How to make a small 50 m2 apartment feel spacious

Making a small 50 m² apartment feel spacious, fully functional and still good-looking is a familiar challenge for many young families. When a modest floor plate has to hold a living room, kitchen, bathroom and one or two bedrooms, every square metre has to earn its keep. Below are layout and decorating techniques that make a 50 m² apartment feel airier and more comfortable.

Preparing for a renovation? Read turning a small apartment into an optimised living space alongside this article for detailed smart-design solutions.

1. Choose light colours to “stretch” the space

Colour is the most effective — and cheapest — visual trick available:

• Light base palette: white, beige, pale grey or pastel blue on walls and ceiling reflects light and creates a sense of openness.
• Avoid a single flat colour: add a few contrasting accents (warm wood, greenery, a personal signature colour) so the space does not feel monotonous or cold.
• Ceiling in the same tone as the walls: keep the ceiling light and go easy on heavy cornices so they do not visually compress the height.

2. Combine the living room and kitchen

At 50 m², fully separating the kitchen from the living room is difficult, so the common solution is a single open zone with soft separation — a kitchen island, a rug or a change in floor material. A few pointers:

• Compact furniture: a small sofa with pull-out drawers, a coffee table that doubles as storage; prioritise pieces with built-in storage.
• Wall-mounted TV on a slim shelf instead of a bulky media cabinet.
• Placement: position the living area next to a large window or the balcony rail to capture natural light.

3. Lay out the two bedrooms sensibly

Bedrooms take up most of the floor area, so furniture needs restraint:

• A bed with drawers or a platform bed that uses the space underneath for storage.
• Built-in, floor-to-ceiling wardrobes instead of freestanding units to free up floor space.
• Soft, muted colours (grey-white, pale blue) for a restful, relaxing feel.
• For the smallest room, consider a bunk bed or fold-away bed if it is a children’s room.

4. Maximise natural light and use smart furniture

Natural light is “free floor area”: limit solid partitions, choose sheer curtains, and hang a large mirror opposite the window to double the light. For furniture, go multifunctional — a folding dining table, stackable chairs, a sofa bed, floor-to-ceiling shelving — so every piece serves more than one purpose. The general rule: the fewer items sitting on the floor, the larger the apartment feels.

Good decorating needs tidy execution

A good idea only becomes reality when it is built accurately: built-in and floor-to-ceiling joinery demands precise measurement and fabrication to size, while electrical work, bathroom waterproofing and flooring must be coordinated as one package. Bringing everything under a single general contractor spares a small apartment the classic problems of mismatched trades — visible gaps and inconsistent colours.

AIC designs and builds apartment interiors under a single-point design-build model, with over 10 years in the trade (since 2016 under the predecessor Nhan Viet; AIC was founded in 2019) and two in-house factories (1,200 m² and 600 m²) to standardise built-in joinery. From the apartment’s current condition, AIC can produce a BOQ estimate within roughly 4 working hours, and projects are handed over with a warranty of up to 24 months. See our apartment interior design and build service.

Frequently asked questions

Which style suits a 50 m2 apartment best?

Minimalist or modern styles work best: few details, compact furniture and a light palette that visually expands the space. You can add a touch of Scandinavian (pale wood, greenery) or Japandi to bring warmth while keeping the space airy.

Should partitions be removed to make a 50 m2 apartment feel larger?

Limit solid walls between the living room and kitchen, replacing them with soft separation (a kitchen island, a rug, a change of floor material). Bedrooms and bathrooms still need enclosed walls for privacy; glass partitions or sliding doors can save space there.

How much does it cost to decorate a 50 m2 apartment?

The cost depends on the finish level and the proportion of built-in joinery. The best way to control the budget is to build a bill of quantities (BOQ) from the start, so every item is visible and surprises during construction are avoided.