Article by Laura LaVoie
Off Beat Spaces shows how designer James Hong took a 500 square foot New York aparatment from rundown to luxury by repurposing items and reimagining spaces.
This video shows in only a couple of minutes what one designer could do to create an amazingly modern space while staying within what he refers to as a “modest scale.”
His work with his home shows that sometimes you just need to see the potential. Creating a beautiful space out of something that most people would have passed on is nothing less than miraculous, but if you talk to people like Hong who have done it for themselves they see it as the obvious next step.
Hong notably uses an old kitchen pot to build a sink rather than purchasing a new sink from the local home improvement store. It takes vision to combine these elements into something decorative and functional.

Photo by SpacesTV on YouTube

Photo by SpacesTV on YouTube
In the kitchen you can see his whimsical decorating style with the placement of a model truck alongside a ceramic cat. In tiny spaces we often think that we need to make every square inch as functional as possible, but leaving room for fun is just as important.

Photo by SpacesTV on YouTube
More importantly, Hong himself is satisfied with is design and finds his home a comfortable space to live and work. Designing small spaces like this one to incorporate not only all the necessities of life but also surrounding yourself with beauty and design is itself a work of art.
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Alex

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Excellent~Excelent.
A humble man and a genius: what an outstanding combination! Love the whimsey, LOVE that wicked purple chair with built in end-table arms. Now, THIS is >my< idea of a tiny house, complete with electric, gas, and sewer. Score!