Compelled by the article, I contacted the heroin in the story, Sergio Santos. To my surprise, Sergio replied and shared his journey in downsizing to what he refers to as the"matchbox" NY-styled loft in Florida.
A London-trained architect originally from Brazil, Sergio found himself caught in the midst of the economic and construction downturn with uncertain job prospect, he soon decided to look for a more affordable place to call home. While checking out a room for rent, he noticed a storage room next to it. At a whim, he asked the landlord if he could rent the 77 sq. ft. storage room and got it for $150 a month.
Sergio started downsizing and traded his large furnishings with his previous landlord for pieces of wood in the garden. In early March, Sergio moved into his new place with a much lighter load of belongings, and all the second hand construction materials he had collected and immediately started measuring and sketching--every inch counts.
With a glass shelve, a Formica slab, two fabric covered boards, a door, a mirror, two white ceiling panels, two industrial metallics shelves, and the wood from his previous landlord--Sergio invested another $64 for materials. The matchbox loft was completed after much planning and 16 days of renovation.
Kudos, Sergio, for showing us the possibilities of innovative space design.
Work space with a sleeping loft above.
Decorative shelves that double up as ladders to the loft.
A view into the room.
A bird's eyes view from the sleeping loft of the window banquette with storage beneath.
Sleeping loft equipped with TV and a corner to store clothes. Underneath the sleeping loft is a kitchenette.
To get a walk-through of the space, check out this link at MSNBC.
And yes, there is a bathroom in the hallway for sharing--that was the first immediate question that popped up in my head as I read the article.
Posts
