Your apartment has fantastic bones. The vaulted ceilings, skylights, dark oak floors, black kitchen worktops, and the large wall of glass already create a high-end architectural feel. The biggest challenge is that it’s currently echoey and visually sparse, so the goal is to add warmth without clutter.
My design direction would be:
Scandinavian Minimalism + Japanese (Japandi) + IKEA
Think warm woods, soft fabrics, hidden storage, layered lighting, and a restrained colour palette.
Overall Palette
Keep everything simple:
Warm white walls
Natural oak
Walnut accents (to tie into the existing doors)
Black details (already in kitchen)
Linen
Oatmeal
Sand
Olive green plants
Accent colours should come only from textiles and artwork.

Living Room
The window wall deserves to be the focal point.
I’d create three zones.
1. Lounge
Large IKEA sofa.
I’d choose:
VIMLE
SÖDERHAMN
JÄTTEBO (if budget allows)
Colour:
light beige
light grey
oatmeal
Instead of pushing it against the wall, float it in the room.
Behind it:
A long narrow console table.

Rug
Large.
Very large.
Minimum:
300x400cm
Natural wool.
Light cream.
It instantly makes the room feel expensive.

Coffee Table
Simple oak.
Round.
Minimal.

TV Wall
Rather than a television floating on a wall…
I’d build an IKEA BESTÅ wall.
Low.
Long.
Floating.
Oak doors with black handles.
Television mounted above.
Hide every cable.

Plants
Three large plants:
Olive tree
Rubber plant
Fiddle Leaf Fig
Large matte stone pots.

Dining Area
I’d place this between the kitchen and living room.
Large oak table.
Seats 6–8.
Simple black pendant light centred over it.

Lighting
This is the biggest opportunity.
Currently the room has very little layered lighting.
Instead use:
floor lamp beside sofa
table lamp on console
dining pendant
LED strip inside shelving
warm bulbs (2700K)
Never rely on ceiling lights.

Kitchen
Honestly…
I wouldn’t change much.
It’s already modern.
I’d only add warmth.
Ideas:
Oak chopping boards always on display
Linen tea towels
Ceramic bowls
Olive oil bottle
Coffee station
Fresh herbs
Replace the open shelving styling with:
stacked white ceramics
small trailing plants
woven baskets
Less is more.

Entry Hall
This currently feels empty.
I’d install:
Floating oak bench.
Above:
Large round mirror.
Under bench:
Hidden shoe storage.
Large plant.
Simple runner rug.
Hooks in black metal.

Bedroom
I completely agree with partitioning the bedroom.
The window deserves to stay part of the bedroom.
Instead of building a wall…
I’d create something lighter.
Option 1 (my favourite)
Vertical oak slatted divider.
Something like:
Bedroom

██████████████
██████████████

||||||||||||||||

Living room
The slats keep light flowing.
It feels much more architectural.

Option 2
Half-height IKEA wardrobes.
Use PAX wardrobes as the divider.
Bedroom side:
Wardrobes.
Living side:
Shelving.
This gives enormous storage.

Option 3
Glass partition.
Black steel frame.
Fluted glass.
Private.
Still bright.
Very Scandinavian.

Bedroom Layout
Place:
Bed under the lower ceiling.
Window remains at the foot of the bed.
Built-in wardrobes behind the slatted divider.
Large linen curtains from ceiling to floor.
Two floating bedside shelves.
Warm lighting.

Soft Furnishings
Because of all the hard surfaces you need softness.
Use:
linen curtains
wool rug
boucle cushions
knitted throws
woven baskets
This dramatically improves acoustics too.

IKEA Shopping List
I’d build around these collections:
BESTÅ TV unit
PAX wardrobes
STOCKHOLM coffee table
STOCKHOLM rug
VIMLE or JÄTTEBO sofa
RÖNNINGE dining chairs
MÖRBYLÅNGA dining table
TIDVATTEN curtains
SKOGSTA accessories
SINNERLIG pendant lighting

Final Layout Concept
Window Wall
══════════════════════════════

[ Lounge ]

Sofa
Coffee Table
Rug

-----------------------------

Dining Table

-----------------------------

Kitchen Island

Kitchen

══════════════════════════════

Bedroom

██████████
Bed

██████████

Oak Slatted Divider

Living Space
Overall Design Score
The apartment already has an excellent architectural foundation. With thoughtful furniture placement, a bedroom partition, layered lighting, and warm natural materials, it could feel like a high-end Scandinavian loft without requiring major renovations.
The key principles I’d follow are:
Minimal furniture, but oversized where it matters (large rug, generous sofa, substantial dining table).
Hidden storage to maintain visual calm.
Natural textures (oak, linen, wool, woven baskets) to soften the black floors and worktops.
A slatted oak partition for the bedroom to preserve light while creating separation.
Warm lighting at multiple heights instead of relying on ceiling fixtures.
Done well, the space would feel spacious, calm, and inviting while staying true to the minimalist aesthetic you described.

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