This is Ewa’s 269 sq. ft. Kings Cross flat in London.
25 square meter (or 269 square feet) isn’t a lot (especially as it also occasionally is my workspace), so I had to be inventive with the space: The kitchen unit got taken out of the living-room, all the bathroom interiors were replaced by a small IKEA kitchen and separated by a wall of Slovakian glass blocks from a new shower unit and then the storage room/cupboard where the previous owner stored their washing-machine etc etc, got turned into a lavatory, something it had been originally in Edwardian days when 2 flats shared the toilet. That was a year ago. Since then I have had one gas stove change into a cupboard (the need for space being pressing!) and the other stove has become a wood burning stove instead. It cost a small fortune, being based in Central London, but it is something the Swede in me have always longed for (it is a lot more interesting to look at the a TV set:))..
Please enjoy, learn more, and re-share below. Thank you!
The Y:Cube is a Lego-style prefabricated tiny housing solution designed to alleviate the affordable housing shortage in London after a report by the English Housing Survey revealed that most renters throughout England are spending 47 percent of their entire after-tax income on rent.
And according to this article from Russia Times, people in London are spending even more with an average of 73 percent of their pre-tax income being spent on rent. In response to this housing crisis, the London South West YMCA has come up with a solution called the Y:Cube.
The units are 26m2 (or 280 square feet) and are designed by Rogers Stirk Habour + Partners, an award-winning architecture firm in London. When you go inside one of the units you’ll find everything you need! A bathroom, kitchen, living area, desk, and a cozy place to sleep. But best of all, the price is affordable. According to the Russia Times, the units cost about €30,000 British Pounds which converts to about $47,000 in United States Dollars.
I hope you are doing well! I love Tiny House Talk and hope our journey of taking an old narrowboat and making it our home can inspire others.
I am from the States and my other half is from England. We wanted to do something different when we started out in London. I had lived in Seattle and we have both visited and fell in love with the houseboats there. So when all the pieces fell together for us to buy and make our home on a boat, we jumped at the opportunity.
When I was leaving the States, people were either inspired by our choice or thought it was completely crazy. Especially, as our home was going to be the size of most peoples bedrooms. However, we have been living here for over a year now and could not be happier. Also, when I say ‘we’ this includes two adults and one very happy, but giant, golden retriever. So living small in central London, with a dog, is completely possible.
Below you’ll find the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos as we redid the boat.
It has a pretty simple floor plan. When you walk in, you’re right by the bathroom. Turn right and head towards the open living space with living room, entertainment center, storage, little dining table and bed. I think it has a classy modern/victorian style with crown molding and all. Continue walking passed this area and you’ve got your little kitchen which is modern, beautiful, and has all you need to cook a wonderful meal. Please enjoy, talk about it in the comments, and re-share below.
Our big thanks to Erik Walker for sharing this 328 sq. ft. studio with us!
This is already giving two people a chance to live affordably without having to stress about money so much while working and getting their education.
And the YMCA is already planning on deploying several more units as soon as possible to meet the demand of over 100 (and growing) other people in the area on a list wanting to live in one too.
According to the video you can watch below they cost just over $30k each.
Affordable Shipping Container Housing in London Approved
I encourage you to learn more by watching the video with YMCA director and getting the video tour of one of these micro shipping container homes below: [continue reading…]
