After doing a little research, I’ve discovered that plenty of people – especially people in large cities – live in much smaller spaces.

Take, for instance, the couple covered in a recent New York Post article.  They bought a tiny studio apartment that is only 175 square feet.  They love their tiny apartment, and will have it completely paid for within two years.  They travel a lot, eat out frequently, and don’t entertain guests very often.

Lots of people learn to economize space, like the photo below (not a picture of the aforementioned couple’s apartment, by the way).

photo by ClatieK

Another guy was covered in a follow-up blog to the New York Post feature.  He’s a guy that lives in a 55-square foot apartment.  The Hell’s Kitchen apartment is only marginally bigger than a jail cell in New York City.  He likes it a lot, too, though he can’t even turn around in his shower.

Tons of square footage is not necessary for happiness.  Just ask people who live in small quarters in Sweden, Japan, and other places around the world.  As Americans continue to NOT do more with less, the New York couple in their 175 square foot apartment are an example of people living large in a small space.

Could you live in such cramped quarters?  Comment below!

More pictures of tiny apartments:

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Gary decided to make the most of his space by implementing a sliding panel system that makes his apartment pretty much whatever he wants it to be.  Journalists and home enthusiasts have called the apartment “The Domestic Transformer” and the home was featured in The New York Times.

Check out the video:

Chang is obviously some sort of mad genius – the fact that he was able to design this setup and execute it speaks to his ingenuity and industry.  There are many, many tiny apartments in Hong Kong – and Chang is the first to think of this sort of solution to the problem of limited space.

The home is also considered ecologically friendly.  Chang has come up with a way to save on heating and cooling, and because his apartment gets pretty constant natural light he barely ever turns on the lights.

If we’re going to get technical about it, Chang’s apartment isn’t really 24 rooms – it’s really just an apartment with 24 possible configurations.

Chang has lived in this particular space since he was a young man.  The building was built in the 1960′s and when Chang first lived there he lived there with his mother and three sisters.  His father was a waiter in the United States.  Amazingly enough, during those days they also rented the third tiny partitioned bedroom to a tenant to help with the rent payment.

When Chang took possession of the apartment he began a lengthy four-renovation project that cost more than $200,000 and resulted in the remarkable apartment he lives in today.  It’s guys like this that make it so fun to write for this website!

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