We created this comprehensive list of over 50 studio apartment design ideas because we wanted to inspire and encourage homeowners to use their imagination and creativity, and also look outside the box for solutions. Our experience leads us to the belief that compact living is a global trend that will become stronger in the future. More and more people are choosing to live in a big metropolis and make small studios and micro-apartments their home. And in the future, this trend will lead to more people and less livable space, so apartments will become smaller and smaller.
Modern interior decorated in pastel colors in a one-room apartment
The living room of 38 square meters of the apartment seems much larger than it actually is
Small studio apartment in Moscow with a colorful and lively living space
Decorating the living room of a one-room apartment in a modern style
Exquisite living room in white and brown in a studio apartment
Spacious one-room apartment with wooden elements. Looks very cozy!
Creating a design for a one-room apartment is a serious task that requires bold and out-of-the-box thinking. So here you can see with us how professional designers and famous architects solve this difficult problem. You can use their ideas and unconventional approaches when you design your studio apartment or studio. This is a great way to learn how to make the most of every inch of space.
Furniture arrangement for two people
When thinking through the design of a small-sized room for two, you should take into account the basic principles of organizing the environment:
- rational use of space;
- installation of functional furniture;
- emphasis on visually increasing the area.
In a one-room apartment, the common space acts as a bedroom, living room, dining room, and often also a nursery.
Before arranging furniture in a one-room apartment, you need to think about dividing the living space into zones. For these purposes, you can use partitions in the form of racks or podiums with objects placed on them.
Both furniture and finishing materials for decorating a small apartment must be selected in light colors.
Basic principles
The most important thing when furnishing a one-room apartment with a minimum area (28 square meters) is to take into account the number of residents in a given area, their age, tastes, and preferences.
The standard principles of practical and aesthetic organization of the environment have become the following:
- Proper use of space - creating the most open area by combining the living area with the kitchen and hallway. Redevelopment - removal of partitions between residential and household premises, combination of furniture and equipment with similar functionality in one space; arrangement of internal partitions, windows, openings, arches, podiums; eliminating doors, replacing them with sliding ones or changing the direction of their opening; vertical organization of the interior (available even with a standard ceiling height of 260 - 270 cm!);
- Functional furniture - the use of non-standard, folding furniture that can be built into wall niches, alcoves, other places (this can be bought in a store or made to order), a bed with a lifting mechanism, a bed that transforms into a wall with a sofa, shelves and a wardrobe; sofa bed, folding sofa, ottoman, sofa bed, folding sofa, ottoman. The use of mobile pieces of furniture - transformers: folding chairs, extendable tables, fabric hanging wardrobes, screens on wheels;
- Visual effects of enlarging the room - the active use of mirrors, mirror surfaces, the right choice of color and wallpaper pattern, the use of suitable photo wallpaper, impeccable lighting.
In a small apartment, it is important to choose light walls, ceilings, and floors that match the color of the furniture. The level of comfort of housing directly depends on the chosen method of interior redevelopment. The slightest change of internal partitions can lead to the desired result.
Furniture arrangement for a family with a child
When setting up a corner for a schoolchild, you need to remember that he needs a comfortable place to study. A corner computer desk with shelves and a cabinet will help save space. It is important to consider that the child will often not be alone on his territory; friends will come to him. To provide them with a comfortable place for games and communication, it is necessary to delimit the area with decorative partitions.
To zone a room, it is convenient to use curtains suspended from the ceiling cornice.
It will be especially difficult to organize a separate part of the room for a teenager. At this age, a lot of space for entertainment, as a rule, is no longer required. But you will probably need to create an area for studying and doing what you love. Depending on your hobbies you may need:
- workshop;
- music studio;
- corner with sports equipment;
- mini-laboratory, etc.
If there are two children in a family, the optimal solution would be a bunk bed
If the arrangement of furniture in an apartment is made for a family with a child, it is very important to take into account his age.
Ceiling
It should contribute to solving the expansion problem, not aggravate it. Therefore, when choosing it, you should adhere to one rule - the ceiling should be light, and the choice of material and color is yours.
Tensioner
In the interior of a 1-room apartment, it is better to use a glossy canvas. It is reflective, so it will visually add height to the living space. Light from spotlights, which are usually hung on a suspended ceiling, will be reflected from the canvas, which in this case will only save the situation.
Mirror
Suitable if the house has high ceilings. They perform the same function as wall mirrors or glossy stretch ceilings.
Colored
Add the color you want to the water-based paint, mix it and apply it with a brush. The color should blend into the interior of a one-room apartment.
Visual increase in space
Even a small apartment can be made larger visually. To maximize space, it's important to keep in mind a few principles that come into play.
- Dark colors, no matter how attractive they may seem in a design solution, reduce the space. Light ones are the opposite.
- An excellent option would be to divide into zones using lines. This can be done better by using different building materials.
- Too bright contrasting spots on a light base will make the room smaller.
- Furnishing an apartment with massive pieces of furniture is also not the best option.
To make the apartment cozy, comfortable and stylish, you will have to take into account many nuances and factors
Panoramic windows
Panoramic windows occupy the entire space from top to bottom. Due to their size, they will perfectly illuminate the room, and with their help, they will create a feeling of combining the street and the room.
They do not need to be covered or covered with anything, this way you will achieve the maximum effect from them.
Arrangement of furniture in different types of apartments
In Stalin
The area of a one-room apartment in a Stalinist building is about 34 square meters. m. With the right approach, you can place more than one functional area and even a dressing room on it. The best solution would be not to divide the space into small parts, but to combine it.
The result of the merger will be a comfortable and fairly spacious studio apartment
The hallway is suitable for setting up a dressing room. It will become the main storage for things and will help not clutter the space. A spacious wardrobe for this purpose should be chosen in a not too dark, warm shade. Perfect for: coffee tone, beige, light brown.
It is worth choosing a wardrobe with mirrored doors, which will visually increase the space of a small hallway
A medium-sized sofa would look great in a combined living room and bedroom. On the opposite side you can put a large bed.
You can separate the sleeping area from the living room using a light transparent partition
The area of the kitchen-dining room will make it possible to compactly arrange several hanging and floor cabinets.
It is better to install a shower in the bathroom. This will save some space and install several small cabinets - shelves near the sink.
In Brezhnevka
In the Brezhnev house, by using a niche, two functional problems can be solved. Organize the sleeping area and install a wardrobe. To prevent the furnished niche from appearing as a dark corner, the furniture and decoration should be chosen to be quite light. A shelving unit will help separate this part of the room from the living room. The combined design of bookshelves combined with surfaces for small items looks interesting.
Instead of walls and partitions, it is better to use furniture, for example, an open shelving will divide the room into zones, but will not obscure the space
You should not place too much furniture in the living room. A large sofa, coffee table and TV stand will be quite enough.
Interior of a Brezhnevka odnushka after combining the kitchen with the living room
In a small corridor, a wardrobe for outerwear and an ottoman or stool, made in the same style as the wardrobe, will look good.
In Khrushchev
Khrushchev is the smallest among one-room apartments, so the placement of furniture in it has its own nuances.
A good option for organizing a sleeping area in a niche with built-in wardrobes, shelves and drawers
It is better to place shelves and racks on the walls and above upholstered furniture. It is recommended to fill corners to save space. Original compact cabinets will be very appropriate. It is also advisable to hang shelves in the corridors.
General ideas for creating space and comfort in a one-room apartment
The listed interior styles have common modern details. Let's list new design finds that are useful when decorating any apartment with limited space.
1) Expansion of the room due to the kitchen or balcony
Creating an open plan, or studio, layout is an inherently American idea. But it is also beautifully implemented in old Soviet houses with high ceilings, classic furniture and stucco. After dismantling the wall in a typical one-room apartment, a lot of space is created for the dining area and the implementation of fresh design ideas.
Plus, now fashion is actively calling for making a loggia or an old bay window a continuation of the interior.
2) Based on white and gray
These colors are universal, making the space light and free, no matter how much furniture is used. And they are used as basic ones in minimalism, loft, Scandinavian, American and many styles of the 20-21st centuries.
Shades close to them also look expensive and stylish - baked milk, dusty pink, beige.
3) Single headsets, only the most necessary ones
If the area is small, it is better to replace the long wall of cabinets with separate free units.
Leave only the necessary modules from the classic set. And only necessary and favorite things, sets and books.
After the inspection, visually evaluate the shelves in the sideboards.
Is there a lot of empty space? Instead of a classic tall set, choose a modern, compact and roomy one, with a convenient opening system. This way you will free up several square meters and significantly lighten the interior.
Total bow
This section will complement the previous paragraph.
The area of the apartment will visually become even freer if the new sets blend in with the wall decoration.
A gray or white total look looks modern.
Gloss and mirrors
Mirror and satin textures reflect light and make a small apartment noticeably larger and fresher.
Abundant peripheral illumination
The trendy way of lighting a living room looks like this: peripheral spotlights or LED panels + local lamps and sconces above the dining table and work areas.
A room with plain light walls and mirrored furniture facades looks voluminous due to such lighting.
Illumination of partitions and niches
This design find complements the previous point. Thanks to the abundance of light and shine, the boundaries of the room visually expand.
Sliding doors and partitions
Interior sliding doors save the area of the apartment. And using this design inside the room, you can separate a dressing area or a children's corner.
Transformable headsets
To save a little space, you can use a wardrobe bed, folding or pull-out tabletop instead of stationary dining furniture.
Tabletop on the windowsill
If there is not enough space even for the necessary furniture, non-standard design ideas will help.
An extended window sill, for example, can become an alternative to the classic work area. Or a desk.
Placing furniture in different rooms
In the living room
The arrangement of furniture in the living room is carried out in three ways:
- symmetrical;
- asymmetrical;
- circular.
The symmetrical method is the most popular arrangement option. It consists of placing two identical pieces of furniture at the same distance from the main point of the living room (focus point).
The choice of furniture arrangement is largely determined by the shape of the room.
With the asymmetric arrangement method, furniture is placed without using paired identical elements. The main task here is to maintain visual “balance” between small and large objects. With the circular method, all the furniture is arranged around one main element, such as a large table.
In the hall
It is best to choose a corner wardrobe in the hallway. It won't take up much space, but will still be roomy. Most of the things will probably be stored in it. If it is not possible to install a corner cabinet, you should pay attention to a long cabinet mounted along the wall.
For the hallway you should choose a light finish for the walls and ceiling
In the toilet
If the bathroom is not combined, then it will not be possible to place any furniture directly in the toilet. The maximum that the layout of a standard one-room apartment allows is a small horizontal shelf.
In the toilet you need to make maximum use of the wall behind the toilet by placing convenient shelves and cabinets on it
In the bathroom
The arrangement of furniture in the bathroom will depend on its arrangement of plumbing fixtures. If a shower cabin is installed, you can put a small floor cabinet in the room and hang shelves above the sink. If there is a bathtub, the best option would be to use the space under it to store, for example, household chemicals.
In a small bathroom, it is advisable to use compact household appliances; for example, when choosing a washing machine, you should give preference to a model with an overhead sink
In the kitchen
To design a kitchen that meets all the necessary requirements, you should draw up a detailed plan. It should take into account the length of the walls, the presence of projections and niches, sockets, and ventilation holes. When equipping a kitchen, it is important to follow some rules:
- you cannot place the stove closer than half a meter from the window;
- The sink must be installed away from the corner; it is much more difficult to remove splashes and drips there;
- Since things often spill and splash in the kitchen, the flooring should be non-slippery.
In a small kitchen it is important to use every centimeter of free space, including the window sill
How to turn a one-room apartment into a two-room one
And this is also possible. To do this, you need to move the dining area to the hall, and make a bedroom from the room intended for the kitchen. This is costly, as you will have to move the drain and pipes for the sink.
Partitions and different design styles will help separate the kitchen from the living room.
Dismantling of built-in premises
To enlarge an already finished home, you can combine the corridor with the main area, remove the built-in closet or storage room. It is better to replace them with the smallest and most modern wardrobe.
Do you have a balcony or loggia on your property? Great, they will be part of the house if you remove the partition. You can arrange an office or dining area on the balcony.
The toilet and bathroom are also made into one unit to save space. The result is a spacious bathroom that can even fit a washing machine.
Zoning using partitions
How to furnish an apartment cheaply and beautifully? Using partitions. They will help to highlight individual areas: the bedroom (if the design is a one-room apartment with a bed), the dining room, the hallway, the living room. The number of functional zones depends on the size of the available space; their presence will make the apartment more convenient.
Bar counter
It will do its job perfectly and separate the dining area. It is not only fashionable but also functional as it will serve as storage space.
Podium
A kind of low platform. The bed can be placed on the podium. Additional storage boxes are usually installed under the platform. If you wish, you can run an LED strip across it, making it seem like it is floating in the air.
Mobile partitions
They are a structure made of thin plasterboard, sometimes on skids. They not only perform the function of fencing, but also complement the overall design. Glass partitions and screens look original.
Rack
Books, small pots of flowers and figurines are placed on it. It is necessary to make the rack look beautiful on both sides.
Aquarium or glass decorative wall
For this you will need a flat and large aquarium.
Hanger with things
Using a hanger, the bedroom is separated from the living room.
Curtain
The thread or curtain for the curtain is attached directly to the ceiling. The curtain can be either thick or transparent at your discretion. It can be opened and closed when needed.
Transformable furniture
- Closet. A wardrobe in a small one-room apartment plays a leading role in its design among cabinet furniture. Thanks to its design, it allows you to store a large number of things and does not take up too much space. Sliding doors do not block narrow passages, and the variety of models allows you to implement bold design solutions.
- Sofas and beds. The transforming sofa has long proven itself in small spaces. When unfolded, it serves as an excellent place to sleep. When folded, it is suitable for relaxing and just sitting with friends in front of the TV. Also an excellent option for saving space is a transformable bed.
- Tables and shelves. A folding table is a very popular piece of furniture in one-room apartments. If necessary, numerous relatives can dine at him at the same time. When folded, it is either a compact cabinet or a smaller table, suitable for two to three people. Pull-out shelves are also very convenient when space is limited.
- Armchairs and poufs. Sliding chairs, like sofas, are very practical and easy to use. At the right time, it’s easy to turn them into a comfortable bed, and then return them to their original form. Poufs significantly outperform chairs in terms of space saving. As an example, due to the fact that they do not have backs or curved protruding legs, they can be easily removed under the table or moved close to the wall.
Transformable furniture allows you to effectively organize different functional areas in the same place. For example, in this one-room apartment, during the daytime, the doors of the cabinet open, in which the workplace is hidden
And at night the closet is closed and the bed is folded back - the room turns into a bedroom
Zoning rules
To make the room cozy for all family members, it is recommended to properly allocate areas for sleeping, relaxing, receiving guests, as well as a work space and a child’s corner. For the nursery, you need to choose the brightest place. In this case, it should be located as far as possible from the entrance. A good option here would be to purchase a loft bed, which will not only help to compactly place all the furniture necessary for the child, but will also serve as a means of separating this area from the rest of the space.
How to make your own furniture from plastic bottles, instructions
Proper zoning is not difficult to do. For this use:
- racks;
- screens;
- sliding partitions;
- curtains;
- podiums;
- modular designs;
- a hedge of indoor plants;
- separate light sources.
Typically, for a family of 1-2 people, the space is divided into several parts: living room, bedroom, dining area. If necessary, an office can be added. For each zone, a center is determined where large furniture is located. For example, for a living room it is a sofa, for a workplace it is a table. All other items are installed around the central element, taking into account free space for movement.
For one person, you can combine a sleeping and guest area and put a sofa bed there, and the work space should be separated by a shelving unit.
Popular interior styles
One-room studio apartment in a modern style
Classic style.
The classic style is laconic. Natural materials are used in the design and strict geometry is observed. Smooth lines, right angles, squares, regular spheres and ovals are used.
Classic is more suitable for fairly spacious rooms
A feature of this style is also a large amount of decor: stucco, carving, sewing, etc. Nowadays, classicism is often combined with modern design, which allows you to create a lighter, more relaxed design.
Scandinavian style
This style is characterized by the presence of free space. A prerequisite is a large number of light sources. In the design of apartments in the Scandinavian style, natural materials and light, light textiles are used as furniture upholstery. Simple wooden tables, chairs, cabinets are the main distinguishing feature of this trend.
A bright one-room apartment in a Scandinavian style, for zoning which a semi-partition with a bar counter is used
Fusion style
With this design of the room, elements of several styles are used. Fusion adapts to the owners, allowing the use of brightly colored furniture and flashy finishes. As an example, you can imagine an antique cabinet against the backdrop of a carelessly tiled wall. Or decorate the walls with various materials, one is covered with wallpaper, the other is plastered.
Interior of a studio apartment in fusion style with dark accents on a light background
Loft style
No partitions - only a rational division of the area into zones using a minimum amount of furniture, lighting, colors of the flooring or walls.
Brick walls are typical for a loft - real ones or their imitation using wallpaper or decorative plaster
Brickwork and roughly plastered walls are the main elements characteristic of this style. The leading role among furniture corresponding to this trend is occupied by a variety of soft armchairs and sofas. The use of sets is not encouraged; it is better if all items differ in color and texture. The arrangement of such furniture in a studio or cafe would be especially appropriate.
High-tech style
This is the opposite of the classic style in interior design. Often, high-tech apartments resemble spaceship cabins from science fiction films.
Functionality and simplicity - these are the features inherent in the interior of an apartment in high-tech style
Furniture to create this effect is selected accordingly. It is characterized by:
- strict adherence to geometry;
- the presence of perfectly smooth surfaces;
- abundance of chrome elements;
- places for built-in equipment.
Mirrors
To achieve the desired effect you will need a lot of them. You can cover the entire wall or some part of it with mirrors; placing them opposite the window is more advantageous; the surfaces will reflect the street and create the impression of limitlessness.
It is not recommended to use this method if you have small children. Not only can they break the mirror, but it will also have to be constantly washed to remove handprints and dirty marks.
Mirrors require proper care, only then will they look beautiful and aesthetically pleasing
Designer tips for choosing lighting for a one-room apartment
- How good a furnished apartment will look depends largely on the lighting.
- When choosing lighting fixtures, it is recommended to pay attention to sconces. They will advantageously separate the relaxation or sleeping area in the room.
- LED indoor lamps will be appropriate in the kitchen, when delimiting the working and dining areas. They can also be used as lighting for decorative interior elements.
- Massive chandeliers should not be placed in small rooms. They will make an already cramped space visually even smaller.
A one-room apartment should have general lighting, as well as lighting in each functional area
It’s easy to choose suitable furniture, taking into account the location and think about lighting in the design of a small one-room apartment. If you don’t discount all the necessary rules and advice from professionals, you can create an individual, beautiful interior without any problems.
The right sofa
When it comes to furnishing a one-room apartment, a very important role is played by how to position the sleeping sofa and what its parameters are. The whole point of this importance is that the sofa is often the most significant and necessary furniture element in the apartment. And this is no wonder: at a minimum, this is a sleeping place for one person, and at maximum, it is a relaxation area for the whole family. This is why it is important to choose the right sofa for your one-room apartment. Arranging furniture based on its specifics and location will be much easier. In view of this, when purchasing this element of home comfort, it is necessary to evaluate its size, rotation angle, the presence of retractable space and drawers inside. By the way, the last point is a very, very necessary thing especially for owners of small-sized homes, since usually quite a lot of all sorts of things can fit into the drawers designed inside the sofa. Take, for example, voluminous pillows and blankets - they also require a lot of space, and this is not entirely convenient when they have to “huddle” in an already narrow and cramped closet.
Moreover, a correctly selected corner of the sofa can correctly separate the passage area in the apartment from the central one - the relaxation area. It is not always correct to push the corner part of it directly into the corner, although this considerably saves the square footage of the apartment. It is important to harmoniously arrange the sofa furniture so that it also serves as zoning for the apartment. Then it will be possible to optimally distribute all other furniture elements economically and aesthetically correctly.
