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Clever space-saving design in a small London flat: 28 sq m studio
Every centimetre of space and every piece of furniture works to turn this small studio into a big lesson in design.
Words by Philippa Stockley
No one wants to live in a grotty bedsit for life — but small, affordable, well-designed and space-efficient flats could help to house young Londoners.
Interior designer Olga Alexeeva, 33, understands small spaces more than most. In Russia small is normal. “We’re used to it,”she says, sitting in a bright, cleverly used 275sq ft studio flat off Fleet Street.
She has turned this place into a sleek city pad with a surprisingly big bathroom and thoughtfully kitted-out, sunny kitchen. On entering, rather than saying to yourself: “This is tiny,” you say: “Wow, this is nice.”
On the top floor of a Victorian block of small flats originally intended for workers and clerks near the Inns of Court, it looked very different when it was bought it in January 2014.