Welcome to the Under-100 Club: Micro Living Lessons From Tiny-Space Daredevils
Living in a space under 100 square feet sounds like something you’d only do temporarily—like during a renovation, a tight financial season, or an adventurous travel year.
But for a growing number of micro living enthusiasts, it’s a deliberate choice. Not because they have to live small, but because living small makes the rest of life feel bigger: less rent pressure, fewer possessions to manage, and more freedom to spend time and money on experiences instead of square footage.
In Manhattan, where rent can easily swallow an entire paycheck, that tradeoff becomes especially appealing. For this article we studied two New Yorkers and micro living practioners—Luke Clark Tyler, an architect living in a 78-square-foot nano- studio and Felice Cohen, a professional organizer living in a 90-square-foot micro-studio- to prove that “tiny” doesn’t automatically mean uncomfortable. With the right mindset and setup, it can be cozy, efficient, and surprisingly satisfying.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to live in under 100 square feet (and how people make it work), here’s what their stories reveal—plus practical hacks you can borrow for your own larger, small living space.
The Mindset Shift: You’re Not Living “Small,” You’re Living “Smart”
Before we get into storage tricks and furniture hacks, it’s worth starting with the mindset that makes micro living possible:
When you live in a nano-sized apartment, the space isn’t meant to contain your whole life. It’s a home base. A place to sleep, recharge, and work when needed. But the world outside your door becomes part of your lifestyle: parks, cafés, libraries, gyms, studios, friends’ apartments, and the city itself.
Both of our study subjects chose micro apartments so they could live in neighborhoods they love—close to work, culture, and daily activities—without being weighed down by high rent.
And that’s the first lesson of living under 100 square feet:
You’re not downsizing your life. You’re reallocating it.
Hack #1: Design for Flexibility (One Room Must Do Everything)
In a normal apartment, you can dedicate rooms to single purposes: bedroom, office, dining area, living room. Under 100 square feet, you don’t have that luxury—so your space has to transform throughout the day.
That’s why flexible furniture is the foundation of comfortable micro living.
One of our study subjects, Luke solved the biggest micro-living challenge—fitting a bed—by building a custom bed/couch setup using plywood and 2x4s. His apartment is too narrow for a bed placed the usual way, so he created a hinged design that folds up when not in use. When the bed is up, the space feels open and functional again, more like a living room and office.
This isn’t just a cool DIY project. It’s a core micro-living principle:
Your biggest furniture piece should disappear when you don’t need it.
If you live in a space this small, the bed can’t dominate your floor plan 24/7.
Micro-living-friendly furniture ideas:
Murphy bed or fold-up bed platform
Daybed that becomes seating
Fold-down wall desk
Stacking stools
Storage ottomans that serve multiple roles
Nesting tables
Hack #2: Go Vertical (Walls Are Your Best Storage)
When you don’t have floor space, you have to think up, not out.
Felice, the professional organizer, immediately recognized that vertical storage was the only way her micro-studio would work. She removed bulky furniture, simplified her setup, and built upward—creating storage above and around her living areas.
Luke, our architect, relied heavily on a large built-in cabinet that holds nearly everything: clothes, dishes, spices, books, shaving supplies, and cleaning supplies.
Both approaches lead to the same takeaway:
Micro living succeeds when your storage is tall, contained, and intentional.
A few strong vertical-storage solutions will outperform a dozen random bins.
Vertical storage upgrades that make a big difference:
Wall-mounted shelves
Hooks (seriously, more hooks than you think you need)
Tall cabinets instead of low dressers
Over-the-door organizers
Floating shelves above desks or beds
Hanging baskets
Hack #3: Treat Your Cabinet Like a “System,” Not a Closet
In micro living, storage can’t be a black hole where things disappear. You need a system that’s easy to maintain.
Felice’s professional organizer approach reflects a simple truth: most people own more than they actually use.
She regularly edits her belongings and keeps only what fits her life now. That habit isn’t about minimalism as a trend—it’s about keeping her home functional.
Luke, our architect described the same process in practical terms: if he brings something new into the apartment, he has to think carefully about what to remove.
That’s the real “secret” of tiny living:
You don’t organize clutter. You prevent it.
Try this micro-living rule:
If you buy something new, decide what leaves before it enters the apartment.
Hack #4: Make a Kitchen Where You Can (Even Without a Kitchen)
Both residents live without a full kitchen, which sounds like a deal-breaker—until you see how they make it work.
They created compact “kitchen corners” using a small fridge, a microwave or toaster oven, and a few essentials like a hot pot. It’s not a chef’s kitchen, but it’s enough for daily life.
Felice shops multiple times per week because the fridge can’t hold much. Luke eats simply and efficiently—lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other foods that don’t require full cooking equipment.
The lesson here isn’t “you can’t cook.” It’s:
Micro living works best when your food setup matches your lifestyle.
If you want to live under 100 square feet, you don’t need a gourmet kitchen—but you do need a realistic routine.
Micro kitchen tips:
Shop more frequently (small fridge = small inventory)
Keep a short list of staple meals
Choose multi-use appliances (hot pot, toaster oven, microwave)
Use stackable dishes and compact storage
Keep counters clear—visual clutter makes the space feel smaller
Hack #5: Use the City as Your “Extra Rooms”
One of the most inspiring parts of these stories is how both of our independent residents treat New York City like an extension of their apartment.
Instead of feeling limited, they feel supported. They have Central Park nearby. Libraries. Subways. Studios. Friends. Workspaces. The gym. Restaurants. Cultural activities.
This is one of the best arguments for micro living:
When you live small, your neighborhood becomes your lifestyle.
A micro apartment works best when you’re not trying to make it your everything. It becomes your calm center, not your entire world.
Comfort in Under 100 Square Feet: It’s About Setup, Not Size
Both Felice and Luke admitted that the adjustment period can be real.
One described the first night as overwhelming—Felice even had a panic attack. But she adapted with practical changes: she added a handle and hook near her lofted bed area so she felt safer getting in and out. After that, she felt comfortable—and eventually grew to love how cozy the space felt at night.
That’s an important reminder for anyone considering micro living:
Small spaces require small upgrades that protect comfort.
A handle. A hook. Better lighting. A curtain instead of doors. A fold-up bed. These aren’t dramatic renovations—they’re small design decisions that make a huge difference.
The Real Benefit: Financial Freedom and Mental Clarity
Micro living under 100 square feet isn’t for everyone, and it’s not meant to be. But it offers a powerful alternative to the default idea that we always need more space.
These residents aren’t living small because they’re settling. They’re living small because they’ve chosen what matters more:
location
affordability
freedom
simplicity
flexibility
They’ve created homes that support their lives instead of consuming them.
And that’s the core message:
Living under 100 square feet can feel good when it’s intentional.
If you’re curious about micro living, start by asking yourself:
What would I gain if my rent was lower?
What would I do with more time and fewer possessions?
Could my neighborhood become part of my home?
Because in the end, micro living isn’t really about living with less.
It’s about living with less in your way.
If you like what you read and want to learn more, track the two pioneers we studied for this article:
We read and loved Felice’s book for this piece: “90 Lessons for Living Large in 90 Square Feet”. It’s an easy and fun read. The last we checked, Felice was also touring and speaking as a micro living subject matter expert
Luke Clark Tyler, as of the publishing of this post, is an accomplished architect. His testimonial as a tiny living enthusiast can be found on YouTube.
