Embarking upon the interior design of an extra small space can be a real challenge but sometimes it’s within strict constraints that creative teams concoct the most interesting solutions. To achieve a high level of comfort and style over a restricted floor area requires a little - or a lot - of thinking outside the box, and the shedding of preconceived ideas. This kind of free thinking is exactly what has occurred here in these three very compact homes. Tour one demonstrates clear zoning techniques in close quarters; home tour two brings new meaning to the term ‘sofa bed’; number three revolves its layout around an unusually centrally placed bathroom suite.
Home number one, located in Kyiv, Ukraine, contains an interior that was created for a young couple. The open space required clever and comfortable zoning; colour was used to distinguish the lounge from the bedroom by selecting a bold blue modern sofa.
A gold fruit bowl provides luxurious sheen on a small coffee table by the chaise style sofa.
Dusky blue stripes the wall in the form of a long media console unit decorated only with simple glass vases. Siena paintwork colours the ceiling, warming the look of the cool concrete, metal and ceramics.
Bifold doors reveal a walk-in closet/dressing area with generous storage space considering the limited dimensions of the apartment.
A dark grey kitchen contrasts with the natural pigment of a siena wall.
The partial room divider between the kitchen and lounge works double time as display shelves and book nooks.
Golden kitchen pendant lights glow over a breakfast bar, and underline a suspended shelf.
A trio of indoor plants mark the end of a window seat. The plant stands used here are the Wire planters by Norm architects for Menu.
Raw concrete brings an industrial vibe to the interior. Pale laminate wood flooring smooths out the scene.
The walls and ceiling around the bathroom volume are pure black to create stark contrast.
Inside the bathroom, we return to the siena colourway.
Bespoke cabinetry utilises every inch of limited space but is kept simple for a minimalist bathroom aesthetic.
Wood panels on the exterior of the walk-in closet lighten one wall of the black entry hallway.
The home plan shows how the generous closet almost equals the size of the bathroom.
Our second stop is at a modest unit in the historic center of Melbourne. Tucked in the South Yarra district where property prices soar, the home has a compact unit area of 25.7 metres square, and a ceiling height of just 245cm. The difficult design task of comfortably housing a young homeowner here was eased only by the presence of a large number of windows, plus one full-height window with access to a balcony.
A bespoke sofa bed design occupies one entire quarter of the square floor plan. A swing arm wall lamp marks the ‘lounge’ end of the bed...
… The bed base holds the mattress at its highest point, with a sofa fashioned upon a step leading down from the sleeping podium. There are storage areas underneath the entire volume and drawers in the end of the sofa section. In front of the ‘sofa’ there is a brass framed coffee table to help form the living room. An area rug assists in zoning the space too.
Everything was removed from the apartment before the designer began to sculpt the layout anew. The area next to the largest window was left entirely unobstructed to encourage a sense of space.
An eating area runs adjacent to the bespoke platform bed. The bench was placed at a height of 90cm like the countertop of the kitchen, so that it could also be comfortably utilised for food prep. An obscured glass wall separates the bedroom from the shower room.
Entry to the bathroom is gained through a textured glass door off the kitchen dining area.
A full height mirror flanks the end of the one wall kitchen to maximise the perception of space and bounce natural light further into the unit.
Inside the 2.6 square metre bathroom, a wall mounted toilet bowl makes floor space look increased. A vertical garden wall has been cultivated above the toilet to please the eye.
The washbasin is a semi-embedded design in a narrow vanity shelf.
On the balcony, the wall bordering the neighbors has been softened with a climbing plant. We can also see the positioning of the closets along the bed platform.
Our last stop is at a calming pale grey and white apartment, which has a ring layout around a centrally placed bathroom suite. The living room is a cosy yet light ensemble, with just a couple of darker notes like the black nesting coffee tables.
A modern floor lamp overlaps the view through glass patio doors that lead to a separate sitting space.
Indoor plants provide a green view at the windows.
A white and wood console unit dresses one wall of the lounge, along with large art prints.
Behind a wood slatted wall off the lounge there is a formal eating area. Globe dining room pendant lights dangle over a wooden dining table.
The shape of the orb shades is echoed by a round wall mirror.
A one wall kitchen runs straight off the dining room.
To the other end of the dining room, through more glass patio doors, lies the reading nook.
A scandi style rocking chair bathes in natural light by the windows. Books line the window ledge.
The one wall kitchen ends at a structural support column. On the other side of the narrow wall there is a home study area that is part of the bedroom.
White doors cover a wall of closets.
Grey and pink bed linen make up a relaxing nest.
This birdseye view shows the bathroom at the core of the ring layout.
