In New York, it’s a rare thing to be both lucky in love and in square footage.
In and around the Big Apple, couples can and do build loving homes despite prohibitive spatial parameters. It’s not easy, so here’s some inspiration in time for Valentine’s Day.
Step inside five households — from a 450-square-foot former maid’s room turned co-op on the Upper West Side to a 344-square-foot tiny house in New Haven — making relationships work within the confines of a minuscule floor plan. Turns out it hinges as much on communication and compromise as it does on paring down possessions and innovative interior design.
Here’s how five couples make their small spaces — and, by extension, their love lives — a success.
Marinell Montales, 33, John T. Trigonis, 41, and cats Cheddar, 2, and Colby Jack, 10 months
Where: A 700-square-foot railroad-style studio in Jersey City
How much: Just under $1,500/month
How they make it work: Montales and Trigonis are in it for the long haul, and by “it” we mean both their relationship (the couple has been engaged for five years, together for 13) and the tiny-home life. Twelve years into their relationship and some 10 years after Trigonis first moved into the long, narrow Jersey City studio, Montales joined him, and the apartment’s charming, bohemian vibe began to take shape. “When it’s ‘bulk night’ in the city, I always look on the street for chairs being discarded,” she says. “We don’t like shopping for furniture that we have to assemble. We both like thrifting, going to flea markets and vintage shopping.” Whenever possible, the couple tries to fit “new” items into the home’s existing decor scheme, which they describe as mostly mobile or adjustable in some way. For example, their “puzzle” coffee table is a three-piece number that can be used as individual side tables when guests stop by. “Unless there’s a kid in the future,” Montales says, “I don’t see any reason for us to leave this apartment.”
Best survival tip: “Don’t be afraid to downsize and make way for a new part of your life,” Trigonis says.
John McCarthy, 34, Amy Garner, 31, and a black lab, Winston, 8
Where: 344-square-foot tiny home in New Haven, Conn.
How much: $78,500 for the Escape Traveler XL tiny home + a washer/dryer, dishwasher and stainless-steel appliances they added themselves
How they make it work: Running a Pilates studio together means two things for McCarthy and Garner: Time apart is scarce and clothing storage isn’t much of an issue. “We got rid of a lot of stuff, but we also wear a lot of lycra,” Garner says. McCarthy adds, “I have like two pairs of jeans, a suit — and everything else is Pilates-related.” Because pup Winston also shares the space, daily cleaning has become a vital part of the couple’s routine. “We have a dog with black fur and white floors,” McCarthy says. “So if we don’t do it, you’ll know.” Features like a lofted guest bed and full-size bathtub belie the house’s wee footprint. Meanwhile, 13-foothigh ceilings and a wall of windows make the couple feel closer to nature and further the illusion of roominess. Garner and McCarthy take advantage of their waterfront location, too, hosting guests weekly for dinner and as many as 50 for a BBQ on the dock around their petite home.
Best survival tip: Skip tangible gifts that accumulate over time and ask for experiences. “Our family will give us tickets for things or events and that’s what we do for each other — plane tickets to places we want to go to,” McCarthy says.
Jerry Popolis, 55, Alberto Martin, 52, and pugs Herman, 11, and Betty, 11½
Where: 420-square-foot co-op studio in Gramercy
How much: $570,000 + $200,000 in renovations
How they make it work: Compared with their last home — a studio measuring a mere 320 square feet — the couple’s new digs actually feel spacious, Popolis says. There’s a 180-square-foot terrace to thank for that, along with a host of space-maximizing features, including a Murphy bed from Resource Furniture, a retractable closet that opens up to double its size, side tables that convert into a full-size dining spread and 6 chairs stored in a thin cubby next to the bed/sofa. The bathroom features a shower (not a tub), a wall-hung toilet from Duravit and a vanity from Porcelanosa to maximize floor space. “It’s just always been comfortable,” Popolis says. “I think it takes a strong, loving couple to be in close proximity for so long.” He admits that he and Martin, who’ve lived together in tiny spaces across New York City for more than 26 years, also have a Pennsylvania summer house where they stash their off-season wares.
Best survival tip: “Give each other personal space, and that doesn’t necessarily mean in the apartment,” Popolis says, like the chance to explore museums.
Brian Allonce, 35, and Samantha Davis, 34
Where: A 506-square-foot two-bedroom in Harlem
How much: $2,000/month
How they make it work: Despite his cushy setup in a comparatively sprawling two-bedroom in Brooklyn, Allonce stopped sleeping at home after his first date with Davis, she says. But because of his job as an audio mixer and her long hours as a chef, the two of them are rarely in the apartment at the same time. Their clashing schedules “just make the moments that we’re spending at home together all the more special,” according to Davis, but it also helps the couple navigate their shared quarters efficiently. “He’s home more than I am,” she says. “I’ll usually take a day or two off a week, and he tries to give me the house to myself on one of those days.” It doesn’t hurt that Allonce has a handy streak, fashioning a built-in vanity in the bedroom in place of an older one that Davis owned but couldn’t fit into the room when he officially moved in about five months ago. Best survival tip: “Organization is key,” Davis says. “You have to commit to being tidy.” She suggests a sometimes tough look at whether the items you’re holding onto (in her case, a hard-to-part-with collection of shoes and for him, a rotating assortment of audiovisual equipment he uses for work) are vital to your everyday existence.
Sarah-Mai Miller, 37, Heath Miller, 43, and French bulldog Rufus Archibald Le Quang Miller
Where: 450-square-foot co-op on the Upper West Side
How much: $315,000 + $100,000 in renovations
How they make it work: Two years ago, eager to explore life outside the city, the couple designed and built a cabin in Rhinebeck, NY. After finding the commute too difficult, they decided to use it as a part-time office for their integrated marketing business (renting it out on Airbnb when they aren’t there) and went on the hunt for a new crash pad back in Manhattan. With the help of Kelcey Otten of Compass, they landed an adorable pad they believe once served as the maid’s quarters of a larger apartment. Renovating it down to the studs, they transformed the molding-clad living room into their bedroom and used the smaller sleeping space as the living room. “We live pretty minimally,” Heath says. “No matter where we go, we purge and just kind of start over.” Even with few existing items, finding the right furniture proved difficult. “We started out with a custom [piece] but ended up going with Restoration Hardware’s Cloud sofa,” says Heath. In the adjacent kitchen, a custom cooktop fits neatly into an alcove and cabinetry extends up to a 10-foot-high ceiling. Natural light allowed for what’s typically perceived as a small-space faux pas — painting the walls a dark shade called Raccoon Fur by Benjamin Moore — while the lofty ceilings made the bedroom’s whimsical plaything possible: a working swing hung from ropes.
Best survival tip: “Be okay with getting rid of things,” Heath says. Sarah-Mai chimes in: “And find the right person” to cram in next to.