One-Room Living [antikvár]

6 Introduction1.IntroductionA Shipshape KitchenThe galley of a motor yacht illustrates how to pack a complete mini kitchen, with sink, oven, microwave, and burners, into a tiny space.IVING IN ONE ROOM can be hell. But it can also be fun if you are prepared to be ^adventurous with space and furniture. Of course "one room" can describe many different shapes and sizes, from a tiny efficiency to a gaileried, open-plan apartment. However, the basics remain the same, and it is what you do with them that counts.For many reasons, both social and cultural, family units are growing smaller, and this, in turn, has created a rising demand for one-room apartments. Couples without children, single professional people, those wanting a city pied-a-terre, and separated or divorced people are among the large group of mainly city-dwellers for whom one-room living has become either a choice or a necessity.Living in one space certainly has economic advantages, such as lower rent, heating, and lighting costs, but it also has enormous creativeSleeping Capsules >The Japanese, familiar with cramped, multifunctional living spaces, devised the capsule hotel as a one-night stop for travelers prepared to put basic amenities above luxury and space.potential, and it can challenge you to think very clearly about yourself and your lifestyle and to crystallize aspects of your personality and your way of doing things. These will determine the layout of your living space and the furniture and fittings that will make it work for you.Sources of InspirationMost of us have experienced life in a confined space, such as a tent, RV, or boat, and have enjoyed it tremendously. What the experience teaches you is the importance of organization, how to reduce your needs to essentials, and how to simplify and streamline your actions. You also learn, through improvisation, how to adapt what you have for other purposes. In the same way, one-room living concentrates the mind and challenges your ingenuity and imagination there is no room for superfluous baggage.The inspiration for many of the ideas in this book can be traced to houseboats and barges, Pullman carriages, and cruise ships. Today's motor homes are fitted with sophisticated furnishings that cleverly combine living room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and bedroom. When you think about it - and once you have discarded traditional notions of what you actually need in order to live comfortably - you realize that all the necessities for everyday life can be fitted into a few cabinets. A wall of built-in cabinets, containing kitchen, closet, and bed ijee opposite), has just been incorporated into a London apartment, but many other elegant solutions to one-room living have been inspired by the Japanese approach to life in a minimal.