Focusing on one chic apartment design, from NG Studio Interior Design, let's look at how this beautiful home explores a sophisticated yet crisp palette, with sharp yet elegant fixtures and fittings that would suit a male or female inhabitant equally.

Shades of beige and brown are layered for a sumptuous look, and are freshened and sharpened by crisp white elements.

Sleek built-in storage units keep the home clutter free and clean. The handle-free doors blend in with the wall that has been cleverly clad in the same softly grained material. A low white bench provides a subtle seating area for putting on shoes in the generous square hallway, and a solitary piece of uncomplicated artwork provides a simple focal point.

Matching table lamps provide a quiet symmetry in the living room, where a large area rug brightens the dark stained wood floor.

The compact kitchen has an edge-to-edge run of smooth fronted units, in a soft taupe shade that welcomes a little warmth without further closing in modest dimensions. The wall cabinets reach all the way up to the ceiling to maximise storage space, despite the horizontal limits. A neat sliding panel behind the kitchen sink conceals more storage cubbies, where every day items that are needed close at hand can be hidden away in an instant.

In a lush green garden, outdoor lounge furniture provides a chic place to relax under the sun, or take a breath of fresh air under the shade of an elegant parasol.