A stunning 33m2 apartment that proves space isn’t everything

Will Sayner Will Sayner
33평형 모던 아파트 인테리어, 마르멜로디자인컴퍼니 마르멜로디자인컴퍼니 Modern Living Room
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 Living in a small space can be hard: what do you keep? What do you throw away? And how can you accommodate all your possessions and needs without the place looking horrendously cluttered?

 That being said, if small homes are managed properly they can be cosy and super stylish, and that’s what we’re bringing you today – a testament to the potential of small living spaces.

 The apartment we are exploring today almost defies logic: there’s a bedroom, a living room, a study, a kitchen, a bathroom and even a guest bed, all comfortably occupying a total floor space of thirty-three square metres!

 Brought to us by interior designers, the Marmelo Company, this South Korean apartment manages to incorporate a lot by making multi-functional spaces. Owned by a young couple, the apartment keeps it minimal and uses colour as an architectural feature. But rather than explaining any further, let’s take a look…

A small but sufficient entryway

 For South Koreans a proper entryway is essential, even in the smallest of homes, as this is where guests are greeted and where they take off their shoes to change into more comfortable—and clean—house slippers.

 With this in mind the architects managed to carve out a little space to accommodate a proper entrance.  A recess in the wall provides much of the illumination for the space, while simultaneously breaking up the monotony of the miniature area.

Cosy and colourful

 Even in the smallest of spaces white isn’t always right, as making bold colour choices can accentuate different parts of the space; here the duck egg blue shade on the walls emphasises the high ceilings making the space appear larger. 

 This sublime small apartment highlights another, perhaps counterintuitive design trick: sticking to small seating may actually emphasise how limited the space is, whereas a comfortable two-seater sofa makes the area appear cosier.

Separating space without infringing upon it

 In this multifaceted space the living room extends into a study/guest bedroom.  In an ingenious move by the designers the desks doubles as a divider between the living room and the guest bedroom; creating the divide in our minds without further limiting the space. 

 As we’ve said many times before, high, wall mounted storage is the best option for small spaces; demonstrated wonderfully here by the bookshelf. More sneaky storage can be found in the pull-out drawers underneath the guest bed that provide a great place to store bed linens and towels.

A contemporary kitchen

 Every square metre of the kitchen has been meticulously planned and put to good use, with a dining table that has been pushed up against the wall to free up floor space.

A better design makes a bigger looking bathroom

 The crafty bathroom design accommodates everything the owners need without looking and feeling cluttered. The vertical tiles on the wall trick the eye into seeing more space, and instead of an expanded mirror, two separate mirrors accentuate the illusion created by the tiles.

Making space through minimalism

 The bedroom is a testament to the fact that even the most sparsely furnished spaces can look cosy and warm with the right design. The space-saving, wall-mounted lamps work as mood lighting while the wood in the design gives the room a warm feel.

 For a look at another inspiring small home check out this terrific tiny apartment.

 Adapted from an article by Sana Salam.

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