Houzz Tour: 400-Square-Foot Unfolding Apartment in New York
Inventive Murphy bed cabinet gives tiny Manhattan apartment ultimate flexibility
The owner of this 400-square-foot Manhattan apartment loves to host dinner parties and house guests, so he needed to fit the essentials of a larger apartment into his small living area. As Michael Chen and Kari Anderson of Normal Projects started to draw out plans for the home, they quickly realised that dividing it into smaller spaces would make the apartment feel even smaller. A suggestion from the client inspired the solution: a built-in cabinet that holds a closet, a bed and a desk, while dividing the home into comfortable activity zones.
The client came up with the idea of a Murphy bed that could fold out of the way when not in use. The designers then had to figure out how to transform the sleeping space into a living space. They didn't want to have to see the bottom of the bed in the way that many Murphy beds are styled, so they created a giant pivoting door. The door hides the bed when it's not in use, and becomes a partition between sleeping and living areas when the bed is out.
Since the client also wanted a nightstand, closet space and shelves for books, the cabinet idea quickly grew in size and function. This wall was the only spot that made sense for the bed’s giant multi-functional cabinet. Luckily, this wall was also an unfortunate looking wall with an awkward column, so the cabinet hides all of that. The nightstand, embedded into the cork surface of the bed’s compartment, takes advantage of leftover wall space next to the column.
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The pivoting door not only divides the sleeping and living spaces, but a drop-down flap also doubles as a desk or bar.
The entire unit is made out of a combination of hardware from several different companies, including some designed by Normal Projects. Customising this piece was not only necessary because of its size and functions, but also to ensure that the motion of the cabinet was just right. “That process involved a lot of precise digital modelling to keep track of the slides and the rotations of hinges and pivots,” says Chen.
The entire unit is made out of a combination of hardware from several different companies, including some designed by Normal Projects. Customising this piece was not only necessary because of its size and functions, but also to ensure that the motion of the cabinet was just right. “That process involved a lot of precise digital modelling to keep track of the slides and the rotations of hinges and pivots,” says Chen.
The house is now divided into slightly overlapping zones. The kitchen is at the front of the apartment, the sleeping area in the middle. A dining area appears when the bed is folded up, a work area is revealed when the door pivots open, and the living room can be public or more private due to the pivoting door.
When it's all closed up, the cabinet becomes a seamless extension of the home's structure, leaving plenty of room for a dining table or other entertaining necessities.
Another main issue for Normal Projects was lighting the apartment well without large visible fixtures. Their solution was a series of fluorescent strips running along the top of the cabinet. The strips reflect light off of the ceiling, resulting in a soft light that brightens the entire room.
Another main issue for Normal Projects was lighting the apartment well without large visible fixtures. Their solution was a series of fluorescent strips running along the top of the cabinet. The strips reflect light off of the ceiling, resulting in a soft light that brightens the entire room.
Shelves at the end of the cabinet provide easy access for books and movies when the client is in the living room. The drop-down panel becomes a desk with a quick swivel of a double-duty living room chair. The screen allows light to come through when needed, and can close up for ultimate privacy when guests are sleeping on the daybed in the living room.
One of the biggest challenges in this project was getting the large pre-made pieces of the cabinetry into the apartment through the older building's tiny elevator and staircase. The team ended up building the cabinet in pieces, then disassembling them into even smaller pieces that could be brought into the building.
One of the biggest challenges in this project was getting the large pre-made pieces of the cabinetry into the apartment through the older building's tiny elevator and staircase. The team ended up building the cabinet in pieces, then disassembling them into even smaller pieces that could be brought into the building.
The cabinet’s bright blue adds a different dimension to the room. “We wanted something cheerful and interesting, and we were certain that white or grey would be too boring,” says Chen.
“We found that a deeply saturated colour did very interesting things in the room, because the apartment has good natural light. The blue really changes hues quite a lot over the course of the day. Sometimes it’s extremely bright, and other times, it goes extremely muted and dense.”
“We found that a deeply saturated colour did very interesting things in the room, because the apartment has good natural light. The blue really changes hues quite a lot over the course of the day. Sometimes it’s extremely bright, and other times, it goes extremely muted and dense.”
The kitchen was also part of the home’s renovation. A high quality cooker, a dishwasher, a microwave, and plenty of storage were just a few things on the client’s list. Custom cabinetry was designed in a modern style to complement the the home’s eclectic décor.
A tiny Viking cooker was installed at the end of the space. Two under-counter units take the place of a full-size fridge. The end of the blue cabinet was outfitted with walnut and stainless steel shelving for additional kitchen storage.
Read more stories on small spaces
Read more stories on small spaces
The aluminium bars on the outside of the cabinet were recessed into the surface. The bars are thicker in the spots where it made the most sense to grab on and pull the panels open. Normal Projects chose their placement by mapping the movement of the body across the cabinet.
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Would you be able to live in an unfolding apartment? Say why yay or nay in the Comments section.
Tell us
Would you be able to live in an unfolding apartment? Say why yay or nay in the Comments section.
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