Maximizing space in a minimal footprint

When our client decided that roommate living was a thing best left in the past, they chose to create an apartment in their home that they could rent out to a tenant. The client knew that tapping into the unfinished space in the basement was a smart option. They approached us with a challenge: create a separate living quarters for a tenant while retaining a shared laundry facility, private self-storage area, and utility room for their use. Loving the challenge and excited by precise space-planning, S. Baird Design set out to create a unique and tailored 1-bedroom apartment in less than 500 sq ft.

Custom recessed cubbies for storage are made of reclaimed fir wood salvaged from the drawer boxes of an old church kitchen. The wooden cabinet base of the bar is a repurposed piece of mid-century furniture. By removing the back of the piece, there a… — Custom recessed cubbies for storage are made of reclaimed fir wood salvaged from the drawer boxes of an old church kitchen. The wooden cabinet base of the bar is a repurposed piece of mid-century furniture. By removing the back of the piece, there are open shelves accessible from the kitchen side, while the sliding doors on the living room side conceal easy access to board games.

Space for the refrigerator was limited within the compact kitchen, which is open to the rest of the living area. By wrapping the refrigerator with a lovely plywood and selecting specialty appliance hardware, it becomes visually soothing and not… — Space for the refrigerator was limited within the compact kitchen, which is open to the rest of the living area. By wrapping the refrigerator with a lovely plywood and selecting specialty appliance hardware, it becomes visually soothing and not an eyesore.