City dwellers know that trying to find an apartment that’s full of amenities yet affordable and walkable is sort of like searching for the Holy Grail. A new trend in micro-apartments tries to squash more high-end dwellings in less space, sometimes as little as 300 square feet.
Yo! Companies, founded by Simon Woodroffe, wants to make smaller (though not quite micro) spaces that don’t skimp on the comforts of home. The Yo! Home Prototype 2 is the company’s second attempt at making a studio that maximizes every inch of space by raising and lowering various of pieces of furniture when they’re not in use. The floor also opens up to reveal storage compartments.
The 430-square-foot studio has a lot of machinery. The bed lowers from the ceiling, while the dining table and seating area hide under the floor when not in use. “Space is at a premium in city centres around the world,” managing director Jack Spurrier tells Life Edited. “Yo! Home simply expands that space and acts as the reinvention of the urban apartment, offering a completely new concept for compact living.”
The new prototype is smaller than the original, and makes a few changes in design and decor. The kitchen table is now protected by the chair backs when not in use, for example, so your floors don’t have to be clean enough to eat off of. The pocket kitchen, which includes a washing machine and sink, folds into the walls.
If the idea of raising your bed to the ceiling every morning sounds appealing, you’ll be interested to know the prototype will soon become a reality. A building in Manchester, England is being planned, with 24 prefabricated units using the Yo! Home as inspiration. “There may be tweaks here and there for the Manchester YO! Homes, but these will be minor, and more likely aesthetic as we continually improve the look and feel of design details such as colours, finishes and lighting,” said Spurrier.
