Starting a new family comes with many challenges, not the least of which is finding a suitable place to live. When making that important life transition from young married couple to new parents, it can be difficult to figure out how to incorporate your old sense of style with your new needs. This apartment, from visualizer Natalia Tsetsulina, uses playful colors, open spaces, and plenty of natural light to create an apartment that is efficient in its use of its 50 square meters (538 square feet) but still comfortable enough for a fresh, easy start to this new phase of life.

To make the most out of this somewhat small urban space, it is necessary to make sure every piece is carefully chosen, and so much the better if it can have more than one use. In this bright and airy living room, we have a comfortable gray sofa with pieces that can easily shift around to make a comfortable spot for an overnight guest, or just a nap for the new mother. The coffee table is also a convertible in its own right, with the different colorful layers lifting off to reveal storage and serving trays.

The color scheme throughout the living room is important as well. With big pieces like the sofa and walls using neutrals, it will be easy to change things up and give the area a refresh by just changing out a few pillows or an area rug.

The kitchen is also compact, but the countertop plays double duty beautifully with its butcher block construction. Even the walls become a multipurpose space with the use of chalkboard paint, making it easy to create a shopping list and impossible to forget the milk. A cozy dining table with whimsically mismatched chairs is a great place to grab a cup of coffee and have a quick catch up at the beginning – or end – of a long day.

The entryway to the home is narrow, out of necessity, but there still manages to be a bit of personalization, through use of a mounted console as well as a few personal photos, artfully displayed.

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As we have seen before on this blog, the simplicity of Japanese design is one that appeals across cultures and borders. However, it is always beautiful to see inspiration take root in homes where those aesthetics first blossomed. This countryside home, deemed “Tree House” in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan is one of those examples. The renovated house, which was passed down from a previous generation, uses Japanese design elements to bring literal and figurative warmth into the space. The resulting home is wide open, with indoor plants that can thrive in the stunning sunshine and unique vintage elements that give it copious amounts of personality.

The two story home is built around a central open space that lets in light from windows that cover the entire front of the house. A tree in the middle of the living room extends up towards the sun, giving the home a bright, springtime feeling during all seasons.

The natural wood throughout the house is very typical of the style. It left largely untouched, allowing its natural beauty and color variations to shine through. Playing along with the tree house theme, it not only centers around the tree, but feels almost as if you are living inside a tree, surrounded by the warm embrace of its bark.

Mismatched minimalism is one way to describe the various furnishings and accessories throughout the home. Each piece has its place and purpose, but there is no sleekness or coordination. Many of the pieces, like the simple work desks and the china cabinet in the dining room are distinctly vintage but refinished to the point they have life and color. Coupled with the newer elements, from a wood framed sofa to a slight and beautiful dining table with bench, the eclectic countryside look is not so much shabby chic as cozy contemporary.

The upstairs area has its own set of sun streaked windows as well as private work areas for both husband and wife that are open to one another while still having a feeling of separation.

To maintain the open feeling throughout the house, careful organization is necessary. In the kitchen, closets, and elsewhere, each item has its own place and is perfectly put away and slid out of view.

Overall the home is warm and welcoming, providing protection against inclement weather and acting as a beautiful haven for a happy, style-conscious couple that wants to live with the memories of the generations before them.

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Artists, young professionals, and just those people who want a simpler life are all good candidates for a studio apartments. These living spaces that have little to no division between the living room and bedroom range from the shoebox to the spacious, but each provides a comfortable haven for its occupants. We’ve shown you some gorgeous studio apartment spaces before, and even given you ideas for how to lay them out, but now it’s time to take a look around these 12 studio apartments and get inspired to make your own space a little more beautiful.

The first apartment comes from designer Segey Procopchuk, and has an eclectic look to it. A few quirky elements, such as a pressed wood kitchen design and big graphic tchotchkes give it a distinctly youthful appeal. Although the bedroom is open to the living room, a custom sliding glass door closes it off for at least the impression of privacy.

The second studio is from the visualizers at Mod Design, and measures just 50 square meters (538 square feet). However, as we have seen so many times before, a home does not require massive square footage to be stylish and comfortable. The interior here is definitely modern, with many black and white elements as well as beautiful wood floors.

In this apartment, from visualizer Anton Zeitsev, we see a different style for the same area measurement. In this apartment, the bed is not hidden away at all, with the lack of walls giving it a very open atmosphere. The aesthetics of the home are very sleek and minimal, from a black matte kitchen to natural wood flooring and a simple, small dining area.

The fourth apartment was visualized by Yekaterina Volkova and comes in at 35 square meters (376 square feet). The space is quite functional, with plenty of natural sunlight coming in from skylights and very minimalist furnishings that refrain from bright colors or loud patterns.

Speaking of minimalism, this next apartment from visualizer Sergey Petrov is a tribute to that idea, utilizing only those furnishings and materials that are absolutely necessary for a beautiful and comfortable life. The apartment was designed for “a very active woman.” The small living room is just large enough to entertain an intimate group while the decadent bedroom, covered in natural wood and the perfect accessories, is somewhere anyone would love to spend a night or three.

This apartment is 50 square meters of utilitarian comfort. The Moscow apartment comes from visualizer Artem Babayants. Its open floor plan lets light filter into every area of the home while reflective surfaces create a warmth and vibrancy in the simple space.

This apartment, designed for a young couple, is a classic industrial loft style but the unique design elements live in the remodeled kitchen. The bright green color and spacious area make it a focal point for the occupants and guests alike. Shelving elements as well as natural wood palettes give it a quirky style that’s all its own.

While the last space was a bit domestic for a young couple, this bachelor apartment has its own life. The lines throughout are clean and low, calling to mind its Asian inspiration. Simple overhead lighting and white walls are ideal for some carefully chosen art as well. The bedroom gives a shout of personality with the black and white striped duvet.

This Stockholm apartment uses lots of white and natural materials, as is quite common in Swedish design. The interior glass wall creates a partition between the bedroom and living area, but again does not provide much in the way of privacy.

The last apartment is one of the more feminine and soft of this particular dozen. The intricate patterns on the wall in the living area are decidedly frilly while the soft colors are cozy and perfect for a young family.

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Yellow can be a polarizing color. Some people would love nothing more than to wake up to a room full of the bright, sunny shade while others keep it out of their homes altogether. Fortunately for the rest of us, it is possible to find a happy medium. The seven apartments featured in this post use pops of yellow – some subtle and some bold – to take the best that the color has to offer without making their living rooms look like th side of a school bus. Take a look inside these stylish, modern homes and get some ideas about how to incorporate this joyful color into your house.

The first home is a sleek and simple apartment that keeps its lines smooth and its overall color story neutral. However, woven throughout the cool beige and natural wood elements is the idea of yellow. Subtler elements include a splash of throw pillow and a few buds in a vase, while bolder choices are the long, heavy curtains and even the staircase to the upper level.

The second apartment uses much paler shades to a very soothing and almost retro effect. The buttercup yellow area rug in the living room plays with the yellow patterned throw pillow, but they don’t actually match. The result is a warm and cozy feeling that’s just mismatched enough.

In the next apartment the yellow is even more subtle. Focus in the living room area is pulled to an extra comfy-looking yellow chair piled over with pillows. The through line happens as the yellow carries over into a small side table and single pillow left on the sofa, almost (but not quite) on accident.

Yellow upholstery is an especially bold choice in this living room. A soft velour sofa in a bright, mustard yellow gives off a 70’s vibe without any of the tackiness. A casually tossed pillow in the bedroom brings that decadent color in there as well.

Yellow paint is an easy way to refresh a space that’s feeling tired. In this home, a yellow accent wall coupled with a single yellow light fixture create a mod theme. More yellow paint made its way into the bedroom and bathroom to give a unified feeling.

Another yellow sofa in this apartment is just as bright, but without the soft texture feels more modern. It works well with the black, white, and grey theme in the rest of the house. In the kid’s room and bath, a teal and orange in the same tone as the yellow creates a bit more interest.

The final apartment really takes yellow as an accent, from a yellow glass light fixture to throw pillows and a backsplash. There is no big yellow furniture or even a wall, making this perhaps the most subtle of the seven.

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Sometimes living in a smaller space is the best choice for people with a creative spirit. It challenges the mind to simplify and to do more with less, both of which can be important skills for artists to have. The three rooms featured in this post are highly creative, perfectly suited to young artists. Though the furnishings are generally simple, the architectural elements are challenging – from steeply pitched roofs to modern takes on murphy beds, these creative designs are each gorgeous and inspirational in their own exciting way.

The first room comes from visualized Greta Gre and features what is perhaps the most creative layout. A small living area on the first floor of the space is decorated with sleek, simple lines that include a geometric area rug and the modern answer to a college futon. But perched up above this space is a lofted area when the bed is situated. The bed lives in a white wire cage that extends out over the living room and is attached to the slanted wood ceiling. Spending a night in this cozy bed may not be for the faint of heart, but it’s certainly for the stylistically inclined.

The second room from the architects and designers at the he.D creative group. While the slanted ceiling mimics that of the first space, that is where the similarities seem to end. Rather that use sleek lines, the space embraces patterns and what feels like a lumberjack spirit. From the plaid ottoman to the soft woven rug and the unfinished wooden ceiling beams, this is a top level space that could easily stand the test of time and the discerning eye of someone who hates fuss. The bed in this space folds neatly into the wall, for a Murphy bed effect that though reminiscent of a 1940s apartment space, has its own modern air.

The final room comes from the designers at Takk Interior Design. It also features a great deal of exposed wood but is decidedly more sleek and even Scandinavian in its style. Like the first space, a lofted bed area is perched somewhat precariously above a main living space, nestled just underneath the pitched ceiling. Creative patterns from the striped created by the ceiling beams to the laser cut patterns on the natural wood foot stools never quite exactly match up, creating an almost reckless, but very purposeful style.

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The size of a home can have a big impact on the design choices that make sense for that space. Even if two homeowners have similar sensibilities, their homes will take on very different styles if one is much larger than the other. The three homes featured in this post each have a two bedroom layout, but the overall square footage is much different, as are the aesthetics. However, looking at these three separate homes should be very inspirational and aspirational, since there is something for nearly everyone in spectrum of design elements on display here.

The first home from the interior designers at House Design, with photography from Hey! Cheese. It is a bright and playful design with plenty of gorgeous pastel color, inspired by those delicate, delicious cookies: the French macaron. The home, which the designers refer to as “The Wonderland Apartment” is 86 square meters (925 square feet) and was designed for the vibrant and positive personality of the teacher that lives there. It is clear from the pretty pinks, pale blues, and playful elements such as animal-themed pillows and asymmetrical objects, that this space is for someone who celebrates life and whatever it throws at her. Despite the fairly small size, the apartment feels incredibly open and welcoming, surely a lovely place to entertain friends or spend a cozy evening in.

The second apartment is nearly the polar opposite of the first. It comes to us from the architects at the Dervish Group. Where the first apartment uses soft, feminine colors and a bit of mishmash for the furniture, the space is heavy on smooth wood finishes with black and white accents. The space is a 140 square meter (1506 square feet) home in Kiev, and was designed for a young couple. The central entertaining and living area includes a large media console that doubles as a storage space. In addition to the wood paneling, which is made from carefully selected walnut, natural materials used are stone, concrete, and glass. An oversized canopy bed in the master bedroom is gorgeous and simple, letting plenty of attention focus on the room’s views and a restful night.

The final home is even bigger than the second, coming from designer Donara Dolgopolskaya. Despite its bigger overall size, we can almost look at it as a marriage of the first two spaces in terms of its design. The space uses plenty of color, as the first apartment did, but those colors are chosen from the brighter, more pigmented end of the spectrum. From the mustard yellow chairs that flank the living room to the gorgeously rich jewel-toned duvet, the colors are perhaps a bit more grown up than macaron-pastels. Throughout the home, colors play with one another in contrast and complement while materials are kept simple: a (back)splash of exposed brick, a smooth and dark wood floor, a stunning but simple white marble bath. This home is luxurious and stylish, making the most of its two bedroom layout.

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All interior designers want to create a space in which the furnishings, floorings, colors, and light exist in harmony. In the cold and sometimes dismal climates of Russia and Ukraine, the use of natural sunlight is that much more important. But interior designer Pavel Voytov manages to create spaces that feel as bright, sunny, and welcoming as any warm summer day. The designer uses many elements of modern design, including clean simple lines and limited color palettes, to create beautiful homes that are beautiful, modern, and also livable. In this post we will take a look inside eight of his designs for a big picture overview of his style and technique.

The first home makes creative use of vibrant colors, beginning with a luscious royal blue sofa in an otherwise calming, neutral living room. The space also uses the interesting textures of wood paneling with the accent wall where the television is displayed.

In the kid’s room, the shocks of color don’t stop with bright splashes of yellow and teal, inspired by Cartoon Network favorite Adventure Time. The room also includes a requisite workspace for homework.

In the parent’s bedroom, color are much more subdued with whites and beiges falling from the soft heavy curtains and ending in the pristine hardwood floors. Though the design of this home is certainly modern, it never feels uncomfortable or cold.

The second home uses many of the same elements of simplicity, but takes a more subtle approach towards color. The living room in this open floor plan design is largely neutral, with just a bit of a nod to brightness with its rust colored armchair. It’s the perfect allusion to the fabulous interiors of the 1970’s without going so far as to feel antique or overdone.

This kitchen uses white and light wood, along with pretty, gauzy curtains to give the homeowner a beautiful spot to start the day. The breakfast bar is just as much as kitchen island, making it an easy place to pause for a drink or gab with the chef.

Black and white design can look very modern, but runs to risk of kitschy, calling to mind a 1950’s diner. Instead of going full monochrome, Voytov uses black and white along with earthy tones of gray, beige, and brown which manage to envelop anyone who enters while staying sleek.

The bedroom stays with the same palette, bringing in a bit more white, which makes it a clean and lovely place to retreat at the end of the day.

The earth tones in the previous designs have tended more towards warm browns and beiges, but in this fourth home Voytov moves into the cooler dark gray tones with slate, concrete, and gunmetal. The aesthetics are modern but perhaps a bit more masculine and calming in their design.

The bedroom includes a chocolate brown duvet and creative ceiling-mounted mobile, giving a nod to Voytov’s artistic pursuit of sculpture. In the mast bath, an angular tub, elevated from the rest of the room is a bit of simple, modern luxury.

The next home is a bright and beachy, from the sand colored area rug (complete with zen-inspired textures) to the pretty ocean blue thrown on the simple sofa. Even the curtains seem inspired by the water with their heavy, blue texture that seems to cascade like a waterfall over the window.

In the home’s front room we have a fresh color scheme that uses a mossy green, which still manages to bring the calming beauty of nature indoors.

The kitchen and dining area are small but feel bigger than they are with use of a lot of white as well as diffused lighting that comes from overhead for a soft look throughout.

This next space again uses a structured armchair in the living room to break up the neutral color patterns. This time, the chair is a rich and delicious mustard color and has uniquely molded arms. Against the sandy shag carpet, this smooth chair acts as a stylistic focal point.

The setup of this apartment aims for contrast, putting the sofa and kitchen island directly opposed to one another, separating the relaxing living space from the sharp and smooth surfaces of the kitchen.

This next design is a bit different that most of Voytov’s other interiors. This home is decidedly softer with many more frills, pastels, and feminine touches. There are also many more accessories throughout, from throw pillows to vases to books perched on windowsills.

Despite the more elaborate feel overall, the home still employs the subtle colors and simplicity in the furnishings, walls, and fabrics with neutral tones and soft textures.

The final home is a return to Voytov’s typical style, with minimal furnishings and fussing. The cool gray theme in the living room, which contrasts with electric yellow paintings and other accessories.

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Wood, plaster, tile, wallpaper, brick. There are so many different ways to cover the walls of a home – some of which are actually the complete absence of covering. While ancient castles hung elaborate tapestries to cover the cold, barren stone of their walls, today many modern designers celebrate the aesthetic of bare concrete. What once indicated a desolate warehouse or unforgiving artist’s loft can now be used in conjunction with sleek, modern, stylish choices for a finished look that is anything but dank. Take a look at these apartments and see just how far the idea of concrete has come.

The first home featured is a penthouse designed by a sculptor. Interior designer Anton Medvedev took full advantage of the sky high ceilings with smooth concrete walls and plenty of exposed metal. Unlike some modern loft designs, the metal here is not a perfectly polished chrome but is actually rusted over for a really unique accent.

The designer also utilizes this concrete and metal dichotomy in other rooms, particularly the kitchen and dining area. With naturally imperfect wood accents and exposed metal ceiling beams, the home feels ultimately industrial but also incredibly artistic.

The second space comes from visualizer Dmitriy Yemelianeko and Architect/Designer Angelina Stelmakh. Here, the concrete elements exist playfully with bright colors and other industrial materials – namely plastic.

A dining space with slatted windows again shows how beautiful natural wood can contrast with unfinished concrete while creative patio chairs call to mind the ribbon candy of childhood.

In the bathroom, a deep black tub sits elevated on its own concrete slab that is surrounded by grass. It quickly becomes like bathing in the outdoors, surrounded by blossoming flowers, which is the height of decadence.

Another warm industrial home, this space uses lots of textured fabric – from upholstery to area rugs – to soften the effect of concrete walls and ceilings. The floors, in a dark natural wood, are also rustic in a welcoming way.

In the kitchen and dining room, concrete gives way to glorious white, using a creative textured pattern on one wall for a subtle accent.

In this next artistic apartment, the concrete takes on an entirely new tenor. Here, rather than leave the concrete smooth or speckled with its natural divots, the designer has stamped a wood texture onto the concrete finish. This gives the walls an almost surreal look.

The use of color throughout the space is also enviable, with rich turquoise upholstery and cozy linens as part of the slightly lofted bed.

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