Taiwanese studio A Little Design has converted a former piano studio in Taipei, Taiwan into a tiny apartment with built-in, space-saving furniture.

Measuring 17.6 square metres wityh ceiling height of 3.4 metres, the team from the studio redistributed the spaces so that the living, sleeping and bathing spaces had more practical proportions.

The owner of the city centre apartment travels frequently with work, sometimes living abroad for short periods of time.

When in Tapei, she favours a shorter commute over extra space.

 Little Design architect Szumin Wang, who led the project, said while the space was always going to be small, it needed to be liveable.

Source: Hey! Cheese

"Although the owner does not need a big flat, before it was redesigned, the 17.6-square-metre unit was too small to fit both a queen-size bed, living space and sufficient storage," she said. 

"In addition, the bathroom was relatively big compared to the small square footage of the whole space, and the kitchen lacked practicability – it was even too small to fit a fridge."

After switching the bathroom and kitchen, Ms Wang and her team combined the entryway and kitchen to create a continuous space.

Appliances such as the washing machine, fridge, and an electric stove were arranged along the kitchen's two solid walls, while the design team made sure to allow for a generous work surface with shelves and cupboards mounted above and below counter height.

Although the size of the bathroom was slightly reduced, it's new location provides the humid space with better ventilation and sufficient sunlight.

A narrow recess allows for shelving space, while the sliding mirror door makes the bathroom appear brighter and more spacious.

The beam which runs through the flat now serves to separate the apartment's service and living spaces, while the space under the beam has been converted into wall cabinets that run alongside the stairs.

Source: Hey! Cheese

"In this flat, all functions are adjacent but clearly separated," said Wang.

"For example, the stairs not only provide access to the sleeping mezzanine but also increase the accessibility to the high built-in cabinets in the wall."

Downstairs, the apartment's entryway incorporates a wardrobe and the sofa area also functions as a space for dressing and working, with a built-in shoe cabinet and a desk that folds out from the adjacent wall.

Ms Wang said versatility was one of the hallmarks of the design.

"The sofa could also be used as a single bed to host a guest and the deep drawers below complement the storage," she said.

"The foldable table which can be adjusted in size to function as a working or dining table."

She added it was not the first time her studio had been tasked with making a micro flat more liveable.

"The prevalence of micro flats is not our answer for the high-housing-price issue in Taipei City but is the result of living issue's long-term evolution and the task the clients bring to us," she said.

"We hope the attempt of design could provide some schemes and possibility for this living type."

Source: A Little Design

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