This 650 Sq Ft Apartment Will Make You Rethink Small-Space Living

Okay friends, buckle up — because today’s home tour is one of those “wait, this is only 650 square feet?!” moments. Designed by Ela Sawicka of EM2, this compact apartment in Gdańsk’s Wrzeszcz district proves that small doesn’t mean simple. It’s cozy, elevated, and full of those why-didn’t-I-think-of-that? design decisions that make your jaw drop and your Pinterest board explode.

This is not just another minimalist flat. It’s a masterclass in flow, craftsmanship, and how to make 650 sq ft feel like a boutique hotel suite — without losing warmth or personality.

A Warm Welcome: History with a Modern Heart

Image: Photography by Hanna Połczyńska

This apartment sits inside a historic tenement building — tall ceilings, old-world proportions, and loads of character — but the layout was dated and choppy. Enter Ela Sawicka, who decided to keep the building’s soul but give it a fresh, contemporary rhythm.

Her approach? Balance, flow, and function. She stripped away clutter, refined the color palette, and introduced natural materials — birch veneer, quartzite stone, and soft sage greens — to create something that feels timeless yet completely modern.

The result is a home that breathes. Every surface feels connected to the next. The living area flows into the kitchen, the kitchen into the bath, all through repeated patterns and materials that give this apartment a calm, cohesive heartbeat.

The Curved Kitchen: A Masterclass in Custom Design

Image: Photography by Hanna Połczyńska

Let’s talk about the showstopper — that curved kitchen.
This is where Ela and her team at EM2 flexed their craftsmanship muscles. The cabinetry is entirely custom-made, wrapped in rich, warm birch veneer that bends gently around the kitchen’s core. There are no hard edges here — just smooth, architectural curves that make the wood feel sculpted rather than built.

The curved panels conceal appliances, add hidden storage, and soften the geometry of the checkerboard floor, which runs seamlessly throughout the apartment. It’s a brilliant visual trick — those rounded corners make the narrow galley kitchen feel less confined, more organic, almost like a piece of built-in furniture rather than cabinetry.

Image: Photography by Hanna Połczyńska

Then there’s the stainless-steel range hood, sleek and reflective, anchoring the space with a bit of industrial glam. Overhead, minimalist pendant lights hang like jewelry, giving just the right sparkle without overwhelming the room.

And because this is Ela’s work, the craftsmanship continues into the bathroom, where the wall hiding the toilet’s cistern is also wrapped in curved wood, echoing the same material and shape language as the kitchen. It’s that kind of detail that makes a small home feel cohesive, intentional, and quietly luxurious.

The Checkerboard Comeback

Image: Photography by Hanna Połczyńska

Speaking of floors — can we give a round of applause for the checkerboard tile?
Black-and-white might sound classic (and it is), but here it’s reinvented in muted green tones that play perfectly with the warm wood. The same tile pattern appears in both the kitchen and the bathroom, connecting the spaces visually and giving the entire apartment rhythm.

Checkerboard flooring is officially back, but in this project it’s subtle, grown-up, and totally timeless. It grounds the warmth of the wood while adding a graphic punch that keeps the space lively.

The Bathroom: Curves, Cohesion, and Quiet Luxury

Image: Photography by Hanna Połczyńska

The bathroom is tiny but mighty. Just like the kitchen, it’s wrapped in repeating details that make it feel custom and intentional. The checkerboard tile continues here, meeting rich green vertical wall tiles that make the space feel taller.

That curved wood panel concealing the toilet’s cistern? It’s the kind of small-space genius that brings instant warmth to what could otherwise be a cold, functional room. The countertop — the same quartzite as the kitchen — ties everything together.

Image: Photography by Hanna Połczyńska

Lighting is soft and flattering (because yes, we all want that morning glow), and the minimalist pendant adds just the right dose of sophistication.

What You Can Steal for Your Own Home

You don’t need to live in Gdańsk to take notes from this project. Here are four ideas worth stealing:

Repeat materials.
Using the same wood, stone, and tile throughout creates instant cohesion. Your space feels bigger and calmer.
Lose the hard corners.
Curved edges in cabinetry or furniture soften transitions and make even tiny rooms feel more organic.
Keep the palette restrained.
Ela’s mix of wood, green, and neutral tones proves that simplicity can still be layered and rich.
Play with pattern.
Checkerboard tiles are having a moment for a reason — they add movement and nostalgia in one shot.

The Soul of the Space

What makes this apartment stand out is how intentional it feels. Nothing shouts. Nothing is “trendy for now.” Instead, every detail — from the curve of the wood to the height of the tile — feels quietly confident.

It’s a space designed not to impress at first glance, but to grow on you. Every time you look, you notice another thoughtful choice. And that’s what great design really is — not just beauty, but clarity.

For more small space interior design ideas, check out:

Final Thoughts

EM2 turned this 650-square-foot apartment into a living, breathing example of how custom design can completely transform a small home. It’s smart, soulful, and beautifully made — a reminder that cohesion beats clutter every single time.

If your space feels small or boxy, steal a page from Ela’s playbook: repeat your materials, embrace curves, and don’t underestimate the power of a floor that tells a story.

Because when design feels this intentional, size truly doesn’t matter.

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