As micro apartments become more and more prevalent in cities around the world, architects and interior designers are constantly struggling to come into the ideas on how to optimize spatial functions in such tiny spaces without making it look cramped and rundown. It really challenges the minimum needs for comfortable living. TOWOdesign has reconstructed an apartment in the central urban area of Shanghai and applied their idea of creating such a home that doesn’t cause a claustrophobic feeling.
The original area of the apartment was only 48 square meters in measurement but needed to accommodate any function of a house must have for daily living: storage, entertainment, office, relaxing spot, and so on. As this apartment is limited in space, storage function is priority. The idea is to create “all-in-one” furniture that combines multiple functions into one module. To make the best use of space, TOWOdesign organized the apartment into several “function boxes” to integrate daily functions. The function boxes are used in various ways, such as hidden, push-pull, and display. Other ideas include the open kitchen, foldable dining table, and hidden toilet that maximize the use of every inch of space.
The apartment has been whitewashed from floor through the ceiling, except for some exposed areas. Some mirror elements are placed in the right zoning to make the space look bigger and reduce the sense of oppression of a small space. The yellow kitchen cabinet is the center of the entire flowing space, it separates the sleeping box from the living area. This yellow box lighten up the decor like a ray of sunshine. The bold yellow color of the kitchen box is combined with light wood accents and greys in a crisp white surfaces.
The living room is comfy, they installed a triangularly shaped light box to light up the area to create a great ambiance. The sleeping box is located on the opposite side of the apartment, it’s covered in wood which provides a great atmosphere. A staircase with hidden storage cabinet is installed next to it as the entrance to the sleeping box, which is very flexible and practical. Living in a small space may seem like a deprivation, but it can be a creative design opportunity. It’s possible to maximize any cramped space with some grand ideas, at last you can see all the functions of the apartment and enjoy the beauty of the design.
