still standing, but conservators have restored the landmarks to eliminate damage from decades of water seepage, age and abandonment. The extreme cold preserved artifacts like newspapers, scientific equipment and cans of food.

Garage Full of ‘Brand-New’ ‘60s Cars
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Imagine opening an old, seemingly forgotten garage to discover a treasure trove of ‘50s and 60’s cars in near-perfect condition, some of them driven less than 10 miles. Long time owners of a dealership in Pierce, Nebraska, a couple who are now in their nineties had been storing the vehicles for decades, and finally decided to liquidate their inventory in 2013. The collection includes Impalas, Chevelles and a 1956 Chevrolet Cameo Pickup. All were ultimately auctioned off to the tune of $ 2.8 million.

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Time Capsule Apartments 10 Perfectly Preserved Interiors

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America’s Oldest Mall Now Houses Affordable Micro Apartments

26 Jan

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Built in 1828, the first enclosed shopping mall in America now has affordable housing beyond its grand Ionic columns in place of cramped, struggling retail stores, with most of the historic architectural details preserved. Rhode Island’s Providence Arcade began its long tenure in the capital city’s downtown district as Westminster Arcade, three stories of shops under a glass gable roof with sunlight streaming down to the first level in the airy atrium. But even back then, nobody seemed to want to go beyond the first level, putting the mall at risk of being razed decade after decade.

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Preservationists intervened to save it in 1944, and it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976, which still didn’t do much for business. It languished, with most of its retail spaces empty, until its closure in 2008, when its owners realized it had become “economically obsolete.” But as housing costs in the city rose through the proverbial roof, one developer saw the potential for the Arcade to shift its primary purpose.

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A $ 7million renovation completed in October 2013 added 38 standard rental units  and eight larger apartments to the second and third floors, keeping the bottom floor for commercial use. The micro apartments measure from 225 to 300 square feet and include a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and storage, including built-in bed platforms and wardrobes. Some even have sleeping spaces for guests in the form of twin Murphy beds.

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Residents at the complex also have access to a game room, laundry facilities and additional storage space, and in case you’re wondering what it would be like to basically live in a mall, the commercial spaces on the bottom floor are enclosed by bay windows to keep noise to a minimum. Rent starts at just $ 550 a month, luring in a waitlist that’s at least 4,000 names deep.

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Your Own Slice of Sky: Pop-Out Windows for Urban Apartments

05 Nov

[ By Steph in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

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Few city dwellers are lucky enough to have an outdoor space to call their own, but this pop-out window design offers a view of the sky, even if your window looks directly onto another building. Argentinian architect and Pratt Institute student Aldana Ferrer Garcia debuted her thesis project ‘More Sky’ at the inaugural Dubai Design Week, rethinking the limits of standard urban housing.

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Designed to fit within Brooklyn’s building rules and regulations, ‘More Sky’ is a replacement window system that can extend into the outdoors with an accordion-like action. The window comes in three styles: casement niche, awning niche and hopper niche, providing various opening angles and degrees of expansion.

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The ‘casement niche’ is a pivoting window seat that lets you safely hang out the window, providing panoramic views. Bring a blanket and a small pillow, and you’ve got the perfect cozy nook for reading or enjoying a cup of coffee.

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The ‘hopper niche’ angles straight out, and is strong enough to support a person lounging inside. This angle gives you views of the sky, ideal for apartments that overlook narrow alleyways. The third design, ‘awning niche,’ is an ideal spot for indoor plants that require a lot of sunlight, like herbs.

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Pop-Up Apartments: Post-Disaster Housing Prototype for NYC

28 Jun

[ By Steph in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

Pop Up Disaster Apartments Main

New York City residents could have a stylish and safe place to live in less than 15 hours after a catastrophic natural or manmade disaster with these modular ‘pop-up’ apartments. Developed by Garrison Architects for the NYC Office of Emergency Management, the Urban Post Disaster Housing Prototype makes it easy to create compact multi-story, multi-family dwellings on demand.

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Each individual unit is self-contained and can host families of various sizes, expanding from a one bedroom up to a three bedroom. Prefabricated in Indiana, the units also feature a living room, bathroom, fully-equipped kitchen, storage space and balcony. Multiple units can be stacked vertically or set side-by-side in a variety of urban settings, from vacant lots to public spaces.

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The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy made it clear that fast, safe, durable housing is critical once the immediate danger of a disaster has passed. The result of over 6 years of research into emergency housing by by the City of New York, this design allows residents to remain in their communities instead of being whisked away to shelters for months at a time.

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The units were designed to meet the strictest zoning requirements in the United States so they can be quickly deployed to any location in the country within hours. A total of 5 modules were created for the prototype, which will remain on the corner of Cadman Plaza East and Red Cross Place for up to two years. Guests will be invited to stay in the units for five-day intervals to see just how comfortable these housing units can be.

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Small Space Hacks: 24 Tricks for Living in Tiny Apartments

29 Apr

[ By Steph in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

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Making the most of a tiny apartment is all about smart use of space, organization and multi-purpose furniture. Here are 24 examples of clever small-space hacks that pack in a ton of function while avoiding clutter, like lofted platforms, hidden jewelry storage, fold-down tables and DIY slide-out pantries.

Space-Saving Bedroom Sets

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Compact bedroom sets can fit everything you need and more into a tiny room without even taking up the full space. The Matroshka All-in-One furniture set measures just 13 square feet when it’s all packed up, but pulls out into a double bed, bookshelves, a corner couch, a desk, a wardrobe, a dining table, four stools and additional storage. Another option is a couch that cleverly flips up into a bunk bed in one swift motion. Lofted bedroom sets (most often made for kids and teens) are available in a wide variety of colors and styles and often include desks and even extra beds for guests.

Elevated Platforms for Sleeping and Working

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When faced with minimal square footage, we tend to focus on floor space and ignore all of the usable real estate on the walls. If you’ve got ceiling height, take advantage of it with lofted designs that lift beds, storage or work spaces, freeing up room on the floor. These designs can be built-in or portable like furniture. A Portland couple with a 704-square-foot home used vertical space to pack in a closet and other storage areas under a lounge and workspace. A bed tucked under the stairs could be a creative way to use what’s often wasted space, and a simple handmade free-standing wooden platform elevates a bed over a dining area.

Magnetic & Mason Jar Storage for the Bathroom

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Keeping bathrooms clutter-free is a challenge when you’re dealing with tons of small items like cosmetics, toiletries, tweezers and bobby pins. Use an IKEA magnetic knife strip to corral metal items, or create a mason jar organizer for cotton balls, makeup brushes and more. An easy way to alter your medicine cabinet to fit more stuff involves simply placing a sheet of precut galvanized steel along its back wall and adding magnetic hooks and containers.

Maximizing Cabinet and Wall Space in the Kitchen

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Small Apartment Hacks Canned Food Organizer

A simple towel bar keeps pot lids out of the way, whether you mount it on the wall or inside a cabinet. Update Julia Child’s classic kitchen pegboard by painting it a custom color and use it for pots, pans, lids, tools and spices. That empty space next to your refrigerator is practically begging to be put to use; a simple DIY pantry on casters hides away a surprising amount of food. And if you’re not up to breaking out the hammer and nails, check out custom cabinet organizers like the Rev-a-Shelf swing-out pantry system.

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Small Space Hacks 24 Tricks For Living In Tiny Apartments

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Flexible Interiors: 13 Shape-Shifting Small Apartments

04 Mar

[ By Steph in Design & Fixtures & Interiors. ]

Transforming Interiors Main
Transforming furniture and living pod systems help make the most of a small space, but when entire rooms shape-shift in unexpected ways, the results can be astonishing. These compact apartment designs feature walls that slide and unfold, beds that descend from the ceiling, and interiors that can literally be turned upside down to change the function of built-in elements.

Yo! Home by Simon Woodroffe

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An 80-square-meter space about the size of a one-bedroom apartment is transformed into a much larger-feeling home with 12 moving parts, including a bed platform that comes down from the ceiling just above the couches in the living room. By pulling something down, raising something from the floor or pressing a button to produce some other unexpected action, the small space expands to include a second bedroom, a full-sized kitchen, an office, a cinema, a dining room, a wine cellar and more.

Fluid Shapeshifting Berlin Apartments

Transforming Interiors Shapeshifting Berlin

Two apartments in Berlin feature exceptionally fluid layouts thanks to pivoting and sliding walls. Frankfurt architecture firm reinhartjung created all-white interiors that help the various elements seamlessly transform to define new spaces in various shapes.

LifeEdited Apartment Packed with Transforming Elements

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The result of a design competition by Treehugger founder Grant Hill, who actually lives in the winning proposal, the Life Edited apartment is an experiment in compact living that aims to help you “design your life to include more money, health and happiness with less stuff, space and energy.” Virtually everything in this apartment slides, unfolds or transforms in some way to pack as much as possible into a tiny New York apartment. Within this cube, 8 functional spaces can be created, even accommodating large dinner parties.

Pop-Up Interactive Apartment

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The Pop-Up Interactive Apartment features a series of polypropylene panels that slide, fold and transform in other ways to change the space for different functions. These flexible dividers enable the 538-square-foot space to be partitioned for dining, sleeping, working and playing.

24 Rooms in One Apartment

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Transforming Interiors 21 Rooms in 1

How do you turn a 350-square-foot studio into a fully functional apartment with the luxuries of a larger space? A Hong Kong designer has experimented with the limits of small space living by squeezing 24 rooms into one tiny cube. A system of sliding walls reveal seemingly endless utilities.

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Flexible Interiors 13 Shape Shifting Small Apartments

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World’s First Floating Apartments Coming in 2014

18 Oct

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Living in close proximity to ever-rising water can be a difficult prospect, and while the Dutch have come up with all sorts of ways to work with instead of against it, this is a new achievement: apartments that float. The Citadel is a luxury development by Waterstudio NL, set to start construction in early 2014. Sixty stacked units will be built on a deck with easy access to land, on top of a large, heavy floating concrete structure.

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The site where these floating apartments will be built is currently a ‘polder,’ one of 3,500 patches of low-lying land that are kept artificially water-free by constant pumping. Rather than continue the futile effort of keeping the water out, the architects will stop the pumping, re-flooding the area.

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180 modular components will make up the complex, including large terraces and a car park, with the apartments arranged around a central courtyard. The Citadel will float on six feet of water, which will ultimately rise to 12 feet. Each unit will have views of the water, and many will offer space for the owners’ individual boats.

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The flooded polder will act as a regional contingency water storage area, and is expected to host a lot more water-based development in the future, including 1200 additional dwellings. Energy saving features, greenhouse units and green roofs are among the efforts to make the complex sustainable.

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Billboard Trailers Turned Tiny Parasite Apartments

09 Jul

[ By Steph in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

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Advertising is so ubiquitous that billboards aren’t even restricted to fixed positions anymore; they’re often found moving from one spot to another on trailers, always in search of those all-important eyeballs. Inside these trailers are little spaces that, one would imagine, are too small to be of any real use. But Belgian artist and hacktivist Karl Philips has taken some practical function from these ugly urban fixtures by turning them into tiny ‘parasite apartments.’

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The series, entitled ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,’ consists of three billboard trailers which have been hacked into living spaces just the right size for a single-person mattress and a small collection of possessions.

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Billboards take up a considerable amount of space, and it can be argued that most of them don’t have a positive impact on society. By turning them into houses, the revenue from the ads goes to the people who live within.

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According to Philips’ biography, he is particularly interested in the margins of society, focusing on “themes such as gaps in legal, economic and social systems, the omnipresence of advertisement, unrestrained capitalism and consumerism, etc.” His previous work includes a parasite apartment built onto the back of a conventional billboard, invisible from the street.

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