We created this complete list of 50 “new small studio design trends 2021” because we wanted to inspire and encourage the owners of such places to use their imagination and creativity to look for unconventional solutions. Our experience leads us to believe that compact life is a global trend that will become stronger in nature. More and more people are choosing to live in the big megalopolis and make the small studio and micro apartments their home. And in the future, this trend will increase the number of people and reduce the habitable space, so that the apartments are getting smaller.
Creating a functioning and inviting home in such limited spatial planning is a significant challenge that requires a brave and courageous way of thinking outside the box (sometimes literarily). Here you can see together with us, how professional designers and renowned architects face this difficult task. You can take advantage of their ideas and unconventional approaches to designing your studio apartment – a great way to discover how to make the most of every inch of space and ultimately have a small, modern and smart home.
1. Create a special unit for sleeping and using its volume for storage compartments
One of the first things I come up with in limited habitats is where to put all my stuff? Here we have a great, ingenious solution from Batiik Studio, a raised bed that provides the space under the stairs to create cupboards and storage space. The sliding doors that accommodate the bed and the full height side cabinet complete the picture of this modern and elegant design. Deciding in dark trend colors, the elegant and functional unit can be a “must have” option for any small space dweller.
2. Color distinction – paint the second level in a different tonality
By painting this intermediate stage with stylish and characteristic wall accents, which visually separate the space, the feeling arises that the bed is a completely different world. The design composition of this tiny apartment in Poland is based on a duality of space concept: the deep lush green walls accentuate the ceiling half and separate the bedroom with its lush plant selection from the rest of the interior design with its vintage references – it is a unique and artistic approach. This composition of dualism has an almost mystical visual impact with its rich accents and details.
3. Lift the bed and give yourself more space underneath
This light (purchased as colors and room lighting features ) project by ICOSA in collaboration with Peter Suen, located in the heart of San Francisco, offers a young, dynamic and contemporary solution to space problems. The custom built unit includes the elevated bed platform with simple lines and glowing features, the very cozy work surface underneath, complemented by a massive whiteboard, spacious desk and stand-up computer station and of course the cleverly hidden compartments of the storage units and extra guest bed.
4. Use folding glass walls for dynamic and flexible room separation
This dramatic spatial composition in the restoration project of an old small apartment by Tatyana Bobyleva is achieved through the dynamic contrasts in the material palette, the structure and color combinations. The airy elegance and the dynamic, modern touch of black metal – clear glass doors compo brings flexibility to the interior design of the small apartment. The alternation of smooth green surfaces, cement floors, black metal details and trendy furniture with the warmer presence of exposed red brick and soft textiles is a fascinating and rich solution for a limited space.
5. Sliding shaft – movable elements that can hide or fuse as needed
On average, the sleeping area is used only once a day, so it is quite a smart solution to make the staircase that leads to the bed niche, movable and free up the space for daily activations if necessary. This fantastic project of a cozy and functional small room design belongs to Concrete Architectural Associates for the Zoku Amsterdam- a new type of hotel that promotes spacious micro-housing units for global nomads. One of his lofts is a 269-square-meter space with a flexible design that is inviting and warm through the use of wood. The classic combination of smooth white surfaces and base, with black frames and wood accents, is always fresh. A playful design touch is the Olympia Ring installation for training.
6. Put your bedroom in a moving cube – fun on wells
Solving the problems of privacy, space and static boundaries, this colorful bed-box project offers a portable, comfortable and entertaining solution for small apartments with a modern design. And as the designers ask; “Instead of buying a sofa bed and feeling like a guest in your own home, why not create a private retreat in a particular space?”. Furthermore. The fact that the bed cube is on well means that it can be moved according to your mood or social situation.
7. Save space with a moved bedroom
This dynamic composition for a modern small house is located in London and offers a charming focal point of a suspended bed above the active work area (with trendy pieces of furniture). A memorable solution for low-key space options. Continue on a large dining table – to gather all your friends – and the decorative accent of the Urban-Art staircase through the bedroom platform to lead a romantic skylight opening to the roof give the mini-apartment a unique atmosphere.
8. Do not be afraid to use dark colors
For some it may be controversial, but in this case it will be a fact – the use of dark gray and black colors will not make the small room appear smaller, but on the contrary it will give it a dynamic and radiant note. The designer of this 258-square-meter studio used reflective surfaces, rich dark colors and shiny metal accents to create a visually dramatic effect and sophisticated atmosphere. By expanding the living space vertically rather than horizontally and introducing the white frames of floor and walls, the design anchors the terrace development of the dark details.
9. Use the room behind the sofa
The fresh and artistic design of this tiny apartment will guarantee a comfortable living space for more than one person – with its light distribution and multiple seating areas and chill-out niches, the unique interior design offers many opportunities for relaxation and privileged tranquility. The bright wood sculpture structure offers light, dynamism and youthful shine for a small urban apartment. The unusual use of space with the aim of expanding the storage facilities that explore the Diapason behind the sofa, can also be applied to other compositions, such as a deck or bed.
10. Movable wall in combination with foldable wall bed
This high-tech, dynamic solution is designed to free up a lot of space for modern urban apartments. The compact 390-square-meter apartment can accommodate all rudimentary areas of a home – sleeping area, kitchen, living room, bathroom, dining area, etc. – thanks to the latest developments in MKCAmicro-housing research. The motorized moveable wall (the notable hosts 180 degree rotating TV unit that can be used by bed or sofa) houses hidden closet, dresser drawers and clothes storage and when fully drained makes room for a queen size folding bed: smart, clean and technologically advanced; That’s an exciting solution.
11. Partially hide the bed in the closed
With the challenge of renovating this tiny Milanese apartment and giving it a youthful and functional feel to turn its 28 square meters into a comfortable modern apartment, the designers of Studio WOK had been searching for inspiration in the clear presence of the light wood. The structures that house the closet and wardrobe not only give the bright and trendy plywood surfaces a fresh and sleek look, but also provide clever and functional solutions to the space problem. Partially, the double-sized bed in an opening in the lover section of the wardrobe rolls a room for daily activations and also secures a comfortable sofa for her.
12. Minimalism takes hold – live a part of the premises empty
The designers of this contemporary project – a stylish home in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, Australia, had sought their inspiration in modern minimalism, but also in the funky word of Mighty Mouse. With its characteristic colors in red, yellow and black, the apartment strives for – similar to the little mouse, which goes far beyond its size. The design of the entrance foyer, the storage, equipment, washing and sleeping areas behind the full height and the wall-to-wall sliding doors freed the designer from the rest of the premises, giving them an empty, minimalist and spacious, thanks to the smooth concrete Emanation with slightly industrial presence soils.
13. Lift the kitchen and hide the bed underneath
The dynamic design of this Parisian mini-apartment hides different functional levels and several material and color combinations. The architects Marc Baillargeon and Julie Nabucetworked together to turn this apartment into an independent living space. Again, the double bed becomes a functional sofa, which is partially hidden under the raised kitchen floor. Few big pillows and – Voilà – a day zone with a cozy couch and a trendy coffee table. With this construction, the bed can be completely hidden under the platform and release the floor for other activities. Increasing the platform of the kitchen zone and adding several intriguing molded shelves gives the design a unique atmosphere, but also becomes an intelligent space-saving approach.
14. Transform the bedroom into a sculptural element
This contemporary design creation by French architects Emmanuel Combarel and Dominique Marrecoffers a completely new aesthetic experience of a bedroom space that introduces unusual solutions for small spaces. The designers built a single hanging box, which became a sculptural element of the room layout, and offered the bed platform in the middle of the apartment, while at the same time leaving the room of the main floor untouched and free for other activations. By redefining the objectification of the bedroom as an archetype of privacy and intimacy, this ingenious architectural construct becomes an object of curiosity, transforming its symbolic status, placing it in the center as a suspended sculptural element and artwork.
15. Use the room in front of the front door
This sleek yet charming design for a micro-dwelling consists of a series of well-articulated, low-tech carpentry work forming zones within the main room. Sydney-based architect Nicholas Gurney had the problem: during most of the day, you do not use the space in front of the front door – so why not turn it into something else. To give this empty space another temporary function, which uses the preliminary drawing of the cabinetmaking. Stylish, bright and just a bit of fun.
16. Create an illusion of volume with mirrored surfaces
This fantastic and almost surreal project by Gary Chang in Hong Kong presents us with the incredible transformation of a 344 square foot space into over 24 different rooms with movable walls, stairs and furniture. The mirrored surfaces of the floor and ceiling segments give the space a visual depth and create the illusion of much larger space. The use of yellow mirrors and illuminators affects the light spectrum in a completely different dimension and creates the feeling of the surrealist and enchanting world.
17. The dining table fits and hides under the other kitchen furniture
Inspired by the Japanese method of an organization called 5S, Australian architect Nicholas Gurney created a contemporary project of bespoke carpentry, sliding walls, and movable furniture to make the most of the limited space of this 24-square-meter apartment. Exciting skill is placed to solve the dining table aesthetics – elegant and easy on rolling wheels, the piece of furniture fits perfectly over and around the oven unit. In this way, the unique and stylish solution not only can release significant / extra floor space, but also give underlined visual expression to the kitchen furniture arrangement.
18. Insert the Murphy bed into the divider to receive an extra guest bed
Graham Hill and his company LifeEdited specialize in developing smart and elegant solutions for ultra-livable micro homes. Here we have a flowing environment with versatile pieces like a modular sofa and an extension of a coffee table that not only have multiple functions and positions, but are also stylish. The additional Murphy bed is hidden in the dam and offers options for guest beds.
19. Wardrobe as a Swiss army knife
Kitoko Studio had composed and decorated this Parisian chic apartment with Asian aesthetic allusions and ingenious moving units. Once all elements have been folded and stowed away in this “big closet”, the concept of the Swiss Army Knife is realized: simple and elegant, compact and multifunctional at the same time; The single room composition occupies only a small part of the housing space.
20. Hang things – the blanket is an excellent place for things
The latest work of Me2architects Studio is this charming little apartment in a former industrial area that retains its heritage under the original and stylish Read of contemporary design. The designers designed dark colors, brick walls and metal structures and developed a conceptual loft for an active lifestyle. The green plant pots hanging from the ceiling are framed by a black metal frame – a dynamic and stylish solution. Together with the contemporary lighting concept, the design of this designer forms an integral design object that decorates the space above the dining table, saves space and gives the décor composition an additional character.
21. Sliding wooden doors – light, elegant touch
In this house, the bedroom is hidden behind massive sliding doors, which are clad as wood panels. Flowing continuity characterizes the décor composition: The wood paneling, the sliding panels and the custom-made pieces of furniture combine to form a light and elegant idea – this seems to be clean and easy to maintain.
22. Gave a decorative value to the second level, transforming it into the attractive accent of the interior
In contrast to the deep blue of the walls and the light presence of the wood paneling and decorative patterns, the NCDA designers have achieved a high visual impact with the mezzanine of this small tree house in Hong Kong. The pine-paneled bedroom offers a comfortable bedroom level above the central area. Its front wall is decided as a wooden decoration with geometric pattern and lights of modern expression. This unique solution and the artistic vision that stands behind the additional structure, become an unforgettable decorative element of the design composition instead of a strong complement.
23. If you do not have room for a sofa, give an exciting upholstery to an exciting piece of furniture
This tiny house is only 13 square meters, but thanks to the designers of Studiomama it offers a complete home experience. Its cozy and stylish decor incorporates some very clever architectural solutions to enhance the sense of space – the light scheme, the moving furniture and the multitasking purpose are just a few of them. Because in this mini-houseThere was no room for a real sofa, the designers covered with soft upholstered furniture an inner segment of furniture units and voilà – a cozy reading niche. And even the lower drawers are movable and become a comfortable stool. This mini sofa solution with its colorful upholstery on the walls, cushions and back is intoned with the rest of the serine design for the tiny house.
24. Combo box: all furniture in one unit
As it happens, some of the most ingenious solutions are evoked from personal experience or need. This stylish and innovative space-saving box design was designed by Swiss designer Till Könneker to offer compact storage solutions for his own single-bed dwelling. Now it offers a tidy and stylish solution that maintains a platform with a queen size bed, an internal space for storage or a workspace underneath, and can save a lot of space, providing a contemporary design solution for many space-constrained studio apartments.
25. Use glass partitions for better lighting of the premises
Like an origami, this small loft unfolds its specific shapes and lines in a luminous and stylistically pure interior atmosphere. The fascinating ingenious solution of the second level offers an elegant and unusual construction to the light that glides through the premises, the glass partition wall of the bed platform secures the space and at the same time remains transparent to the light circulation.
26. Sliding glass doors
The designers of INDOT created this modern studio Apartment- decor and conferred on it a minimalist for the Asian style expression. Natural materials such as wood and metal characterize the material composition and the main characters in the color palette are the warm wood structures of the floor and the decor with dramatic accents of black painted walls and frames. The loosely spread gray and white spots help to keep your balance. Three glass sliding doors separate the sleeping area from the rest of the room, giving the composition a visual dynamic and a certain airiness.
27. Create a wall of shelves
This cute loft space in Camden, London, was designed by Craft Design and aims to create a bespoke and innovative environment that is flexibly adapted to the demands of modern life. Dynamic details spice up the atmosphere, a structural cube supporting the mezzanine bedroom separates the kitchen, the dining area from the cozy living room niche. Here is the staircase that leads to the mezzanine, integrated into this single piece of furniture. But the connecting visual accent comes from the decorative wall A – consisting of differently sized and shaped shelves; His presence is an artistic design accent and a clever interior design.
28. Furniture island in the middle of the living room
To create a space in a room, the designer Nils Holger Moormann sought to optimize the living arrangements of modern micro-apartments. The large furniture group includes sleeping, dining and working areas that have been developed in a contemporary and dynamic way. Dark colors, modern materials, room development, a double bed on the top, staircase with storage compartments, walk-in closet, and many other flexible features that respond to modern lifestyle searches of optimizing every inch of available space.
29. Lift the bookshelf as high as possible
This bright and clean design project belongs to the Taiwanese studio A Little Design and optimizes a 22 square meter micro apartment that will meet all the needs of its residents. The mezzanine floor of the apartment is used in full: a staircase leads to a bed platform, bookshelves and storage compartments adorn the walls and even a micro-work desk that can be used by a person with crossed legs on the floor completes the playful design arrangement.
30. Hide the desk when not in use
This functional, contemporary design of a compact modular furniture system for micro-apartments was designed by MIT Media Lab in collaboration with designer Yves Béhar. It introduced us to furniture that has a bed and a closet on one side and a home office and entertainment suite on the other to turn the room into a bedroom or living room at the touch of a button.
31. Shrink the kitchen to the bare minimum
The Polish designer Szymon Hancar’s was inspired by the minimalist urban atmosphere to make this lightweight micro-apartment on just 13 square meters. With bright wood, white surfaces and glass partitions, the room composition is bright and looks big. If you do not cook long in the kitchen, you do not need a big one. For example, using space for other purposes may be more accurate. This is the approach of the Polish designer: minimal space for the use of the kitchen and functional distribution of elegant design elements.
32. You can use more than two levels in height
If space allows it, the design of living spaces may include more than the traditional for micro-apartment – two levels. As with the ingenious design of this Madrid apartment, the designers had created a dynamic and playful three-level space in the long and narrow apartment. Here the owner moves between living and working spaces like a character in a computer game – with ladders and stairs connecting platforms in a non-linear way. Creative, sufficient and easy, the design allows for the best distribution of limited space.
33. Bathroom on the second level – closer to the bedroom
The Brazilian architect Alan Chu, who built the bathroom on the second level of this small apartment in São Paulo, archived some important tasks: he opened a free space in the living room and made possible a beautiful sculptural staircase made of black metal, which leads to the bedroom and bathroom paved spaces. Thanks to this new distribution of space, they are now in the immediate vicinity. And this spatial solution gives the micro-apartment a vision of a trendy urban mezzanine. Dark walls, stylish furniture in bright colors and beautiful custom-made wooden boxes that house the appliances and storage complete the picture of this modern “micro” Brazilian “vision.”
34. Use contrasting textures for the floor and ceiling paneling
When it comes to the design of small spaces, the combination of several different textures and materials is difficult – because the visual impact between them is enhanced by their proximity. This project by Studio Bazi is an excellent example of this: here the luminous white surface of the ceiling is well balanced by the wood structure of the floors, and this effect in the rest of the facility is a place for clever approach.
35. Mesh fabrics of metal mesh used as release agents
The designers at New Affiliates have the most of the high ceilings in this studio in made Brooklyn and define with light plywood structures, thick columns, metal mesh panels, the different rooms, and provided glowing brass accents to give the place an air of Industrial. The mezzanine offers a sleeping area with a workbench: clever, functional and stylish composition; the white net that wraps around the upper level to provide a barrier to safety and privacy adds a sense of air to the design.
36. Sliding bed under the workplace
This CIAO project has a dynamic and functional approach to a small studio apartment design this time in London. The space is used according to the owner’s lifestyle, including a practical and comfortable working area that hides a second bed that can be used for guests. Plywood platform gives a sling height behind the half-height bookshelf and houses the main bed.
37. Use bold colors for some of the furniture
Usually, designers tend to give the furniture and combo furniture a simple or even a camouflage façade so that they can blend in with their environment as much as possible, but the opposite approach is possible and desirable in some cases. With bold, accentuating colors, the pieces of furniture can become the focal point of the entire composition. Like in this MKCA studio apartment project in Manhattan. A single oversized custom cabinetry piece with multiple functional components attracts attention and does not make you realize how small the flat really is.
38. Use of the furniture to visually separate the premises, leaving a free space above them
If you use a centrally located piece of furniture as a separation of functions: like this studio is the folk design project ; It may be a good idea to leave the air above the furniture and thus feel the actual volume of the room. The modern home of the two sisters offers a cozy, clean and fascinating atmosphere. The Asian simplicity of the premises and the organic combination of wood structures, fresh green and white surfaces are reflected in a multi-layered architectural construct that is fresh and comfortable. Thanks to this approach, the mini-apartment feels spacious and light.
39. Bookshelves made of old wooden beams used as release agents
The Swan Architectes renovated this 269 square foot Parisian bed, looking for light and space. The reduction of the partition to its bare structure is therefore a smart move. The old beams become an artistic bookshelf, a transparent and symbolic (essential qualities in restricted and dark spaces) separation between the day and night zones, and beyond that a major focus of interior composition.
40. Do you ask for the color scheme? White & Wood is always a winning combination.
This 29 m² apartment in Poland was designed by Studio 3XA and has a fresh, artistic atmosphere, with bright white floors (including whitewashed original walls ) and the beautiful texture of restored wooden floors with some modern additions of recycled wood and wood Tile connects compositions. The simple color base: white, light wood and black accents, in trendy details like the metal bar stools, the tile floor or the pendant lights give the composition a generous and elegant touch.
41. If you love the sun, move your bed closer to the window
Sweet, artistic and fresh, this project by Skica Studio in Sofia, Bulgaria, “makes the most of its space. Large in size and structure, the table reclaimed wood focal point makes the dining corner suitable for the lifestyle owner can host many g friends. Attractive inviting living room vintage charm combined with contemporary k touch elements accommodate unusual design-l to place bed under the window by airy curtain separating. In this way, designers not only use a rarely used room but also wake up in a bright sunny environment.
42. Mobile shelf unit
The French architect Paul Coudamy had found an intelligent and elegant solution, how to use the restrained area of 23 m² of this Parisian apartment. By creating an individually designed, movable bookshelf unit that either clears the bed or the work area, the designer provided a smart and trendy furniture solution for small spaces. The red carmine gloss color enhances the graphic dimension of the room and is well balanced by the matt walls and soft structural elements.
43. Rotating room divider that can record a TV
When you work with limited space options, you have to be very creative, so a multifunctional room divider that turns and brings the TV into your “living room” or “bedroom” is a useful talent. The design of this small apartment designed by McCRUM offers smart solutions, but a bookshelf unit that separates the functional zoning and introduces a rotatable part that allows the TV to be watched from both the sofa and the bed is a very functional one Approach. In a studio apartment, while sharing your space, you can let the room divider work as a second thing, so that this room divider also serves as a shelf and wall for watching TV.
44. Metal frame with transparent qualities
This modern Polish mezzanine project by MUS Architects has the bright atmosphere and the modern touch of a combination of trendy furniture, quality materials and some fascinating metal structures and details. Here are the usual for small apartment stairs structures leading to the mezzanine, made of black metal with an elegant, minimalist and modern touch. The staircase has a simple, almost tender and airy presence, and does not allow the restricted volume to be shredded.
45. Light in the different color spectrum for a visual spatial organization
The play with the light has an almost magical effect on the ambience, so that in this artistic Parisian creation the lighting project, which reflects the radiant white, the different shades of light play the role of the room layout. The three zones of the apartment include bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. The first two are characterized by bright yellow light, which adds a beam of fresh accent. The rest of the long, narrow room is decorated with light, airy furniture that blends whiteness with the rest of the room’s minimalist style.
46. Play with the floors and the walls
In this project, the designers combine in a fascinating way the simplicity of the wood structures, the rustic accent of the stone walls and playful graphic details of the floor tiles. The designers of Anne Rolland Architecte transformed the ground floor of a 17th century Parisian townhouse into a studio apartment, preserving the original limestone masonry, but trendy plywood structures such as the multipurpose cabinet furniture and graphically patterned tiles add a playful touch Allusion to the old-style Parisian bars.
47. Use the A-framed blankets maximally
Often the small studio apartments are on the last floor or the attic and the problem with sloping ceilings or A-frame may occur. In this project by Batiik Studio, the dirty, forgotten room has been transformed into a cozy, elegant and inviting attic studio apartment. Intelligent design solutions take up the reserved space under the windows – with wooden lattice panels that stylistically adapt to the rest of the design, the architects have created storage departments: bookcase unit and bedside functions from the otherwise unusable space. Small working nook under the sloping roof, a bed that can become a sofa or kitchen bar, are the other clever insets in this nice Parisian apartment.
48. Use bright colors for the niches so that the shadow can not overcome them
In the design of this compact studio in St. Petersburg. The designer sought an effect that preserves the freedom of an open floor plan with the added privacy of a shared home when needed. Such clever installations as the central volume, covered with wood veneer, which houses the sleeping area. The minimalist and sleek niche of the kitchen is created to blend in with the interior while giving the focus. The whiteness of the interior is also a good approach to the windowless room. The luminosity of the pure white interior has few color accents: the wooden box, the sky-blue carpet and some terracotta details. Apart from the built-in lightning scheme, which stores the niche constructions from dark surroundings, the prevailing whiteness is the main design,
49. Separate the bedroom zone only with curtains
Look at this space division approach – the long curtains drapery that reaches the floor and the dark color inside of them – give a strain decadent to the whole ambiance. The architect Rick Joy has been composed quite elegantly for this minimalist yet warm studio apartment. The rich textural details – the modern focal point of the curtains and curtains around the bed are lined with modern pieces of furniture and lamps.
50. Use a modular system with movable shelves
In this Budapest apartment project, we observe the classical approach of an elevated platform for the bed that has a new bright and elegant read. Using plywood and its clean and fresh emanation, the designers from Position Collective to create ambiance of style and light, playful mood. The possibility of an ingenious approach to confined spaces. This custom made structure gives a useful shelf space and at the same time leaves the premises free and unburden like it.
