18 square meters of space – that is just about 190 square feet of interior and for most of us that definitely is not enough for a comfortable home. But this tiny apartment in Lyon makes it all work beautifully with an interior that feels relaxing, charming and is just perfect for a couple starting out in big city. The apartment was chiseled out of a larger 60-square foot apartment in the building and the most eye-catching feature in here is undoubtedly the bright yellow couch in the living space. A small partition with wooden beams delineates the living area from the space-savvy, single wall kitchen and dining area behind it.

As is apparent by the size of the apartment, there is not too much to work with in here and the kitchen turns to wall-mounted cabinets to make the most of the vertical space on offer. White and wood are the only two colors in here apart from the bold splash of yellow and the little blue accents spread out in the bedroom and the bathrooms. Despite the renovation, the original parquet flooring and the old fireplace have been preserved and restored to create a beautiful fusion of the old and the new.

The flood of natural light in the living room also improves the ambiance inside significantly and makes sure that you do not feel claustrophobic. Even in the tiny dining area, an open floating shelf above provides additional storage space even as it acts as a decorative element. This is an apartment where there is absolutely no room for excesses and every single element has been carefully placed to reduce visual fragmentation of space without sacrificing the subtle modern Scandinavian style in every room.