- Girls Charlie's Apartment<a href="https://inhabitat.com/nyc/tag/tiny-apartment/">Studio apartments</a> are rarely glorified on TV shows (or even shown at all), so when we saw this tiny gem of an abode on HBO's hit series <a href="http://www.hbo.com/html/error/browser_message_a.html?return=http://www.hbo.com/girls">Girls</a>, we couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. Finally, a make-believe NYC apartment of a believable size! But the <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2012/05/girls-hbo-set-design.html">fictional Bedford-Stuyvesant home</a> of Marnie's on-again, off-again, on-again beau Charlie is no regular studio. The 12'x12' set was conceived by production designer <a href="http://www.lauraballingerdesign.com/">Laura Ballinger Gardner</a> and has gained a fan following of its own for its super-efficient layout and dream built-ins.1
- Girls Charlie's ApartmentThe set of Charlie's <a href="https://inhabitat.com/nyc/tag/tiny-apartment/">tiny apartment</a> was built in just four days, and should really be rehashed as a kit-of-parts for New York City studio-dwellers.2
- Girls Charlie's ApartmentThe design takes advantage of the space's high ceilings to create a bedroom-within-a-room for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0366392/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t7">Charlie</a> to sleep in, as well as a loft space for lounging. The elevated space can be accessed by stairs that double as built-in storage shelves and a mini closet for Charlie to hang his clothes.3
- Girls Charlie's ApartmentBecause the mini room effectively doubles the usable square footage of the space it occupies, there is even room for a dining/work table.4
- Girls Charlie's ApartmentFor those of you who don't watch Girls, the show implies that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0366392/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t7">Charlie</a> built most of his furniture and built-ins himself with the expertise he gained at his carpentry and architecture office jobs.5
- Girls Charlie's ApartmentWhile we're not sure how plausible that part is, the finishes, staging and reflection of Charlie's character (he's painted as a creative, but still organized and pragmatic person) are spot-on.6
- Girls Charlie's ApartmentThe fact that the "bedroom" has been positioned to get natural light from a window it shares with the "lounge" is another example of how Ballinger Gardner was able to make the apartment seem even like a place someone actually lives.7
Girls Charlie's Apartment
Studio apartments are rarely glorified on TV shows (or even shown at all), so when we saw this tiny gem of an abode on HBO's hit series Girls, we couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. Finally, a make-believe NYC apartment of a believable size! But the fictional Bedford-Stuyvesant home of Marnie's on-again, off-again, on-again beau Charlie is no regular studio. The 12'x12' set was conceived by production designer Laura Ballinger Gardner and has gained a fan following of its own for its super-efficient layout and dream built-ins.