This Narrow House is only 3 to 5 Feet Wide

This Narrow House is only 3 to 5 Feet Wide

I came across a book about narrow houses and searched for photos of what they look like inside. I found this house that is only 5-feet wide at one end and 3-feet wide at the other. The house has 46-square-feet of living space.

It was designed by architect Jakub Szczęsny with Centrala. It doesn’t meet local building codes. They got around that by calling it an art installation, but it is a real livable house.


This street view is from 2014. It is still there, but the most recent street view has a bus in front of it.

The house is in Warsaw, Poland. The address is 74 Zelazna Street.

Look carefully between those two buildings. That is the house, there in the crack. That is actually the widest side. The entrance is on the other side, but Google Maps doesn’t show that side yet.

Keret Narrow House
Keret Narrow House
Photo by Panek

The Polish Modern Art Foundation operates the house and allows writers to live there temporarily. Israeli writer and filmmaker Etgar Keret was the patron and the first to live there, so it is called the Keret House. He chooses who else can live at the house.

Sometimes it is open for tours.

Keret Narrow House
Gate to Keret Narrow House
Photo by Adrian Grycuk

This is the gate on the other side. This is the narrow end. That window is the living room window.

Keret Narrow House
Stairs into the Keret House
Photo by Adrian Grycuk

The gate leads to this space between the buildings. You get into the house using these pull-down stairs.
It looks like a light on the bottom of the house. I bet it gets really dark in that crack.

Keret Narrow House
Stairs into the Keret House in Warsaw
Photo by Adrian Grycuk

Here is another view of the stairs pulled down to go in.

Keret Narrow House
Stairs Folded Up
Photo by Adrian Grycuk

Living Room

When the stairs are up, they make the floor of the living room.

Keret Narrow House
Keret House Living Room
Photo by Shiker/shabbat-goy.com

The living room is the narrowest space, only 3-feet wide. The iron framework is on the inside, to keep all the space.

They have a beanbag chair. They will fit anywhere.

Keret Narrow House
Hooks on the Lving Room Wall in the Keret Narrow House
Photo by Adrian Grycuk

There are hooks on the wall. It’s good that they are the opposite of pointy, since it is unlikely that you won’t bump them.

Keret Narrow House
Mobile in the Keret Narrow House
Photo by Adrian Grycuk

There is a pompom mobile hanging from the ceiling. This is a Pajaki chandelier, a traditional Polish decoration made from straw or paper flowers.

Keret Narrow House
Keret Narrow House
Photo by Panek

This is the window in the living room. There are two windows. They don’t open. The ceiling and walls have translucent glass panels that let in any available light.

Keret Narrow House
Ladder
Photo by Adrian Grycuk

This is standing in the living room. Ahead is the dining area, then the kitchen, with the bathroom at the end. The ladder allows you to climb to the bedroom.

All of the ceilings are very high, so as narrow as it is, it doesn’t feel so claustrophobic.

Keret Narrow House
Keret House Kitchen
Photo by Shiker/shabbat-goy.com

Kitchen

The kitchen has a tiny fridge that holds 2 bottles. There is a stainless steel sink and a flat top stove.

Keret Narrow House
Bathroom in the Keret Narrow House
Photo by Adrian Grycuk

Bathroom

This is the bathroom. There is a sliding frosted glass pocket door, to provide some privacy and keep water from the shower in the ceiling out of the kitchen.

The house uses a “custom water and sewage technology.” It is not connected to the city-provided water systems. The power comes from one of the next door buildings.

Keret Narrow House
Bedroom in the Keret Narrow House
Photo by Adrian Grycuk

Bedroom

The bedroom is up the ladder. The bedroom has the other window. Neither of the windows open.

This end is 5-feet wide. There is a bed, a desk and chair.

Keret Narrow House
Bed
Photo by Shiker/shabbat-goy.com

The bed, all sorta made.

Keret Narrow House
Bedroom in the Keret Narrow House
Photo by Adrian Grycuk

This view from the bed looking down to the beanbag chair at the end of the living room gives a good idea of the space.

Living Very, Very Narrowly by Robert Krulwich
Living Very, Very Narrowly by Robert Krulwich
WBUR

This model from an article by Robert Krulwich on NPR WBUR gives a better idea on how it is all laid out.
The model is from before it was built, so it doesn’t show the glass panel walls.

Living Very, Very Narrowly by Robert Krulwich on NPR, WBUR

Inside The Keret House - the World's Skinniest House - by Jakub Szczesny
Inside The Keret House – the World’s Skinniest House – by Jakub Szczesny

These plans in an article by by Jakub Szczesny on Arch Daily give more details.

There are more photos and an architectural plan of the house at Inside The Keret House – the World’s Skinniest House – by Jakub Szczesny.

Inside The Keret House – the World’s Skinniest House – by Jakub Szczesny

 Inside The Keret House - the World's Skinniest House - by Jakub Szczesny
Keret House Floor Plans
Inside The Keret House – the World’s Skinniest House – by Jakub Szczesny

These are the floor plans. You can see them closer if you go to Jakub Szczesny’s article.

Inside The Keret House – the World’s Skinniest House – by Jakub Szczesny

Keret Narrow House
Keret House
Photo by Panek

Here is one more look at the narrow Keret House, only five feet wide at this end and three feet wide at the other.