How to Live in the Museum of the City of New York’s 325 Square Foot Micro-Apartment

An entire apartment is contained in this little block!

How would you fare living in an apartment of just 325 square feet? Most of us cringe at the thought, but the “Making Room” exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York has been attempting to show that it is possible and actually quite comfortable.

Back when it opened in January, we covered the exhibit, which discusses how changing demographics and rising populations have forced architects and housing experts to think more about micro-housing. Places like Japan and Hong Kong have already installed many residential micro-units, some of which are as small as 100-200 square feet! A San Francisco developer showcased a 160 square foot unit last summer. New York City government is actively exploring options.

The television played a video demonstrating the thoughtful and quirky design of the furniture pieces.

The exhibit’s centerpiece is a 325 square foot micro-apartment designed by the Italian studio Clei and furnished by Resource Furniture. Yesterday, we visited the apartment, in which four Curbed editors had been invited to stay for 24 hours while live blogging their experiences. We were wowed by the design of the unit, which features many multipurpose pieces of furniture, like an ottoman that could be taken apart and reassembled as a coffee table and stools. Most impressive was the unit’s large bathroom, which didn’t seem to fit the unit’s theme of “micro-everything” until we learned that it was already the smallest size allowed for bathrooms in new developments, according to ADA laws. Check out some more photos of the unit below.

The museum also scheduled events in the exhibit to showcase the apartment and its accompanying lifestyle. We made it in time for a demonstration on how to organize your kitchen. Chef Terri Lee of Great Performances led the demo, emphasizing that great organization is perhaps the most difficult part of cooking in a small space. Her tips mostly focused on ways to scale down your kitchen; that is, figuring out which tools and supplies you actually need, and which ones you can discard. For instance, Chef Lee chose to keep just one small whisk as opposed to a larger one or whisks of multiple sizes. She replaces a number of tools with a pair of versatile cooking chopsticks.

“Making Room” opened in January, but doesn’t end until September 2. Be sure to check it out before then! Before the exhibit closes, the museum has invited five more individuals to stay in the unit. In addition, there are more scheduled demonstrations on how to decorate, organize, and cook in small spaces.

For more information, read up on our previous coverage of Single Room Occupancy housing, the opening of “Making Room,” and San Francisco’s “Broom Closet” apartments.

Get in touch with the author @YiinYangYale.