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Design Dilemma: An Excellent Micro Apartment Design

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In recent years, micro apartments have taken the world by storm. From Amsterdam to Paris, New York, San Francisco, Boston and Seattle, it seems that living in extra small, but extremely efficient and well-designed spaces is the trend of the future. The Zoku apartments, long-stay apartments in Amsterdam, caught our eye, as they embody excellent design, managing to squeeze out of only 25 square meters (or 270 square feet) a functional live/work space that also manages to be beautiful. Although these apartments were designed for temporary long stays, they are well-designed enough for year-long living. Take a look:

Above, you get an idea of the entrance, kitchen and sleeping loft. As you can see, there is storage underneath the stairs and in the entrance hall, a little niche that serves as a study area.

 

Above, another view of the kitchen, dining room, living room and stairs up to the sleeping loft. The apartment, while compact, still manages to feel spacious, thanks to very high ceilings. And below, another close-up of the kitchen:

And here, a view of the living room windows. Large windows help to keep the space feeling very open, bright and larger than its actual square footage:

And finally, a comfy corner for sleeping:

What makes this space so great?

1) Excellent planning for all activities. For every activity, there is a space. A small desk serves as a study area. Closets in the entrance hall provide ample storage. The efficiency kitchen is fully equipped with a fridge, dishwasher, induction cooker, microwave with grill and coffee maker. The living area incorporates a full-size couch and a television for relaxing, and the dining area seats four.

2) The designers chose not to make the bed the focal point of the apartment. By shifting all the attention to the dining space, the designers created a space that feels less like a glorified bedroom, and more like an actual living space that can adapt to entertaining, work meetings, and meals.

3) The elevated sleeping area, with a king-size bed, can be screened off for visitors. This is something unusual in many micro apartments where the bed is always in plain sight.

4) The designers went vertical, exploiting high ceilings for extra storage. The high ceilings also work to increase the spacious feel of the apartment.

5) The designers kept the windows large to allow for brightness and a feeling of openness. And light makes all the difference!