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Browsing real estate listings, even when you’re not moving, is totally addictive, don’t you think? In a recent late-night session, we came across the listing for this very skinny Brooklyn house…
162 10th Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn, is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,200-square-foot house with apple trees and grape vines in its private backyard. It looks spacious and amazing, but most of the house is only nine feet wide (and, in some spots, 8’6″). It’s like a tiny cabin in the city.
The house’s architect and her husband — who bought it in 2012 and are now planning to move to the west coast — live there with their baby daughter and two dogs. Their home is filled with cool details, including forest-salvaged wood flooring from Vermont and painted kitchen drawer knobs.
When the owners moved from their former studio apartment, they had to part with furniture that wouldn’t fit in their skinny new house. They traded a favorite, huge sofa for more compact pieces like a Schoolhouse Electric loveseat. In general, they say they’ve found that furniture with legs tall enough to lift it visibly off the floor helps create an open sense of space.
Leah Solomon, the listing broker, said she’s developed a good sense of the challenges and pleasures of living in a narrow house: “You can’t leave stuff lying around or the space becomes too messy. You have to get rid of oversized furniture and buy specific pieces that fit the space perfectly, or even do double-duty.” But, she says tidying up is quicker than it would be in a large home and, “You can pare down your stuff and live an edited, uncluttered life. Your environment is filled with things that are essential, beautiful and meaningful.”
What do you think? Would your life fit into a narrow house?
P.S. A tiny San Francisco apartment, and 15 genius tips for living in a small space.
