The small Sydney homes that are growing a big audience worldwide
The loft's wooden wall also operates as bookshelves, or somewhere to sit, read, and dangle your legs over the side.
Mitch Lippmann, a chef now working in Copenhagen for the Noma group, said he was passionate about hosting and home-making. He wanted to create a space where 'you could have people over, and have a generous space to cook and eat'.
Mitch acknowledged he was in a privileged position to have his father's help, and had bought 'the property with the fact that my father was an architect in mind'. The project cost $100,000, and was made more affordable because his dad did the design at no cost.
Ed Lippmann said most of the project was 'just joinery'. The wall surrounding the stainless-steel galley kitchen is filled with floor-to-ceiling modern cabinetry.
Never Too Small was started in 2017 by Colin Chee, a Melbourne videographer who lives in a tiny apartment. After he bought it, he started asking architects for ideas on how to improve his home.
Never Too Small has 3 million subscribers on YouTube, and has published more than 500 videos on tiny apartments around the world.
Chee said urban and city design had a big impact on small living. For people living small, he said the city was an extension of the home, the supermarket the pantry, and the local park the backyard.
Many of the more popular videos are about Japanese projects, where living small had always been part of the culture, he said.
Chee said he tries to vary the mix of apartments. The Lippmann apartment was chosen because it was in an old warehouse with such high ceilings, 3.6 metres.
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Chee said the difference between living in a small home versus a large one was that you can do anything in a bigger space. 'For small living, it is all about personalisation, trying to make a small space fit the owner's needs. It's like a dress that fits you perfectly.'
Interest in small homes was growing. In Australia, Chee said it was driven by household data showing 26 per cent of Australians are living by themselves, a trend expected to continue.
If a home is never too small, what is too big? Chee said the YouTube channel focuses on projects smaller than 60 sq m. The magazine features larger projects.
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