Minimalist Studio Apartment Renovation Includes a 'Room Within a Room'

Using convertible furniture is a great idea when it comes to a small living space, as these pieces can change shape and easily be tucked or folded away when they are not needed. We've seen a plethora of brilliant ideas for transformer furniture over the years, all of which help to maximize space: beds that retract into the ceiling, multifunctional walls that roll, or kitchens that disappear.

In the city of Rivne, the designers of Ukrainian studio TAK Office completed the renovation of a small apartment of 430 square feet (40 square meters), using some simple space-saving ideas. With only one main living space in the 360 Studio that could be used for various activities like sleeping, eating, and relaxing, the client wanted more defined spaces that would "contain" specific functions instead. As the design team explains:

"The whole apartment is an open space except two blocks of enclosed spaces: the closet and the bathroom. The task was to hide the bedroom, so we made a folding bed that disappears into the wall, and a curtain divider that creates a 'room within a room'."

To start off, the new scheme has placed the sleeping area in the same corner of the apartment where the walk-in closet is located. Here, the designers have installed a simple Murphy bed that is built into the wall; during the day, it's hidden away, and at night, the client can flip the bed down, close the curtains, and create a cozy, dark place to sleep.

In addition, there's plenty of storage to be found in the integrated cabinets overhead, and the small cubby that functions as a side table.

Right beside the sleeping area, we have the lounge, which is delimited by plywood panels that create a kind of box. Here we find a compact, modular couch, which can be moved around to create different seating arrangements. There is also storage and integrated lighting that is hidden above the sofa, in a rectangular wooden "shelf lamp" that is fixed to the wall.

To visually define the spaces, a natural and soothing palette has been chosen. The warm tones of plywood and herringbone wood flooring pair well with white walls and cabinetry within the sleeping and relaxing zones, and is offset against the soft sea green colors on the kitchen cabinets.

The dining area is defined by the integrated wooden wall shelving, as well as the insertion of a pendant lamp, and a round table that is set on a custom-made wooden pillar. This zone acts as an overlap between the lounge and kitchen.

The calming, green-toned kitchen itself is quite minimalist, thanks to the deliberate lack of eye-catching hardware and the counters made of pale, engineered stone-like material. There's a sink mounted on one side of the counter, a stove and oven, a modern-looking cylindrical range hood, and an apartment-sized refrigerator tucked into another set of plywood shelving that's integrated into the wall.

The bathroom, which is located behind a door near the apartment's entrance, features a minimalist, off-white color palette that is subtly punctuated by the different patterning of the wall tiles, and by the pop of color that the bespoke wooden vanity provides.

We love the idea of reserving a space up top for air-cleaning, moisture-loving houseplants to reside; this is usually wasted space and here it's been well-utilized for adding a bit of greenery.

Using simple ideas for transforming furniture and defining material and color palettes, this straightforward but effective makeover creates spaces that are not only more multifunctional but also more distinct from one another. To see more, visit TAK Office and on Instagram.