When Heidi Waterfall and her family of 5 moved into a 79 square meter (850 square feet) apartment in Paris, they needed to fit 3 boys in one bedroom and renovate a tiny kitchen on a small budget. As renters, they didn’t want to invest in anything permanent, so Heidi scouted for transforming antiques like a Secretary desk that would turn a hallway into an office when needed. For the kitchen, she fell in love with a French all-in-one kitchen furniture trend from the mid-1900s: the Buffet Mado. It’s a tiny piece that includes a ventilated cooler cabinet, coffee grinder, porcelain spice and tea drawers, and enough pantry space for a family of five. It’s also completely portable, so when the family moves they can bring it along. Her inspiration for the portable kitchen came from an online discovery of the concept of “freestanding kitchens.” She was equally inspired by a US Department of Agriculture film (and fairly scientific study) from 1949 called “A Step Saving Kitchen” which studied the ideal layout for maximizing kitchen space. To fit 3 boys (2 teens) in one small bedroom, she hacked IKEA beds to create canopied privacy and under-bed drawers as their only closets. Heidi’s and her husband’s closets are antique wardrobes stored in their bedroom and living room. On *faircompanies: https://faircompanies.com/videos/family-of-5-optimizes-space-with-1950s-transformer-furniture/

16 Replies to “Family of 5 boosts apartment with ‘1950s space-saving furniture”

  1. I’ve seen a lot of these at flea markets in Germany and Austria, but I guess most people find them a bit embarrassing to own, because it’s that musty piece of furniture that your grandparents have. Maybe I can use your video to convince my wife, though😊

  2. Love these ideas. Also a kitchen not fixed is good for ageing or disabilities as it’s adaptable for wheelchairs etc.

  3. Cloves were used for lots of things from cleaning mildew, toothache, apple pie. Cloves were used as an antiseptic.

  4. In the U.S that type of cabinet is known as a Hoosier Cabinet. I like that if you move, you can take it with you. I enjoyed this video very much.

  5. Even 50 years ago siblings piled into one room and 70 years ago they piled into one bed. There are social benefits to a shared room including; never feeling alone or isolated, hearing the rhythmic sleep-breathing of others, the joy of saying, “are you awake?” if something is on your mind or you want to talk, learning to sort out disagreements without parents always intervening, and sharing clothes and space helps build respect.
    Many of these advantages, and more, also were possible when infants and toddlers shared their parents’ bedroom. No humans ever used to live as separated from each other as Westerner’s have since the 1960s – humans evolved, and normally lived, in very, very close proximity to one another.

  6. The old school ergonomics from the old video are quite amazing and the modern equivalent shown here is excellent.

  7. I started following Kirsten Dirksen some years ago. She finds the coolest homes. The ingenuity this woman has in her space is just delightful. I am older, so I remember living in a smaller home. I like small homes! Thank you. Now, I am going to go look for the video on the 1940’s-1950’s stand alone kitchens!
    I found the National Archives video, 1949 stand alone kitchen.

  8. Three boys in a small room like that seems unmanageable … thinking back as a child or teenager I would probably go absolutely crazy.

  9. Back in the 1990’s my partner & I lived on a farm in the brick farmhouse built by his grandfather. We furnished the house using antiques including a fantastic 1917 oak Hoosier he’d painstakingly restored. It was similar to the Buffet Mado shown here but had a pullout tin top, flour sifter, sugar bin, revolving spice rack and tons of storage. He made all the bread for our family of 6, shopping for ingredients at an old gristmill that’s since become Tuthilltown Spirits/ Distillery in Gardiner, NY. The Hoosier was absolutely perfect for bread making. Our kitchen table was an old factory sewing table. A converted grain bin became our entertainment center. It’s so much better to reuse furniture from the past that has a history/story, character & is so much more durable.
    This Parisienne flat is absolutely wonderful. Thanks for sharing this video.

  10. I ve been following you guys for years!!! I love how you bring us inside these inspiring small homes. I saw you guys in Paris last February, you were standing in front of me waiting in line to enter Centre Pompidou. I was to shy to talk to you!!! of course i regret it. Keep on sharing these beautiful places xxx

  11. The huge living room would be the perfect space for the boys, and a family room could totally fit in the small bedroom!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *