Architects turned a tiny 425-square-foot loft into a dream home

New York City is chock-full of laughably small, awkwardly shaped apartments. Which is why it takes a good imagination to not only make them livable but actually desirable.

The designers at Specht Harpman Architects worked wonders on a 425-square-foot loft on the Upper West Side back in 2014.

The space, at the top of a six-story brownstone, has 25 feet of vertical space and even access to a rooftop - giving them plenty to work with.

Check out the photos below to see the new micro-loft.

This was the space before. It was run down, with exposed brick walls and dated paint.

Specht Harpman Architects

For such a small space, it didn't have much room for storage.

Specht Harpman Architects

The architects' solution was to create multi-level "living platforms" in order to squeeze everything in but still make it feel open.

Taggart Sorensen

One of their goals was to create a flowing interior "that dissolves the notion of distinct 'rooms.'"

Taggart Sorensen

A cantilevered bed on steel beams floats over the main living space on the third floor.

Taggart Sorensen

And the tiny bathroom is tucked beneath the stairs.

Taggart Sorensen

Which now have a ton of storage space. They feature built-in drawers and shelves, similar to Japanese kaidan dansu.  

Taggart Sorensen

The roof garden at the top allows light to radiate throughout the apartment. 

Taggart Sorensen

Pretty impressive. It's hard to tell that this was still the same apartment.

Specht Harpman Architects

Compare it again to the new space:

Specht Harpman Architects

Job well done.

An earlier version of this story was written by Alyson Penn for Business Insider.