21 Modern Apartment Design Ideas

Modern Apartment Design requires thoughtful planning, for a cohesive and unique design. There are many individual options to consider but they should all be considered together. The most important thing about designing your apartment is to remember it’s your apartment you can do whatever you want.

 

White Interiors

An all white apartment has a real minimalist modern feel. White is clean and simple. You do not have to only restrict yourself to white, for an apartment that feels white, you can use off white or light greys. All white is not for everyone as with all the points in this post it comes down to personal taste.

If you are interested I have another post on White Apartment Design Ideas.

 

Texture 

Texture and even industrial materials are quite modern. I have always been a big fan of concrete and other industrial elements in architecture. You can use all sorts of unique finishes and materials to bring a unique and modern look to your home.

The picture below is of a concrete finish wall in an apartment we renovated. there are orange stained doors, a wall mounted wood cabinet, and a black tube steel table. The apartment is filled with texture and industrial materials, giving it an incredibly modern feel.

We have another post just discussing this apartment if you want to read more about this Manhattan Concrete Apartment Design.

 

Open Plan

Open plan means having open spaces with the fewest amount of walls possible. You want to open up your living space and configure the walls and rooms in your apartment to allow for large open spaces if you can.

 

Modern Open Kitchen

At this point open kitchens are pretty much standard for a modern apartment design. The kitchen is the single most expensive room in an apartment and people are often happy to spend the money on high end appliances, cabinets, and countertops to make a good looking kitchen that will be part of the overall apartment design.

 

Kitchen Island Seating

If you have an open kitchen then you will probably want to have a kitchen island. If you have a kitchen island you will probably want to have stools at the island for seating.

We have another post if you are interested in reading 21 Modern Kitchen Design Ideas.

 

Accent Wall

Adding an accent wall can be a fun option for a modern apartment, but this is not for everyone.

The picture below is of a home office in a Chelsea Loft we renovated. The loft has all white walls except for the red accent wall in the home office. The red pops out through the black metal and glass doors.

You can see another post we wrote on Adding a Home Office.

 

Wall Niches

In the hallway below there are a series of recessed wall niches that the client uses to put plants and even a recessed bench. These niches create a relief from this all white hallway and provide a space to put more lively elements.

 

White On White Kitchen

A very simple clean idea for a modern apartment design is a white on white kitchen. All white kitchens are not for everyone. Some people love an all white kitchen with white cabinets, white countertop, and white backsplash. Just do not put white appliances unless it is with matching panel ready doors or high end brands. In my opinion white appliances tend to look cheap and tacky unless they are some of the more luxurious appliance brands that have a better design.

 

Dark or Black Materials

Dark finishes and black materials can be quite modern. Not everyone like bright and white.

This picture shows a shiny black subway tile backsplash in a dark wood kitchen.

 

Stone Slabs 

Using stone slabs is a more modern and sleek look than using tiles. Slabs means large pieces from a slab yard as opposed to small tiles. slabs have to be a thicker material than a typical tile. Of course purchasing and installing slabs is more expensive than tile.

The fireplace below has a white marble slab that is one piece. This clearly looks more modern that if it were several square tiles.

 

Porcelain Tiles

Porcelain tiles come in may colors and textures. they are made to replicate natural materials and come in solid colors.

This picture is of a weathered look grey porcelain bathroom. We have another post on Grey Bathroom Designs if you are interested.

 

Translucent Sliding Doors

Light is a critical element to architecture. In a modern apartment you want to think about the lighting design and the natural light. In this loft apartment below we used sliding translucent doors at the mezzanine level of the loft. The translucent doors allow light to pass through and provide privacy when closed but can be open as needed for more light, air, or just openness.

 

Modern Cabinets

This kitchen has simple modern cabinets and panel ready appliances. The walls around the kitchen are painted to match so that it all blends in as one cohesive wall.

 

Put It On Display

If you have nice items and you keep you things neat and organized then put them on display.

In the picture below you can see a modern closet with an open shoe cubby. the owner keeps her shoes and handbags very neat, therefor why have doors to cover them up. Leave them open and on display in fact this closet doesn’t even have a door.

 

Modern Fixtures

This is a Kohler Karbon wall mounted faucet. Fun fact this is the most expensive kitchen faucet Kohler makes. It is an articulating faucet which means it has hinges and you can adjust it and move it around. I think it is one of the coolest looking faucets but it is a bit too industrial for some people. This all comes down to personal taste. Always design your home to make you happy, its your home.

 

Coordinate Your Fixtures 

This may seam obvious but you need to think about the design as one cohesive design. You need to coordinate all your fixtures and accessories so that they go together and match. The entire apartment needs to work together. As my professor and architect Fabian Llonch said “I like fish, I like soup, so I make a fish soup. But I also like bananas. You can’t put bananas in a fish soup”.

 

Modern Freestanding Tub

If you have the space for a freestanding tub in your bathroom then this could be a great addition to a bathroom in a modern apartment. Freestanding tubs have a luxurious feel and should be a good option for any high end apartment.

 

Tall Modern Interior Doors 

Tall doors of 8′-0″ or more in height provide a modern feel and are generally more impressive than a typical 6′-8″ or 7′-0″ door. If you have the ceiling height make the doors tall. 8′-0″ or 9′-0″ doors look great. You can even go taller than that if you want.

 

Modern Hardware 

Hardware is an important part of design. The hardware really affect the look, feel, and function of the space.

 

Smart Home Devices

Smart Thermostats

There are lots of smart home products you can look into and I will not go over all of them. But the most popular smart home product that my clients want is the nest learning thermostat.

I have another post discussing potential energy savings with a learning thermostat.

 

Wall Mounted Smart Toilet

Wall mounted toilets are a modern idea to consider for your bathroom. There are also smart toilets with remote controls and multiple features. The toilets can have built in bidets and all sorts of options.

the picture below is of a wall mounted smart toilet in a concrete bathroom. The controls for the toilet are sitting on the window sill.

 

Make It You Own, Make It Your Home 

You need to make your apartment your own and make it your home. Even if it means putting a four foot plastic chipmunk in the living room. That’s me in the photo below this is in an apartment we renovated in Chelsea.

 

Modern Apartment Designs

 

 

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