Llabb Take Inspiration from Sailboats to Make the Most of this Studio Apartment

The Italian design firm llabb revamped this small property from a coastal town in La Spezia, Italy. The project, dubbed Rivera Cabin, saw the transformation of a studio apartment in order to capitalize on storage and function.

The redesign of the space was a collaborative effort, with no less than four designers involved. The fruits of their labor were realized in 2017 when they signed off.

The studio, like most studio apartments, has quite a small footprint. It’s spread over a single floor that has 376.74-square-feet (35-square-meters) to take advantage of.

Storage was high on the list of priorities for the owner and the new space embraces it. Walls are lined high and low with cabinetry. What’s not immediately apparent, is that opening some of the doors will lead you into another room.

The storage wall provides access to the master bedroom. It’s a cozy little room with walls lined with shelving. It’s been wrapped in a timber structure that supports a small lofted nook above. The nook is accessed separately from the bedroom and can be used as a second sleeping space.

The main living space itself is home to an open plan layout. Within a single room you’ll find a kitchen, dining area and living room. The kitchen is a simple affair, occupying just enough space for an sink, fridge and oven. When attempting to recreate the space, the designers turned to boats for inspiration.

“The nautical culture that characterizes this region in Italy was fundamental to the development of this project. The optimization of storage spaces inside sailboats and the minimum dimensions within these spaces were the inspiration for the development of the project.”

For more apartments check out Atelier 142, which sees an old painters workshop transformed into a contemporary tiny house. Or, Cat House, a 331-square-foot apartment that’s designed to accommodate 51 cats. See all apartments.

Photos © Anna Positano