Houzz Tour: A 215-Sq-ft Flat Makes a Big Impact
Not only does this studio look bigger than its 215 square feet, but it offers the conveniences of a much larger home
“Every detail of this studio – both the decor and the layout – has been treated with care. You don’t get to botch the final result just because it’s a small space,” says Margaux Carnevali, the interior designer in charge of this renovation. In fact, this apartment has all the conveniences of a larger space. Functional, stylish and, above all, customised to the owner’s lifestyle, it is a dream home for any young professional in search of a cozy nest.
Just ten years ago, this was not even a home: It was created by dividing an office into two studio apartments. Habitable but not quite functional, these units were in desperate need of a second lease on life. The experts at Neva Architecture Intérieure took us through their top-to-bottom revamp of one of these spaces.
Just ten years ago, this was not even a home: It was created by dividing an office into two studio apartments. Habitable but not quite functional, these units were in desperate need of a second lease on life. The experts at Neva Architecture Intérieure took us through their top-to-bottom revamp of one of these spaces.
It’s not often an apartment this size has a real dining table and a separate bedroom. Carnevali chose to depart from the norm, and created clearly defined spaces with all the desired conveniences, to make this nest as cozy as possible.
Since it’s important to minimise the number of partitions in such a small space, the various zones have been divided with a decor tricks instead. The turquoise that frames the sofa distinguishes the living room from the dining room, while a bolder shade defines the sleeping area. This harmonious blue-and-white ambience lends the bedroom a cocooning feel.
Here’s how to create separate zones in an open-plan flat
Since it’s important to minimise the number of partitions in such a small space, the various zones have been divided with a decor tricks instead. The turquoise that frames the sofa distinguishes the living room from the dining room, while a bolder shade defines the sleeping area. This harmonious blue-and-white ambience lends the bedroom a cocooning feel.
Here’s how to create separate zones in an open-plan flat
Accessories also help mark off the spaces: “To define the dining area, I chose an origami-like paper pendant light,” Carnevali says. “The patterned backsplash draws attention in the kitchen.”
These backsplash tiles add character and make the kitchen stand out within the open apartment. The kitchen is also fully equipped, with a built-in exhaust hood, range, small oven, microwave, compact refrigerator and even a mini-dishwasher. This studio has all the appliances of a huge kitchen.
In cases like this, it is rather a question of proportions: The appliances fit into this mini-kitchen well because their size matches the space.
Take a look at more kitchens
These backsplash tiles add character and make the kitchen stand out within the open apartment. The kitchen is also fully equipped, with a built-in exhaust hood, range, small oven, microwave, compact refrigerator and even a mini-dishwasher. This studio has all the appliances of a huge kitchen.
In cases like this, it is rather a question of proportions: The appliances fit into this mini-kitchen well because their size matches the space.
Take a look at more kitchens
Upstairs, a double mattress and some storage shelves transformed the mezzanine into a real bedroom. Switches on this level operate all the lights in the apartment.
However, possibly the home’s best feature is the closet under the mezzanine. Before the renovation, the tenant used to keep her clothes at the entrance on a hanging rail and in stacked boxes. Today, she stores everything in this large custom-made closet. The mirrored doors visually enlarge the space and transform the area under the mezzanine into a small dressing area.
Check out these inventive mezzanine designs
However, possibly the home’s best feature is the closet under the mezzanine. Before the renovation, the tenant used to keep her clothes at the entrance on a hanging rail and in stacked boxes. Today, she stores everything in this large custom-made closet. The mirrored doors visually enlarge the space and transform the area under the mezzanine into a small dressing area.
Check out these inventive mezzanine designs
The studio’s decor is boldly eclectic. “It’s not really typical Scandinavian. Instead, it is a mix of current trends,” Carnevali says. The rug, sofa, houseplants and flower pots borrow South American motifs. The characteristically Nordic combination of white and wood that serves as a base for the decor is balanced and spiced up by the mezzanine’s more industrial black metal.
Find a designer to help design your small flat
Find a designer to help design your small flat
The bathroom again shows how white can brighten small rooms. These immaculate 65 square feet (6 square metres) look double their size. The bathroom walls and vanity unit were made of gypsum blocks and then covered with white micro-mosaic to break up the monotony of an all-white room. The turquoise and blue notes of the cement-tile floor add a spark of colour.
Take a look at these clever designs for small bathrooms
Take a look at these clever designs for small bathrooms
Less cramped than one might think, the bathroom offers a few hidden features. The walk-in shower has wall-mounted faucets and temperature controls. A niche near the bottom (not pictured) provides a place for beauty products. The wall hooks were carefully positioned so that towels would be close enough to grab but not in danger of being splashed. A washing machine and storage cupboard are hidden in the wall near the entrance.
The bathroom is emblematic of the studio as a whole: Chock-full of clever solutions and extra comforts, all in only a few square feet.
Read more:
Mumbai Houzz: A Tiny Studio Apartment Makes the Most of Its Space
Tell us:
What did you like the most about this home? Tell us in the Comments below.
The bathroom is emblematic of the studio as a whole: Chock-full of clever solutions and extra comforts, all in only a few square feet.
Read more:
Mumbai Houzz: A Tiny Studio Apartment Makes the Most of Its Space
Tell us:
What did you like the most about this home? Tell us in the Comments below.
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Who lives here: A tenant
Location: The 15th arrondissement of Paris, France
Size: About 215 square feet (20 square metres)
Project duration: Three months (including the finishing work)
Budget: About ₹24,00,000 ($35,000)
Interior designer: Margaux Carnevali, Neva Architecture Intérieure
Date: 2017
With this renovation, the team aimed to give this apartment a spacious feel despite its diminutive size. As such, decluttering the space was a big part of the job. A bar counter had previously stood perpendicular to the main line of cabinets in the kitchen, and had impeded the flow of the apartment. Removing it was the real launching point of the renovation.
At first, Carnevali wasn’t sure how to proceed in such a small space. Pushing the walls out was tempting but obviously impossible. When faced with a lack of square footage, however, nothing beats white paint for enhancing the existing space. From ceiling to walls and mezzanine to furniture, a large part of the studio is now snow-white. The wood floor was also treated with a lighter finish. These light colours also make the home much brighter.