The very ambit of a tiny house hints at the use of less space. But there is certainly a fine line between usage of reduced space and spatial efficiency. The above picture Kitoko Studio‘s maid-room design belongs to the second category, as it makes the best of the available area (that accounts for just 8 sq m or 86 sq ft) with a particular finesse.
The tiny room itself is contained within a Haussmann-period building in Paris that is now converted into an apartment block. The antediluvian nature of the building corresponds to very small and austere rooms for maids and servants (as was the norm during late-19th century). In this instance, the clients were looking for a spatial solution for their au pair; and Kitoko Studio took up the task of furnishing one within the historic setting.
To that end, the architects’ primary design notion pertained to the use of the room as a collective space, like an apartment, instead of just a self-contained area. This resulted in the amalgamation of various multipurpose and recessed areas. For example, a loft bed is perched along the cavity of a corner wall, and one can access this zone via a retractable staircase that remains hidden inside a cabinet. This staircase (in its hidden state) also serves the purpose of a storage system, with objects being kept inside the ‘pockets’ of the steps.
Similarly, other user-oriented components like a wardrobe and a work-top are snugly housed inside array of unassuming cabinets. But what really sets apart Kitoko Studio’s design is the micro-use of even such concealed compartments. Like in the case of the staircase/storage space, the worktop table hides away a pair to stools beneath the upper surface; while other slide-out cupboards and bookshelves are inconspicuously yet ergonomically placed below the bed.
All of these spatially efficient systems are finally topped off with a kitchenette at the end of the ‘room apartment’, and this area too displays its flair of multi-functionality. In that regard, the counter-top can be easily lifted to reveal a usable sink, while a small fridge deftly accompanies the food-preparation space. And, in case you are wondering, the tiny room also boasts of a paired bathroom facility that is adjoined to an access door at the side of the comfortable ‘cocoon’..
