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Woman Goes Tiny in a 129 Sq. Ft. Micro Apartment


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In this post I’m showing you a 129 sq. ft. micro apartment in Paris with kitchen, bed and bath.

And how this woman re-created the space to meet her needs in this tiny space (granted she is an architect).

But when you go inside into the living room the bed rolls right out of wall and if you roll it out only half way you can use it as a couch.

After you enjoy the photo tour, video tour, interview, and discussion below I’d like to ask you to join our discussion in the comments (would you rather live in tiny house in your favorite rural setting or a micro apartment in your favorite city?)

How This Woman Went Tiny in a Paris Micro Apartment

All of the pillows and everything you need to make the bed are stored in wall cabinets right by the roll out bed.

So essentially your living room transforms into your bedroom whenever you’d like. But it gets even more interesting…

This same multi-functional furniture unit is also the kitchen when you walk around the other side (directly above where the bed is hidden).

The micro kitchen has everything you need:

  • Kitchen sink.
  • Microwave oven.
  • Cooktop.
  • Refrigerator.
  • And storage space.

And as you’d imagine there’s a really unique (and very small) bathroom as well.

Video Tour and Interview with Owner/Dweller/Designer of this Paris Micro Apartment

Would You Live in a Micro Apartment Like This One?

My question to you is, would you consider living in a micro apartment if it were expertly designed like this one? Just curious.

Micro Studios/Apartments City Version of Tiny House Living, Right?

Because to me, micro apartments like these are much like tiny house living but in the city instead. The biggest benefit here is that you have access to a city all the time.

Pros/Cons of Tiny Housing on your own Land Versus Studio City Living

But the downfall is that even in a small space like this if you’re in a desirable city, you’re likely going to pay much more for rent (or cash/mortgage) than you would with a self built tiny home on your own land.

Which Way Would You Go? Tiny House or Tiny Apartment in the City? Or Both?

So which way would you go? Tiny house living in a somewhat rural setting? Or micro apartment living in the city? And why?

Let us know in the comments. If you ask me, I like both of those ideas so much, that I’d like to have both eventually.

A tiny house in the woods. And a micro apartment in the city. What do you think of that idea?

If you enjoyed this discussion on tiny house living and how this woman went tiny in a micro apartment you’ll love our free daily tiny house newsletter with more!

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 36 comments… add one }
  • RockyMissouri
    May 24, 2014, 4:35 pm

    I love it! Very sensible…. And what an area to live…!! I would be inspired CONSTANTLY by the things around me….!! Surreal to be around such awesomeness …

  • ThinkCreatively
    May 24, 2014, 6:42 pm

    Nicely designed! Paris has so many outside / public spaces that this is a good option. Love the dual position mirror, all the light and the bathroom.

  • Daniel Morris
    May 24, 2014, 8:33 pm

    This apartment scores a 10+ to me. I would prefer Rome but thats just me. And this is a copy of a tiny home already out there!!! Yep, for a few years one of the tiny house designers, I forgot which, has been selling a plan where the bed hides under the kitchen. It is not as stylish or historic (?) as this apartment, but it is still cool: NO STAIRS. I bought the plan because I pee way too often at night…Yes, I bought it.
    But I have since decided on a second home of 248 sq. ft. It is a pity that I cannot give this location away. It is a magnificent place as well as being already quite famous. But, for unique reasons, a fair part of this “place” is completely zone-free, rule free and inspector free. It also has new roads and
    Full Utility access.
    So, soon, I will be choosing between 600 s.f. in a super city or a 248 s.f. fun little house in a fun place. (I am keeping both…….!!!!!)
    STAY SMALL, SAVE BIG, RETIRE EARLY & ALWAYS RELAX

  • Daniel Morris
    May 24, 2014, 8:38 pm

    This apartment scores a 10+ to me. I would prefer Rome but thats just me. And this is a copy of a tiny home already out there!!! Yep, for a few years one of the tiny house designers, I forgot which, has been selling a plan where the bed hides under the kitchen. It is not as stylish or historic (?) as this apartment, but it is still cool: NO STAIRS. I bought the plan because I pee way too often at night…Yes, I bought it.
    But I have since decided on a second home of 248 sq. ft. It is a pity that I cannot give this location away. It is a magnificent place as well as being already quite famous. But, for unique reasons, a fair part of this “place” is completely zone-free, rule free and inspector free. It also has new roads and
    Full Utility access.
    So, soon, I will be choosing between 600 s.f. in a super city or a 248 s.f. fun little house in a fun place. (I am keeping both…….!!!!!)
    STAY SMALL, SAVE BIG, RETIRE EARLY & ALWAYS RELAX

  • Rich
    May 24, 2014, 8:45 pm

    Another sensible and beautiful ‘old world’ apartment. Dense cities are the future. When will we learn?

  • Ginger
    May 24, 2014, 8:47 pm

    I would definitely prefer the apartment in the city, mainly because I’m old and want easy access to stuff. However, I think I have found a good middle ground.,,I have a park model home in a small mobile home park in the small town of Marana which has doctors, pharmacy, senior and community center, post office and library within 3 blocks. We do not currently have a good market within walking distance but the town is growing. Also we have bus service to good shopping areas. And I am only 10 miles from Tucson. So I kind of have the best of both worlds. For retired people who don’t want to rely on their kids or family, it is very important to think about accessibility to goods and services. I may not always be able to drive. And I want to be able to manage whether I can drive or not.

    As for the micro apartment, ithinkit is well done. It looks cozy and live able.

  • Cosy
    May 24, 2014, 9:15 pm

    I love everything about this apartment. I’d love to see a TH designed exactly the same. Well, maybe with the bathroom sink in the bathroom but that’s being picky.

  • Adina Hirschmann
    May 25, 2014, 3:22 am

    I admire her ingenuity and creativity with the space she has. Couldn’t tell if the large, striped vertical thing stretching the length of the place was a curtain or wall. The large latticework divider around the sink looked like something that would get in the way when trying to move around and limit access. There was no place to sit with good back support or cushioning, like a chair. Pillows flatten out. No TV or audio? Was the toilet protected from the stream of the shower? Looked like a great place for short-term guests. In a cheaper part of the city, it might be a good transitional residence for a formerly homeless person.

  • Cahow
    May 25, 2014, 10:28 am

    Alex asked, “So which way would you go? Tiny house living in a somewhat rural setting? Or micro apartment living in the city? And why?”

    Well, unless you’re new to his site, y’all know that I have it BOTH ways: condo in the city that we share with two graduate students and small cottage (800 sq.ft.) in the country that was built in 1922 as a grocery store, now converted into our cottage.

    Since early childhood, I’ve had to have both City & Country. I was raised on a dairy farm in the farthest corner of Minnesota; you could stretch out your hand and touch Canada! When we would visit “The City”…Duluth, I fell in love with the culture, the vibrations of so many interesting people, and the access to 99% more than our local farm town which held a 1) bank; 2) Co-Op; 3) Dairy processing plant; and 4) local diner that shut down at 4:00 pm!!!! But, I also loved the supreme wild-ness of our farm: 1,000’s of birds and wild flowers, nearest neighbor 10 miles away on another dairy farm, no rules, and mental room to breath into your soul. I literally can’t imagine living 100% in either capacity.

    So, that’s the answer to Alex’s question. Now, to this apartment in Paris. Ah, Paris!!!! Lived and worked there in 2002; have gone back many times and could make a yearly trip if budget allowed. Of any global city, Paris is my default setting.

    Another female architect…you go, girl!!!! As a female architect, too, I appreciate every.single.detail. that this woman incorporated into her flat. Genius, sheer genius! If I were 40 years younger, I could see myself creating a space like this for my husband and I rather than sharing a condo with students.

    However, I’m now of the age that all that sheer amount of a) Bending to pull out the bed; b) Bending to pull out the pillows; c) Bending to convert the bed into a sofa…just is NOT going to happen any longer. My knees are shot and that’s just the way that life rolls. Plus, I had a solid 365 days of living like THIS in 1980 in a charming studio apartment in Chicago’s Gold Coast area (12′ x 12′), in a building that was specifically designed in the early 1900’s for “Spinsters and Widows”, if you can even imagine that advertising slogan, today! LOL The building was built right next to the 1st school in Chicago to educate immigrant girls and the “school marms” were housed in the studio apartments.

    That said, by the 4th month of daily use by myself, I was so plum tuckered out of pulling out my bed for the night, tucking away the bed at dawn, storing all the pillows and duvet each day that I simply STOPPED breaking down the bed and left it out and open, only stowing it away when friends came for a wee visit. Anyone who’s lived with the daily drudgery of Open/Close/Open/Close/Open/Close can understand what I mean. Now, NOTHING I live with needs to be stowed away on a twice daily basis and that’s just the way I like it! Bed is ALWAYS a bed, sofa is ALWAYS a sofa, duvet stays OUT, pillows stay OUT…etc., etc., etc.! But, more power to those of you that have the staying power to constantly and chronically assemble a bed/table/sofa/whatnot each and every time that you need it. I’m too old and exhausted for that grind, any longer. Did it, Done it, Bought and sold the T-shirt, proclaiming it! ~snort~

    Rating for her place: 10 stars out of 10 stars! LOVED every application and thought process she went through to achieve her home. Hope she reads all the positive messages written about her special place. <3

  • Mark
    October 27, 2014, 7:25 pm

    She kept saying “we”, if 2 people live there I hope they really like each others company!

  • Paula V.
    February 16, 2015, 1:49 pm

    I’ve seen this before and don’t tire of staring at it. So well laid out and designed. It reminds me a bit of Humble Homes Athru’ design with regard to the elevated kitchen and pull out bed. Makes me wish I would have followed in my Dad’s footsteps and become an architect way back when! I guess I can still play with Sketch Up.

  • Cheryl Smith-Bell
    February 16, 2015, 1:59 pm

    You couldn’t hog tie me and drag me a gun point into having to live like that! More power to those that can, but I sure don’t envy them LOL! That said I live in a small house at the edge of a small town, and wish I could buy land and be farther out. I have about one city block and am able to keep my old retired horse, and have way to many cats, to live that small. When I can afford a yard fence, I’ll have a dog, too. I love all your posts, because I get ideas I can use to help me make my house better and more useful to me. It needs renovation, but the lack of funds limits me greatly. I need a new couch, and am considering building a daybed w/storage, because I have a good twin mattress that there is no room for in bedroom #2 because of my art stuff. We’ll see if I can manage that. Keep on showing us all kinds of houses, because there just might be something we can use! I could easily have lived in the small/tiny ones/ before kids and age! LOL!

    • Susi
      February 16, 2015, 5:12 pm

      Hi Cheryl, I am too am am artist with a limited budget. I have a suggestion for you that I used here myself in my old house. First of all, if you don’t already do it now, go to Craig’s List and scan the “Free” ads. I got a gorgeous full-bed size cast-iron headboard for FREE there. I already had a good twin mattress, and got a wooden twin bed frame for FREE off ‘Freecycle.org’. (<—most cities have them now, they're like Craig's List only way classier, and although your ads are anonymous to viewers, the admin folks have all the user's names, emails/ph # address etc, so you feel alot safer getting items from there) Paint the twin bed frame whatever color your decor requires; put a full-bed ( a twin headboard is likely too small in most cases) headboard of your choosing ( you can build one from free wooden palettes and custom paint it to match!) against the wall, longways, so the long end of your twin bed frame is parallel to it. You can use some U-bolts & screws to affix the headboard to the long side of your twin bed frame, if you like, but it really isn't necessary. My twin bed "Daybed" holds the full headboard very securely in place. Get yourself some pretty linens ( or on Ebay, a used daybed cover) to put over the mattress, tuck them under the mattress so they look more daybed-ish and toss on a few throw pillows and BAM!!— you have a stylish, decor-coordinated daybed to relax and read/watch movies etc with your kitties. 🙂 Mine saved me a small fortune that I might've paid for even a used sofa, and I customized it in ways I wouldn't have been able to customize a store-bought sofa. Many of the larger pieces of furniture in my house, I upcycled from free items, or renovated/painted/decoupaged to create something artistic, unique and OOAK for my little artist's hideaway. I'm pleased to say all my guests ooooooooow and aaaaaah over it. 🙂 I wish I could post photos for you to see, to show you some of the things I've done here totally for free, only my labor, or very low cost, using recycled/upcycled items I've tailored to fit my little maison~ Meanwhile, wishing you well with your house and hoping my suggestions give you something to consider~ 🙂 Best Regards, Susi P.S.—I used some small fabric lined wicker baskets underneath eh daybed for storage, looks great and works very nicely~

      • Chel
        May 17, 2015, 6:47 pm

        Hi Cheryl and Susie,
        Another artist here with similar ideas. I first converted a single bed (what I believe you Americans call a twin) into a day bed over 20 years ago. I used some chip board that was going spare at the time to cut two boards to fit around one corner of the bed. One long enough to go two thirds of the way down the bed and high enough to be a back rest, the other a smaller and lower version to fit two thirds of the way across the end of the bed. Attached some two by one wood supports, covered them with thick batting and screwed them into the bed base. Sandwiching the supports with some hardboard would be good if they are seen.
        I made loose covers out of dyed calico for the whole lot – a valance for the base, fitted sheet with elastic all round and slip on covers for the back/arm supports. They could be washed and dried and back on in three or four hours, which was great when my kids were small.
        Pillows can be squared off by folding down a triangle of fabric at each corner and sewing it into place, easy back cushions with pillow style covers.
        It worked so well that I have made another day bed by butchering an old set of wooden bunk beds. Comfortable sofa and useful spare bed.
        Great ideas from you Susie. Good hunting Cheryl and use your creativity for your own best benefit.

    • kristina nadreau
      May 20, 2016, 5:16 pm

      100% agreed with your first sentence.

  • Tricia
    February 16, 2015, 3:43 pm

    I love this space. Talk about being a minimalist. She doesn’t seem like she has many possessions at all. I would have to have a TV somewhere myself and I wonder where she stores her clothes? That being said I would prefer a tiny apt in the city just because there would be many other things to do if you needed to get out and stretch your legs so to speak.

  • Susi
    February 16, 2015, 4:52 pm

    If the tiny apt is in Paris, I’M IN. End of story~ :):):) I’d give the left side of my fanny to live in Paris, even for a month!

    My own home here on the farm is small by conventional standards, 900 sq ft. It was a foreclosure; I’ve spent the last 5 years replacing/refurbishing/renovating the damage the last owner did through both passive /active neglect & abuse. I love looking at tiny houses, they serve as inspiration for me. I complain alot about lack of much storage space here; these wee, economic abodes you feature show me many potential “fixes” for that. I’d love to find a method aside from those uber-expensive color-coordinated storage cubes & cloth bins to organize some of the space here. When you need double digits #’s of them, it gets really pricey! To solve one area needing storage I converted a hallway entry into a pantry for my cooking equipment & food storage, for example, using store-bought shelf units,pegboard with hangers etc etc; but it doesn’t have a nice cohesive look because I cobbled it together with what I could find or scavenge. I also painted a Monet type mural on the wooden bi-fold closet doors that I now store canned food in & some hardware & equipment; I also painted the hallways walls turquoise, stamped them with a tiny gold dragonfly and painted a lovely pastel sky mural on the ceiling. I spend alot of time in there so I wanted it to feel expansive, calming and serene. Overall I struggle with storage stuff here. I’ve gotten rid of quite alot lately, so that there’s not so much that needs storing; will likely do much more of that come Spring. ( this assumes Spring will EVER come again) *sigh* Anyways, just acknowledging one of the tricks to living happily in one of these tiny houses/apts, I think, is conquering storage challenges and what you’re putting into them. Love,love,love your blog !! Thanks for all the great ideas and spaces to drool over~ 🙂

  • Ellen A.
    February 16, 2015, 7:24 pm

    Hooray for tiny spaces in great cities! Alex is doing a great job of featuring a variety of tiny lifestyles for all of us. I agree that having one place in the city and one in the country is ideal, especially if the country place is a bit bigger and has some storage area. If the budget is tight, a small space in the city (maybe not quite so tiny for two) would be all you need if you can find storage in a nearby suburb. Then you could rent or exchange holiday cottages in the woods or near the beach from others. Let’s make it all about experiencing life and not sitting on a pile of stuff. If what you have is really all that valuable, donate it to a museum where everyone can enjoy it!

  • mark bowser
    February 16, 2015, 11:24 pm

    Love the function and idea however I prefer living deep in the countryside surrounded by trees and nature. I like small confined spaces so tiny wouldn’t be a problem rather a pleasure. I like natural light in daytime but warmer yellow lighting at night.

  • Jannelle
    February 16, 2015, 11:32 pm

    Very impressed! I love it.

    I could happily live in a space like this. I have a 5 bedroom house, with games room, sauna room etc… and it is completely unnecessary. I’ve recently bought a bus to turn into a tiny house. I’d love to go traveling in it first, but if living in it works well… I’d do it permanently.

  • SteveG
    February 17, 2015, 11:41 am

    This apartment is in PARIS! If it were in Cleveland, it might be unbearable because the offerings do not compare with Paris.

    Americans are discovering tiny, but the stand-alone houses are HUGE because they dominate their footprint. Tiny attached housing is common around the world, especially in large cities.

  • LC
    February 18, 2015, 2:28 am

    I love the ingenuity and layout to this apt, but I don’t understand why anyone would live in a dirty, crowded city and pay a premium for being suffocated. Isn’t part of the beauty of going tiny the ability to make your living room the outdoors? Can’t have outdoor space in a tiny city apt.

    I vote for fresh air and a THOW!

    • dea
      May 18, 2015, 2:51 pm

      It’s PARIS!…RFLMAO… it’s different, and tiny a lot in Europe is tiny without a second thought, period… Parisians don’t live by rules and trends they prefer to set them…it’s actually quite a wonderful place to be in and absorb. The atmosphere is busy and buzzy like many cities are known for. I prefer the country living but enjoy ingenuity and artistry of what to do with space and concept…

      • LC
        May 18, 2015, 6:19 pm

        LOL, dea, you’re probably right. I guess I’ve never had a love affair for Paris. Maybe the French countryside……? 🙂

  • Olivia
    May 15, 2015, 9:26 am

    I like the bedroom/living room problem solving but would go nuts without windows. I’m not sure about the split up bathroom. Would prefer a sink over the toilet if need be. Why have two sinks so close together? And I’d prefer more conventional walls without the heavy wood stuff tacked on. The same with the odd kitchen cabinetry. Unless it has really beautiful lines or is necessary, it doesn’t make sense.

    • Olivia
      May 15, 2015, 9:30 am

      Should have looked at the video first. There are windows!

  • Jessica
    May 15, 2015, 10:03 am

    Love the city and love tiny. The Paris part would be nice but I am not looking to move out of country. My husband and I plan to “retire” to a studio apartment in a city. We love the options and energy of the city more than the agriculture space of the country. That being said, I am all about huge city parks.

  • May 15, 2015, 10:21 am

    This is incredibly creative. I absolutely love it. I was wondering if there were tables at all for eating or laptop use that converted? That would be my only change if it isn’t already there.

  • Jose Valente
    May 16, 2015, 12:40 pm

    Meu comentário vai para elogiar o trabalho fantástico desta Arquitecta. Seguidamente acho muito interessante não só para novos como para idosos, que nas cidades estão perto de tudo (dispensam os carros, têm os serviços de hospitais, escolas, transportes, centros de convívio etc.), e não têm de limpar, arrumar muitas coisas (nas casas grandes, somos escravos delas), têm custos de manutenção reduzidos e podemos deste modo disfrutar da companhia de amigos, lazer, ginásio e ar livre nos jardins ou parques públicos. Há disponibilidade e proximidade acessivel a todos. Bem hajam.

  • Jennifer King
    May 16, 2015, 3:25 pm

    This is absolutely lovely. Such creative use of open spaces to allow light in. I might have made the bed a bit easier to pull out because it felt like she was really struggling with that and the drawer for the pillows. I would have also maybe brought out the kitchen another even 6-12″ – because it looked like there was room in the main room for this and I don’t know how there would be room to open that microwave all the way. It just feels a little tight for me. Besides that GORGEOUS.

  • Betty
    October 27, 2015, 4:46 pm

    Perfect little apartment, but in Israel, not France. I could spend the rest of my days there.

  • Mike
    October 27, 2015, 5:20 pm

    Love the efficiency bathroom!!

  • AmyCat =^.^=
    October 29, 2015, 6:18 am

    The hide-a-bed is brilliant! I’d rather do this than a loft-bed in a THoW any day… Only thing I’d change is adding a toilet-topper sink (the type where the hand-wash water drains into the toilet tank and is then re-used as the flush-water next time you use the toilet). Putting the bathroom sink back in the bathroom cubby would free up enough space to extend the kitchen counter and add a toaster-oven and space for a rice-cooker and/or crock pot (they could be stored in the under-the-counter space no longer used for the underside of the bath sink and its plumbing pipes). 🙂

  • Allan
    November 11, 2015, 4:59 pm

    I wonder, where you are suppose to storage you wardrobe in this small apartment ?

  • janp
    May 20, 2016, 5:26 pm

    i would love the place in the city first and Paris seems like it would be great or even England . as long as i can cook, thats great. i find u a crock pot a lot in the winter and do salads in the summer, so i am good, plus you can buy a little counter top oven which i use in the summer to keep from heating the house. i live in an apt now, having moved from the country, with two acres and the river on my side of the road. been n the apt 3 years and i find now I love lving where fixng everything is not my responsibility. city living in a new city, new country sounds exciting. love it love the place

  • kristina nadreau
    May 20, 2016, 5:32 pm

    I would never choose to live in such a small place regardless of location. I would rent a hotel room when I wanted city life. I prefer to live in a small city, 10 to 50 thousand people, on a large lot(s) to accomodate a herd of dogs, with a small house of a few big rooms. I want a big kitchen and dining. I want to accomodate a 6 ft diameter round table with seating for 10 and a built in buffet to hold all my Chinese altars and artifacts, about 10-12 feet long.. I want my kitchen to be large enough to cook a 5 course meal for 10 with the needed equipment. I want a living room with seating for 6 – 10 people. my bedroom should have space only for a king size bed with art on the walls , small side tables and reading lights. the walk in closet will hold all clothing, as I dislike “dressers”. The bath can be 5 by 7 and plain, a wet room with shower. I need a niche to have a computer desk with some document storage. with the exceptions of occasional hotels, I will not rent. If I can not afford to buy it, I do not have it! Thank you for asking. If I were again about 40, single, kids gone, I would like the idea of tiny pied a terre in town and tiny house out far in the country. You have shown pictures of the “Escape” which would work for me. thank you for asking.

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