Transformer Wall Saves Space

A lot of people are starting to prefer living in small apartments in cities, rather than large houses out in the suburbs. But with increased demand, the rents have also gone up, so clever space saving solutions are very much sought after. One such is the transformer wall designed by Brad Swartz, an architect from Australia. The transformer unit was designed for a couple living in a small, 300 square foot apartment in Darlington, New South Wales. It uses sliding doors to divide up the limited living space and to hide away clutter.

The transformer wall unit also adds plenty of storage space, and one of its advantages is that it also splits up an otherwise single room apartment into different functional areas. The apartment it is used in was originally a one room space, so this transformer wall was first and foremost meant as a way to divide up the space and create two areas in the home, namely a more public living, dining, and kitchen area, and a private bedroom area. The first step in the transformation was moving the kitchen in order to create an open plan apartment. This was done in a minimalist fashion to add the sense of spaciousness to the small space, which is greatly aided by the lack of furniture and large windows, which let in plenty of light.

Next the 17-inch thick transformer wall was installed, and it is the reason so little furniture is needed in the rest of the apartment. It effectively hides a slide-out desk, a wine cabinet, bookshelves and other storage space. At the left side of the unit, a sliding door leads into the bathroom.

The bedroom is behind one of the sliding doors. The floor of the bedroom is actually lofted, which adds more storage space while still keeping the apartment clutter free. Another unique idea to give the illusion of greater spaciousness is the use of skinnier floorboards by the architect. The kitchen, on the other hand, has a mirror backsplash, which also makes the space appear larger than it is.

[source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jetson_green/~3/FzwxNYYhuNQ/transformer-wall-saves-space.html]