If the rolling hills of a large country estate has always been your dream, you might not like what you find here. More and more urban dwellers are finding that you simply do not need an overwhelm of area to create a stylish and comfortable home. The four apartments featured in this post measure less than 50 square meters (538 square feet) and yet, each includes beautiful furnishings and stunning modern design....

Smoky grey decor runs through this stylish home interior, with modern outlines and textures accentuated by warm ambient lighting. The home design, visualised by IQOSA , has a decidedly suave and sophisticated air, with bespoke pieces of furniture and unique accent walls. Wood effect panels and stone tiling encases the place with modern decadence. Muted tones meet with the grey dominant backdrop to create an earthy colour palette that sits solidly inside the shady abode....

In 2002, Swiss architects Stefano Foni Gueli and Fausto began the construction of cubic villa on Lake Maggiore. The concrete villa was completed by 2003. Its flat roof and glass façade combined with concrete construction unite the best of classical modernism in an intricate U-shaped floor plan design. From a side, the building appears as two different buildings connected by a glazed entrance hall which serves as a link between the east and the west wings....

Stucco wall treatments make textured backdrops that afford a multitude of decor styles. Their subtle inclusion provides a canvas that complements a plethora of accompanying materials, colours and furniture design, without any clash or overwhelm. These four inspirational home designs demonstrate how to use concrete stucco in modern settings for the family, young professionals, and the sophisticated homeowner. Home design number one features a water-patterned concrete living room with a cohesive play space for the little ones....

Many different elements are required when turning an apartment into a home. Lighting design can do wonders to make spaces feel more open and welcoming. Still, even the best lighting technology is no replacement for the splendor of natural sunlight. This Swedish apartment, currently for rent from Stockholm-based agency Alexander White , takes full advantage of its corner location to let sun stream in from every possible angle. The result is an apartment that is airy, friendly, and beautiful....

We are back again with a fresh set of beautiful, groovy living rooms for your viewing pleasure. So, whether you are into the beachy, nautical look or you are more inspired by Japanese interior decor, there is just about something for everyone in this set. [Designer Credits: At the end of article] This modern, white all-marble living room suggests color-blocking with the pops of purple and yellow. This minimally furnished space draws more attention to the adjacent balcony and the streamlined shelves....

A quiet, peaceful farm within the city of Linnestaden, Sweden provides the setting for this charming last century apartment set in a 18 unit condominium. It’s been recreated with a cheery open-plan living space, throw-back heirloom styling and modern convenience. The apartment solely occupies a single level opening onto a shared courtyard. The entire interior is enveloped in heavenly white which allows the plentiful natural light to dance around the room....

Minimalist white interiors are effective – often used to highlight architectural concepts, to showcase furniture and accessories, and to serve as a blank canvas for those who seek inspiration. But these interiors can also stand alone as works of art. Skilled designers can strike that perfect balance of minimalism without sacrificing an ounce of charm, weaving a rich and elegant tapestry using only the most straightforward elements. The two apartments below, designed and visualized by Z Design , showcase minimalist white spaces that capture the imagination through two of these essential elements: light and texture....

The use of color is important everywhere that aesthetics are important. From the swipe of a crimson lipstick to a burst of pink in a bride’s bouquet. In the heat of our passions for minimalism, we can get drawn only to blacks, mahoganies and crisp white, while forgetting everything that exists in between, which is to say the rest of nature. In these two apartments, the designers manage to embrace modern ideals of simplicity, clean lines, and even minimalism but do not let that keep them away from the full spectrum of colors available to them....

Young families and contemporary interiors are not always the best of friends. Kids mean playtime – cooking, drawing, running around – and invariably, a mess that just won’t fit with your new white couch. Avoid crayoned white walls and large stains on your shagpile by using easy-to-clean, industrial materials - like these two family homes in the Ukraine and Belarus. Dreamy mushrooms and muted beiges meet black and white, exposed brick and subtle pastels in spaces that look luxurious – and remain that way....

We’ve coupled together two sophisticated home interiors that illustrate how grey decor melds beautifully with the neoclassical style . The first is a chic and sleek, modern meets classic affair. Wall panel molding has been added into the surroundings to trim and accentuate some more contemporary pieces. Gold and copper trims and accessories add shine and glamour to the finish. Home tour number two offers up a more maximalist approach, with plentiful furniture designs, and home style ideas galore....

Red tones, oranges, yellows, earthy neutrals, and even gold all fall toward the warm side of the colour wheel. Even just the mere sight of this family of hues can make us feel warmer ourselves; they remind us of firelight, sunshine and sandy beaches. Warm colours have the power to make a room feel more intimate and cosy, by visually drawing in the walls of wide spaces. If you’d like to create your own warm and cosy living room, fiery bedroom, or earth toned dining area, then we have the perfect set of home tours for you....

We were impressed by Berlin-based architectural visualization firm, Wojciech Piwowarczyk’s modern renderings of living rooms, kitchens, and even office spaces. What unifies these vastly different spaces however, is a sense of simplicity, functionality, and a rebuttal of superfluous decor. The office renderings in particular are almost austerely simplistic, with only long desks and modern chairs as part of the decor. The apartment spaces are also clean and uncluttered, but flooded with a sense of lightness and vibrancy....

If you are looking for a burst of sunshine in your interiors, then take a look at this beaming collection of yellow room reference, to try throughout your home. (Warning:This is quite a large post!) To add a cheerful ray to your living room you could start subtly with accessories, cushions and throws, artwork, or perhaps a small accent chair or decorative screen, but if you wanted to go all out on the theme, paint a large accent wall in a vibrant shade or even have a sofa reupholstered....

Though most of the posts here don’t focus on exteriors, there is no question that these homes warrant a second look. For these 21 homes, talented architects and designers have created spectacular exteriors with gather places, water features, and landscaping that makes these homes the height of luxury. Visualizer:MTaher This first home features a massive, curving pool that looks lovely and inviting day or night. Visualizer:Architype 3D The foggy backdrop for this cantilevered house contrasts perfectly with its stone and wood frame....

Modern minimalism is moving into Chinese markets faster than ever. The growth of this movement offers a unique chance to see two very distinct styles intersect – vibrant design traditions interpreted through the keen lens of contemporary frameworks. This post explores three home interior concepts by prolific designers based in China, each one blending subtle traditional elements across a chic minimalist canvas. All three homes demonstrate a different approach, some with clear roots in Chinese design and others with the most understated of influences....

Rustic decor can have a wonderful warmth about it, making it the perfect decor style to bestow upon a dining room, all set for feeding the family or entertaining guests. Although, rustic style can also be injected with many different influences, such as industrial chic, tribal, geometric, modern or traditional. With so many directions to go in it can be difficult to know which one is right for you and your home....

Our bathrooms are often used as a place for peaceful recuperation. In order to fully relax in a hot bubble bath or under a steaming waterfall shower, it’s helpful if our surroundings are conducive to a quiet mind. A grey and white bathroom scheme ranks high on the style metre but also provides a calming neutral backdrop in which the stresses of the day can fall away, and will give a smooth start to a new day without an overly jarring wake up call....

These dark and moody living rooms embody a style that magazines might even describe as a masculine decor aesthetic, but just about anyone can appreciate any one of them. This post opens with a sleek industrial interior that takes a minimalistic approach. The second space demonstrates an efficient studio layout with a warm modern theme and the third embraces a similar style but ramps up the luxury factor. And finally, the last interior integrates just a touch of tradition to create a relaxing and welcoming environment....

When you have a studio apartment that measures less than 50 square meters (538 square feet) like these ones do, it can be tempting to coat everything in a nice neutral in order to make it feel as if there is more space. But as you’ll see in the following homes, a sparkling pop of playful pattern on the walls can actually bring a lot of interest and a whole new vibrancy into any space, even a small one....