A cleverly designed 31sqm studio apartment
Follow Planète Déco on Google — add us to your favourites to keep our decor articles in your news feedDiscover this 31sqm studio in a building from 1922. It features a fold-away bed, a sage-green kitchen, and cozy decor you can replicate
This 31sqm studio has been cleverly designed in a small, quiet neighborhood in Stockholm. The apartment is located in a building constructed in 1922, which has been designated by the Stockholm City Museum for its historical and architectural value. Architect Ivar Engström designed this complex in the National Romantic style. This movement draws inspiration from old Swedish buildings, particularly the 16th-century Vasa castles. The architect’s best-known work is undoubtedly the Art Nouveau building on Friggagatan, also in Stockholm.
This studio is all about maximizing space. The living room and kitchen share the same light-filled space, thanks to large windows overlooking a peaceful courtyard. The trick to virtually expanding the square footage lies in the custom-designed Murphy bed, built into a recess in the open-plan room. At night, it transforms the living room into a bedroom. During the day, it disappears behind its wooden and mirrored panels, freeing up space for living, entertaining, and working. It also reflects light throughout the room, creating a sense of greater spaciousness.
The beige sofa is enlivened by terracotta, khaki, and chocolate-colored cushions. This mix adds warmth to the furniture’s neutral fabric. A gray wool throw and a vintage poster depicting Japanese flying carp soaring above rooftops complete this cozy atmosphere.
Alongside contemporary furniture, there are antique and vintage pieces, such as the chairs around the table. An armchair by the window invites you to settle in with a book. A rattan basket, a few candles, and handcrafted stoneware vases filled with fresh flowers provide understated decoration. This mix gives the studio a timeless feel. The balcony, perfectly oriented to catch the afternoon and evening sun, is one of this small apartment’s highlights.
The kitchen occupies the other end of the main living area and opens onto the living room. Its sage-green tile backsplash extends all the way to the ceiling. The countertop is made of black stone. Its white lacquered cabinet fronts are understated. Fortunately, the enormous refrigerator features mirrored doors, which further enhance the sense of space in this 31sqm studio. This kitchen is quite spacious for a small apartment. It’s complemented by a round table that’s perfect for meals.
Given their limited space, the shower and toilet are two separate areas. This lack of space actually turns out to be an advantage. While in many countries people prefer to have the toilet in the bathroom, in many others, such as France, separate spaces are preferred. The bathroom has a fairly neutral design, with white wall tiles, a dark stone floor, and a stainless steel sink set on a black stone countertop. A large window provides natural light and ventilation, a valuable feature in this small room, which thus feels much larger than the floor plan would suggest.
The entryway conceals two closets, one of which houses a washer-dryer combo and thus serves as a laundry room. Dark hardwood flooring covers all living areas, including this entryway. It visually unifies the spaces. The pale green walls of the entryway echo the green in the kitchen and on a cushion on the sofa. We’re not talking about a common thread here, but a common green…
The floor plan of this older studio apartment has been optimized without sacrificing any space. This unusual layout, inherited from the 1922 building, could have complicated the design. But on the contrary, the main room benefits from maximum space.
This 31sqm studio pulls off a difficult feat. It features a warm and personal style while remaining inviting for everyone. The color palette, sage green, terracotta, brown, and beige, is consistent from room to room and creates a successful sense of continuity within this small space. Its well-chosen furniture and original architectural features give it plenty of charm.
The real stroke of genius is the abundance of mirrors, on the fold-out bed cabinet, the refrigerator, and even the entryway closet, which visually expand the space. And while many small apartments rely on total minimalism to appear larger, this one takes the opposite approach. It’s fully furnished yet retains a sense of spaciousness, thanks to natural light and reflective surfaces.
This small space, with its open kitchen and Murphy bed, can easily be replicated anywhere, in France or elsewhere. Paris is full of these small apartments where every square meter counts, and where residents compete in ingenuity to fit everything in. Fitting a bed, a kitchen, a dining area, and a living room into a single space can be quite a challenge. People who live in a studio will find here a practical source of inspiration for optimizing a small space.
The small, quiet neighborhood of Eriksberg lies between Vasastan and Östermalm, just a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of the city. Residents of the Swedish capital know it well, but tourists rarely venture there. You could say that’s a blessing, as it’s a quiet neighborhood. Its streets are lined with early 20th-century facades, unassuming cafés, and small shops that resist the homogenization of the city center. You can wander aimlessly here, taking in the daily life of Swedes.
31sqm
This 31sqm studio with a fold-away bed is for sale at Historiska
A living room that becomes a bedroom at night
This studio is all about maximizing space. The living room and kitchen share the same light-filled space, thanks to large windows overlooking a peaceful courtyard. The trick to virtually expanding the square footage lies in the custom-designed Murphy bed, built into a recess in the open-plan room. At night, it transforms the living room into a bedroom. During the day, it disappears behind its wooden and mirrored panels, freeing up space for living, entertaining, and working. It also reflects light throughout the room, creating a sense of greater spaciousness.
The beige sofa is enlivened by terracotta, khaki, and chocolate-colored cushions. This mix adds warmth to the furniture’s neutral fabric. A gray wool throw and a vintage poster depicting Japanese flying carp soaring above rooftops complete this cozy atmosphere.
Furniture that blends styles
Alongside contemporary furniture, there are antique and vintage pieces, such as the chairs around the table. An armchair by the window invites you to settle in with a book. A rattan basket, a few candles, and handcrafted stoneware vases filled with fresh flowers provide understated decoration. This mix gives the studio a timeless feel. The balcony, perfectly oriented to catch the afternoon and evening sun, is one of this small apartment’s highlights.
An open kitchen
The kitchen occupies the other end of the main living area and opens onto the living room. Its sage-green tile backsplash extends all the way to the ceiling. The countertop is made of black stone. Its white lacquered cabinet fronts are understated. Fortunately, the enormous refrigerator features mirrored doors, which further enhance the sense of space in this 31sqm studio. This kitchen is quite spacious for a small apartment. It’s complemented by a round table that’s perfect for meals.
The bathroom and toilet
Given their limited space, the shower and toilet are two separate areas. This lack of space actually turns out to be an advantage. While in many countries people prefer to have the toilet in the bathroom, in many others, such as France, separate spaces are preferred. The bathroom has a fairly neutral design, with white wall tiles, a dark stone floor, and a stainless steel sink set on a black stone countertop. A large window provides natural light and ventilation, a valuable feature in this small room, which thus feels much larger than the floor plan would suggest.
A well-designed entryway
The entryway conceals two closets, one of which houses a washer-dryer combo and thus serves as a laundry room. Dark hardwood flooring covers all living areas, including this entryway. It visually unifies the spaces. The pale green walls of the entryway echo the green in the kitchen and on a cushion on the sofa. We’re not talking about a common thread here, but a common green…
The floor plan of this older studio apartment has been optimized without sacrificing any space. This unusual layout, inherited from the 1922 building, could have complicated the design. But on the contrary, the main room benefits from maximum space.
Our take on the decor of this 31sqm studio
This 31sqm studio pulls off a difficult feat. It features a warm and personal style while remaining inviting for everyone. The color palette, sage green, terracotta, brown, and beige, is consistent from room to room and creates a successful sense of continuity within this small space. Its well-chosen furniture and original architectural features give it plenty of charm.
The real stroke of genius is the abundance of mirrors, on the fold-out bed cabinet, the refrigerator, and even the entryway closet, which visually expand the space. And while many small apartments rely on total minimalism to appear larger, this one takes the opposite approach. It’s fully furnished yet retains a sense of spaciousness, thanks to natural light and reflective surfaces.
A studio that inspires us
This small space, with its open kitchen and Murphy bed, can easily be replicated anywhere, in France or elsewhere. Paris is full of these small apartments where every square meter counts, and where residents compete in ingenuity to fit everything in. Fitting a bed, a kitchen, a dining area, and a living room into a single space can be quite a challenge. People who live in a studio will find here a practical source of inspiration for optimizing a small space.
The setting of this 31sqm studio
The small, quiet neighborhood of Eriksberg lies between Vasastan and Östermalm, just a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of the city. Residents of the Swedish capital know it well, but tourists rarely venture there. You could say that’s a blessing, as it’s a quiet neighborhood. Its streets are lined with early 20th-century facades, unassuming cafés, and small shops that resist the homogenization of the city center. You can wander aimlessly here, taking in the daily life of Swedes.
31sqm
This 31sqm studio with a fold-away bed is for sale at Historiska
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