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A Collector's Tiny 178-Square-Foot Apartment
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We've seen our share of small spaces and teeny-tiny homes, but this one just might take the cake. This 178-square-foot apartment in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn belongs to 25-year-old Zach Motl. An avid collector since he was a child, Motl adheres to the "old decorating dictum that says the more stuff you put in a room (albeit artfully arranged stuff), the bigger it seems. More really is more."

 
 

He's pretty thrifty, too, incorporating furniture or accessories found on the curb or at a flea market. And who says a rental has to be limiting? Upon first moving into his apartment, Motl removed all the window panes, cleaned them, and reattached them to make sure they weren't leaking heat. He also chipped off the mirror tiles in his bathroom by hand, and built his own task lights for less than $200 out of components found at Canal Lighting.

See more pictures and read the whole article at The New York Times.

Related Posts:
Small Spaces and Teeny-Tiny Posts All Under 400 Square Feet!
Small Spaces and Teeny-Tiny Homes - Round Two!

(Images: Robert Wright for The New York Times, used with permission. Originally published 2010-02-16)

Comments (22)

If I didn't see an overall shot of the apartment I would have never known it was the size that it is. I can only imagine how small it actually feels when you are in it, but he's done a nice job of visually separating the space.

posted by creativeintheory on February 16th 2010 at 5:03pm
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very homey feel... i like it

great small space ideas... keep it coming

WOW!! lets see a whole house tour - i love it!

posted by missarahjessica on February 17th 2010 at 9:52am
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Wow -- I've seen bigger dorm rooms. Nice job for a tiny space!

That is the most adorable kitchen I've ever seen.

posted by matchbookhymnal on February 17th 2010 at 1:29pm
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Wow - this is a great apartment. A little too cluttered for my taste, but very well done.

I think what makes this apartment really good is that it really does have defined areas even though it is so small. All the colors work well together, too.

Is the bathroom part of the 178 sq. ft.?

posted by williamsweyr on February 17th 2010 at 3:13pm
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Very nice.

I wouldn't mind seeing a floor plan to be certain how it is all laid out.

Love the green in the kitchen. But I wouldn't feel comfortable, always being in danget of knocking something down or over. No rough-housing!

posted by laurazirbel on February 17th 2010 at 6:26pm
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178 sq. ft. and still he manages to squeeze in spices he does not use, boots he does not wear, and a dead bird... amazing!

So much style packed into such a small space! I'm amazed that he even has a kitchen...even though it's tiny (love it!). I really like the bed that opens up into storage...very clever idea! Great job all around.

I love this so much . . . I wish I knew how to make my living room look this beautiful. What talent this kid has!!

I read the article on the NYT online avidly, and immediately thought, someone has to post this on AT! Completely "Small Cool."

This is truly inspiring. Does anyone know what kind of bed that is?

Does anyone know where the bed is from?

posted by topherburk on February 22nd 2010 at 3:21pm
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That kitchen is so petit that it makes me super sad. I am diggin how the 'bedroom' pulls itself away from the clutter of the living room and looks very neat and organized

posted by applebomb on August 6th 2010 at 2:49pm
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The bed is a Charles P. Rogers, if I'm remembering correctly - www.charlesprogers.com - fairly certain that's right.

posted by mysoultokeep on August 6th 2010 at 2:51pm
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This was posted here like a year ago.

posted by miriamc on August 6th 2010 at 10:07pm
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"the more you put in a room, the larger it seems". Really? Just looks crowed to me. Like 2 candlesticks on that little table? All those books could be put in a tall bookcase,eliminating the need for chairs & tables to hold them. Please put a solid color slipcover on the ugly couch, get rid of the ugly coffeetable,so you can actually walk thru your room,and put up a bamboo shade over the "kitchen".
Otherwise, its cool. And got to get that bed, going to their site now!!!!!

posted by ArtsyGirl on August 6th 2010 at 10:41pm
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I have the same response I had last time I saw this...nice place, but more stuff sometimes is just more stuff. Or, as my mom likes to say "that is just too much of a muchness"

posted by msmezzo on August 7th 2010 at 10:28pm
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I love how even though his apartment is only 178 sq ft he has delineated podlike areas by function and made it feel so spacious. This is inspiring!

posted by Butterflyarmy on August 9th 2010 at 11:01am
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This is amazing, but I wouldn't know how to live here... Where do you put a glass of water on the coffee table? I guess it's truly a place for New Yorkers who are never home.

posted by LSUgrad03 on August 9th 2010 at 12:41pm
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I disagree with previous comments. I don't think it looks spacious at all. It looks cluttered, and could use some editing imo. Sometimes more is really just more stuff piling on the furniture and crammed into a room. The bed storage is neat.

posted by elankat on August 14th 2010 at 2:40pm
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