Best Alternative to a Studio: DC’s One-Room House

• December 17, 2013

by UrbanTurf Staff

1349 C Street SE

UrbanTurf usually stays away from publishing rankings or lists…except at the end of the year when we look back at the best that DC’s real estate scene had to offer during the previous 12 months. So, this whole week, we will be looking at not only the best, but the most intriguing and peculiar things that came across our radar over the course of 2013.

Small living spaces were all the rage over the last year or so. In 2012, it was micro-units, a trend that became the development term du jour in 2013. This year, at least in DC, the trend switched to tiny houses, both existing and under construction.

Our favorite example of the former came when we discovered Jan Walwyn’s one-room house on Capitol Hill in May.

Walwyn was taken with the 372 square-foot home at 1349 C Street NE (map) as soon as he saw it in 2009. He purchased it, despite the restrictive space.

With square footage at a premium, Walwyn’s futon served as his couch and his Queen-sized bed, and a loft space was constructed in the living room to provide extra storage space. For entertaining guests, there were two chairs, one that was also used as a sleeper, and an ottoman that could also be used as a coffee table. Walwyn, an avid cyclist, installed ceiling hooks for his bicycle. A small backyard (formerly the home’s parking space) provided a place to entertain.

The 1300 block of C Street NE is full of similar homes. A century ago, they were houses for workers in the area. After that, they became commercial properties, and most recently, they were all part of a church before being converted into homes.

Small living is not forever, though, and we covered Walwyn’s home soon after he put it on the market. Rest assured that space efficiency is part of his plan at his new home: UrbanTurf wrote about Walwyn’s girlfriend’s 308-square foot home back in 2011.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/best_alternative_to_a_studio_dcs_one-room_house/7937