Luke Clark Tyler is in a serial relationship with tiny homes. His last New York City apartment was just 96 square feet. His current place is even smaller.
When I visited Luke in his 78-square-foot shoebox studio, he had his back to one wall while reading on the couch and his feet reached right to the other wall. He admits to having a close relationship with the wall, but says it's an excuse to not buy an ottoman.
Life in a closet
His live-in closet is too narrow to fit a bed lengthwise, but using a bit of plywood and 2x4s he built his own custom bed/couch.
He keeps his clothes, plates, microwave, books, spices and shaving and cleaning supplies in a large built-in cabinet. The rest of his kitchen is a tiny refrigerator that helps hold up his desk (he works for home as a contract architect).
A microwave kitchen
While he admits he misses being able to cook a real meal -- though he's vegetarian so eats a lot of vegetables and nuts and can even microwave eggs -- Luke doesn't see living small as a sacrifice.
He loves living in the heart of New York City -- his place is in Midtown Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen -- and he likes paying just $750/month (cheaper than the shared housing he could find in the area).
A simple home
Perhaps it helps that his neighbors live in similarly sized studios -- he shares a bathroom with 3 other tenants on his floor -- but he is happy in what he calls his "Midtown Mansion" or, more simply, home.
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With that said its a sad commentary on the salaries of architects that a talented kid with an Ivy league education is living in an SRO (albeit by choice.) Funny how people seem to think architects make a lot of $$, even though their educational requirements, prof. qualifications, and debt load are similar to doctors and laywers. Typically its long hours and low pay, unless you are a trustifarian - which still means long hours.