11 open-concept ideas for smaller apartments

800 square feet, three-room HDB

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The flat is mainly black, white and grey and has white walls and cement flooring but its spruced up with carefully selected decor and furnishings; such as a Persian rug and a sofa with green cushions. Space, however, was a key concern for Mr Tan in his 800 square feet, three-room HDB. The solution? Dual-purpose furniture. 

800 square feet, three-room HDB

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For instance, the wardrobe acts as a partition wall that separates the living room and bedroom. Also, part of the marble kitchen counter doubles as a table for Mr Tan's desktop computer. To further free up space, most of the walls in the flat were removed and one of the bedrooms made way for a bigger living room. 

800 square feet, three-room HDB

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"As the bedroom was the most private, it was placed at the farthest corner of the space and had to be able to accomodate a wardrobe. Having the wardrobe serve as a partition between the bedroom and living room was the most obvious solution," he says. Metal-framed glass walls visually open up the space, with full length curtains for privacy. 

800 square feet, three-room HDB

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To add life to the flat, he has placed potted plants or flowers at every corner, which says have a calming effect. "My home is like my sanctuary where I can relax and enjoy slow living," Mr Tan muses. 

One-bedder hotel room

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As for homeowner Kate Tan, her one-bedder hotel room is smartly designed with lots of hidden storage space and versatile furniture. Having a galley kitchen means it doubles up as just a corridor into the main space of the house when not in use. The clean, marble-and-oak theme gives the small space a sense of airiness. 

One-bedder hotel room

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Folding glass doors with black aluminium frames separate the living room from the bedroom - a loft archetype that pairs perfectly with the unit's high ceilings. 

One-bedder hotel room

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Rather than a pure white hue, light timber laminate adds texture to the living room. To reduce clutter, foldable dining table and chairs can be kept in the hidden storage space, and a side table that slides out allows Kate to access powerpoints easily while hiding wires. 

One-bedroom studio apartment

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As for this tiny one-bedroom studio apartment, a collection of designer furnishings give it a luxe appeal. The living room is dressed up with chic furnishings like Pop Art prints and funky lighting. 

One-bedroom studio apartment

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The compact space had an efficient and practical layout. Fun fact: These seemingly random-sized boxes here were in fact carefully designed for the right proportions. 

One-bedroom studio apartment

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The homeowner hung up artworks and used the same wallpaper over cabinets to help disguise them. Doing away with dining and study areas also gave the owner more space for entertaining friends. 

One-bedroom studio apartment

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The bedroom and bathroom were kept simple and pared down. Only sliding doors will work in a space as tight as this.