Manhattan's first micro-apartments just won a prestigious design award - here's what it's like to spend a night in one

People often assume that New Yorkers live in shoe-box-sized apartments.

But Manhattan's first (and only) official micro-apartment building at Caramel Place takes small to a new level. The units have less space than an average studio - but they're much better designed. The idea is that the minimalist, chic design makes ultra-tiny living possible.

Designed by nArchitects, Carmel Place recently won a prestigious 2017 Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects, the US' biggest architecture association. On January 13, the jury announced that "Carmel Place represents a new housing paradigm for the city's growing small household population."

Completed in early 2016, the units at Carmel Place range from 260 to 360 square feet. For comparison, the average Manhattan studio is twice that size, and a standard one-car garage is about 200 square feet.

To make the limited square footage more livable, developer Stage 3 Properties enlisted the help of the lifestyle design company Ollie and Screech Owl designer Jacqueline Schmidt. The team meticulously designed 17 of the 55 units with space-saving furniture and accessories.

Unlike most apartments in Manhattan, the ones at Carmel Place are designed from the ground-up for minimalist living, Schmidt told Business Insider. In June 2016, when Carmel Place's first residents moved in, I spent a night in a 308-square-foot furnished apartment.

Here's what happened.