apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

It took me a few seconds to realize what was wrong with the PC work station. It looks good BUT there is no leg space. There is no way you could comfortably use it for a long period of time.

Mafan Green lasers rulz

Mafan, the table has a support running through the middle, there is more space on the other side, how much space do you need?
http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/081806josephhousetour/Costa%20Apt-42

The only thing I would be worried about is the placement of the stove:
http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/081806josephhousetour/Costa%20Apt-26

That's nuts. In my opinion. There's no exhaust or hood or whatever for that range.

And he has way less than 400 sq HABITABLE ft.

13-196-510 Residential buildings – Ceiling heights.

At least one-half of the floor area of every habitable room shall have a ceiling height of not less than seven feet; and the floor area of that part of any room where the ceiling height is less than five feet shall not be considered as part of the floor area in computing the total floor area of the room for the purpose of determining the maximum permissible occupancy thereof. However, in any room, beams or furred spaces constituting not more than 25 percent of the ceiling area, may have a height of not less than six feet.

======
I'm pretty disgusted with what I end up seeing. Yes, it's a great use of space. But how far will people go to rent out some tiny space that should be storage and not a home?

You know, people are so desperate for housing and so greedy for money...a few years back I saw on the news where someone had rented out their "basement" to a family. There were no windows. There was no running water. No heat. It was an area under the home where the foundation is and all the pipes and ducts ran. The "floor" was dirt. And the head room was 5 feet.

And yet some family that was very poor did live there. Because they were desperate. And some shelter was better than no shelter.

But is it? Is some shelter better than no shelter?

The whole reason behind these codes and laws is to try to keep people safe. To provide sanitary conditions.

Now, if this was a teen's room, in the attic, of the family house, without the cooking things, that might be different. No rent is involved. It's not supposed to be a home, just a place to hang out.

Another reference to odd, small spaces, the Basement:
http://www.handyamerican.com/articles-basement-dyi-remodeling.asp

Most renovation codes require the following as minimum ceiling heights:

* Habitable rooms – 7½ ft.
* Bathrooms and Hallways – 7 ft.

And no one really seems to care if it's safe to LIVE in some of the featured places. Which really does a disservice to everyone who may WANT to live in a safe and sanitary environment. A legal home, not one that has a stove a foot from the ceiling. You don't have to be a rocket surgeon to figure out that is a major fire hazard.

True Blue - right on!

These living space constests seem really unhealthy, if not unfair, to me for some reason.

The spaces that AT judges end up choosing are NOT typical apartments that the majority of renters live in. It seems to be gently moving away from the "apartment" aspect and moving towards something else...

I really love this site, but perhaps it should be renamed:

"Not-So-Realistic Living Space Ideas for Self-important Dual Income No Kids Residents In Major Metropolitan Areas Only"

I apologize for my bitterness, but most of us will never be able to afford some of these spaces you feature on this site. They are unrealistic.

bitter much?

Do people still use that phrase?

I thought the space itself was so constrictive. I can't deal with slanty attic walls too much. As far as the decor, I'd call it minimum as opposed to minimal. A table, a bed, a sofa, a lamp, some freaky cone, and a bookshelf and a desk and a file cabinet. A rug. Some chairs. Managed not to fuck it up so bad. Looks kept neat. "About what you'd expect." How impressed should I be that they have exactly what they can use up there? I wouldn't want to be there a long time, so it is kind of a hut where you could sleep and get ready for the next day. Lives somewhere else half the year anyway, I bet it's a little bigger and has more than the bare essential daily equipment.