Transforming Spaces: A Journey Through an Inspirational Apartment

With only 430 square feet (39m²) at their disposal, architect Alexander Gendell had his work cut out for him. A once impractical living space had to become a fully functional studio apartment for convenient everyday living. While the project was ambitious, Alexander was able to perform creative ’excavation’ to design a comfortable and quaint living space for its new occupants.

Knowing he only had 430 square feet of space, he looked to the ceiling for his answer. The reasonably high ceiling hidden under dropped ceilings meant he could expand the living space upwards and use previously wasted space.

Alexander added storage on top of the kitchen and bathroom, installed a floating loft bed between the beams, and even added a step on a lower platform to provide a small office. Even the stairs were practical, with all designed to expand, lift, and rotate, revealing hidden storage spaces.

The living area is deceivingly spacious, with the fresh white walls offering the illusion of additional space. This is partly helped by the high ceilings, finished with a beautiful chandelier. The main floor of the studio apartment has everything the occupant needs for convenient living, including space to relax, a kitchen, a bathroom, storage in the form of an armoire, and even a quirky CD rack.

The stairs leading to the elevated loft bedroom have been carefully crafted to maximize space. There is an abundance of storage room for daily essentials without taking up any extra room in the studio apartment.

Despite the loft only being a small sleeping space, the architect added a lower platform for use as an office. The occupant can roll out of bed and take one step over to a separate platform to work or study.

Architect Alexander didn’t let a conservative 430-square-foot space stop him from creating a practical home for his client. He incorporated a fully functional kitchen, bathroom, closet, and multi-purpose stairs leading to a loft bedroom with a small home office. While simple in its design, many space-saving measures have been used to ensure comfort, practicality, and storage.