Furnishing a small apartment: making the most of a 30 m² studio and a 45 m² 1-bedroom

Layout suggestions are common design experience, not regulations; real measurements must be taken by you in your own apartment. Updated 24 October 2026.

Small apartments (a studio of about 30 m², a 1-bedroom of about 40–50 m²) are a popular choice for first-time buyers and buyers who rent out. The hardest part is not choosing nice furniture but keeping walkways, keeping light and keeping storage space. This article goes from the minimum regulations to layouts and budget.

1. Minimum regulations to know

Under QCVN 04:2021/BXD (Circular 03/2021/TT-BXD, effective 5 July 2021):

• An apartment must have at least 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom, with a usable area of at least 25 m².
• An apartment must have natural light; a unit with 2 or more living rooms may have one room without natural light.
• A bedroom must be well ventilated, have natural light and have an area no smaller than 9 m².

This means a small unit usually has just one open side. Do not block that side with a tall cabinet placed right against the window.

2. Studio of about 30 m²: soft zoning

A studio combines living, sleeping and kitchen in one space. Design advice articles (such as the Trọ Mới article, 24 December 2024) often stress:

1. Use visual boundaries instead of partitions: rugs, lighting, low shelves or a change of paint colour to separate the sleeping and living areas, instead of building a solid partition.
2. Use the height: floor-to-ceiling wardrobes, wall-mounted shelves and cabinets instead of wide cabinets.
3. Multi-purpose furniture: sofa beds, folding dining tables, beds with built-in storage.
4. Neutral colours, mirrors: make the unit look larger.

Reference layout: kitchen along one wall near the door; bed in the corner farthest from the door so it is hidden from the living area; a small sofa with its back to the bed creating a natural boundary.

3. 1-bedroom unit of 40–50 m²

• Living room open to the kitchen (an I-shaped or L-shaped kitchen along a wall) to leave space for a bedroom with its own door.
• A mini kitchen island that doubles as a dining table saves walkway space, but only do it if people can still walk around it.
• Bedroom: place the bed against a wall, with a built-in or floor-to-ceiling wardrobe; add a desk only if there is space left.
• Drying and laundry area: choose a stacked washer-dryer or place it on a covered balcony; check the building's rules on hanging laundry.

4. Dimensions and walkways: measure yourself, do not copy drawings

Design articles usually say generally "leave a comfortable walkway" without giving consistent measurements. Do it the safe way:

Task	How to do it
Measure clear dimensions	Measure wall to wall, not by the wall-centreline area on the contract
Main walkway	Mark the furniture outline on the floor with tape and walk through with bags in your hands
Wardrobe and room doors	Choose sliding doors if a swinging door would block the walkway
Kitchen	Leave enough room to open the fridge and microwave and to stand and cook

See also how "area" is understood on the contract in taking over a home and verifying the area.

5. Reference budget

According to Cộng Design (2026 quotation, for reference only), a studio or 1-bedroom of 40–50 m² costs about 150–200 million VND at a basic level and 220–280 million VND with upgraded materials. Real figures vary with the handover condition and the amount of built-in furniture; see apartment interior fit-out costs.

6. Common mistakes in small units

• Buying an L-shaped sofa and a 6-seat dining table because "the home looks empty".
• Building cabinets up to the ceiling but forgetting space for the air conditioner, sockets and pipe access hatches.
• Choosing dark colours for the whole unit, which makes it look narrower.
• Ignoring storage for seasonal items (suitcases, fans, rarely used things): put them on top of the floor-to-ceiling cabinets.
• Placing the bed facing the entrance door, losing privacy (if you care about feng shui, see bedroom feng shui).

7. If you buy to rent out

A small unit with basic, compact furniture is usually easier to rent than an empty one; choose durable items that are easy to clean and have few elaborate details. More in furnished or unfurnished rental.

Note: this article is only layout suggestions and does not replace a design drawing. When you need to break walls or move the bathroom, check the building's rules and the law (apartment renovation).

• ACC Group — QCVN 04:2021/BXD on Apartment Buildings (summary: Circular 03/2021/TT-BXD dated 19 May 2021, effective 5 July 2021; apartment ≥ 25 m², bedroom ≥ 9 m²), accessed 24 October 2026. To be checked against the original text.
• Trọ Mới — Beautiful, convenient 30 m² studio apartment designs, 24 December 2024.
• Cộng Design — Apartment interior construction costs 2026 (price range for 40–50 m² units; offered quotation), accessed 24 October 2026.