It’s not always that inspiring to come across a space that is 3,000 square foot perched atop a mountain overlooking the Pacific is it? I mean, it’s lovely but not at all practical and if you don’t have the bank account for it, you may even find yourself depressed looking at such amazing abodes. That’s why I must share this gorgeous little city apartment in Sweden that was recently for sale and featured on the Alvhem Mäkleri & Interiör website. They are part retail shop/cafe and part realtor located in Göteborg, Sweden.

This particular flat is around 446 square feet and 1.5 rooms plus a bathroom and kitchen — as you can see from the floor plan below, there’s not much too it! And when it comes to features, well it’s in a building dated from 1935 so you don’t have ornate crown moldings, transom windows or original flooring, tile work, or soaring ceilings. But this apartment is designed so beautifully that you don’t even notice what it is lacking — it’s so gorgeous that I can’t stop looking at these photos! I’m so grateful that Freshome wrote about it recently or else I would have missed this completely. I spy lots of IKEA pieces, don’t you? So it appears to be a budget design, too!

You don’t need a large space to have a beautiful one, this point is pretty clear here!

Warning: If you want to drool like a baby while getting your daily fix for inspiration, view all of the Alvhem Mäkleri & Interiör properties here. I’m telling you, this agent has some gorgeous places for sale/recently sold — don’t say I didn’t warn you!

(images: Alvhem Mäkleri & Interiör)

38 Responses to “Small Space With Big Attitude”

1 Carolyn commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 3:58 pm

omg this makes me want to dunk my entire apartment in a giant vat of white paint!!
.-= Carolyn´s last blog ..Congrats to C!! =-.
2 erin commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 4:22 pm

lovely. this makes searching for apartments feel like so much more fun! look at all this beauty in a small space. it even has a desk!
.-= erin´s last blog ..of vintage labware and lemon balm. =-.
3 Shabby chic furniture commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 4:22 pm

Cool place. I love the colours.
4 miss crowlad commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 4:28 pm

yeah, this is pretty much perfection.
.-= miss crowlad´s last blog ..Fashion! Rome! Pugs! =-.
5 Cary commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 4:33 pm

LOVE the room….Holly did you see the home that is all floral and pink accents? It’s the third or so page in freshome gallery.I immediately thought of your home in Germany. Think you might like.
6 decor8 commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 4:37 pm

Cary – I’ll have to check that out! :)
Erin – I loved the desk too…
7 laura trevey commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 4:37 pm

Love all the white to open it up ~~ fantastic STAR rug too!
.-= laura trevey´s last blog ..Caribbean Time, Limited Edition Watercolor, 8 by 10, by Laura Trevey =-.
8 Elizabeth commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 4:51 pm

The sleek cabinets, sparking floor, fresh herbs and pink taper candles…Sigh! I am in love!
.-= Elizabeth´s last blog ..Today: Get ship-faced. =-.
9 tyna commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 5:21 pm

Wow – who knew that all white walls could look so colorful and welcoming?! I love the whole look but I especially covet the orange striped pillows, the turquoise ball shaped chandelier and the star rug.
.-= tyna´s last blog ..Confessions of a repetitive buyer =-.
10 maria commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 5:44 pm

This is a wonderful post!! I’ll be moving soon to an even smaller apt and I love seeing how it’s still possible to have a lovely space.
.-= maria´s last blog ..The Crane Estate =-.
11 Paula Grace Halewski commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 7:40 pm

Smaller is better these days; green and small is best. There are articles published daily about that and ASID is talking a lot about it. This is a great small space…
12 stephanie commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 8:18 pm

love it, love it, love it! The color combinations are just great!
13 Michelle commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 8:31 pm

This, and all of the subsequent apartment listings, are just to die for! What fabulous taste and design. Sigh. I *love* them all! :)
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..It’s Official =-.
14 lisa h. commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 9:11 pm

I love the teeny bedroom!
Our bedroom is completely overloaded with furniture for storing my boyfriend’s clothing…it’s nuts.
.-= lisa h.´s last blog ..Have a great weekend :) =-.
15 Cath commented:
July 13th, 2009 at 9:45 pm

Love this apartment. I’m about move interstate and seriously need to cull some of my stuff. This has inspired me!
16 Lovely_Sunflower commented:
July 14th, 2009 at 12:20 am

Very stylish, totally ikeaized – i guess this is what describes a Swedish apartment best :) Love all the light and the wooden floor.
However, ur Hanover flat is hard to beat ;)
17 Harry commented:
July 14th, 2009 at 5:38 am

That is beautiful…
18 Kathy C. commented:
July 14th, 2009 at 5:52 am

:) Actually 446 sq. feet is a pretty big space compared to where I live. But it’s really lovely, just the same. I’m especially smitten by the fabric headboard and I love how everything looks so uncluttered. I wish I could pare down that much.
.-= Kathy C.´s last blog ..TEMPTING TUESDAYS: COLD BUCKWHEAT NOODELS =-.
19 Mari commented:
July 14th, 2009 at 7:02 am

@_@ That’s it. This is my dream home. The walls are so pure, and the rooms are so clean. Leaves so much room for all the amazing colors to pop!
20 Leslie Kingery commented:
July 14th, 2009 at 7:34 am

Love the white clean look with the color punches! It’s feel serene, happy & ironically, full of energy!
21 Kristin commented:
July 14th, 2009 at 9:41 am

Wow – what an absolutely GORGEOUS flat! I want to move in!
22 Kristen commented:
July 14th, 2009 at 11:47 am

I live in New York, so this place is nearly twice the size of mine! So jealous! :) She has an ACTUAL BEDROOM!
23 fresh365 commented:
July 14th, 2009 at 12:04 pm

This is really inspiring! The clean, modern layout w/pops of color- just great!
24 simply hue commented:
July 14th, 2009 at 1:14 pm

What a happy, fun space to live in! I love the bright colors against the white.
.-= simply hue´s last blog ..Calling All Photographers! =-.
25 Summer commented:
July 14th, 2009 at 2:20 pm

I’ve lived in just under 500 square feet. The white really makes a difference here! Also, I think that my ceilings were much lower which really made it feel closed in. But, it was a cute little cabin with the teeniest wood stove. Lovely home.
.-= Summer´s last blog ..And Now, Easter Revisited =-.
26 Shanon commented:
July 14th, 2009 at 6:28 pm

That bedroom is so fab. Not to mention the light above the dining table. Wow!
.-= Shanon´s last blog ..Four Things =-.
27 hellohello commented:
July 15th, 2009 at 5:57 pm

It is very cute, and it has a great use of space, but am I the only one who noticed the lack of shower/tub? At least according to the apartment plan, there’s no shower… or maybe the whole bathroom acts like a shower? Like in a camper? :D

If one can’t bathe, it would be awfully hard to keep all that white furniture pristine and dirt-free! ;)
28 CaSandra commented:
August 18th, 2009 at 11:39 am

Does anyone know where that star runner rug in the kitchen is from? Its so cute. Love the whole room!
29 M2 commented:
August 21st, 2009 at 9:13 pm

#27: the shower is in the bathroom, to the right (as seen viewing the plan) of the toilet. The plan shows a little ‘stump’ coming out of the wall and that must indicate the shower head. Perhaps there’s a shower curtain, perhaps not. Swedish bathrooms are built to get wet, with a drain in the floor. Often there’s no shower curtain or shower wall, you just splash all over and wipe up if necessary with a squeegy thing (a window cleaner’s tool).

Also the photos clearly show a window in the kitchen but the plan shows none. I believe the photos…

What a lovely apartment by the way!! Small but not extremely small by Swedish standards. After all more than 50% of households there house just one person. I’d say this place is certainly big enough for one.

The unusual thing here is that despite its size you’ve got windows in 3 directions which is a godsend. Most places this size would normally (in Sweden) have windows in just one direction which is clearly a disadvantage.

Love to see the smaller size places like this. Like you said, it’s not much of a challenge to create something stunning when you’ve got 300 sq m (3000 sq ft), and gorgeous views, to work with.
30 M2 commented:
August 21st, 2009 at 9:21 pm

#27 again…
I just checked out the website (see link above) and there’s a shower

http://www.alvhemmakleri.se/index.php?page=hem-till-salu&object_id=OBJ17735_981529196&view=images

shows even more pics and voila… handheld shower, fully tiled bathroom and what I believe is a rod for a shower curtain. (or for drying clothes?). Bathroom looks good anyway.

Must say, beautiful photography. The RE agents in sweden do a good job of presenting their properties. And oodles of info on the building, renovations, materials etc.
31 Cindy Lee Bergersen commented:
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:30 am

So fresh! My first design teacher used to pound into us that a good design doesn’t need decoration. Here, the judicious use of color made the “decoration” part of the design in a perfectly seamless way.
You truly have a great eye. Thanks
.-= Cindy Lee Bergersen´s last blog ..The Worst Design Mistakes – Part III – See What You Are Looking At =-.
32 tempu commented:
November 9th, 2009 at 2:33 pm

Great setup, it looks like you have really found a way to conserve space, and for your apartment to look good.
33 Cat Sitter in the City commented:
January 21st, 2010 at 11:41 am

This is a fantastic apartment. So cheerful and bright and open. It is a small space but it doesn’t feel cramped at all. Love it!
34 jennifer commented:
February 14th, 2010 at 1:29 pm

I also love this home…so bright and really nice planned

#28 The star rug in the kitchen is a Pappelina rug which you will easily find in a lot of swedish interior shops online!:) They have one with dots that I’m considering getting.
.-= jennifer´s last blog ..RIP McQueen =-.
35 interioruplift commented:
April 14th, 2011 at 8:06 pm

Beautiful interior!!! I want to live there :)
interioruplift´s last [type] ..You Will Be Able To Find Assorted Different Options When It Boils Down To The Plumbing Supplies
36 Ericafpc (Erica Cottrill) commented:
August 12th, 2011 at 8:23 pm

Thanks so much for focusing on small spaces. Small space living is trending upward with a weak economy and downsizing boomers. Appreciate you showing this apartment, which is charming and elegant. I never would of guessed the square footage! FYI…columnist Christine Brun pens a syndicated column called “Small Space Living”. It’s excellent…
37 Jessica | mnmize commented:
November 22nd, 2011 at 4:14 am

Love this small apartment! Very cute and well planned out. It’s amazing what you can do with small spaces, they feel so much more personal!
Jessica | mnmize´s last [type] ..downsizing to a smaller place
38 manzur alam commented:
January 14th, 2012 at 5:54 pm

nice blogging. i have got lot of information about small space apartment through pictures…thank you

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