Budget Breakdown: A London Architect Gives Her Micro Apartment a Major Upgrade for $17K
Elle Bytautaite uses clever design hacks to fix up her 365-square-foot flat—and impresses even her builders in the process.
Elle Bytautaite uses clever design hacks to fix up her 365-square-foot flat—and impresses even her builders in the process.
Tiny home renovations don’t always have smal budgets—and designers often need to work just as hard to keep costs under control. When British architect Elle Bytautaite, founder of Studio Elle, decided to completely renovate her 365-square-foot apartment in Sutton, on the edge of London and Surrey, on a "shoestring budget," she had to come up with some clever solutions. "The main considerations were the lack of space and the budget," she says. "I had to think outside of the box to provide the main ingredients for living in such a small space."
$8,350 | $3,500 Kitchen Finishes & Appliances | $1,500 Bathroom Fixtures |
| $1,250 Carpet & Underlay | $250 Soundproofing | $850 Joinery |
| $370 Radiators | $125 Front Door | $125 Ironmongery for Existing Doors |
| $250 Sockets, Switches & Plugs | $90 Handles for Joinery | $300 Electrical Testing |
| $250 Decorating Materials | ||
| Grand Total: $17,210 | ||
Architect Elle Bytautaite lives in a cozy, 365-square-foot London apartment with her cat, Tony. The Japanese-style bedside table is one of her favorite pieces of furniture; she sourced it from the online retailer La Redoute. The Bellhop lamp is by Barber Osgerby for Flos.
Photo by Elle Bytautaite
Elle knew from the start that the flat in a 1920s house was right for her—she was drawn in by the large windows and the unusually high, 10.4-foot-tall ceilings. "Even though the footprint is small, it feels spacious," she says. "I knew it had a lot of potential, and the building fabric itself was in good shape."
The interiors, however, were run-down and hadn’t been renovated since the late 1970s. The home also lacked modern amenities—including a washing machine and fridge.
The washing machine is tucked away behind a door beneath the kitchen island and small breakfast bar. "It's slightly inconvenient when I need to access the washing machine because I need to duck under the bench,">The washing machine is tucked behind a door beneath the kitchen island and small breakfast bar. "It’s slightly inconvenient when I need to access the washing machine because I need to duck under the bench," says Elle. "But these are the compromises and sacrifices that you make in small spaces."
Photo by Elle Bytautaite
To open up the flat, Elle removed a door separating the small entrance hall and the living area. The front door now opens to this space, which features two large, southwest-facing windows. To save on costs and avoid relocating services, she left the rest of the floor plan largely unchanged. The open-plan kitchen/living area is to the left of the entrance, a modest bathroom is to the right, and the bedroom is straight ahead.
The cozy living area is flooded with natural light thanks to two large windows, which attracted Elle to the property initially.
Photo by Elle Bytautaite
See the full story on Dwell.com: Budget Breakdown: A London Architect Gives Her Micro Apartment a Major Upgrade for $17K
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