Design of a Small Studio: 8 Successful Solutions

We share a selection of original design ideas on how to make the interior of your studio functional, modern, and stylish.

1. Podium-Transformer

To maximize useful space in a small studio, designers at Space4life focused on podiums that transform. The podium located in the relaxation area is perfect for storing seasonal items that don't require constant access. Everyday clothes and essential items are hidden in a system by the window – it was possible to fit in sliding shelves and a compact wardrobe.

Design: Space4lifeRead more

2. Mezzanine

In many cities, there are such apartments: non-standard in size, very small but with high ceilings. The height does not benefit them – they feel like courtyard wells and uncomfortable inside. If, however, the height is used to build a mezzanine. This is exactly what Tatiana Shishkina proposed: in a room of 24 square meters, a second floor appeared, where the bed and desk were placed.

Design: Tatiana ShishkinaRead more

3. Wooden Cube

For architects at Ruetemple, it was important to arrange a private bedroom area in the studio and retain a feeling of airiness and volume. They didn’t want to build solid partitions, so they came up with an idea to create a volume in the center of the apartment that would absorb many functional elements while keeping openness and freedom.

This volume was a structure containing: the bedroom zone, a relaxation area for projector viewing, a wardrobe, and a sofa in front of the TV. Other zones like the bathroom and kitchen were compactly arranged along the wall opposite the windows.

Design: RuetempleRead more

4. Transformable Furniture

The main tool for expanding space in this project is transformable furniture. The apartment, like its owners, is ready for adventures! The sofa turns into a bed, the wardrobe into a workspace, and the TV panel into another sleeping space. It’s so easy to assemble and disassemble that even a fragile girl could manage it, according to the project author.

Design: Ekaterina MatveevaRead more

5. Practical Finishing Materials

In her studio project for a girl, designer Ekaterina Sizova made a bet on ceramic granite that looks like wood. The material was laid on the floor throughout the apartment: it's practical, easy to clean, and guests can walk in without removing their shoes in the entryway. A great solution!

Design: Ekaterina SizovaRead more

6. Built-in Wardrobes

From the perspective of maximizing useful area, built-in storage systems are more convenient than a wardrobe. This apartment in Novogorsk seems larger than it actually is because designer Julia Solovyeva really thought through every decimeter.

For example, the wardrobes in the hallway are hidden behind wooden panels that blend with the wall. Indeed, the entire left wall from the entrance is one large storage system. Closer wardrobes are for outerwear, and farther ones are for household needs and ski gear.

Design: Julia SolovyevaRead more

7. Invisible Kitchen

In the project by bureau dots & points, the kitchen block is hidden behind sliding doors; a second such door hides the entrance to the bedroom. When the doors are closed, guests only see a unified space of the living room-dining room, which seems even larger due to mirror layouts in the doors.

Design: dots & pointsRead more

8. Interior Feature

The feature of Anna Simonova’s project is a biofireplace in the studio apartment, which the client had long dreamed of and became a bright accent in the interior. The designer focused specifically on the biofireplace since it’s the only way to enjoy an open, real flame in the apartment. If you wish to replicate this “trick” at home, remember that the fireplace must be mounted in a gypsum board box and additionally protected with non-combustible panels.

Design: Anna SimonovaRead more