This Minimalist 29m2 Micro Apartment Feels Like An Urban Cabin
During an auction, Timothy Yee, Director of Melbourne-based architecture practice T-A Square, came across this 29m² micro-apartment in Richmond. After inspecting the property and realising its potential as a testbed for his ideas, he placed a bid on impulse and walked away with the unit. What started as a low-quality studio apartment soon became a one-bedroom with a ‘micro-luxe’ feel and approach.
The concept for the apartment was to create a hotel/home hybrid, a place that someone could live in on a long-term basis, and could be used as a short-stay getaway, such as Airbnb.
After spending close to a year designing the apartment and testing different options, Timothy landed on a design that offered practical solutions to the challenges he was facing while avoiding breaking the budget.
The open living area contains a kitchen with a bar fridge and washing machine, a built-in bench seat, a dining area and what may be considered the hero of the design, a wall of storage. This wall of storage helped the livability and practicality of the apartment and solved what is often the biggest challenge of apartment living, lack of storage.
The interior of the micro-apartment was clad in plywood. Timothy wanted the apartment to constantly evoke a cabin feel, making it feel like you’re on stay-cation all the time. Black steel and white matte tiles in the bathroom gives the apartment contrast against the plywood. Overall the interior has a very minimalist approach, providing a sense of ‘zen’ through the use of just three materials.
This home/hotel hybrid approach is unique and proves that tiny living can be achieved and still provide that quality of life for something relatively small.
Videography and photography by Anthony Richardson.