Interior designer Ian Lee has lined the walls of the LIFE micro-apartments in South Korea with birch wood to offer tenants pared-back spaces that they can personalise.
Located in Seoul's Gangnam District, the apartments form part of a 16-storey co-living building for young adults, developed by co-working-space provider Fastfive.
The block contains a total of 140 rooms, which vary between 16 and 23 square metres in size, alongside shared living areas that Vancouver-based Lee also designed.
LIFE micro-apartments are lined with birch joinery
Lee's goal for the LIFE apartments was to create deliberately simple, timeless interiors that were visually uncluttered.
While helping to distract from the small size of the rooms, this offers tenants the opportunity to create homely, private spaces with their own furniture and belongings. The birch is intended to offer a minimalist finish
"Like in many densely populated cities, most young adults in Seoul struggle to find homes as housing prices climb," explained Lee.
"I wanted this co-living space and the community it would build to be an accessible alternative to traditional housing options that can eventually give its residents a sense of belonging."
Built-in window seats and reading nooks feature in some rooms
"One of my aims in designing these rental units was to find that balance, where the space feels timeless and comfortable as it is, but also like a blank canvas for tenants to personalise," Lee conti...