2013 Small Modern Apartment Decorating Ideas from BHG

A trip to the homeowner's closet provided the design inspiration for this small modern apartment.The statement making patterns, timeless silhouettes, and fun accessories found in the wardrobe were translated into this home design for a look that mixes classic with modern, and sophisticated with fun.

Apartment Interior Design | Kwong Shook Lin Residence | Hong Kong | Affect-t

The Renovation of a flat in one of Hong Kong’s exclusive high-rise buildings, the space was opened up to create a contemporary open-plan living environment as per the client’s request. The prior configuration afforded little space in the bedrooms and fragmented space in the living area for gathering.


In order to unify the disparate rooms and integrate the flat a common design language was chosen. A fluid curving space was created which could negotiate and unify the disparate spaces and odd angles of the arrangement. The vaulted ceilings in the bedrooms provide a subtle surface for reflecting the light from the exterior and interior cove lighting while hiding numerous beams in the ceiling. The sculptural ceiling in the living rooms hides numerous LED lights while directing the eye the centre of the dining table in the open-plan room.


Textures and materials interplay as wood is used throughout with the parquet flooring and bespoke oak screen at the entry causing subtle shifts in view as one enters the flat. Marble is used in the two large bathrooms with large sinks carved out of solid block and large soaking tub and shower room in glass tile. A walk-in wardrobe is a point of rest next to the bathroom and a large kitchen can be hidden behind and pivoting door. All features combine to create a feeling of movement of being carried through the space, with the clients affinity for Feng Shui the ideas of direction and energy movement were integrated into the placement of furniture, fittings, and openings to create a contemporary space which envelops the resident.........more

Apartment Interior Design | Wall Street Studio | New York | Axis Mundi Design

Axis Mundi recently completed two residences for a brother and a sister at Downtown by Philippe Starck. 

The brother owns an extensive collection of art work by the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami which was hung salon-style and is the main focus of the space. Other highlights include the 20' long red silk velvet covered banquette, lighting fixtures by Droog, gun lamps by Starck, and furniture by Moooi. Red is the predominant color theme throughout.

The sister's apartment is more subdued. The main design element was the creation of a glass room with sliding
panels which serves as her bedroom. Gold silk drapes line the interior.
Most of the furniture, built-ins and silk carpets were custom designed specifically for our clients. All of the
rooms serve multiple functions, as space was at a premium..........more

Apartment Interior Design | ABC Pod | Ras Beirut | Lebanon | Polypod

ABC Pod is a small bachelor pad in Beirut. Two 'salons' are fused by a white curtain to form one unified pod nestled within the rest of the unit. The project was designed remotely from Boston while the client improvised within the design's guidelines......more

SOHO Interior Design | SOHO Beijing Residence | Beijing | China | Ministry Of Design

Centrally located in Beijing's characteristically cosmopolitan Dong Zhi Men district, the SOHO Beijing Residence introduces the art of sophisticated condominium living for the modern urbanite — a balance of the senses through the harmonious blending of contemporary tones, textures, materials, views and light.

Comprising a series of perfectly appointed living spaces, each unit is designed simultaneously to be timeless and chic, creating a visual balance of soothing earth tones with dark dramatic accent features. Each unit is fully furnished with contemporary well-crafted furniture and fittings, and an exclusive handful of custom designed units were carefully crafted to suit the individual needs of each homeowner. The Beijing Residence is a retreat in the heart of the bustling city, affording panoramic views of downtown Beijing where both the historic and ultra modern meet in union.

This condominium was fully sold within months of its launch in 2009...........more

Apartment Interior Design | Art Collector's Home | New York | Caliper Studio

This project is the home for two art collectors on New York’s Upper West Side. Located in the top two floors of a Mckim Mead and White building, the design merges two apartments to create a spacious domestic art gallery where home and art are intertwined. The spaces are strung in an open sequence around a library core, from the entrance to the kitchen with a free standing stair and living spaces in between. Continuous long walls enclose the space to display works from the owners’ collection: Tomma Abts, Lawrence Weiner, Franz Ackermann and more. Full-height, translucent moveable partitions can be positioned to provide private enclosures when needed without reducing the overall scale of the space................more

Apartment Interior Design | The Painted Apartment | Chicago | Illinois | Krueck Sexton Architects

This Chicago apartment overlooks Lincoln Park and Lake Michigan. The client was no longer interested in living with paintings hanging on the walls but wanted to be surrounded by an integral work of art: to live within a painting.

Walls of backlit glass block, furniture, storage cabinets and perforated metal screens combine to define the plan. The floors, walls and ceiling are finished with a highly reflective paint that extends the space vertically. Accent colors on the floor dissolve into stenciled dots, horizontally extending the vertical geometry of screen partitions. Curving glass-block walls are illuminated from within and provide lighting. Functional separations are created by sliding panels and wardrobes, which are finished with highly polished metallic automobile paints........more

Apartment Interior Design | Apartment 7 | Belgrade | Serbia | Exe Architecture Studio

Apartment 67 is placed in one of New Belgrade’s blocks. The client was a business school student girl. The central part of this interior is big black box, placed between living room and kitchen. It separates these two functional zones. The hexagonal designed elements penetrate the box. These designed elements are placed on the wall, at ceiling and at the box. They have three functions: shelves, lighting elements and masks.........more

Apartment Interior Design | Apartment R+D | Mexico City | Jorge Hernandez De La Garza

A careful selection of materials qualifies the play of light and shadows projected through the large windows in the dining room. The internal modulation is a reflection of external guidelines, which govern the cutting of the limestone on the floor and the grooves of wooden walls, which divide the social area of the private area. The furniture was carefully selected seeking a harmony between the materials (wood, leather, stone and fabrics) and the elegant lines of the interior architecture.........more

Loft Interior Design | Warehouse Conversion | Düsseldorf | Germany | Bruno Erpicum

Bruno Erpicum was the architect entrusted with designing this warehouse conversion. It is now the home of a couple with a passion for architecture who were keen to make one of Düsseldorf’s rare ruins their own. The reconversion was closely overseen by the administrative authorities, since this old factory in the city centre miraculously avoided damage during the many bombings of World War II. Across from the coachman’s passageway are some garages that stand in front of the entrance court. The court is dotted with screens that flank the entrance and seclude off the “day patio”. The history of the city is reflected in the glass panels, reminding you of the building’s heritage...........more

Apartment Interior Design | Sapporo Hokkaido | Japan | Ground Like

When we visited this apartment before renovation, it felt a bit inconvenient even though the rooms weren't small. Maybe it was because they were filled with the resident's shoes, a bicycle, camping equipment including a portable stove and without anyplace to put these made it look rather messy. Big apartment allowed the resident to spread her belongings around the place.
This remodeling had a small budget so we started by building a wall to divide one room into two rooms, one as a Japanese traditional style dirt floor "doma" and the other as a living room with a wooden floor to give a place for the residents belongings. The 'doma' was stripped bare of all surface material, roof and floor, to give a feeling of being in a garden. The living room was meant to be used as a relaxing space where you can leave your shoes outside and just lie on the floor. This is the end design.......more

Apartment Interior Design | South Florida | DEN Architecture

When the burgeoning condominium market in South Florida was at its peak, developers would turn over empty concrete shells devoid of any finishes; these apartments were called "designer-ready." The following project was a case study designed to infuse character into an otherwise soul-less concrete void.

The purpose was to provide a calming, practical, and flexible design for a young urban couple with high-demand jobs. Open spaces, multi-purpose areas, and high ceilings were a few of the strategies used to modify the formal aspect of the apartment. These efforts were complemented through a zen-inspired pallette of materials and artwork. Rich woods, sisal materials, and white leathers provide a balanced ambiance.

The use of reclaimed and restored vintage mid-century furniture was a major element of the project's sustainable design ambitions, avoiding the purchase (and fabrication) of new furniture and all its associated environmental costs. These pieces were combined with modular pre-fabricated storage components from local furniture retailers, which allows great flexibility and opportunities for re-use..........more

Apartment Interior Design | Fifth Avenue Apartment New York City | New York | Leroy Street Studio

A prewar Fifth Avenue apartment in estate condition was gutted and renovated into an open modern home for a family with four children. The primary Central Park exposure was maximized by opening the plan to the west with sliding partitions to define rooms and to create privacy. The warren of cellular staff quarters was opened to create a central family room with boarded walls and an animated ceiling-scape and playful lighting. A language of subtle oak detailing unifies the spaces and gives the apartment a warm glow..........more

Apartment Interior Design | Prewar Park Avenue Loft New York City | New York | Leroy Street Studio

The design for this prewar Park Avenue apartment is based on two goals: to insert a modern space for displaying the clients’ art collection, and to create clear expanses of open spaces for their young family. The partitions in the apartment’s public zones were demolished to create a large, open living space. Taking advantage of the existing exposed beam layout as a framework, plaster art walls were suspended from the roof structure and hover just above the floor. Large millwork pieces animate each room creating a playful and practical counterpoint to the discrete cellular spaces of the original plan. The design is further marked by a juxtaposition of rough and delicate materials..........more

Lofet Interior Design | Lafayette Street | New York | Ferlund + Logan Architects

A 2,500 square foot space with East and South exposures overlooking large maple trees, inspired the use of natural and warm materials. The floors were laid with wide board douglas fir lightly oiled to allow for aging and patina. To maximize the presence of the trees in the room, single light tilt-turn windows were installed. Below each window, heating and cooling units are concealed behind perforated gray metal covers. A full height volume, containing bathrooms and laundry situated at a northern light well, is layered with storage units on two sides. The owners furniture collection is complemented by custom made cabinets and bookshelves. An exposed wood column and beam become an important spatial divider in a room where both eating and living take place............more

Apartment Interior Design | Paris | Ecole

Facing the Eglise Saint-Gervais on one side and the Hôtel de Ville de Paris on the other, this 95 sqm apartment occupies the whole of the the two top floors of an 18th century building. The project comprised a full restructuration of the existing space and the conception of some design elements. The first floor, formerly consisting of a long corridor and four rooms has been largely cut open. Thus, the entrance, the living room and the kitchen form one single continuity. The guest space (a bedroom and a bathroom) has been built on the same floor. A steel staircase links the living room to the owner’sv private space underneath the roof.........more

Apartment Interior Design | Private Residence | Saladaeng | Thailand | dwp design worldwide

dwp was commissioned to design a duplex penthouse residence occupying levels 13 and 14 of a luxury condo building on Soi Saladaeng.
The client sought a modern home that is spacious, open and bright, and to integrate high technology audio visual and environmental control functions.

To create an open atmosphere, a new full height glazed fa็ade was installed allowing natural light and panoramic views. A new staircase between the levels improves circulation. White floor and wall finishes are complimented by natural and warm furnishings and textiles........more

Aparment Interior | One Jackson Square | New York | Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

Location:New York, NY, USA
Client:Hines
Team:Schuman Lichtenstein Claman Efron, Associate Architect
Type: Interiors, Residential
Size:65,000 ft2 / 6,000 m2

The fluid form of One Jackson Square’s glass façade is carried through to the lobby, where undulating glass is replaced with wood, lending a warm atmosphere to the space. The walls of the lobby are likened to the banks of a river. Just as a river’s edge is eroded by the flow of water, the layered bamboo walls of the lobby are carved and smoothed by the ebb and flow of residents. A detailed 3-D computer .....more

Millenium Tower Designer Showcase | Butler Armsden

This library was designed by Reba Jones for the 2009 Millennium Tower "Icons of Design" benefit designer showcase. The architectural goal was to reinterpret the meaning and function of a library for the twenty first century. Lucite bookshelves line the long wall of the room and display art reference the ‘historical’ applications of books and literature. A row of paper along the bottom shelf appears to be ready for use, or perhaps recycling due to its obsolescence, one is not sure. A Lucite chair and stone writing desk provide a workspace facing the view while a chaise and side table are available for relaxation. Projected on the wall is a continuous series of images celebrating writers and their work.

This library was designed by Reba Jones for the 2009 Millennium Tower "Icons of Design" benefit designer showcase. The architectural goal was to reinterpret the meaning and function of a library for the twenty first century. Lucite bookshelves line the long wall of the room and display art reference the ‘historical’ applications of books and literature. A row of paper along the bottom shelf appears to be ready for use, or perhaps recycling due to its obsolescence, one is not sure. A Lucite chair and stone writing desk provide a workspace facing the view while a chaise and side table are available for relaxation. Projected on the wall is a continuous series of images celebrating writers and their work.

A mirrored and black lacquer bar is simultaneously reflective and backlit, creating the illusion of continuous but dark space. Splashes of red in the shag carpet, art and flowers provide color and texture.

Up lighting and down lighting in the base of the Lucite wall provides dramatic display effects.

Similar detailing and elevation treatment allow the Lucite shelves and window wall to merge and overlap blurring the intersection of view and display......more

Apartment Interior | House M&M on the Oostelijke Handelskade in Amsterdam Designed By NEXT Architects

Type: dwelling
Location: Amsterdam
Client: private
Team: Marijn Schenk, Claudia Linders, Bart Reuser, Michel Schreinemachers, Joost Lemmens
Collaborator / associate: Claudia Linders
Floor area / size: 180 m2
Photographer: Gert Jan Kocken
Start building: may 2007
Completion: december 2007
Status: realized

The only things inside the House M&M on the Oostelijke Handelskade in Amsterdam are white cubes: no walls, no rooms, no trafficways. Or perhaps, no rooms, no walls, only trafficways. Each of the four cubes encompasses different functions, serving as a gigantic furnishing that determines the area around it. The first contains a toilet, bath and shower; the second, a wash basin and wardrobe. The third cube envelops a double bed and a bookcase, the fourth cube contains two single beds and a workplace. In this way the function of the area between the cubes is determined: the area between the first and second cubes, or between bath and wash basin, becomes the bathroom. When not in use, however, these areas revert to open space in the dwelling. The volumes of the dwelling are finished in white satin paint. The wet function areas have been treated with a polyurethane coating. On the second level of the dwelling, the cube is revisited in the form of a low-elevation square: the kitchen island, around which all the kitchen functions are arranged.....more