26m² .PEAM
26m²
- Client Private
- Usage Living – Tiny Apartment
- Scope Interior concept, floor planning, Kitchen Design, Interior Design, Furniture Design, Styling, Sourcing of Vintage Objects
- Location Munich
- Year 2022
26 m² – how less became home
It didn’t start with a layout. It started with a question: Not How do we fit a kitchen, a bed, and storage into 26 square meters? But How do we create a home—when space is the one thing we don’t have?
Right in the heart of Munich, tucked between the city’s rhythm and the quiet of a side street, stood a tiny apartment. Just 26 m². A footprint so small, it challenged more than just our sense of scale. It challenged our idea of what a home really is.
Because interior design, especially in small spaces, is never just about clever furniture or maximizing every corner. It’s about priorities. About choosing what stays. Letting go of what doesn’t. It’s about clarity—of space and of mind.
As we worked through this project, it became less about design choices and more about values. What do we truly need to feel at home? What creates a sense of calm, connection, and belonging?
We embraced minimalist design not as a trend, but as a way of thinking. We reduced, refined, rethought. The result is a space that feels intentional and light. Small in size—but big in meaning.
This project changed the way we work. It reminded us that good design doesn’t start with “more,” but with enough. That simplicity, when done right, can feel generous.
We’re honored this project was awarded the German Design Award 2025 for Excellent Interior Design, and proud to see it featured in design publications around the world. Want to see how small space living can feel expansive? Read the full story in AD Germany.
A Kitchen shaped by experience. Made for 26 m²
The kitchen was always going to be central. In a one-room apartment, it’s more than just a place to cook. It becomes the core of daily life. Our client, who comes from the culinary world, knew exactly what she wanted: not a compromise, but a proper kitchen. Full functionality, smart storage, strong structure. We chose stainless steel, a material rooted in professional kitchens. It reflects light, opens up the room visually, and makes the space feel brighter and larger. On just 26 m², that makes a real difference. The nearly four-meter-long kitchen runs along the wall, framed by lime-plastered surfaces and oiled larch wood. It’s a quiet balance between coolness and warmth.
A Retreat inside the Room
The floating bed in the semi-enclosed sleeping nook was custom built as a retreat within a space that must be everything at once. Beneath it: large pull-out drawers for storing what matters without cluttering what’s visible.
A Magic Cube in Wood
Little Room. Big Exhale
The second major challenge was the bathroom, tucked inside a wood-paneled cube with narrow storage zones. Just four square meters. But it was never meant to be merely functional. A bathtub was non-negotiable. A place to arrive, unwind, switch off. It takes up nearly half the room. So everything else had to be planned with care: sink, WC, storage.
We avoided breaking the space with contrasting materials. No tiles, no harsh edges, no visual cuts. Just lime plaster, used throughout. A material that breathes, grounds, and calms. We added a smoked mirrored panel to the tub’s outer face. It catches light, reflects the room, and makes it feel larger. Not a full spa, perhaps, but the feeling comes close.
As much as needed. As little as possible
The calm, spacious feel of this tiny apartment comes from simplicity. We even left out the switch plates because from any point in a 26 m² space, you see everything.
Furniture with a Story. Spaces with Soul
Vintage pieces are part of the PEAM look. Like the restored Sixties armchairs, covered in real sheepskin. Or the sculptural wall light, used as a quiet highlight. Every object has space to be seen. And a reason to be there.
They’re joined by pieces from our own collection, like SLICE, a stool crafted from solid wood disks, sanded smooth by hand. Compact, honest, multifunctional. It serves as side table, seat or sculpture. In small spaces, every function counts. And every piece that does more than one thing is a gain.
The wooden blinds shift the light, soft or graphic depending on the hour. They make the space feel warm. And alive.
What remains when you let go
This apartment wasn’t just a project. It was a turning point. A reminder that good design doesn’t come from more, but from less. Leaving space. Letting things breathe. That’s part of the PEAM philosophy. Not because it’s a trend, but because it makes room for clarity. And for authenticity. When you strip back what you don’t need, the essentials become visible. And that’s where design begins, with the life that will unfold inside.
Maximilian Bridts
