Small Apartment Utilizes A Sliding Wall To Hide Its Functions
After conducting extensive research on micro houses and all the design elements involved, architecture studio MKCA applied all that knowledge when redesigning a 390 square foot efficiency apartment in New York.
Despite the reduced size, the apartment includes all the elements and functions necessary for comfortable living. It has a working area, a living space, a dining room, a kitchen, a sleeping area, a bathroom as well as areas for dressing and entertainment.
The main attraction in the apartment and the feature that made this ingenious design possible is a motorized sliding wall that glides from one end of the room to another. This element helps delimitate the daytime and nighttime zones but, at the same time, it also reveals a dressing room with built-in drawers and clothing storage.
When fully extended, the movable wall makes room for a queen size fold-down bed. Murphy beds are very popular in small apartments and, in this case, the design and layout were adapted to perfectly integrate this feature.
The sliding wall also hides a few other interesting details such as a rotating TV nook and storage space for all the audiovisual and networking equipment. There’s even enough room for extra storage and display shelves.
The TV can rotate 180 degrees so it can be viewed from the sitting area, the bed or the dressing room. This mechanism makes everything really comfortable and efficient.
When the bed is extended, the sleeping area occupies a part of the seating and working space. A built-in nightstand adjacent to the headboard can accommodate a reading light and alarm clock offering the basic features for this portion of the apartment.
The area directly across from the movable wall features a sofa decorated with colorful and patterned accent pillows and a small side table with a round top. The adjacent wall accommodates the working space. It has an open library and additional display shelves. The lower cabinets houses all the computer components and the printer and there’s also a portion that doubles as a bar.
On the other side of the sofa is an open area with a dining table for four and large windows. Although small, this area fells open and fresh. The table has a round glass top which supports these features.
The kitchen is also part of this zone. It was expanded to make room for more working space. More counter pace was added, with a sink and cabinetry. The kitchen also accommodates a storage pantry and a refrigerator.
The bathroom was remodeled as well. It has a new pocket door and a laundry hamper cabinet. A few small open shelves offer storage space for towels and other bathroom essentials.