This inventive and efficient Manhattan apartment is only 650 square feet. Yet it looks and feels bigger thanks to the efforts of architects Jon Handley and Melissa Baker of Pulltab Design. A starter apartment of a young professional couple, the project did not have a big budget. So, the architects used several simple solutions and custom multifunctional furniture pieces to achieve the result. The most notable item is the clever dining table, that folds down like a murphy bed when the owners have guests and blends with the wall when not in use. Another beautiful piece is a cabinet, hiding a TV. It looks pristine and uncluttered, while ready to be transformed for a movie night. I am also quite taken by the storage unit, framing the kitchen. It blends seamlessly with the color of the wall, allowing the eye travel and perceive openness of the space. A large mirror and a unified whiteness of the surfaces complete the illusion of a grander dwelling.

Photographs by Mikiko Kikuyama