A 27sqm studio smartly designed with a real bedroom area
This stylishly furnished 27sqm studio apartment, perfect for a young, active woman, is ideally optimized with its alcove for the bed
If living in a 27sqm studio sounds like a challenge, wait until you see this one. This small apartment, designed for a young woman, proves that square footage, when optimized, can become a non-issue. Designer Olga Shakirova worked every single square inch, and the result far exceeds what you'd expect from a space this size.
The floor plan is straightforward (in addition, it's mentioned in the article). The entryway opens onto a single living area where the kitchen, dining nook, sofa, and desk all coexist. Its bedroom occupies a separate alcove. The bathroom rounds it all out. Five distinct functions in 27square meter. No hallway, no wasted space.
The tone is set the moment you step inside. A graphic, retro-inspired geometric tile in white and brown covers the floor, clearly marking the transition from outside to in. The same tile reappears in the bathroom, quietly connecting two spaces that are far apart on the floor plan.
Full-height oak cabinetry lines one wall. The doors play on the wood grain with no visible hardware, understated and warm. Across from them, a glass door fitted with a mirror visually stretches the space and draws light in from the main room. It's a detail that completely transforms what could have felt like a cramped entryway, and it eliminates the need for a separate mirror elsewhere.
The color palette deserves a closer look, soft yet dynamic. The entire apartment is built around a remarkably cohesive combination. Walls are painted a pale sage green that reads almost white depending on the light. Terracotta appears on the kitchen backsplash and in the bathroom. Wood bridges the two. Herringbone parquet runs throughout the living area and bedroom, its diagonal lay adding movement and making the rooms feel larger.
The kitchen runs the full length of one wall. Its off-white cabinetry stays discreet, letting the real star shine: a terracotta backsplash laid in vertical brick format with a distinct '70s vibe. It's one of this apartment's best surprises, a genuine design risk that pairs beautifully with the surrounding restraint. The warmth it brings is undeniable. Open shelving beside the window holds books and small objects, their scalloped edges a well-executed vintage nod.
An arch painted directly on the wall defines the dining nook. This technique, widely used in contemporary interiors, works especially well here. The curve echoes the white tulip table and the pendant light above it. A terracotta boucle chair rounds out the seating, which is mostly handled by the small sofa.
Behind the sofa, a wooden board mounted to the wall serves as a desk. Its shallow depth doesn't eat into circulation but provides plenty of room to work. A mushroom lamp on the surface offers soft light in the evening. This kind of solution, common in well-designed small apartments, is as practical as it gets.
The desk also sits at the transition point toward the bedroom, creating a natural flow between zones. There's no door to open, you simply move from one space to the next. That's the whole philosophy of this apartment, boundaries defined not by walls, but by intention.
The bedroom occupies an alcove, which is always a smart move. Its walls are covered in a beige-taupe wallcovering with rounded abstract motifs, somewhere between organic and geometric, that creates a genuinely cozy atmosphere and gives the room its own distinct identity.
The oak headboard includes small built-in side niches, eliminating the need for nightstands. A retro-style gold lamp with a hemispherical shade fits right in. The large mirror placed in the hallway leading to the bedroom bounces light from the living area and gives the illusion of a much larger space. A series of small framed prints from Carla Llanos' "Vase" collection on the hallway wall adds the graphic, contemporary touch you'd expect in a carefully considered interior.
This is clearly the most daring room in this 27sqm studio. Everything is terracotta: elongated vertical tiles on the lower half, walls painted in the same tone above, tall cabinetry that blends seamlessly into the monochrome. This all-in approach could have felt suffocating. It works because the floor brings back the geometric tile from the entryway, breaking up the single-color effect. The washer is tucked under the vanity, keeping the floor clear.
In major cities, small apartments are in high demand. Studios under 30sqm make up a growing share of the rental market, often targeted at young professionals or students. Yet the design approach in these spaces tends to be predictable, standardized furniture, neutral tones, and results that feel like they could belong to anyone.
This 27sqm studio points to a different path. It proves that a small space can have a strong decorative identity, bold color choices, and carefully selected materials, if you're willing to commit. The wall-mounted desk, the scalloped shelves, the painted arch: these are affordable ideas that any renter can adapt.
This apartment sidesteps the two most common pitfalls of small-space design: sterile minimalism and a pile-up of practical solutions with no visual thread. The designer maintained an exceptionally strong chromatic throughline, light wood, sage green, terracotta, and white, carried through to the smallest detail. Nothing is there by accident: not the furniture, not the colors, not the objects. And at just 27 square meter, this studio has everything it takes to win you over.
The floor plan is straightforward (in addition, it's mentioned in the article). The entryway opens onto a single living area where the kitchen, dining nook, sofa, and desk all coexist. Its bedroom occupies a separate alcove. The bathroom rounds it all out. Five distinct functions in 27square meter. No hallway, no wasted space.
The entryway
The tone is set the moment you step inside. A graphic, retro-inspired geometric tile in white and brown covers the floor, clearly marking the transition from outside to in. The same tile reappears in the bathroom, quietly connecting two spaces that are far apart on the floor plan.
Full-height oak cabinetry lines one wall. The doors play on the wood grain with no visible hardware, understated and warm. Across from them, a glass door fitted with a mirror visually stretches the space and draws light in from the main room. It's a detail that completely transforms what could have felt like a cramped entryway, and it eliminates the need for a separate mirror elsewhere.
A palette of sage green, terracotta, and wood
The color palette deserves a closer look, soft yet dynamic. The entire apartment is built around a remarkably cohesive combination. Walls are painted a pale sage green that reads almost white depending on the light. Terracotta appears on the kitchen backsplash and in the bathroom. Wood bridges the two. Herringbone parquet runs throughout the living area and bedroom, its diagonal lay adding movement and making the rooms feel larger.
The living-kitchen in one space, and four zones
The kitchen runs the full length of one wall. Its off-white cabinetry stays discreet, letting the real star shine: a terracotta backsplash laid in vertical brick format with a distinct '70s vibe. It's one of this apartment's best surprises, a genuine design risk that pairs beautifully with the surrounding restraint. The warmth it brings is undeniable. Open shelving beside the window holds books and small objects, their scalloped edges a well-executed vintage nod.
An arch painted directly on the wall defines the dining nook. This technique, widely used in contemporary interiors, works especially well here. The curve echoes the white tulip table and the pendant light above it. A terracotta boucle chair rounds out the seating, which is mostly handled by the small sofa.
The desk
Behind the sofa, a wooden board mounted to the wall serves as a desk. Its shallow depth doesn't eat into circulation but provides plenty of room to work. A mushroom lamp on the surface offers soft light in the evening. This kind of solution, common in well-designed small apartments, is as practical as it gets.
The desk also sits at the transition point toward the bedroom, creating a natural flow between zones. There's no door to open, you simply move from one space to the next. That's the whole philosophy of this apartment, boundaries defined not by walls, but by intention.
A bedroom that feels private without being closed off
The bedroom occupies an alcove, which is always a smart move. Its walls are covered in a beige-taupe wallcovering with rounded abstract motifs, somewhere between organic and geometric, that creates a genuinely cozy atmosphere and gives the room its own distinct identity.
The oak headboard includes small built-in side niches, eliminating the need for nightstands. A retro-style gold lamp with a hemispherical shade fits right in. The large mirror placed in the hallway leading to the bedroom bounces light from the living area and gives the illusion of a much larger space. A series of small framed prints from Carla Llanos' "Vase" collection on the hallway wall adds the graphic, contemporary touch you'd expect in a carefully considered interior.
The bathroom's bold choices
This is clearly the most daring room in this 27sqm studio. Everything is terracotta: elongated vertical tiles on the lower half, walls painted in the same tone above, tall cabinetry that blends seamlessly into the monochrome. This all-in approach could have felt suffocating. It works because the floor brings back the geometric tile from the entryway, breaking up the single-color effect. The washer is tucked under the vanity, keeping the floor clear.
What this 27sqm studio teaches us about small-space living in big cities
In major cities, small apartments are in high demand. Studios under 30sqm make up a growing share of the rental market, often targeted at young professionals or students. Yet the design approach in these spaces tends to be predictable, standardized furniture, neutral tones, and results that feel like they could belong to anyone.
This 27sqm studio points to a different path. It proves that a small space can have a strong decorative identity, bold color choices, and carefully selected materials, if you're willing to commit. The wall-mounted desk, the scalloped shelves, the painted arch: these are affordable ideas that any renter can adapt.
The takeaway
This apartment sidesteps the two most common pitfalls of small-space design: sterile minimalism and a pile-up of practical solutions with no visual thread. The designer maintained an exceptionally strong chromatic throughline, light wood, sage green, terracotta, and white, carried through to the smallest detail. Nothing is there by accident: not the furniture, not the colors, not the objects. And at just 27 square meter, this studio has everything it takes to win you over.
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