SUPER SMALL LIVING - A GENIUS 350 SQUARE FOOT BEACH COTTAGE

A super small cottage with a really smart space saving solution - a built in sofa! (above)

Two things excite me when looking at places for sale or rent...either extremely big mansions on one hand...or super duper small living spaces on the other.  I know. Diametrical sized living spaces!  I love the idea of living in a big house for once.  I live in a tiny cottage in the Hollywood Hills that I bought years and years ago.  I love my cute cottage in the hills but I admittedly at some point in the future I am ready to move into some place bigger (a mansion, a large farm, a castle, a compound...you know...just something a little bigger).

My dream big house aside, over the last few days, I have been helping a girl at work look at apartments for rent.  She has to move out of her place in about 7 days so she is in a mad search for an apartment.  Well yesterday, she found a super small studio in Los Angeles and came into my office to show it to me.  We stayed late yesterday as I helped her map out a floor plan for the apartment and figure out furniture.  I really enjoy the challenge of taking on a super small space and making it livable.  Is that weird?

So today (unlike yesterday...see the post on the $75 million dollar house), I am thinking small!  That is why I am posting this little Venice Beach, California cottage cutie that I saw on Apartment Therapy yesterday.  A couple lives in this tiny abode.

This home pictured here is only 356 square feet.  It is a 1920's craftsman cottage on a small lot in the Venice Canals.  Apparently the couple who lives in this house rents it.    There is just one bedroom and a nice garden.

Here's the cool part...in order to maximize the little space there is in this cottage, the owner had a built in L-shaped sofa bench made and also made a built-in bed in the bedroom.  The built-in furniture dimensions were customized to make the most of the square footage

Take a look.
 

The L-shaped built in bench sofa also acts as room divider between the tiny living room and the small kitchen. (above)

Every inch of wall space is used...there is even room for a small home office that doubles as a dining room for two. (above)

More built-in space saving - this time in the bedroom, with a built in bed and book shelves. (above)

A small patio is perfect for a tiny outdoor living room (above)

What do you think of this small space?  Do you prefer a little tiny home like this or a penthouse apartment like I featured yesterday?  Please let me know in the comments section below.

Happy Wednesday!

xo
Coco

P.S.  Was so excited to see on Instagram that Apartment Therapy founder Maxwell Ryan saw the COCOCOZY Rug Collection at High Point Furniture Market yesterday and really liked it.  Here's his Instagram photo and the caption below is what he had to say about our COCOCOZY Loop Rug in Hot Pink!  Maxwell has seen it all in home furnishings so was honored that he is "impressed" with my rug collection! Thank you Maxwell for the nice words!

"Super simple but elegant and with great colors. I was totally impressed with Nbaynadamas @Capel rugs #hpmkt MR"

Photos: Apartment Therapy

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AN beach cottage, built in, cottage, garden, outdoor living room, patio, small house, small kitchen, small space, space planning, Venice Beach

THE FLIP FLOP HOUSE - ARCHITECT TOUR

Pivoting walls offer ocean front views. (above(

People who live in glass houses...are very lucky if they live in houses like this!

Okay...this is perhaps one of the coolest hones I have seen in awhile.  Architect Dan Brunn was given free reign and $8 million dollars from a Los Angeles based couple to create this Venice Beach home.  The couple's only requirements were that there should be no brown in the house and they needed a place to hang their art and photography they have collected over the years.

Architect Brunn's solution was to create a house with louvered walls - pivoting walls!  These turning panels create wall space so that the couple's art could be displayed while also allowing for fantastic ocean front views!  The Flip Flop House name is inspired by the turning walls.

The house is tres modern (my way of saying ultra modern).  Sleek Terrazzo floors, shiny Valcucine white glass cabinets, stainless steel wrapped structural columns and tons and tons of floor to ceiling glass imported from Switzerland.  5700 square feet.  A modern wonder beach house!

Side view of the home with the louvered walls that open and close. (above)

Louvered walls allow art to displayed but then open to show off the fantastic ocean views. (above)

Stainless steel columns and floor to ceiling windows in the family room. (above)

White glass modern flat front cabinetry surround the television in the family room (above)

Staircase has glass rail with Terrazzo covered floors

What do you think of this house? Would you want to live in a house with flip flopping walls?  I would!

Beautifully done by the architect!

Happy Monday!

xo
Coco


Photos:  New York Times; Dan Brunn

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AN ARCHITECT-TOUR, architectural, architecture, beach house, California, floor to ceiling windows, modern house, ocean view, Venice Beach

TILE FILE: PORTUGUESE TILES AS WALL DECOR!

This fireplace covered in Portuguese antique tiles is so fantastic. It is in a Venice Beach home featured in interior designer Alexandra Angle's portfolio. Lots of Swedish homes have tiled fireplaces. This is reminiscent of that look except the house is in California and the tiles are from Portugal!  Notice how the tiles replace the need for art on the walls in this space. Why not take a risk and feature a wall or a fireplace covered with graphic patterned tile soothing blues and greens? If you do decide to try, send me a photo please!

Euromkii - Portuguese hand made ceramic tiles - $10.45 per tile (5.5"x5.5" square handmade filter clay tiles. Minimum of 50 tile order)(above)

Would you ever tile a wall or a fireplace from floor to ceiling? If so, does this look appeal to you or what other kinds of tiles might you use?

Happy Thursday!

xo
Coco

P.S. Got an email from Catherine Martin today...she is the very posh owner of the equally chic C. Martin Collection home furnishings mecca in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Catherine was emailing her clients about her new offerings at her store. And guess who was included?!? I met Catherine in Atlanta this summer when she stopped by my display at my fabulous showroom, Christian Mosso Associates (CMA). So, Gary W., the star Tennessee sales rep for CMA, brought Catherine on by my area of the showroom in July and I just happened to be there to say hi.  It seemed like seconds after we met, Catherine immediately decided to become a stocking dealer of Nbaynadamas textiles!  It was very exciting helping her with her order. We shipped Catherine her huge order of Nbaynadamas pillows and throws a few weeks back and now she has them beautifully displayed in her gorgeous store. If you are in Tennessee please stop by C. Martin Collection and take a look at Nbaynadamas and so much more in her store...note to self, must make it to TN to do a little shopping!!

Nbaynadamas linen pillows and cotton knit reversible throws on display in a living room vignette at C. Martin Collection in Chattanooga.  Also, see all of the Nbaynadamas Plaid Solid pillows on the shelf behind the vignette!. (above)

P.P.S.  Okay...enough about me and Nbaynadamas Textiles.  I went to dinner last night at Jar with friend and jewelry store owner Julie S. of Persimmon.  I spent the whole evening coveting a gorgeous ring she was wearing.  Need to learn how to covet things more discreetly...I don't think practically fainting over a rings is cool or chic. LOL?  Hmmm...

P.P.P.S.  Happy Thursday!

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AN feature wall, fireplace, graphic tiles, living room, portuguese tiles, Swedish fireplace, Swedish tiles, TILE FILE, Venice Beach