Adam Finkelman and Evan Garfield were veteran roommates of the New York City rental scene so when they discovered a Brooklyn loft with a garage they snapped it up even though it didn’t have a single bedroom. What they saw was potential to carve out space for at-home music performances and a kitchen large enough for Garfield to host supper clubs.

Finkelman, a furniture designer/builder by trade, laid out two bedrooms so tiny they fit just their beds on three sides, on the fourth side he left a sliver of space for a standup desk and stairs to the lofted beds. Under the beds, he placed open closets, drawers and storage.

The two friends built out the space themselves, using mostly found materials (from the street and craigslist). To create a kitchen large enough and comfortable enough for Garfield to cater meals hosted in their space, they hacked the kitchen with lots of on-the-wall storage for utensils and pans and a combo drying rack/dish storage from IKEA drying racks and painters’ trays.

In the garage, which the previous tenant had used to work on his motorcycles, Finkelman added soundproofing so the space could be used as a DIY performance space (the video features performances from the jazz band Sneak Thievery and Garfield’s band Conveyor) and furniture made from recycled pallets so Garfield could host “supper clubs for strangers” here (via sites like Eat Feastly)

Their participation in the sharing economy helps offset their rent ($2200 or $1100 per roommate). It also gives them the freedom – in a city where space can be creatively confining – to experiment with their trades (Finkelman with his furniture making and Garfield in the kitchen).