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Studio apartments are quite difficult to decorate, especially when they are very small. The simplest approach is to create a coordinated style that runs throughout the home, but that option can restrict the creativity and expressive potential of its owners.
Another possible option is to create a different theme within each functional area, but this requires careful planning and a unifying design layer to ensure that home style doesn’t feel too eclectic. The five studio apartments featured in this post demonstrate a variety of techniques and styles, pointing out that creative constraints can lead to inspiring solutions.
Small apartment designs
This first apartment designed by YØ DEZEEN architecture studio uses a modern monochrome theme alongside smooth plywood wall panels. The compact style of the living room sets the standard for smart space-saving solutions found throughout the home.
The division between the living spaces is created with a combination of themed decor and built-in dividers. Here, a striped rug helps define the seating area.
The slightly off-center location of the rug keeps the sofa area from looking too stiff, allowing for more communication with the rest of the room.
A separate divider creates an implicit boundary between the kitchen and the space around it. It also offers a convenient place to place the television, making it look like part of the living room.
The workspace features plenty of additional storage space to minimize the need for a larger desk. The bookshelves also serve as a display place for decorative items to make the living room look more homey and inhabited.
The distinctive green chairs give the dining room a unique look and add a splash of bright color within a uniform interior design. A Seppo Koho wooden pendant lamp helps to center the space.
The minimalist style for decorating small apartments
The kitchen is exceptionally minimalist. Matte black panels on the left allow neutral cabinets to stand out.
Although it was originally a true studio layout, the designers gave the bedroom its own kind of annex. A sliding glass door lets in a lot of sunlight and the storage wall offers enough privacy.
Low-profile horizontal tiles make the bathroom appear wider, and their uniform arrangement draws attention to the ceiling height – a smart choice for a bathroom as narrow as this one. The matte black coating gives the bathroom an especially luxurious appeal.
Clever organization makes the closet look much more spacious than it actually is – niches for shoes, shirts, and hanging clothes cover all the bases.
Near the entrance, more sliding mirrors hide a comfortable closet with everything the inhabitant needs to walk out the door in style. Indirect lighting makes it possible to find any item even in a space as dark as this one.
Small studio apartments
Small Apartments Designed by Lugerin Architects
This upcoming home, by Lugerin Architects, makes fantastic use of highly textured surfaces to bring a relatively small 56-square-meter study plan to life. Wood, exposed brick, concrete and textiles come together to create a modern apartment with great personality and an eclectic atmosphere.
Weight vases by Decha Archjananun help to unify the concrete ceiling and black metal accents with the natural elements found throughout.
Using Panels for Physical Space Division
Wood paneling slides out to hide the TV and expose the bedroom and kitchen, an inspiring project for anyone who wants to physically divide rooms within a studio apartment layout.
The bedroom, although quite small, has a lot of storage space built into the partition wall.
Shelves offer plenty of material to read in the morning or before bed, and light wood cabinets allow for convenient clothing storage. Pull-out baskets organize lower spaces where drawers or cabinets wouldn’t fit.
Don’t you love how the wardrobe seems to float on a sea of books?
The kitchen has some smart storage features of its own. Large glass jars in cupboards provide a safe place to store dry goods and minimize clutter. They also add a nice variety of attractive colors within a neutral decor theme. Geometric tiles are a cool touch too!
A striped rug in natural colors helps the bathroom stand out from the rest of the house.
Small Apartments with Colorful Aesthetics
This magnificent studio offers a more colorful aesthetic than previous houses. Its interior décor is more or less uniform throughout the apartment, with no dividers or interior walls breaking up spaces, creating a cohesive theme that turned out to be a practical and beautiful choice.
The dining room chairs are from the La Central collection by Brazilian designer Guilherme Wentz. The Acapulco style woven chairs and clear acrylic table are lightweight and fit perfectly in a small space like this. Burgundy, gold and sparkling cerulean accents offer an updated and refined take on the classic primary color theme.
Studio Apartment Created by Designer Roşca Vadim
Traditional sensibilities meet modern design influences in this fantastic studio by Roşca Vadim. A large wood-clad dividing unit occupies the center of the home, providing additional storage and decorative shelving, along with a bench that could serve as a seat or side table as needed. An elegant white bedroom resides within the center divider. Such a smart use of space! The dining room features modern elements, such as a black textured wall, but also incorporates traditional elements, such as a black and white patterned rug. The bent plywood dining chairs offer a combination of modern and traditional elements.
