Studio apartments are not renowned for spaciousness. Compact, convenient, and packed with tight corners, they rely on innovative tricks to make the most of their space. These three apartments for three different types of residents – a couple, double-income-no-kids couple, and young man in his twenties – show how a studio can achieve a sleek, contemporary look in a variety of ways. Couches back onto bedrooms, marble drapes over benchtops, walls and floors, and alternative textures shine in these homes straight out of an interior magazine. Take a closer look at their evolutions from cramped to vamp.
Our first studio apartment takes minimalism to a sleek, earthy level. Using nature’s most beautiful elements, slate, marble and wood shine in this Batumi, Georgia space of only 57sqm. Opening up the space, the long, low furniture of the living and bed rooms sit together, divided by a single partition. Marble floors connect the two, while large slate tiling and a feature art piece headboard the bed and couch. Wide-paned Japanese windows bring light and dark, while a wood-panelled lounge wall avoids a perfect match. 
Towards the bathroom, black makes its mark. An impactful lacquer wall, gorgeous marble coffee table and line lighting guide visitors through the space. Black furniture in the living room matches the kitchen’s stencil stools and study’s pod chair. Beige marble flooring keeps it light amidst wood, grey and white tones. 
The bedroom creates a structured, yet relaxed, feel in grey and earthy tones. A grey slate headboard greets a slate side table and bedding, while mushroom lamps glow to either side. Pops of blue provide calm in a powder chair and leaning ocean abstract. Connecting marble segues the bathroom. 
Using the bathroom’s marble, the kitchen space is small but smart. White and wood keep the space clean, while black appliances draw the eye. 
A corridor bathroom is glamorous in top-to-toe marble and muted ceiling lights. Glass shower doors allude to more space, while amenities blend quietly. LED-lit shelving adds a feature, while detracting from storage space. 
The alternative comes to life in this much-larger 850sqft studio. Located in Fo Tan, Hong Kong, regular studio partitions were abandoned in favour of greater room flow and mid-century furniture. The central space mixes the old with the new, as the room revolves around a wood and grey cabinet from the ‘50’s. A denim couch by Stephen Kenn integrates classic lines with modern textures, as a mirrored column to the left both wires the headboard shelf and pays tribute to Mies Van der Rohe. Set afront white and wood panelling, the bed and living rooms cuddle into one chic, open-plan space. 
From each angle, artistic elements catch the eye. Aztec couch cushions greet two cowhides, one sitting, one leaning. An avant-garde table in gold sits under a street light, a reminder of the urban outside. Ladders and compartments complement a Charlotte Perriand chest, while a bonzai-shaped tree adds another culture. 
Central compartments mirror a cupboard for chairs, a clever trick for extra space. As a 50’s mirror leans to the side, the space’s long, lean lines are extended. 
The bedroom creates its own aura with a sliding balcony door and muted grey hues. Looking towards the window or turquoise powder room, it forgets the lounge in favour of a more peaceful space. Vased lavender sprigs and showgirl mirror lights add a touch of personality, slatted wooden shelving a place for necessities. 
Designed for a young man in Moscow, our third studio apartment is a feast for futuristic eyes. Using colouring to designate different spaces, its mood changes as often as its textures. The living room acts the bachelor in muted tones of grey, as striking yellow cuts through a rug and cushion. Textured panels behind the couch and towards the bedroom create depth and drama. 
A black circle chandelier creates a focal point, avoiding a clash with the blue bedroom wall behind. 
The bedroom strikes in midnight blue and a full-scale almost-nude. Drenched in taupe, tan and beige, its colours say warmth and cosiness, its artwork sex and seduction. 
A turn around the corner reveals a series of feature walls, each differing in texture and tone. The TV wall wows with a taupe header, glossy charcoal cabinetry and monochromatic elements. The balcony boasts a textured floor and wall, set against a large-scale ocean. Another corner reveals two walls, beige and blue, housing a small corner desk in white. 
The kitchen carries through the lounge’s black and yellow, centring them in a dining table. Set on a light wooden floor and black-and-white walls, glossy black cabinetry mirrors the chairs up 
