How to Strike a Work/Life Balance in a Tiny Apartment, According to Design Experts

Small spaces and tiny homes present some physical limitations, but they actually make room for imaginative solutions. As many of us continue to work from home during the pandemic, we might need some help to shift our perspectives and find new strategies for a productive work/life balance. We asked designers who specialize in small spaces to share their routines and words of wisdom.

Shift Your "Small Space" Mentality

Prentis Hale, principal at Seattle-based SHED Architecture, encourages people to think of small spaces as sanctuaries: "Rather than perceive them as confining and limiting, think of them as places of refuge. For me, within a small space, everything can be reached, seen, heard, and optimized with minimal effort." Having this new perspective can unlock freedom and creativity. "It’s a place of possibilities where one’s imagination and energy is focused," he says. 

Self-taught designer and tiny house builder Mariah Hoffman, who resides in Long Beach, California, takes a similarly holistic approach to small-space living. "For me, it’s a regular exercise in intentionality," says Hoffman. "I embrace minimalism as an ongoing practice of spatial and material intention, rather than an enforcement of scarcity." 

Bunch Design in Los Angeles, founded by husband-and-wife duo Bo Sundius and Hisako Ichiki, crafts a narrative around any type of space. For compact projects, the process is akin to filling out a storyboard. "We script scenes and set up a sequence of moments, not unlike how a painter would compose a composition, utilizing one-point perspective to draw the eye, and at other times layering elements and views using fore-, mid-, and background like a photographer," they explain. This approach encompasses both interior and exterior elements: "When you design in this manner, space is expansive, interesting, and throws out moments of alignment that delight the senses."

Create a Morning Routine to Look Forward To

Paris-based Batiik Studio’s Rebecca Benichou opts to go with the flow. "I don’t set an alarm clock because I don’t have meetings in the A.M. right now," she says. "Sometimes, I’ll take my coffee and chill; other days, I’ll go for a run, or start work right when I wake up." In not setting morning limitations, Benichou enjoys endless possibilities for the remainder of the day.

Hale, meanwhile, suggests a morning walk (while staying mindful of social distancing): "Honestly, it’s the best COVID-19 medicine, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this practice." On his 30-minute stroll toward a large cedar tree, his phone is off because "listening to the birds is better than a podcast these days." Upon his return, he gains clarity of mind: "I’ve thought through projects, daily tasks, and critical issues, and then I’ll pull the phone out and make calls on the walk back." 

To round off a perfect morning, he brews up throat-coat tea. "It’s physically and psychologically soothing as we defend ourselves against ear, nose, and throat pathogen attacks," he says, "so I drink a lot of it!"