Small Cool Condo

By: http://www.renttoown.ph
From: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com and http://www.littlediggs.com


Hoover: This apartment on the US East Coast was one of the entries on Apartment Therapy's Small Cool 2008 Contest. Read on and find out how the couple made their 46 sq m home one of the coolest places to live in.

Name: Tony & Hilary
Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn, NY
Size: 460 sf
Rent/Own: Rent

Living small forces you to live and think creatively. We moved to this apartment from an 800 square foot apartment and had to think very carefully about what we can and can't live without...





What is the advantage of SMALL?
For instance, if we buy a new pair of shoes, an old pair needs to be tossed. We also love that by living small in an urban center, we're placing less of a demand on natural resources - it's a significantly smaller space to heat and cool and we don't need a car to get around. We also like the idea of creating modular, mobile pieces that can move with us. This way we won't end up throwing out a custom design solution once we decide to move to another apartment.







What's your favorite resource for your home?
Craig's List is where we've found our vintage furniture, Ikea for unobtrusive basics, Muji for office supplies and our family and friends for basic hand-me-downs and decorative items. The two dressers were found by Tony's grandfather in an old rental unit. The hardware store/lumber yard has to be the best resource. Hilary made the cube bookshelves, coffee table and side tables from MDF and particle board (very cheap). We designed the loft ourselves and hired a furniture designer to build it for us from birch plywood.







What is your one favorite element in your small, cool home?
We love the high ceilings, natural light and our live/work loft. We have space for our closet, media and book storage, a home office and entertainment center before we even get to the bed. At the top of the loft, we have a queen size bed, enough space left to sit up comfortably in bed and more storage for our linens in the headboard. All of our furniture is made to move easily since we're still renting. The loft is like a big piece of furniture, but comes apart so when we move, it can move with us and change to fit in a new space. Living here as a couple with a cat, we have enough space to store everything we need without sacrificing comfort.

Soda Bottle Self Watering Plant Container

from: http://www.youtube.com


This self-watering plant container system is easy to do. Use empty plastic bottles, plant your herbs and start a small vegetable garden right on your small terraces and balconies. This is also a good way to start the kids into home gardening!
Watch it here:

Tree Cabin Features Rooftop Deck & Top-Down Entry

by: Rent To Own
from: http://www.dornob.com

Hoover: There is a growing trend for compact, livable tree houses and hotels in various parts of the world.



This latest lofted tree hotel room in Sweden seems to shoot through its forest surroundings – a suspended steel bullet in the sky.




The means of support are attached at the top, with the cabin hanging from tree-connected steel beams. Likewise, an upper bridge leads to an entryway on the same level as the roof deck, with occupied spaces sitting below.



Inside, the living room faces a fantastic view down the steep slope and up the next rise, while the bedroom behind likewise looks out on the forest surroundings but without being visible from the ground below. Long windows along each side provide nearly 360-degree perspectives on what lies on all sides.



With little space there is insight is naturally given over toe must-have functions and a modest community space – the roof-topping terrace provides supplemental square footage for outdoor dining and stargazing on a nice night.