Small Cool 2011

Whoa I have lived in my share of studios - that bathroom kitchen is kind of interesting.

she probably doesn't cook much.

I like the colors. And I think your the only person in the US who has a Kathroom(kichen/bathroom). It's really funny. You are a very brave person. I had to fave you.

Wow, kitchen/bathroom in the same room.... that IS odd.

I love the mirror above the table and your pretty lavender/purple bedding. You have a sweet little home, Meggan.

I love, love, LOVE the duvet!!! I'm curious about storage - is that a storage bed or just risers? How are you managing storage?

AHMAGAH! I love your mirror so much! Isn't it uncomfortable having your tv so low? I'd suggest getting a low sideboard type thing to put it on to raise it up and give extra storage.

The "KITCHEN BATHROOM" is just GROSS!! I'd move!

Love Otilly's phrase "kathroom"! Why such a huge TV for such a tiny space? Can you store your printer under your table so it is less cluttered?

this must be the weirdest house I know, how you deal with the bathroom / kitchen?
Congratulations if it works, I would need 2 separate areas.

Wow, that kitchen/bathroom *is* bizarre. Kudos to you for working with it.

Wow that is crazy! But lovely. I would think the key to kitchen and bath coexisting is being very clean. Curtaining off the toilet was a must wasn't it? Bright, tidy, charming- good job!

Love the mirror...source please!! Also, not a lot of people would live with a bathroom in the kitchen, kudos to you for making it work!

Oy... I'd invest in installing a door for your toilet area. The open shower/kitchen area I can handle, but the toilet separated by only a curtain is, um, icky. That said, the light is indeed awesome.

I can't believe in a place that small, they gave you two (!) sinks-- that's precious real estate. Since they've already got you cooking in the bathroom, they could've given you a bigger fridge, a microwave, or maybe even an apartment-sized stove... although that might raise the rent a bit! I'm favoriting this, because I think your place is cute, and because that extra sink made me think it's exactly the sort of thing my grandfather would have done. He has his own kind of logic. :)

Csc76, it's against building code to utilize a kitchen sink for lavatory use or vice versa due to sanitation. The faucets are designed to have different flow rates, etc.

while interesting, i understand the bathroom and kitchen combination. a single water supply and it doesn't take up living space. great way to economize in L.A. I'm not an actor, but understand a budget. You have what you need.

Such an interesting set up! I wish there were pictures of the rooftop garden!

If installing a door isn't workable, what about hanging several floor-to-ceiling curtain panels across the entire length of the shower/toliet area? Access to both would still be simple but the area would feel more separate from the kitchen. I'm thinking something like this "after" shot from younghouselove:

http://www.younghouselove.com/2008/08/movin-on-up-2/

Is that an entrance door that I see in the bathroom/kitchen?

Aw I wanted to see Scooby

Ok..yes the kathroom idea...very weird. But you've managed to make it look really cute. So kuddos! I agree with another reviewer..kind of funny that they put in two sinks...like that makes sense...but then again...hello..it's a "kathroom". Love the windows and natrual light too. Very nice job in living and decorating with what you have. I'm adding you to my favorites! :)

Love the kathroom with the double sink! hahaha! You've done a great job making this work for you. Very cute teensy tiny space!

@religio - There's 2 boogie boards under the bed and that's it*;)

@MsPface - because the TV is 50" it's not weird having it that low. I usually relax on my floor cushions when I watch TV

@foogiefive - I literally use my printer everyday to print out cover letters, resumes, etc so that's why I keep it out*=)

@diridi - Yes, theres a door that shuts off the kitchen/bathroom from the "living area"

@delg23 - I don't cook too much. I'm horrible at it!

And to everyone who asks how I "deal" with the kitchen/bathroom, the key is to ALWAYS keep it 100% clean (which I am a neat-freak, so this would be the case regardless!) Also I am adiment on keeping the separate areas for their separate purposes, such as using the kitchen sink for ONLY cooking-related activities, ONLY using the bathroom sink for bathroom-related things, etc. I do have a large mini fridge, a 2 burner hot plate (which heats up faster then anything I've ever seen!), and a TON of storage for pantry items and all of my kitchen supplies (including my collection of vintage Fire King Red Dot Bowls, etc.)

I wish we could have entered more pictures, because I would have LOVED to have shown whats behind the "toilet curtain!" There's a cool art piece and a scented candle over a cut geo rock (which is hard to tell from the pictures, but I have random rocks everywhere like amethyst). I also have on my shelves above the TV, fish fossils that I have dug up myself from Wyoming!

Thanks again everyone for your vote!*=)

Haven't you ever heard the phrase "Don't sh*t where you eat?". I'm kidding. The place is adorable and I'm going to fave you b/c this is what tiny living is all about.

By the way, I prefer "bitchen" to "kathroom" cause... hello?! The woman can cook a pancake and... well, you know.

wow. I believe I've seen another kitchen+tub n' shower either from a cure post or last year's small cool, but that apt had a proper wc with the toilet behind the door.

Love the light and the duvet cover but wanted to see the garden rooftop, Scoobie, and what's behind the "toilet curtain", not that wide screen... it's too big to be so close to the floor cushions.

Here's how the thought process of the person who designed this must have looked like....."Hmm, how can I cook AND bathe at the same time? BINGO-I'll build a Kathroom!"

This place is still cute and still funny. Golden.

I'm disappointed we don't get to see the cockatiel!

Yeah, Kathroom is weird, but obviously you can deal with it, and there must be some attributes of this little place that keep you there.

Reminds me of a studio I once lived in. (College.) Mine was about the same size, but I has a sleep sofa instead of an actual bed (less comfortable, more versatile) and the main room had a teensy galley kitchen along the wall, so the teensy bathroom could stand alone. (Preferable.)

Your decor is superior to what I had then, though! And take-out or restaurant dining beats cooking any day -- one just needs a hotplate or microwave for reheating...

I will vouch for Meggan that she is not the ONLY person in the US to have a "kathroom" -- my best friend once had an apartment in a converted bank, and her kitchen and bathroom were the same room. She hung a curtain between the two, but it didn't really hide it! In addition to the kathroom, the old bank vault was used as the bedroom, and it still had the vault door, which was pretty amazing.

The kathroom... that's so wrong. What happened to the old saying "Don't sh*t where you eat"? If you are paying more than $400 a month in rent for that combo you are getting robbed. That said, what you've done with it is cute.

I too prefer "bitchen" to "kathroom"! Very droll cvgmiami!

What a very attractive apartment...love the use of white to enlarge the area...the unexpected bursts of color in your accessories, along with the light from your windows opens up the tiny spaces...looks like a place I could easily live...

Oh no... You've made the place look really nice, but I'm pretty sure that toilet-in-the-kitchen set-up would be illegal in this country (UK) - for obvious hygiene reasons which are nothing to do with how clean you are. Are you sure your landlord's not breaking the law by charging you money to live there?!

the only thing amazing about this apartment is that incredible mirror. chuck the rest and start over!

kudos to you for getting by in this space, but im 99% sure the kitchen/bathroom set up is actually illegal. no laws against having a bathtub in the kitchen (lots of the old tenement units in new york's lower east side still have them) but an unenclosed toilet is definitely not allowed that close to a kitchen. you've done a lot to make this unit feel homey (and you're right - the light is fantastic!) but if i were you i'd look into housing laws in your state...hopefully you'll find that what people have been saying is correct and you can get your landlord to invest a bit in your unit so it can be much more liveable (and legal!). best of luck!

It would help a lot if there was a door in front of the toilet - instead of just a curtain.

I like the term "bitchen" in stead of "kathroom!" I'm going to start calling it that! LoL *=)

Wow. This looks a lot smaller than 250 sf.

Kudos to you for living in a really small space and making it work! I'm clicking favorite on this one! Illegal? shhhhhh....

Yes I know that in NZ and the UK you have to have a door between a toilet and a kitchen. Gross

250, and you managed to make it work. You, are AMAZING.

Toilet in kitchen is just gross. I'm sure you could find a much better place. I'm with sweethomesweet. Only thing I see is a cute mirror. 50" TV really? Girl, please move, I'm going to have nightmares for you.

I had to fav this. I also live in LA in a uniquely small place. So I truly "get" how tough these places can be. Different in NY than in LA. Most people are trying to own the urban sprawl. "Kathroom"! I love this word. As for your kathroom being illegal, perhaps it is. Who knows. I work at a law firm and they are often the most illegal folks in town. I love the light in your place. I love the neatness (not easy in these places) and most of all, I love that you love it. I find this space far more inspiring than many larger ones I've seen. (BTW: I'm of that age bracket where I remember in NYC many apartments had bathtubs in the middle of the kitchen, the eating table was on top, and the toilet was in an alcove. We ate in the kitchen. I don't think Meggan is eating in the kathroom)

I absolutely love your mirror. I couldn't handle the kitchen thing, it would've been a deal breaker for me, I'd rather not have a kitchen at all. Not sure why they put a big old tub in there instead of a shower, if space was that tight. Am thinking it was maybe a suite before and then they added some kitchen items because they wanted to rent it out?

Where did u get the duvet cover? :) very lovely...

@braisenwoman re: "Csc76, it's against building code to utilize a kitchen sink for lavatory use or vice versa due to sanitation. The faucets are designed to have different flow rates, etc."

Thanks for this bit of insight. It seems to me, though, that once a kitchen resides in a bathroom, potential sanitation problems are not entirely dependent upon which sink one uses. Where's the code on that? :(

@alicebook the duvet cover believe it or not came from Ikea*=)

Also, I had my TV waaay before I got this apartment*;)

I know of other kitchen/bathroom combos, and they are illegal, but people still live in them and obviously, as this entry proves, happily.

The bed takes up way too much room

Hallo Meggan,

thanks for your answer, but as far as I can understand from the floor plan and photos you have two doors in the 'kathroom'. I was wonder where the other one leads to...
And good luck with your job search!

You are more likely to get a gut infestation from your tea towels than your toilet seat. Just saying, kitchens are worse than bathrooms for growing nasties.

ACK!
I'm adding it to favorites by virtue of the fact that I just bought that duvet cover last month.
<3

If for no other reason, Meggans use of space and color wins her the prize !!!

I couldn't do the "bitchen." Other than that, cute place. But I have heard that your toothbrush should be a certain distant from your toilet...can't imagine a toilet in the kitchen.

@diridi - The door in the "bitchen" that has my towel hanging on it is my back door, the other door without the mirror on it by my table in the "living area" is my front door. Yes I know, it's weird that an apartment so small has both a front and a back door. But I'm not complaining*;)

@skylark1992 - Wow a toilet in the shower? I've never heard of that. And just to be clear, the "bitchen" is much longer than the photo shows. My coffee maker as one pointed out is at least 9 feet away from the "WC" *;)

@hrhprincessfiona - Scooby's casa and his tree are to the left of my bed where most people would put a nightstand. Due to the small size of my room and the fact that we could only submit 5 pictures, it was hard to frame him in. Currently at the moment, he is hanging out on his tree whistling happily to the other birds outside enjoying the sunbeams*=)

@tomgyrll - I agree! Like any other household, I have sepearate kitchen and bathroom towels and again, the key is to keep everything separate for their own purposes.

Thank you everyone for your comments! It's great to hear feedback from other people*=)

Come to think of it, I can't tell you how many luxury hotels I have been in where the coffee maker is in the bathroom*;)

Love the bed, mirror & table, and how airy it all looks!
As for kitchen+bathroom combo, a great aunt and her (then-young) daughter were actually forced to live with such an arrangement once, and they survived :)
Not ideal, for short term might be okay-ish.. (okay, that great aunt later died of cancer and such in her old age, not sure if it was related, lots of other people get it too, the daughter is 50-ish and alive & healthy..?) Some people get iffy infestations when travelling Asia etc, where hygiene is probably way worse in many cases.. This here looks pretty clean to me and the toilet seems to be separated with a curtain too..

I'm surprised the kitchen/bathroom combination is acceptable for building codes.
That's a huge deal-breaker for me.

I don't know why everyone is making such a big deal about the kathroom! It's not a public space, it's her personal space. Get over it! I mean, when you go to the bathroom you only use the toilet to do your business, it's not like she'd be peeing all over the place.

Wow. I live in LA and have never seen anything like that! As long as your happy:)

For the kathroom alone, Meggan gets my vote! I lived without a door to my bathroom for a while (although it doesn't open onto my kitchen), and still had guests over.

@Ms Melly - I think the main concern expressed is the legality of the living space. It's just not right for a landlord to charge for a space that violates building/plumbing/mechanical codes. No one is calling Meggan out for being dirty - on the contrary, she deserves and has received many compliments for her lovely home - but in a design-focused community of mostly renters, attention to landlord responsibility will be paid.

@Meggan: looking your teeny-tiny house I thought how to change the interior to isolate the bathroom. Could I carry out an experiment? I could send you the result via e-mail and if you want I can publish in my blog.
Let me know :)

I think this is sweet. I live in an place just a tad larger.. one closet also.. I'd get the landlord to remove the tub and put in a shower stall for an extra closet ( : but then I live in New England and have winter coats to store.

Meggan, i think you've done a fantastic job fitting all your necessities in while keeping the feeling bright and fresh. I think there should be a category called "itty-bitty!" The duvet is darling and I bet it's great to lay in bed with the windows open. I also lurve your bitchen madras rugs ;) lol! Thanks for sharing.

Hey Meggan, I've been wondering about this a bit more.. Mainly cause I have a tiny attic bathroom (with sloping ceiling!) and getting water elsewhere would mean A LOT of wall demolishing and drilling and such, so I've actually contemplated the idea of 'kathroom' a bit, at least temporarily.. (I could wash the dishes in the big kitchen below, the idea is to avoid it as much as possible, and there are a lot of stairs inbetween!) So, just wondering, how does the kathroom work out in 'real life'? Do you cook there a lot, or is it just for an occasional tea, 'in and out', or doing the dishes? A cousin cooked in his room and washed dishes in the bathroom, he didn't even have a separate sink, if I remember it right.. The bathroom was clean and airy too..

JacksonMarie, interesting.. My uncle lives on a farm and has an outdoor toilet and the only washing basin connected to water is in the kitchen - so it's both for bathroom/hand washing and cooking purposes.. (okay, and one tap in the cellar but it's gruesome down there and just for washing farming equipment or for hens and such..)

I think many in today's 'civilised' world have forgotten how not so long ago many people brought in water from outside wells by hand to wash in the kitchen or wherever (kitchen was often warmest), even my mum remembers water being brought from the laundry room for the family of four who lived in one room first, then in two rooms, to cook, wash, and everything else... Many people in the world still live in much less ideal circumstances too..

Is that a dream catcher in the bedroom?

I really love your apartment, and I'm jealous of you're kitchen/bathroom! I also have one in my Paris studio, but it's open to the rest of the apartment, so I like that your's has its own space and can be private. It's a strange concept to many, but when space is super tight, you realize you can condense a lot of "necessities" and be just fine.

Come to think of it, being rather lazy, I think it would be handy to make meals while making ... I'm so sorry. I just couldn't resist. Love that girlfriend splurged on that expensive Venetian glass mirror. It defines the whole space ... Aside from Scooby, of course.

This reminded me of articles I have read about kitchen sinks, chopping boards etc being much dirtier than the toilet seat.

Dont believe me? Google it or check these links

http://uk.health.lifestyle.yahoo.net/dirtier-than-your-toilet-seat.htm

http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/decor/articles/2008/06/26/20080626dirtykitchen.html

love that mirror !