You wouldn’t think that a 35 square-meter space could function as a home as well as an office. However, with intelligent design techniques and plenty of planning, architect Jack Chen succeeded. While this Type Street apartment is his smallest project yet, it makes a sizeable impact.
The goal with this apartment was to ensure every centimeter of space was utilized in some way – be it for storage or room to move. An entire house needed to fit within a small area – including a home office. As a one-bedroom apartment with limited space, it was a huge ask.
Because the ceilings were of a standard height, there were no ways in which to achieve split levels, nor could you make the home appear larger in traditional methods. Therefore, Jack had to think outside the square. He used mirrored cabinetry and skirting to expand the spaciousness of the living room, and packed away a foldable desk in an office nook that could be out of sight and out of mind.
The main standout feature, once Jack came up with a plan, was the multi-functional cabinetry which ran the length of the floor to the ceiling. A high-end hotel cabinetmaker was able to ensure there was as much storage as possible.
Light, bright, and spacious is the name of the game in the living area.
The desk pulls out and folds away into a living room nook.
The bedroom sits adjacent to the main living area.
The bedroom offers plenty of space while still housing an air conditioning unit and wall cupboards.
A sliding door closes off the kitchen when it’s not in use.
The door pulls out like a jigsaw with two seats and a dining table.
The kitchen was possibly the most surprising part of this apartment’s transformation. Before the renovation, the kitchen was merely a sink. Now, it’s a four-meter-long area with three meters of bench space and plenty of room for dinner parties. It also borrows its light from the adjacent bathroom and gets its privacy from a pull-across screen
The kitchen gets a lot of its light from the bathroom with plant life.
The bathroom, with plant life and modern amenities, housed a retractable clothesline to keep the living areas free of clutter.
An air conditioning unit also lay hidden in the bedroom. Small modifications such as these would ensure that the house remained clutter free and spacious.
The small hallway has built-in storage
Take a video tour of the apartment
