- Helen Zhao bought a tiny London studio for $416,000 to be closer to her family.
- A year after moving in, she had the 312-square-foot studio redone to fit her lifestyle and needs.
- She can now unfold a bedroom, a living room, a dining room, and an office out of one small space.
Step aside, Barbie, there’s a new dreamhouse in town.
No, it isn’t bubblegum pink — rather, a bold shade of green — but it is tiny, sustainably built, and personalized for its owner, Helen Zhao.
Zhao, a 32-year-old software engineer, told Business Insider she bought the East London studio in 2020 for £328,000, or around $416,000, to be closer to her sister, brother-in-law, and twin nieces, who had just moved to the area.
Navigating London’s real-estate market on a tight budget isn’t for the faint-hearted. When Zhao did, the next hurdle became figuring out whether she had enough left in the bank to turn the 312-square-foot studio into a space that could accommodate her work-from-home lifestyle, dinner parties, and overnight guests.
Over a year after she bought the studio, Zhao came across Sara L’Espérance and Michael Putman, founders of the architectural design firm SUPRBLK. They helped her create a home tailored to her needs — and for under £25,000, or around $31,709, no less.
Take a look inside Zhao’s house, which she called her “Green Dream.”
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