325-square-foot apartment on the brink of collapse converted into a sunny West Village haven

When Jennifer Pade realized that her beloved but ultra-compact 325-square-foot apartment in the West Village was beginning to collapse in front of her very eyes, she knew she had to renovate to save it. Although determined to keep some of the apartment's original early 20th-century features, she began by gutting the entire kitchen and continued on a journey that would see her tiny rundown home completely transformed into a gorgeous, sun-filled living space. The entire transformation was the subject of an <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/jennifers-streamlined-simplicity-house-tour-220288">Apartment Therapy</a> renovation diary and thanks to <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/authors/nancy">Nancy Miller</a>, we have amazing photos to show what a little design determination can do for a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/tiny-homes-2/">small NYC space</a>.

The West Village apartment is over 100 years old and although Pade wanted to retain some of the early-20th century elements, the focus was on giving the small space a comprehensive facelift, complete with installing as many space-saving features as possible.

The kitchen was the start of the aparment renovation. <em>(Photo of old kitchen by Jennifer Pade.)</em>

Pade began her design journey with her itsy-bitsy 8’x6’ kitchen, which was as rundown as it was inefficient.

After years of simply living with it, Jennifer says that she was inspired to start the renovation process after the ceiling and walls started to collapse due to the building's age.

While trying her best to maintain the original crown molding and oak door frames, Jennifer began to gut the kitchen entirely.

The first step was to install the same ash-wood flooring in the kitchen and the living space in order to create an open, loft-like space.

The apartment is now a spacious, light filled space.

Antique furniture and an open layout give the space a contemporary feel.