Small Condo Interior Design Ideas to Maximise Space
Living in condominiums is considered a feasible and efficient way to cope with the city lifestyle as it offers better access to schools, workplace, and other needs. However, it does come with the limitation of lesser space availability which affects how you design it efficiently. This smaller space does not mean that you cannot transform it into a beautiful, cosy, and modern space.
There are many interior design options and ideas that you can use in your small condos and make it your dream home. You can choose one theme for the complete condo or utilize different themes for each room of the condo according to your family’s preferences.
Here, we will describe some of the ways in which you can design your condo so it can prove to be a place of relaxation for you while still being stylish and functional. We will also show some of these ideas implemented by us in our condo interior design projects.
Utilize A Chic And Elegant Interior Design
Chic and elegant interior design can be considered a timeless approach to designing your condo that is bound to wow your guests when they visit. However, contrary to common belief, this kind of design does not necessarily have to be expensive and rip you off. With a smart approach and a noticing eye, you can acquire a lot of decor items and furniture at a reasonable price from sales and home department stores.
Using solid colour upholstery of brown, beige, and grey along with the proper lighting fixtures can help bring out the chic outlook. Use indirect lighting along with focussed light on some elements of the room to complement the furniture and decor items. Also, use furniture which is polished and glossy to achieve that elegance that you desire.
Swiss Interior has implemented this design in one of their design projects for their client. Notice in the following image of the living room the use of grey furniture, spotlighting, and shiny tiles to achieve a chic and elegant effect.
An Elegant Living Room at Blk 556 Yishun Ave 6 Lilydale Condominium
Use Prints And Patterns
Another way that you can design your small condo is by using prints and patterns on various elements in the rooms. Excessive usage of patterns is not recommended as they will make the area look cramped, which is the opposite of what you are trying to achieve in an already small condominium.
That is why we recommend pairing prints and plains together, so they balance out each other. You can use patterns and prints on one of the walls of a room and keep the others plain and solid-coloured.
You can use prints and patterns on your upholstery and complement them with solid coloured items so that they don’t appear too loud or bold. These patterns can be anything from geometric prints, lines, crisscrosses, zebra prints, polka dots, bohemian patterns, stripes, or any other type of pattern.
A Closer to Nature Theme
A design theme which is inspired by nature and its elements is always gentle on the eyes and gives a very calm and relaxing feel. It lets you take your mind off the hustle and bustle of the city; therefore, it can be considered a very good design option for condos also.
This theme can be incorporated in the form of adding fresh plants in the living room, bedrooms, and even bathrooms. You can have wall hangings showing natural scenery and mountains.
You can even have fresh plants on the balcony and choose large, glass doors for the balcony so you can have a view of the fresh plants while sitting in your room. This is what has been done exactly in the following condo interior design by us in the project below:
A Living Room View At North Park Residences 4 Bedroom Condominium
Fresh And Summery Theme
Having a summer and sunshine themed design incorporated into your condo will give it a very fresh and uplifting outlook. You can achieve this by painting the walls in summer-themed colours of green, yellow, or orange. The furniture, decor items, rugs, and curtains can also be made in similar shades of green, yellow, orange, pink, and red.
However, all the colours and elements should balance out each other; otherwise, they will appear too loud and cramped. Since a condo offers you less space to play with, make sure that you do not overcrowd it with too much colour and stuff.
A Monochrome Interior Design Theme
A monochrome interior design theme such as industrial design can also be considered as a good option for a condominium. A monochrome theme suggests the use of one colour with different hues and intensities used for different elements of the house.
These colours and shades can be incorporated into the walls, rugs, carpets, bed linen, furniture, upholstery, curtains, and drapes. You can complement them by adding prints and patterns in the monochrome elements and add more depth and character into the design. Keep the area uncluttered and tidy, and this monochrome design is sure to be a winner for a small condo.
Read more: Mediterranean Style In The Interior: Simple And Available
Go Royal In The Design
Having a small condo does not mean that you will have to give up on your dream of having a lavish and royal home. You can still incorporate small elements in the interior design to give your condo that royal look. You can add shimmery and lavish curtains to your windows.
The rugs can be in gold and jade colours to give that splendid outlook. Do not opt for very large furniture since you will not have enough space in the condo. Go for compact furniture with lavish and royal upholstery to achieve that particular effect.
Lots Of Glass Walls And Large Windows
The best way to make a small condo appear spacious and less cramped is to make sure that there is a lot of natural lighting flowing inside. This can be achieved by using large windows and glass walls wherever you can in the design.
The natural light will help you feel refreshed all day long. You can always cover them with curtains or blinds to shield yourself from the direct sunlight on hot days or when you want privacy. In the following image of a condo designed by Swiss Interior, glass walls and large windows have been used efficiently to make the condo appear spacious.
A View At Principal Garden 2 Bedder Condominium
Go Simple In White!
You can never go wrong in a white theme, especially for small places like a condo. White colour automatically adds space and depth to an area, and you can successfully perceive it as a spacious one. White also depicts simplicity and order, which goes well in a minimalist design or Scandinavian design themes.
Both these themes can be considered the ideal ones for a small condo. You can always add a few items here and there of different colours to create the perfect combination of elegance and grace. Notice in the following condo interior design project done by us, how white is the predominant colour in the design with a few small elements of other shades to create the perfect balance.
A White Themed Living Room At 9 Marymount Terrace Tresalveo condo
Use Neon And Candy Theme
If you think that using monochromes and white will make your condo appear boring and you would rather like it to be bold and glamorous, then choose neon colours and candy colours to achieve the desired effect! Bold colours such as green, orange, and yellow can make any area come to life.
You can paint one wall of a room, bright orange and use a rug with yellow shades to complement it. Add patterns, stripes, and dots to other elements so that together they can present the outlook of hip-hop and funk. Combining these neon colours with black and white elements will be just the right amount of balance which can make your condo look amazing from one end to the other.
Choose an open-concept plan
One of the most efficient and effective ways to maximize space in a condo and to make it look spacious is to opt for an open-concept layout. An open-concept plan is one where the living room, kitchen, and the dining area are not separated by walls. Rather they are connected seamlessly with each. The absence of the walls creates an open and spacious environment that is ideal for small condos and HDBs. An open-concept layout also has many other advantages like having a clear view of the house while you work in the kitchen. This is especially useful if there are babies and toddlers around and you want to keep an eye on them as you work in the kitchen.
The following image shows an open-concept layout implemented in a small condominium. As we can see in the picture, the space does not look cramped or small; in fact, it gives very spacious vibes. Moreover, when you add in elegant elements like bar stools and modern lighting fixtures in a neatly organized space, it creates a clear and unrestricted view of the interior which instantly give out spacious vibes.
Clever storage solutions
In a small condo like HDB, you know that you have less and restricted space. So the main idea in designing a small home should be to incorporate such elements and structures that allow you to use whatever space you have to the maximum and still create a neat and organized interior. For this, you need to have ample storage in the condo so that all your extra stuff can be stored there and the visible space could remain spacious and uncluttered.
When you incorporate clever storage solutions into the interior, you not only use space wisely but also succeed in increasing the apparent visual space. Think hidden storage under the beds, inside ottomans and benches, as well as inside hidden compartments in the coffee table. In the case of a bedroom, you can add in shelves to store your accessories but to give it a stylish touch, you can keep glass doors for the shelves and install spotlights inside the shelves.
This has been done in the following design portfolio where a clever storage solution has been added in the bedroom. The space right next to the bed has been utilized to add a vertical storage shelf. However, clever use of LED lighting inside the shelves ensures that the structure gives out trendy and stylish vibes. Hence, the designer is able to achieve a chic look in the bedroom while still taking into account all the storage needs.
The exotic media wall depicts a beautiful combination of marble and rock effect in a glossy finish that sets the foundation for what is to follow in the interior design. Its appearance is further enhanced through accent lighting and spotlights that highlight it. For the sofa, an earthly gray color is used to bring in a warm and comfortable vibe. Glossy ceramic tiles are used for the flooring that adds an elegant and stylish touch to the space. On the walls, we see geometric panels that house decorative shelves that are lit up beautifully. The kitchen bar on one side of the living room creates a luxurious ambience that speaks volumes about the elegant living room and adjoining kitchen area.
The other view of this living room/kitchen area shows a small bar area next to a lobby that connects with the rest of the home. As we can see from the picture below, the kitchen bar is a separate area joining with the living room whereas the kitchen is behind the bar. This means that although the house does not have an open-concept layout, it gives some of its feels through the open bar adjoining the kitchen. The lobby and kitchen bar are all designed in light earthly hues that create a calming and chic ambience that is second to none.
The next picture shows the inside view of the actual kitchen. This looks like a normal kitchen that has been designed in an efficient and functional way. We can see lots of cabinets and shelves that are crucial to ensure that the space remains clean and organized. The choice of gray color for the kitchen cabinets and backsplash creates an elegant environment and is a good choice to ensure that the kitchen looks neat and clean. White light has been used in the kitchen to create an airy and spacious atmosphere in contrast to warm lighting which can give the illusion of a smaller and cramped space.
The bedroom in this 3-room condo interior design looks like royalty. The choice of thick, plush velvet curtains create a luxurious effect that is further enhanced by the choice of a simple bed. Since it is a small room, it could look a bit cramped but the use of thick curtains and lots of shelves ensures that although there is a lot going on in the bedroom, it still exudes elegance and luxury in an organized manner. The shelves have see-through coverings that help greatly in giving out stylish vibes. The wise use of accent lighting and indirect lighting creates a calm and soothing environment in this comfortable bedroom.
Finally, we take a look at the bathroom of this 3-room condo. Keeping in line with the rest of the home, the bathroom also features a lighter color palette of earthly shades that comprises light beige and a few touches of black here and there. The walls, floor, and vanity shelves all feature the same light beige tiles that help create a spacious look in the bathroom. The toilet fixtures marble vanity top are chosen to be black to create a balancing contrast in the interior. The huge mirror not only helps to increase the visual space in the bathroom, but also provides ample storage compartments behind it. The mirror is further highlighted through accent lighting that creates a stylish touch in the space. The floating toilet seat adds a modern touch to the bathroom while increasing its apparent spaciousness.
Multi-functional structures
In a small condo, you are always on the lookout for such structures that serve multiple purposes so that you can add minimum structures to the space and get maximum functionality out of them. Only in such a case can you be sure that the small apartment will look spacious and big. One example of such a multipurpose structure is a sofa cum bed. During the day, the sofa can serve its purpose of providing comfortable sitting in the living room whereas at night, you can convert it into a bed. Thus, your need for a bed is met without actually having to put a separate bed in the home.
Another similar idea of a multi-purpose structure is shown in the following design portfolio where a set of cupboards are visible on first sight. However, behind the door of one of the cupboards is a collapsible bed frame that can be utilized whenever required by just putting a mattress on it. This way, whenever a guest arrives at your home, you need not worry about an extra bed.
Use sleek and simple furniture
It goes without saying that when you have a small space to work with, you try to use small and sleek structures so that the already small space does not look cramped and smaller still. In the case of a small condo, you must choose furniture that is sleek and takes up less space. Although you have to opt for sleeker furniture items, make sure that you end up buying lots of small items as they will create a chaotic environment. Instead, choose big statement pieces of furniture that are sleek in design and construction so that they take up less space. Moreover, use metallic frame tables and shelves instead of wooden ones as wood tables tend to be more bulky and large.
Consider the following living room interior design where a simple set of gray sofas are placed in the middle. Notice how the center table and the TV console are very sleek and smart. They take up less space and hence, help make the living room appear spacious and airy.
Add a study table or home office in the bedroom
Another great idea to maximize the space in your condo is to incorporate your home office or study room into the living room or the bedroom. If you have a small apartment, it in no way implies that you cannot have a study or work space in your home. If there is no spare room for that purpose, you can easily add a desk and chair to the living room or bedroom and create your own workspace.
As shown in the following picture, a very sleek study table and chair are added along one wall of the bedroom. Although the bedroom is not that big, the addition of the table and chair does not cramp up the room. This is because the rest of the room is minimalistically designed with no added ornamentation or decoration. In such a case, the room looks spacious and airy. You can add a similar table and chair in one corner of your living room as well. Just make sure that the overall ornamentation is kept to a minimum so as to give uncluttered feels.
These are some of the interior design themes and ideas which can suit very well in a small condominium without making it appear cramped or crowded. In a small space, you have to be careful to not put too much stuff and colours in one place as they will just be distracting and not appealing to the eye. Just keep things simple, and you would be able to design your condo efficiently and elegantly.
Swiss Interior also provides renovation services and HDB interior design services for homeowners in Singapore. We are also one of the best interior designers in Singapore. Contact and schedule an appointment with us today!