I live in quite a small apartment myself (not a studio apartment, yet I always have to pick and choose very carefully which furniture pieces I select), so I always find it most inspiring to find great studio apartment design ideas that I can apply to my own apartment and save space in the process.

What is a studio apartment?

Studio apartments are small apartments where the living room, kitchen, and bedroom are all combined in one single room.

How to decorate a studio apartment

Making a studio apartment design work is all about making the right design decisions and finding the right solution to be able to combine the main functionalities in an apartment: the bedroom, dining room, living room, and home office depending on whether you need it or not. Kitchen and bathroom functionalities should also be fulfilled, but usually, they are included in the apartment, especially if you are renting.

Studio apartment ideas

A smart studio apartment design makes the layout look spacious even though there is not a lot of floor space to work with and makes smart use of a room divider in any form or shape to visually separate the functional areas from each other.

I’ve listed my favorite studio apartment design ideas and inspirations below and while I was looking for studio apartment inspiration, I tried to include both functional solutions, as well as easy design and color choices that can be applied to rentals and small apartments that you use temporarily.

From a micro-apartment to a smart use of hidden closets, to places with slightly larger square footage, this post is filled with smart tips and tricks to make studio apartments work and ample studio apartment decor inspiration to give you a head start into decorating your studio space.

How to separate functional areas

If you are planning your interior design from scratch, you might want to consider functional separators like a partition or a custom-built module that separates the functional areas, yet makes the space feel like one. A glass door with a black metal frame can be a great focal point in your small apartment and if the space is really tight, it might even include a sliding door.

Studio apartment ideas with great visual separation between areas

a glass separator between the bedroom area and the living space

This Scandinavian studio apartment has a partition separating the bedroom space from the sofa area, which fits the bed exactly and is closed on the side by subtle white linen curtains*. This is one of the best studio apartment design ideas to invest in, as it creates a division without forming an obstruction for daylight, which makes your space look bigger.

The living space is decorated in light colors with peach accents in the throw pillows* and by the wall opposed to the bed, there is even space for a small home office area, such a must-have for so many of us these days as well. The elegant color scheme makes the contrasting black glass separator stand out even better and the open-plan space has a very elegant, sophisticated look.

Notice the modular sofa in the living area as well (this is Ikea Soderhamn), which can be enlarged with other modules once you move from a small space to another, larger apartment. The combination of a small coffee table in wood and another one in white metal works nicely in this studio apartment and in general, combining smaller tables looks more spacious rather than opting for a big coffee table.

The Formakami papershade pendant* is the perfect statement lamp for this small space, as it draws attention, but has a light and minimal design at the same time.

Styled by Grey Deco, photographed by Anders Bergstedt for Alvhem

A glass partition to close off the bedroom from the rest of the studio apartment

The glass double door in this beautiful Scandinavian studio apartment allows the natural light to flow into the small space with an open layout, yet the door can be closed to separate the rooms in a high-quality fashion without having to build a solid wall that makes the space look smaller. You can even place a curtain behind the glass which can be closed for complete privacy when necessary and the glass partition wall will also offer sound insulation in case you need it.

Note that the hallway of this studio apartment has a complete wall of storage space, which is such a crucial element in a studio apartment. Nothing makes a space appear smaller than having clutter around, so you better invest in some good quality closed storage space. If the space available is super small, you might want to use sliding doors for your storage solution as you will have more space to pass by when the closet is open. Clean lines work best for big storage modules, preferably even without handles so it blends into your open-space studio apartment.

Your studio apartment’s layout will highly depend on the floor plan, but with some custom solutions, you can make the layout work to your advantage. When designing small spaces, makes sure to measure everything before buying (also do this when decorating a bigger space) and utilize vertical space and natural light as much as possible.

via Alvhem

A custom-built room divider in an attic studio apartment

While we covered the main advantages of glass partitions above, they can also be a great solution when you have beautiful structural elements in your architecture that you don’t want to cover up. The bedroom area in this Scandinavian studio apartment has been separated from the rest of the space, yet the view throughout the living and sitting area have not been obstructed.

This is also a great solution for a guest bed in a shared area, that you want to leave open when you don’t have guests over. The daylight coming into your studio apartment will not get obstructed, yet the guest room can be closed off when needed.

via Ahre

studio apartments with custom space-saving solutions

A studio apartment with the kitchen block as a separator between rooms

In this small apartment, the kitchen block itself functions as a separator between the two rooms, and when you walk behind the kitchen cabinets, you find a small, yet super cozy and light-flooded bedroom with a double bed that fits the space exactly.

The small kitchen even includes a home office integrated into the niche with floating shelves on the wall, combining three functionalities in one small space.

via Alvhem

A studio apartment with a loft bed that creates extra floor space

When you live in a small space or studio apartment, like so many of us do, you have to find solutions to make it work and save space. This often includes a smart combination of both open and closed storage space so that every object has its place: either stored away in closet space or on display in a special spot. The owners of this beautiful studio apartment took it to a whole other level and turned their home into a treasure box full of smart space-saving solutions, optimizing the layout with great studio apartment design ideas for you to take inspiration from.

The kitchen, bedroom, and wardrobe are one module. By the window, you can find the kitchen with a built-in breakfast bar. On the opposite side of the window, the combination of both open and closed cabinets forms the base for the loft bed, which has been added on the second level, utilizing the space beneath the bed as extra storage. Underneath the bed, you have a hidden closet, which can be accessed from the other side. The loft bed utilizes the vertical space available in this beautiful studio apartment design and the use of wall space is done in an efficient way.

The storage wall in the hallway provides spots to store shoes, jackets, and bags and is made out of the same material as the elevated bed for a cohesive design language.

via Historiska Hem

Create a loft bed on a second level to save floor space

When you have to plan a tiny apartment layout, yet you can work with high ceilings, it makes a lot of sense to build a loft bed so you can create another level. This tiny studio apartment utilizes the space underneath the loft bed as a small sofa area including a TV and open shelving built into the wall.

The grey walls combined with a color scheme of warm accessories and soft furnishings is a great choice for such a small space and the white flooring makes this tiny home seem bigger.

via Innerstadspecialisten

A loft bed with integrated functionality in the steps of the stairs

A bit similar to the previous example, yet in this beautiful studio apartment with nude pink walls throughout, only part of the space has been covered with a loft space and the stairs leading up to it are also an open shelving solution for storage.

When going up the stairs you reach the bedroom area of the studio space and underneath the loft, you can find a small dining area with a built-in bench. By painting the walls and all the custom-fitted solutions in the same nude pink paint color, you get a very cohesive effect. Note that also the wardrobe module beside the sofa area has been painted in this same color.

Styled by Lind, photographed by Ostling for Historiska Hem

A studio apartment with a canopy to separate the bedroom from the rest of the apartment

This studio combines the apartment living room and bedroom in one big space, and even though it would be easy to add doors in between the two areas, the open plan makes the apartment look spacious.

By adding a canopy above the bed, the two rooms are visually more separated and the area where the bed is placed becomes its’ own space. While a canopy works best with high ceilings, it can be used as a visual separation in any room and it also does double duty as an atmospheric element in cozy living spaces like this one.

Styled by Linnéa H. Manaberi, photographed by Anders Bergstedt for Alvhem

A simple curtain separates a compact living room

Hanging a sheer white curtain* in between two functional areas is one of the simplest compact studio design ideas to visually separate the apartment layout. The entire space consists of a small living room that is also a bedroom and it’s the textiles that make all the difference. The living room furniture and soft furnishings have been picked out in modest colors, with an area rug adding an extra dimension to the compact studio design.

via Lundin

Surround the bedroom area with a curtain to separate it from the rest of the studio apartment

This is one of those easy studio apartment ideas that doesn’t cost you a lot of money, yet it has a great effect. You can easily separate your bedroom area from the rest of your studio apartment by adding a curtain around the bed.

The curtain will visually create another room and it will also keep the sleeping area dark which is an added benefit.

via Alvhem

Create a loft bedroom area on top of another functional area

Another example with a loft bed, yet the area underneath the bedroom area is not open like in the previous example, it contains the bathroom. The color scheme of the small studio apartment is based around the beige wall color, enhanced with blacks, greys, and warm tones.

The module with the loft bed is painted in the same wall color (try out Farrow & Ball Jitney* or Oxford Stone* if you are looking to try out something similar), which integrates it nicely into the apartment layout.

Styled by Grey Deco, photographed by Janne Olander for Stadshem

A loft bed with storage underneath the stairs above a compact kitchen

This must be one of the best efficiency apartment decorating ideas I have seen so far. The loft bed is built above the tiny kitchen in such a smart way, allowing for extra storage underneath the stairs. The small kitchen has been made to fit the area underneath the stairs perfectly and the small dining table with bar chairs fits nicely together with the kitchen. On the other side of the studio home, there is still ample space for a small sofa area.

via Fantastic Frank

A Murphy bed to optimize the studio apartment design and layout

A Murphy bed is a great space-saving solution for combining functionalities in especially small spaces. This allows you to use a regular-sized bed during the night, yet turn the unused floor space when the bed is stored away into a living or dining room area.

via Kvarteret Makleri

Optimizing the apartment layout to fit all functionalities

While most studio apartment decorating ideas in this list focus on smart built-ins or ways to visually separate functional areas from each other, we might have missed one of the best apartment decorating ideas altogether: optimizing your furniture selection and layout towards the functionalities you need and the size of the space.

This beautiful studio apartment inspo combines a bedroom area with a living area and a home office space in such a natural way while still achieving a layout that looks spacious since the furniture has been picked in so carefully.

The small bed fits exactly in the space by the door, while still allowing a small stool to be placed next to it as a bedside table. Instead of a desk, the String system* with an integrated bookshelf was used to provide space for books in the home office area and a small daybed was used instead of a big sofa to still create a cozy seating nook, without taking up too much floor space.

via Nya Kvadrat

a light color palette enlarges the apartment visually

A studio apartment with a light yet warm color palette

A light color palette enlarges a space visually. While white might be the obvious choice here, you can also go for a warmer palette and work with a mixture of beiges, natural materials, and a spot of yellow. I love the way the Ikea Kallax bookcase by the bed has been decorated in a subtle yet elegant way, combining wonderfully with the area of the bed and the sitting area.

Both functional areas feature soft tints of yellow for a vibrant, yet calm look. Even though limited space is available in this studio apartment, the light palette makes it look spacious.

via Alvhem

An all-white studio apartment

Sometimes it can be a little bit tricky to make a white space like this one, with white walls, floors, and ceilings look cozy and inviting, but I think this cozy studio apartment makes it work really nicely. The color palette of the main furniture items has been kept very light, which makes the apartment appear larger than it actually is. Some contrasting pieces are added as well to give the look more character. 

The white (It’s an old Ikea model customized with a Bemz slip cover*) sofa combined with the white fluffy area rug, white chairs, and coffee tables set the stage for a bit of color in the linen pillowcases* on the sofa, the art print on the wall, and the small accessories on the table. The darker color of the bench against the wall adds a lot of contrast and the light beige curtains* soften out the light coming from the windows.

Keeping the room white is one of those easy-to-apply studio apartment design ideas that will contribute the most for very little effort. Introduce a cozy seating area into the apartment, combine with a few contrasting elements and you will have a stylish home that looks spacious and inviting. Low furniture like the bench works well with low ceilings, as there will be a lot of white space above it. Hang some wall art above the bench to finish off the look.

via Alvhem

A studio apartment with light beige walls and blue and pink accent pieces

When it comes to decorating small apartments, it’s important to thoroughly consider the color palette of the space. This studio apartment design consists of a living space combined with a bedroom area all on quite a small surface, yet by selecting a light beige wall color that highlights the crown molding it still looks and feels spacious. The blue and pink elements around the bed and sofa add interest and character to the look.

The black bedside table adds contrast to the sleeping area, yet it also functions as a visual room divider between the bed and the lounge area. The apartment layout even includes a section for the TV and a narrow Ikea Pax wardrobe painted in the same color as the wall in between the bed and fireplace functions as the main storage space inside the living space.

Styled by Bon Interior, photographed by Mikael Hansson for Bjurfors

a bold or dark color palette adds character and personality to small studio apartments

A studio apartment with dark grey walls

This beautiful studio apartment has darker grey walls, which makes it a little bit more on the dramatic side, yet the tints of peach, beige, and terracotta soften it out in a nice way. The warm beige curtains* warm up the daylight coming from the windows which makes the peach tints pop.

The large antique mirror by the bed reflects the space and the light coming from the window, which is a great trick to make a small space look bigger and one of those studio apartment design ideas that will transform your space and bring it to another level. The peach-colored bedsheets* combined with the burned orange throw* match the color palette in the print above the bed. This color combination adds so much warmth in this corner and ties the bedroom area together.

The round dining table in between the kitchen and the living area works so nicely with the white bentwood chairs, the chequered tablecloth, and the pop of light blue in the art print. The dining area is placed in between two open spaces, which visually separates them from each other and provides extra seating when you have guests over and want to hang out in the living room.

Styled by Bon Interior, photographed by Alen Cordic for Bjurfors

A studio apartment with deep green walls

This small studio apartment with rounded windows has these mesmerizing deep green walls (similar to Farrow & Ball Beverly*), which makes the otherwise modestly colored furniture and accessories stand out in such a beautiful way.

The light wool area rug, which covers a large portion of the room adds a soft texture to the white-soaped hardwood flooring. The white linen sofa (it’s an old Ikea model with a Bemz custom linen slip cover*) combined with the linen pillows* and the light oak furniture pieces in the sitting area enhance this soft look, while the red autumn arrangement on the coffee table and the graphic art prints on the walls add a subtle contrast to the space. 

Even though this studio apartment has some great architectural features, to begin with, I think the green wall mixed up with the neutral furniture pieces is a design that can work in other small spaces as well to add some extra character and personality.

Styled by Grey Deco, photographed by Frederik J Karlsson for Alvhem

A studio apartment with an olive green accent wall

This home has one of the nicest studio apartment design ideas of all: an olive green accent wall (similar to Farrow & Ball Studio green*) to visually separate functional areas from each other. The studio apartment is planned in a very open way, with a doorway between the kitchen and the living space and a niche for the sleeping area.

I love the fact that the bedroom area is visually separated from the living room because of the dark olive green wall color of the niche only, such a lovely interior design detail.

The sofa area has a beautiful mixture of beige textiles and prints as well and I love that there is space for a small dining table in front of the windows. When you peek into the small kitchen from the living room area, you can see a little curtain underneath the sink, which has the same tint as the wall of the sleeping area. It’s touches in the color scheme like these that make the interior design in this studio apartment so special.

via Stadshem

Bold color choices in a small and efficient studio apartment

This is one of those apartment designs that are truly unique and it really doesn’t matter that it’s a small studio apartment, does it? The kitchen is the central element in the space and it really stands out because of its gold surfaces.

The bedroom has been placed behind a half wall combined with one of those glass dividers for studio apartments that still let daylight into the bedroom area. Since the ceilings of this historic apartment are very high, a loft bed was also built into the space, which can be reached by using the metal ladder in the kitchen.

The entrance has been painted in a bold pink combined with gold details and a big wardrobe provides ample storage space for the small apartment. The wardrobe has mirrored fronts, which reflect both the space and the light for an optically bigger look.

via Fantastic Frank

Deep faded blue walls make a bold statement on a small surface

When it comes to how to style a studio apartment, you have to think a bit outside of the box. If you want your studio home to look stylish and unique, you have to make some bold choices because you have limited space and opportunity to make the apartment designs stand out.

This turn-of-the-century home has a layout with a small niche space for the bedroom, and the walls of the entire studio have been painted in a beautiful pale blue that makes both the studio apartment furnishing, yet also the historic architectural details stand out in a lovely way.

via Alvhem

Things to consider when designing your studio apartment

visually separate functional areas from each other

How to setup a studio apartment will depend on the space available and the functionalities you need in the space. Whether you use architectural features like a glass separator or a strategically placed kitchen block, a murphy bed or loft bed to save space, it’s smart solutions like these that will make it possible to include all functionalities in one area.

Make sure to think about storage space when you plan the layout of your studio apartment

Whether you built a full wall of closed storage, hide storage modules underneath the bed, or behind a curtain, you will need a way to keep your studio apartment clutter free and organized. A murphy bed is a great solution for the smallest of spaces, but other flexible furniture pieces like folding chairs or a sofa bed can be great companions in a small home as well.

Studio apartment beds are usually as small as possible, to make room for other functionalities in the space.

pick a color palette that fits the space

You can achieve great results in your interior design by picking the right colors for your space. Go for a lighter color palette if you want to make the space appear larger, or go for darker, bolder colors to add character. Use an accent wall or paint certain walls to visually separate areas from each other solely by using the color scheme.