Our mission is to improve people’s quality of life and work through design, aesthetics and spatial planning—creating more with less. Designing smart solutions for a smaller space gives us room to breathe, think and dream big.

No matter where in the world you call home, when it comes to urban living, space is a luxury. In Japan, this has been a fact of life for so long, living compactly has become an art form; in Europe it’s the norm. But in America, because of our inherited sense of the Great Frontier, we consider spacious dwellings—even in cities—a birthright, so most of us struggle with the concept of living small. The National Apartment Association reported that the average American apartment is about 941 square feet today, which is 5 percent less than what was available 10 years ago; Seattle has the nation’s smallest apartments, the average being 711 square feet. In New York City, a “small” apartment may be 300 square feet, though the average size is 733 square feet. If you have ever searched for an apartment in any densely populated American city, chances are you will recognize an apartment of this size as being livable but not particularly roomy. But the good news is it’s possible to live large in small spaces!

The average size apartment in NYC is 733 square feet.

Making a lifestyle choice
Accepting smallness is the first step to living large. Consider it a lifestyle choice, not a financial necessity. It’s a liberating shift in mind-set—and lifestyle—because in truth small spaces are more freeing. Many people choose to live in small spaces because such spaces are easier to care for and are more efficient. As urbanites, they see the city as extensions of their dwellings. Restaurants, cafés, hotels, cinemas, clubs, gyms and co-working spaces serve as living areas, dining rooms and offices. However, unlike prior years, when renters were younger with very few things, today's renters are older and have often accumulated a lot of items. While spaces seem to be shrinking, it’s important to give residents enough space to make a difference, especially when units are small. For example, a walk-in closet or built-in shelving can go a lot further compared to a roomier bedroom.

Many small-home dwellers also appreciate the more personal nature of their abodes. Unlike big spaces, small spaces can be styled to meet individual needs, routines and whims in a bespoke manner. As one’s sense of style or needs changes, it takes little effort and expense to alter the design and organization of such spaces. They can evolve with you much more easily than a large home could.

Going “green”
Living “small” certainly can be a greener alternative as it helps lower one’s carbon footprint and encourages a simpler way of life. It can also be more affordable as smaller apartments come with lower utility bills; and you are ultimately forced to own less stuff than you’d normally own living in a bigger home. But when it comes to actual lower prices, choosing a smaller home does not always mean a lower monthly rent (according to Rent Café, the average monthly rent in New York city for a 800 square foot apartment is $4,000). If you choose to live or work in a smaller space and want to live “green,” and have an affordable lifestyle, tiny spaces are on the rise and there are many creative options out there — “transportable homes,” such as the KODA house, container homes, suped-up trailers, cabins, huts, bungalows, carriage homes, pop-up shops, pod hotels, mobile restaurants, and the list goes on.

Room to breathe
Design on a small scale provides the opportunity to create a balance between the need for enclosure and the need for breathing space. It also encourages us to take a long, hard look at our possessions so that the things we choose to keep are those that have meaning or usefulness. Most importantly, the best small spaces represent not so much living on a bare minimum, but refinement of what really matters and what really works.