One window, about one hundred and eighty square feet … and a seven-year process of deliberating every last detail of this Seattle apartments’ design. It makes sense, in a way, since its engineer designs the interiors of (notoriously space-frugal) airplanes for a living.

The result is nothing short of an masterpiece of space-saving home engineering, with precisely calculated furniture placements, fixture choices and spatial arrangements that took Steve Sauer dozens of hours to select in almost every case.

In some instances, the results were highly-specialists faucets imported from other countries … while in others, IKEA turned out to be the best fit for the need. And in yet other cases, he engineered, designed and built a solution himself. Shelves and organizers are surprisingly sparse – part of the secret is also not owning too much stuff to begin with.

There is no unnecessary divider, device or square inch of space wasted throughout the place – and it shows. Quality over quantity is the guiding principle, as it is in space-poor, high-density urban areas already. There is a reason Japanese architects are known for maximizing layouts.

Does that mean this apartment lacks amenities? Not at all: there is a bedroom area (and two beds total), a complete kitchen, bathroom with shower and even some things that are not strictly essential for survival, such as a dishwasher and bathtub (albeit underneath a secret floor panel in the entryway).

Storage space abounds as well, with closets and bike racks. And entertainment is not lacking either, as a 37-inch television (as well as music system) can attest to. His inspiration? Not only airliners, but also ships, boats and other structures where the premium cost of space drives designers to make the most out of every last corner and consider the implications of every object added to the final design. (Images by Benjamin Benschneider of the Seattle Times).