The biggest challenge when designing a small home is finding room for all the necessary functions without using all the available floor space and making it look cramped and smaller than it actually is. The strategies interior designers use when dealing with such a challenge are diverse and closely linked to each space in particular.

Although this studio apartment in Sofia, Bulgaria is small, it has a big advantage: a high ceiling. This made things a lot easier for the designers at Edo Studio. They were able to take advantage of the apartment’s height and to free up some valuable floor space by elevating the sleeping area on a different level.

The design studio deals with a variety of spaces including apartments, houses, offices, restaurants, bars and shops, offering tailor-made solutions for each project and adapting to each client’s needs and style. In this particular case, the clients had a theoretically simple request.

The young couple living here wanted a functional home with all basic functions such as a kitchen, a cozy dining nook, a lounge space with a TV, a bedroom, a workspace and a large wardrobe. Managing to squeeze all these spaces in this small apartment was not easy but the designers used the height to their advantage.

The bedroom which normally occupies a big portion of the floor area was placed on a different level, elevated on a platform in one of the corners of the apartment. It’s supported by the existing chimney which is also the core around which the spiral staircase was built.

The staircase offers access to the sleeping nook and is made of metal and steel ropes. Its design is casual and sculptural as well as very sleek and not at all robust which allows it to maintain a bright and open décor throughout the space.

The designers took advantage of every little inch of space allowing nothing to go to waste. They integrated a storage module under the staircase and also a small work nook under the bed which is mostly just a solid wooden desk with a classic chair.

To the right of the desk there’s a window bench with comfortable seat cushions and cleverly-integrated storage underneath. The bench forms an L shape and also continues around the corner, forming a console that holds the TV. This would be the lounge corner.

Directly in front, on the other side of the staircase, is the dining nook. It’s composed of a small table for four complemented by the same classical and elegant chairs as seen in the workspace. The table sits under a skylight that brings in natural light.

A large mirrored cabinet is placed in continuation of the L-shaped window nook. It supports the loft bed and has a wooden base with a large storage drawer. The mirrors reflect the surroundings and add depth to the space, making it seem larger.

The kitchen is open and integrated into a large wall unit with clean and simple lines. It has a white countertop and a matching backsplash with LED light strips and recessed storage modules, also white. The design is kept very simple and the storage compartments have no knobs or handles, emphasizing the minimalism.