Pied-à-terre
The brief was to create a comfortable pied-à-terre for a family of four within 39m². It needed to work equally well for two adults alone or the whole family, without ever feeling cramped.
Every decision had to earn its place. The washer dryer disappeared into the kitchen cabinetry to keep the bathroom calm. The television sits on a swivel arm so it can be watched from the sofa or from the sofa bed when the children stay over.
One detail became the heart of the project. The family's son hand-drew the pattern that inspired the wallpaper behind the sofa. Rather than framing it as artwork, we integrated it into the apartment itself. The same motif appears on the coffee cups. A small but specific connection that makes the apartment unmistakably theirs.
We thought a 39m² apartment meant compromising on comfort. Ruimte proved us wrong. They completely rethought the layout and found space we didn't know existed. Every decision had a purpose, from hiding the washer dryer in the kitchen to placing the TV on a swivel arm so we could all watch a film together when the sofa is folded out. What makes this apartment truly special is that they designed around our family. Our son's drawings became the wallpaper, and even the coffee cups echo the same pattern. It feels personal, practical and surprisingly spacious. Friends simply don't believe it's only 39 square metres.
Sanna · Kipsala Riga