A small apartment bursting with life

April Kennedy April Kennedy
Apartamento Residencial Dunguenhein, ArchDesign STUDIO ArchDesign STUDIO Eclectic style living room
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The family apartment we will explore today is brimming with personality and exuberance. It presents some really fantastic ideas on how to design a small space. The architects ArchDesign have used mirrors to really expand the sense of space in this relatively small apartment. They have also gone big with the furnishings and decorations to enhance the sense of height and fill this home with life. It also looks totally comfortable and plush, and there are lots of unique features and furniture that we haven't seen before. So come with us on a photo tour! This is a family apartment that is sure to inspire our Hong Kong readers…

Lively eclectic living room

The combined living-dining room has a neutral base colour scheme composed of earthy browns and mute greys. The designers have used this to create a solid foundation on which to build a decidedly eclectic living room. Aside from the odd splash of bright red, the lighting fixtures, furnishings and decorations all work within this basic colour scheme. But the lines and shapes are lively and surprising. The pendant lights over the dinner table curve in varying directions and plants spring from surprising places.

Unique artwork and wall storage

The designers have struck a really interesting balance in the living room furniture and decorations. The wooden shelf design here is bold and adds a lot of visual weight to the room. But at the same time, they have managed to retain a lightweight quality in the room. This is always important to maintain in a small home. The shelves are lifted off the ground, the large chunky mirror makes the room appear large and the incredibly fine artwork on the right acts as a perfectly light counterbalance.

Kitchen with mirrored splashback

We love the mirrored splashback in this kitchen. It makes the kitchen feel really modern, fresh and slick. Mirrored splashbacks can be tricky to pull off because they reflect absolutely everything in the kitchen—this means hanging rails are often out of the question. But here, the mirrored wall just reflects the attractive display shelf on the opposite wall. The clean and contemporary look is also perfectly teamed with handleless black cabinet doors and blue under cabinet lighting.

Unique kitchen design

The unique kitchen wall oven has a really interesting design. Closed cabinet doors often surround this kind of unit. But here, we have open kitchen shelves and another mirror feature. This makes the kitchen feel that little bit more open and airy. It's also provides lots of easy access for those times when you're in the midst of cooking. Also, check out the dining table. It's been joined to the open kitchen bench with in a really unusual way.

Plush master bedroom

This master bedroom is a really good example of how to make a small bedroom feel large and plush. The headboard has been extended to join one large mirrored wall. This really expands our sense of space in the bedroom. This kind of mirrored feature wall can easily make a small bedroom feel cluttered. But here, the designers have made sure that it reflects the soft and plush wall to ceiling white curtains. These have been further accentuated by the addition of recessed lights. They make the master bedroom feel cocoon-like and totally sumptuous. 

Clever small bedroom design

The child's bedroom has a mirrored wall, similar to the one seen in the master bedroom. This time, the space above the headboard has been used to house additional bedroom storage. Also, see how the white headboard has been extended to wrap around the perimeter of the room. This makes the room feel large and adds that cocoon-like quality again. Finally, check out the television screen suspended from the ceiling. It's the final decadent touch!

For more family home inspiration, check out The box home built for a family.

What do you think of the lively and unique elements in this family home?

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