Micro-Apartment Has Carousel Closet Under the Bed

There's a shortage of affordable housing in many larger cities, prompting many to find alternatives like micro-apartments, houseboats, co-housing or even installing prefabs on existing roofs in the city.

In Stockholm, Sweden, architect Karin Matz helped a client convert what was once a run-down, half-renovated apartment on Heleneborgsgatan street into a livable space. When the flat was purchased back in 2012, it was a mess: the previous owner had started renovations almost 30 years before falling ill, leaving the 387-square-foot (36 square metres) apartment as-is until his death, with peeling wallpaper and rodent tenants. It's a story that the new design tries to relay, says Matz:

The finished apartment is a result of a fascination for this; a try to let the previous layers and stories of a space live on and at the same time fill the requirements for the new story that will take place.

© Karin Matz Architect

With the redesign, there's a new layout with a more modern aesthetic: the bed has been elevated on a platform so that a clever closet space, a carousel clothing rack, and some kitchen shelving could be installed. At night, the sleeping platform can be closed off with curtains.

© Karin Matz Architect

© Karin Matz Architect

The kitchen has custom cabinetry that is inspired by IKEA, and an induction stove top.

© Karin Matz Architect

The other half of the space has intentionally been left with a more unfinished look, alluding to its history.

© Karin Matz Architect

© Karin Matz Architect

Here's a view into the bathroom, which has a full-length mirror on the inside of the door. When the door is opened, the mirror gives the illusion of a larger space, and also reveals more storage and the washing machine. There's even a convenient hatch in the door for dropping clothes into the laundry basket.

© Karin Matz Architect

Proving that older buildings can still have many more lives to live, this relatively low-cost renovation has turned a neglected space into an efficiently designed home that will be enjoyed for many more years to come.

[Via: Contemporist]