Tiny Apartments Around the World

Johanna Molineus’s peripatetic childhood is reflected in the Chinese and Central Asian textiles and objects found throughout her small London apartment, including a square-patterned horse blanket.

Australian firm Clare Cousins Architects proves urban living and functional family homes are not mutually exclusive. The firm smartly (and inexpensively) reimagined an 800-square-foot apartment to provide more than enough space for a young family. The new floor plan maximizes social areas and minimizes sleeping spaces through the creation of “micro” bedrooms that fit a single bed. The rooms were sectioned off with full-height, pine plywood joinery — a nod to Shigeru Ban’s Furniture House.

Hynam designed and built the cabinets under the stairs and a drawer that slides out from beneath the bottom step. Drink H1 pendant lamps from Rotaliana hang in the kitchen and above a Grassworks dining table by Jair Straschnow.

The apartment’s minimalist aesthetic continues in the kitchen, where functional but sleek fixtures were installed. To the right, a charcoal-gray sliding wall signals the entrance to the flat’s private quarters.