Those living in cities know that the biggest luxury is space. But in London, with the price of an average home inching towards £400,000, space is at a particular premium for the typical young buyer. However, with some clever thinking, more space can be created even in the tiniest of starter homes — though it helps if you are an architect.
Pereen d'Avoine and her partner Mat Witts rose to the challenge of creating more light and space in their Bethnal Green flat (left); the apartment block's exterior (right)Simple hinged doors separate the sleeping and living areas, turning a studio into a flexible one-bedroom propertyThe living space was large enough to split off an area for a dedicated bedroom (left); installing a staircase in place of the original ladder makes the mezzanine for guests a much more practical space (right)The kitchen was made to measure using birch ply stained whiteThe couple used designer pieces with relatively modest price tags:Top tips: how to paint a floorPhotographs by David Butler