Parisian Restaurant (10243) - Second Level Done!

We finally finished the second level of the building, which turns out to be a very compact, studio-style apartment. There ended up being another piece missing, which we discovered after receiving the first missing piece and continuing on with the build. Luckily, this second missing piece was just one of the clear window glass pieces, so we could continue on without having to stop and wait for it.

This apartment reminds me of something you might find in Japan or some other place where space is at a premium and things are crammed into as tight a spot as possible.

Given the confined nature of the space, I am actually really surprised at the number of doors there are. There is, of course, the main entrance to the apartment, which passes through the upstairs terrace of the restaurant. But there is also an additional door on the back side of the building that seems to lead to a private balcony. And here, I use the term balcony very loosely because the square footage of it is so small that you can't even move around on it. There is literally just enough room to stand there and look around. You can see this "balcony" in the picture below - it's the door to the right.

There is THIRD door to the apartment at the front of the unit, allowing the occupant a view onto the street. The size of this balcony is equally tiny and can only accommodate one person standing just outside the door.

Notwithstanding, the front of the apartment is quite picturesque, with large bay windows looking out onto the street and providing a lot of natural light to the apartment. There is a fully stocked planter outside each window to give more color to the scene.

The sides of the building are pretty nondescript. On the terraced side, there is a brick staircase leading up to the second story of the building.

And on the far side, it's pretty much just a brick wall.

If we take a peek inside the apartment, we can see just how cramped it is in there. There is a small kitchenette to the left. You can just make out a small stove and oven, as well as a wall mounted microwave with a tiny amount of countertop space beneath.

To the right is the "relaxation" portion of the apartment, with a very cozy looking lazy-boy chair in front of a warm fireplace.

Here is an up-close view of the fireplace. There is a reading lamp buried in the corner, along with a very small coffee table directly in front of the fireplace. You'll notice that there is absolutely no room for any other forms of entertainment aside from staring at the flickering flames. There is no TV, no computer, no shelf of books. This would be a very spartan lifestyle indeed!

 Is there even a bed? Where would this poor occupant sleep? Well, not to fear, there is indeed a bed. Of course, keeping the space restraint in mind, the bed has been designed to fold up into the wall when not in use. When it's sleep time, it can be pulled out. At this point, the kitchen table transforms itself into a bedside table!

 Another necessity of life that is missing from this picture is the bathroom. I have no idea how the occupant is expected to relieve himself. Maybe that's what the pot on the stove is for? .....