Pale wooden unit frames rooms and creates a new floor inside a Berlin micro-apartment
A pine unit provides a kitchen, bathroom and mezzanine level for this tiny Berlin apartment designed by two local architects, which also features Art Deco details including a parquet door (+ slideshow).
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_468_1.jpg)
Berlin studio Spamroom and architect John Paul Coss were asked to convert a flat measuring just 21 square metres in an early 1900s apartment block in the Berlin district of Moabit.
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_468_0.jpg)
The original layout had suffered from earlier efforts to modernise, said the architects, which included the addition of a private bathroom. This had resulted in unevenly distributed and cramped spaces.
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_468_4.jpg)
To create a blank canvas, the flat was gutted and all existing interior walls were removed. A layer of screed was stripped from the floor to reveal the original timber, while the ceiling was completely replaced.
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_468_5.jpg)
"The challenge with tacking this now disproportionate plan was to re-calculate the needs of a modern day occupant," said the design team, "and to somehow redistribute the space within the structural outer walls of the flat in a way that felt balanced and, in doing so, to maximise the potential of every available centimetre."
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_468_8.jpg)
A pine-clad unit was inserted into the centre of the apartment to house a compact bathroom and to separate an entrance hall from a kitchenette.
Taking advantage of the high ceiling, the architects added a mezzanine bedroom on top of this unit, as well as a floor-to-ceiling storage area accessible from a narrow steel staircase that links the two levels.
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_468_7.jpg)
The bottom tread of the staircase comprises a loose block of wood that can be tucked under the base of the cabinet, liberating centimetres of extra floor space when the mezzanine is not in use.
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_468_10.jpg)
White steel beams span the gap between the top of the bathroom and wall to increase the footprint of the mezzanine, while a gap on the side over the kitchen allows sunlight from a window to shine into the space.
The supporting beams measure just eight centimetres in depth, maximising height for the bedroom.
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_468_11.jpg)
A skylight set into a balustrade on the kitchen side of the mezzanine provides natural light for the two-square-metre bathroom below.
Parquet flooring stripped from the floor of the apartment during the renovations was repurposed as a sliding door for the bathroom, which features compact fixtures and mirrors to make the most of limited space and natural light.
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_468_13.jpg)
A strip of navy blue tiling runs along one wall. The tiles are replicas of an Art Nouveau design, intended as a subtle reference to the period of the building.
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_468_12.jpg)
High-level cupboards built into the outer wall of the unit provide storage for the living area and galley kitchen. A pine work surface and white tile splashback run below the kitchen units, while an extended windowsill provides a dining table.
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_468_2.jpg)
Photography is by Ringo Paulusch.
Project credits:
Architects: Spamroom, John Paul Coss
Main contractor: Inhouse Berlin
Metalsmith: Noé Metal+Design
Carpenter – Furniture: PA Tischlerei
Carpenter – Flooring and sliding door: Astrid Kaltenborn, Thomas Bandura
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_1.gif)
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_2.gif)
![Micro-Apartment in Berlin by spamroom+johnpaulcoss](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/05/Micro-Apartment-in-Berlin-by-Spamroom-and-Johnpaulcoss_dezeen_3.gif)