City dwellers are making do with smaller and smaller spaces these days, but that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice style and function. From bathroom fittings that clamp onto a towel bar to luggage-like portable kitchens and even furniture that folds down as small as a notebook, these 12 clever designs for compact spaces make the most of the limited square footage that tiny apartments have to offer.

Bathroom in a Box

Inspired by the cabins on ships, this wooden all-in-one bathroom design looks like a wardrobe when it’s closed, but opens to reveal a sink, mirror, towel holders, drawers and shelves for all of your toiletries. It’s small enough to fit inside most standard bathrooms, so the only other items you need are a toilet and shower.

Simplify: Flexible Bathroom Fittings

A space-saving set that’s easy to adapt to virtually any existing bathroom, the ‘Simplify’ set by Groupworks slots small accessories onto a special towel bar to keep them up out of the way. There’s a soap dish, a vessel for small items like rings, and a larger box that can hold toothbrushes and combs.

Make the Most of Balcony Space

Even apartment dwellers who are lucky enough to get access to a balcony usually don’t have enough space for tables and chairs, planters and clothes drying racks all at once. The ’Sigh’ set by Spanish designer Pola Clapés is made specifically for such small outdoor spaces and includes tables in three sizes, a three-tier hanging planter and a clothesline, all of which easily hook onto a standard railing.

Luggage-Like Modular Kitchen Set

Literally any space with plumbing and a bathroom can become a studio apartment with the addition of the ‘Gali’ module by designer Ana Arana, which makes most basic kitchen functions portable. Four luggage-like modules come together to offer an induction cooktop, refrigerator, sink, drawers and a combination prep/dining table. The idea is that single people who do minimal cooking can just take their kitchen with them from one living space to another, and don’t have to sacrifice precious square footage for functions they don’t need.

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Smart Style For Small Spaces 12 Compact Sets Modules

There’s an art to packing as many functional elements into a kitchen as possible, yet retaining visual appeal and simplicity. Creatively clean kitchen designs keep every necessary modern component at a cook’s fingertips without too much clutter, particularly when those components fit cleverly into a compact modular or all-in-one system. These contemporary kitchen concepts are sleek and minimalist, yet livable for everyday use.

All-in-One Kitchen & Dining Set

Not everyone needs a vast, open kitchen space populated with the latest and greatest in oversized commercial appliances. Particularly in small homes and apartments, compact all-in-one kitchen sets can contain everything the occasional cook needs for everyday meals: prep space, a cook surface, seating, and storage.

Modern, Eco-Friendly Kitchen Island & Worktop Station

A key to sustainable kitchens is using what you’ve already got: water from drying dishes can water plants, food waste can feed them, and cool running water can help keep a small refrigerator cold. This ‘flow kitchen’ does all of the above in a compact, earthy design that is eco-friendly and practical.

Luxury Kitchen Folds Up When Not in Use

It’s the ‘disappearing room’: a clever fold-up luxury kitchen that contains all of the essential elements for cooking and dining, hidden behind matte wood and metal doors in the wall. This design by Giorgio Armani manages to fit a standard dishwasher, refrigerator, gas stove, steam oven, standard oven, food warming drawer and even a miniature wine cellar into a room that looks entirely bare when packed up.

Upcycled Wood Crate Kitchen Cabinets

When it comes to eco-friendly kitchen design, nothing is held in higher esteem than upcycling used materials in an effective, attractive way. This kitchen remodel features creative, artistic-looking cabinets made from vintage tea crates – a hint of the rustic, but in a streamlined, modern package.

All-in-One Computer, Kitchen & Dining Table

What appears at first to be a simple, if futuristic-looking, pedestal table and dining chair set actually contains a cleverly disguised collection of gadgets that provide practically any function you could imagine wanting at your dining table. The top digitally displays dining options and serves as a computer monitor as well, so diners can browse the internet while waiting for their meals. The inside also stores food, household appliances and even compartments that clean dishes when you’re done eating.

Compact All-in-One Kitchen Design

A somewhat more attainable option for the near future is this compact all-in-one kitchen station, a columnar design that rotates to reveal various functions and contents. It takes up a minimal amount of wall space, and manages to pack in a refrigerator, sink, microwave, dishwasher, surfaces, cupboards and cabinets into six square feet.

Futuristic Ultramodern Kitchen Furniture Set

How clean and simple can a kitchen be? This ultramodern kitchen set by Strato has a futuristic look with its flat, matte white surfaces, but gets a little warmth and character from its curved edges.

Futuristic, Eco-Friendly Kitchen Remodel

Modern minimalist design is the perfect complement to eco-conscious sensibilities, since it uses the least amount of materials to attain a stylish look with the maximum amount of functionality. This built-in kitchen counter-and-fixtures set by Valcucine has a sleek, clean-lined look and can be easily disassembled and recycled when its usefulness has come to an end.

Modern All-in-One Kitchen Design Concept

Why should all of a kitchen’s vital components be pushed up against the walls of the room? This compact modern kitchen design by 3 Chinese designers places the sink, stovetop, dishwasher, oven, and cupboards in a central island that takes up as little floor and wall space as possible. The entire island can be rotated and is topped off by a combination overhead light/vent hood.

Space-Saving Modular Kitchen Cabinets

This isn’t just a chic, simple set of black and silver kitchen cabinets. It’s actually a dynamic system that can be adjusted to the user’s needs, with each individual unit sliding up and down on wall tracks to create a variety of configurations.

Fold-Out Table is Kitchen Island & Work Surface in One

Especially when entertaining, it can seem as if there’s never enough space in the kitchen. That’s where fold-out work surfaces really come in handy, as in this elegant white kitchen island. It starts out as a simple box, but once opened, it reveals plenty of cooking and cutting surfaces, storage space and sinks.

Colorful Minimalist Kitchen Design

This kitchen design idea by KicheConcept isn’t just colorful and appealing, it’s livable as well. With shiny surfaces in black and candy-apple red and an interesting, fluid design that would fit well into a variety of kitchen shapes and sizes, it’s a perfect blend of style and substance.

Ultramodern Steel Kitchen Design Concept

Just like impractical runway fashion is often more about art than clothing, some furniture design puts form over function in over-the-top designs meant to dazzle. But even if they won’t be appearing in real kitchens any time soon, Stratocucine’s high-end steel kitchen designs highlight the best of what minimalism can be: clean, simple and soothing.

Simple, Contemporary Black & White Kitchen Design

On the more user-friendly end of the spectrum is this stunning contemporary black-and-white kitchen design by Futura, which features strategic steel in conjunction with other materials. The geometric shapes and monochromatic color scheme is warmed up by wood and smart use of negative space.