Link dump and Flickr pool!

Whew! With Apartment Therapy putting out the alert that the Smallest, Coolest contest for 2010 is indeed on its way, I've been in full-on handywoman mode. I'm working on my place by clearing stuff out, bringing stuff in, rearranging things, trying new decor techniques... I'll be posting pics of my progress soon, but for the time being my place looks like a hurricane hit it. (If they named it, it would be Hurricane Craigslist and Cat Hair.)

And now, some links and news...

Oooh, a sneak peek at the Apartment Therapy Big Book of Small Cool Spaces! The blue under-bed kitchen in the photo is gorgeous. And I wonder if the smell of bacon cooking in the kitchen would waft up to the bed area and make you a little more eager to get up in the morning...

This one's been floating around on the Intertubes: New York's "smallest apartment." At only 14.9 feet long by 10 feet wide, this former maid's quarters in Morningside Heights only totals 175 square feet. It's owned by a thirty-something married couple (they paid $150K for it and will pay it off in the next two years) who CLEARLY don't mind a lack of personal space. They even found room for their two kitties. One of the funniest parts of the story is that they strategically stash their work clothes at dry cleaners near their offices, and jog over to pick up a new outfit every morning. And though the space is a little uninspired design-wise, the couple also says that once they pay off their mortgage they'll be able to do a little renovating, like adding a Murphy bed. (Thanks to my dear Rachel C. for the nudge on this one!)

Designer Paul Elkins has taken the concept of the tiny-ass apartment a step further, and is using it to help those in need. In response to a challenge on DesignBoom, he created a mobile shelter for the homeless; definitely an improvement on the typical shopping cart. The shelter has a sleeping area, storage, and even a tiny kitchen and bathroom. It's totally genius: the roof has a rain catcher to collect water for usage in the sink, a teeny propane stove, and a cooler is tucked away for use as a fridge. The pictures are fascinating, with all their pull-out, fold-down solutions. The shelter weighs 225 pounds when empty and seems easy enough to push around with its wheels and handlebar. Right now it's still in its proof-of-concept stage, but it'd be great to see this manufactured and used as intended.

I'd also like to announce the Tiny-Ass Apartment Flickr pool, so you can take a look at some of the homes featured on the TAA main site, as well as share your own! You can post pics of your own place, or of your favorite inspirational spaces. Just be sure to include the source of the pictures (whether they're yours or if you got them somewhere else), 'cause the pics may be used on the TAA main site!

And of course, you can also become a fan of Tiny-Ass Apartment on Facebook, and follow my semi-coherent ramblings on Twitter.