This Small Italian Apartment Draws Its Inspiration From the Nautical World

Minori, a laid-back fishing town on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, boasts a lovely historical town center and a stunning view of the nearby sea. But one of its hidden gems is a more recent addition – a tiny 355-square-foot apartment that rests on the second floor of a building there.

With its seaside setting, it makes perfect sense this apartment, dubbed La Barca “The Boat” and designed by Studio Ricciardi Architetti, draws its inspiration from the nautical world. What vessel makes the most of tiny spaces better than boats do, after all? With the need to pack a huge amount of storage space and sleeping quarters into tight spaces, making the apartment resemble a boat seemed like a natural fit.

While it serves its purpose by being a highly functional space, this gorgeous apartment doesn’t skimp on aesthetic appeal either. It combines the typical nautical colors – blue and white – in a way that feels fresh and modern. Splashes of yellow show up and pop in key accent pieces that draw visitors into the design.

This clever design can sleep up to eight people, while managing to conserve enough room for features that feel like a luxury in such a tight space, including a large dinette, a double sink, a washing machine, a kitchen peninsula, and even a shoe cabinet.

No space goes unused in this design. Stairs, for instance, serve as a chest of drawers and as extra seating for when the “boat” is at maximum capacity.

A small ottoman sofa, to store a significant amount of supplies, and, even further, a sofabed for two.

 A large dinette with a super accessorized corner kitchen area: double sink, induction cooktop, kitchen hood, refrigerator and even a small kitchen peninsula.

The flooring of the apartment has been made to resemble the waves of the sea, both in color and in the pattern that is used. Ricciardi Studio was responsible for the eye-catching design of the flooring and MA.VI. Ceramics painstakingly decorated it by hand.

To avoid having all the guests battle it out for bathroom time, the designers managed to make space for two bathrooms in this apartment. The bathrooms come equipped with everything the guests will need, including a mirror cabinet, a sink, a toilet, a bidet, and a circular shower. The romance of the sea is also brought into the bathroom with a terracotta lighthouse designed by hand that even features a real light.

Interesting detail is the steel track specifically made and installed in the flooring as well, in a spiral shape, where the protective shower curtain runs.