Meow Meow

Step inside the Amsterdam loft of Kun and Fedim, and you might just question everything you thought you knew about small-space living. This isn’t just an apartment; it’s a living canvas, a testament to shared creativity, and a masterclass in making every square foot count. At a mere 45 square meters (484 square feet), their home often fools visitors into thinking it’s at least 65 square meters, a compliment they gladly accept, attributing the optical illusion to its impressive height, abundant light, and large windows connecting to the outside.

What makes this home truly remarkable is not just its efficient design, but the deeply personal and hands-on approach Kun, a designer, and Fedim, a child psychologist, have taken. They view their home as a way to create together, a cornerstone of their nearly decade-long relationship. This isn’t just about decorating; it’s about making, building, and imbuing every corner with their unique story. As Kun puts it, while buying something offers a fleeting peak of value, making it yourself starts with seeing flaws and gradually builds appreciation and value over time.

A Home Forged in Shared Creativity

Their journey began practically, with the realization they desperately needed a dishwasher. This simple need spiraled into a monumental project, transforming their rented space into a purchased, fully renovated dream home over six or seven years. The result is a bold and beautiful blend of design and delight, rich with their personality.

Here are some of the ultra-specific ways they’ve infused their home with creativity and tackled the challenges of small-space living:

Customization is Key: From the outset, they envisioned tailoring the place to their exact desires. This includes cabinets made by Fedim’s father to perfectly fit the stairs, ensuring every door opens despite the angle, maximizing storage. Even the IKEA bookshelf inherited from previous tenants was adapted to their needs.
Art and Practicality Intersect:Self-Made Stained Glass: Inspired by a love for stained glass in old houses, they crafted their own, with a Tetris-inspired motif for a modern twist.
DIY Doorknobs & Pottery: A shared love for creative projects led them to forging workshops, where they made their own unique doorknobs. Their kitchen is filled with self-made plates, cups, and even matching tiles bearing their signatures from a pottery project.
3D Printed Innovations: Kun designed and 3D printed toothbrush holders, allowing toothbrushes to hang inside the sink, eliminating messy cups. A laser-cut and painted box was also created to hide unsightly piping.
Ingenious Space-Saving Solutions:Hidden Hallway Storage: The hallway, kept clean due to its small size, features added cabinets that block the direct view into the bedroom and offer a designated spot for keys, wallets, phones, and shoes. A coat rack is cleverly placed inside a cabinet to prevent the hallway from becoming cramped.
Elevated Kitchen: The kitchen is slightly elevated from the entrance, not just for aesthetic zoning, but crucially to ensure the water system and sewage flow downward without needing a pump.
Smart Kitchen Organization: Their IKEA kitchen set has been customized with all drawers, even where cupboards appear, making every part reachable. The dishwasher is strategically placed next to the cutlery rack for effortless organization. Hanging pans save valuable cabinet space, and a dedicated bar for alphabetically organized spices keeps everything within reach and tidy.
Multi-Functional Living: The living room features a large pink storage unit that includes an integrated working shelf, allowing Kun to flip it open for small home projects.
Sliding TV: In a stroke of genius, they addressed the challenge of a large open space by placing their TV behind the couch on a sliding rail (originally a door-hanging system combined with a ceiling TV arm), allowing them to move it forward for viewing and back to enjoy the view of the water.
Whimsical & Personal Touches:”Small Worlds”: The house is scattered with “tiny scenes” and “dioramas,” creating miniature worlds within their home, including a “booknook” used for their annual photoshopped Christmas cards.
Salvaged Art: They rescued a piece of a sculpture by a famous Dutch artist from a museum’s trash, now proudly displayed on their wall.
Playful Ventilation: Instead of simple holes, the air ventilation for their fridge and freezer is creatively shaped like bell peppers.
Tactile Switches: Kun favors “big chunky light switches” like a ceramic handle they made themselves, valuing the satisfying “clunk” sound over smart app-controlled systems.
The Floating Deck: An impressive extension of their living space, Kun, with a friend, built a floating deck (approximately the size of their living room) part by part indoors, then moved it outside to float on the water, offering a lovely view for entertaining or quiet mornings.
A Bicycle on the Wall: Kun’s unique childhood bicycle, deemed too crazy to part with, now hangs as a distinct piece of wall art.
Addressing Pet Needs: Their cat, Sock, has her own dedicated toilet house with an easily accessible door for cleaning. A cat door ensures she can access it even when the main door is closed.
Mastering the Art of Living Small

Even with their meticulous design, living in a small space comes with challenges. They found a solution for Kun’s tendency to start multiple projects and not clean up: a basket system where Fedim can “shove everything” that’s lying around for Kun to organize later. They also thought creatively about their differing sleep schedules, building a frame around their bed with two sets of curtains: a light, airtight net for mosquito control in summer, and a thicker, light-blocking curtain to allow Kun to sleep in while Fedim starts her day with sunlight. The laundry, too, is neatly managed with a designed rack featuring an extra-long beam for blankets and a hole to toss dirty laundry directly into a bin, avoiding the “laundry room” feeling.

While this home is a current paradise, Kun and Fedim are already looking to the future, pondering if the 45sqm will be enough if they decide to have children. For now, this Amsterdam loft stands as a vibrant example of how a small space can be transformed into a functional, beautiful, and deeply personal sanctuary through shared vision and a passion for creative collaboration. It’s a true testament to the power of DIY and the endless possibilities of designing a home that perfectly reflects its inhabitants.