How Colour and Geometry Shape This 28sqm/301sqft Maltese Rooftop Apartment

Originally just an open-air utility space with minimal structure, the site had to be completely reimagined. Organised around light, views and movement, the design drew from boat cabins – where joinery optimises every inch. Rather than walls, colour, level changes and geometry define the zones. Diagonal lines guide movement through the space, while mirrored surfaces and integrated lighting enhance the sense of openness. A palette drawn from Malta's blue skies and limestone surroundings tie the interior back to its context, creating what Martina calls a calm, uplifting "blue bubble."

Below, we highlight six design details that make this apartment feel playful, light and highly efficient.

1. A Mirror That Expands Space and Reflects Light
2. A Tonal Kitchen That Blends Into the Architecture and Sky
3. A Trapezium Cabinet That Improves Flow and Adds Storage
4. A Built-In Bed That’s A Part Of The Architecture
5. A Tonal Bathroom That Feels Connected Yet Distinct

1. A Mirror That Expands Space and Reflects Light

The large floor to ceiling mirror that stands between the living room and the kitchen does double duty. Bouncing daylight from the terrace back into the apartment, the reflection brightens the interior and makes the room feel larger. At the same time, it acts as a subtle partition, helping to define zones without interrupting the flow – both a spatial and a functional element.

2. A Tonal Kitchen That Blends Into the Architecture and Sky

Matched to the blue of the sky beyond the terrace, the bespoke kitchen cabinetry acts as a subtle extension of the view outside. Combined with similarly blue-toned walls and flooring, the cabinetry quietly recedes into the room, sitting calmly within its sky-high setting. Beige microcement, echoing the limestone tones of the surrounding buildings, runs across both the floor and counter, tying the surfaces together, while slender beige tulip handles introduce a soft contrast against the blue cabinetry, visually anchoring the kitchen while maintaining its calm, integrated feel.

3. A Trapezium Cabinet That Improves Flow and Adds Storage

A floating trapezium-shaped cabinet anchors the end of the dining counter. Its angled form continues the apartment's diagonal geometry, guiding and softening the move between kitchen and terrace – making the transition feel natural, even inevitable. The cabinet's depth also increases legroom beneath the counter when sitting on the stools, while providing generous storage behind. Precise, highly functional and discreet – geometry at work.

4. A Built-In Bed That’s A Part Of The Architecture

Hidden behind a large blue velvet curtain is the sleeping area, featuring a built-in bed. Making up the room's central structure, the bed sits directly on a solid wood base, housing storage, lighting and ventilation within a single element. A slim integrated headboard replaces the need for bedside tables, keeping the footprint compact and efficient. By merging furniture with architecture, the bedroom becomes a calm, cohesive retreat – a softer, more enclosed space that can be closed off at the end of the day.

5. A Tonal Bathroom That Feels Connected Yet Distinct

The custom red door that leads to the bathroom offers a hint of the space beyond – bold, warm, and deliberate. Inside, more soft blue contrasts with red glass mosaic tiles that coat the entirety of the shower and sweep throughout the room, letting the space read as a single cohesive whole. The geometry continues with a two-tone diagonal floor, where blue microcement meets the red tiles – quietly dividing toilet, vanity and shower without breaking the overall flow of this statement blue and red room.

Through a playful balance of colour, geometry and integrated design, a former rooftop laundry has become a compact yet expressive home that reflects the life and light around it – its own Blue Room, in the sky.

Scroll on to explore more images of the project by Ramon Portelli and see how bold design decisions and precise detailing come together in this small but striking apartment.