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A woman stands in a modern Nolte kitchen, drinking a green smoothie.

Furnishing a mini apartment – Big ideas for small spaces

Discover the potential of a mini apartment

Due to rising property prices and limited living space, small apartments such as micro apartments and 1-room apartments are gaining popularity. Those starting their careers in a big city or living as a single often choose a micro apartment, as these tend to be more affordable than larger multi-room apartments. But: even 24 square metres can offer comfortable living. Whether it’s a 1-room apartment or micro apartment, the goal is an inviting interior design tailored to your personal taste. Cleverly used niches and sloped ceilings provide optimal storage space and functionality.

Anyone having little space must cleverly prioritise. Nolte offers ideal solutions by intelligently combining storage, functionality, budget and design. Reproductions of concrete, stone and wood, as well as authentic materials such as wood, metal, glass, lacquer, cement and stone, make your home a highlight. Furnishing a small micro apartment ranges from the kitchen, through the hallway, to the living area and bathroom, accented with stylish touches. We'll show you how you can design a cosy micro apartment in limited space.

Space miracle for the 1-room apartment

Functional room dividers: Separate areas in studio apartments or micro apartments to ideally utilize limited space. Clever furniture or partition walls visually structure mini apartments into living, cooking, working, and sleeping areas. From beds with storage space to fold-out tables: Choose furniture that fulfills more than one function. A pull-out sofa bed offers comfortable seating during the day and converts into a cozy bed for overnight guests as needed. A side table functions as storage surface and additional stool. A counter can serve as a breakfast area but also as a home office workspace. These room dividers and versatile furniture options enable the perfect arrangement of small apartments.

A modern kitchen with beige cabinets and integrated appliances; Nolte Kitchens.
A woman sits on a sofa with a laptop in a modern living room. Nolte Living.

Micro kitchen fully coordinated

The kitchen décor is echoed throughout the entire apartment. Wall-mounted shelves and shelving units with integrated lighting complete the ambience.

Micro Apartment: Optimal space utilization with design standards

 

Colours & lighting: How you create visual spaciousness through colour choice and illumination.
Cosily furnished: Illuminated hanging shelves create a homely atmosphere through indirect light. Coordinated design: The decor of the kitchen is reflected throughout the apartment. Wall-mounted shelf board and shelves with integrated lighting complete the ambience. Tip: Light and mirrors make small rooms appear visually larger. Through additional indirect sources of light, the apartment appears cosier and more spacious than with just a single ceiling light.

Clever solutions: Vertical space, wall-mounted furniture and space-saving ideas.
Especially for the micro apartment kitchen, Nolte Küchen offers solutions for every storage space challenge.

Storage solutions for the small kitchen

  • An open kitchen drawer with utensils, integrated into a modern Nolte Kitchen design.

    1. Plinth drawer

    For even more storage space, simply use the plinth. A plinth drawer provides room for items such as a dustpan, cleaning cloths, sponges, and much more.


     

  • An open kitchen cabinet displaying bottles and crates, part of Nolte Kitchens.

    2. Pull-out beneath the counter

    Also use the space beneath the counter: with a pull-out, the contents remain clearly visible and well organized. For example beverage bottles and Tetrapaks.

  • Open kitchen drawers with utensils and spices in a modern Nolte kitchen setting.

    3. Interior pull-outs

    Behind the externally closed front hides a clear organization, where everything is neatly stored in pull-outs and drawers.


     

  • A modern kitchen with wall-mounted utensils and dishes on the countertop by Nolte Kitchen.

    4. Railing system

    With railing systems, kitchen utensils are not only always conveniently within reach, they also ensure good organization.


     

Living in a Micro Apartment

The creation of distinct living areas within a studio apartment can be achieved through various methods. In addition to partition walls and furniture, colors, flooring and lighting elements can also be employed to create visual divisions. A carpet or colored flooring, for instance, can separate the living area from other zones. Similarly, targeted lighting for each area can create a cozy atmosphere while simultaneously creating the illusion of separate zones.

More on the topic of living
A woman working on a laptop in a modern kitchen. Nolte Kitchens.

Making small rooms appear larger

The clever use of light and mirrors can create an illusion of spaciousness even in limited spaces. By employing additional indirect lighting sources, an inviting atmosphere is formed and the room appears more spacious – an effect that cannot be achieved by ceiling lighting alone. This creative lighting transforms small rooms into cozy and visually expanded environments.

A modern entryway with a mirror and shoe cabinet by Nolte Living.

Staging through light

Nolte Küchen presents an impressive range of choices when it comes to lighting. With options such as MatrixArt lighting, shelves with side lighting, and end panels with integrated spotlights, Nolte offers a wide array of solutions to immerse your kitchen in the perfect lighting. These options give the kitchen a stylish ambience and elegantly highlight the aesthetics and functionality of the furniture.

This is how lighting planning works
Lit shelves with decor items hang on the wall, including a cactus on a sideboard. Nolte Living.

From the kitchen to the bathroom

The Micro product range extends elegantly from the Micro kitchen through the wardrobe to the small bathroom. The available space of a bathroom in a Micro apartment is often very limited. It is therefore all the more important to find compact solutions that still fulfil all requirements and offer many possibilities. Flexible cabinet systems allow harmonious integration of the washing machine into the bathroom, while washbasin base cabinets with practical pull-outs provide ample storage space for personal bathroom utensils. Side-mounted recessed lighting strips in the washbasin base cabinet shelf create a pleasant atmosphere in the bathroom.
A woman sits with a laptop on a sofa in a modern room. Nolte Living.

Feel-good oasis in Micro Apartment

The space of a bathroom in a micro-apartment is often limited. It is therefore all the more important to find compact solutions that still meet all requirements and offer many possibilities. Flexible cabinet systems allow the washing machine to be harmoniously integrated into the bathroom, and washbasin base cabinets with practical pull-outs offer generous storage for personal bathroom utensils. The laterally recessed light strips in the washbasin base cabinet shelf create a pleasant atmosphere in the bathroom.

Solutions for the bathroom in micro apartment

Even in the bathroom, one need not sacrifice comfort or uniformity. Too many different colors appear busy and restless. The appliance cabinet for the washing machine fits perfectly with the washbasin cabinet. And the shelf repeats the wood decor found in the kitchen and wardrobe area.

If you are looking for alternative layouts for micro apartments, you have come to the right place. We offer a wide range of creative concepts and room design solutions, tailored to the challenges and demands of small apartments. From space-saving furniture to intelligent spatial divisions, you can look forward to innovative ideas that help you get the most from your limited space. Allow us to show you how to design your micro apartment both functionally and stylishly.

Discover Nolte SPA
A modern bathroom with a washing machine and elegant shelves, designed by Nolte SPA.

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