With real estate becoming harder and harder to come by, particularly in the big cities, small living spaces are becoming popular. The problem is that most people do not know how to make the most of their limited space without feeling cramped. Fortunately, there are some interior designer insights that you can use to make your small studio apartment feel sophisticated and spacious.
Furniture For Small Apartments
When furnishing a small apartment, double function furniture is the key. This type of furniture will help you save a lot of space. You can get a bed frame with a hidden drawer compartment which provides more storage space. There are a lot of innovative coffee tables that can change shape and become a desk while some bedside tables will have a lamp built-in.
While function is important, you also need to look for furniture that is scaled to compact living spaces. This does not mean that you should buy all the mini pieces of furniture that you can find. A balance between big and small is needed and you need to avoid cluttering your rooms with small furniture.
1. Create Zones In Your Apartment
Zoning will help you create different areas in your small apartment which are essential for structure. There are a few ways that you can do this from room dividers to color blocking. You can use a bookshelf or curtain to divide the space between the living spaces and the bedroom.
Color blocking or coordinated textures will also help you create distinct functional spaces in your studio apartment. If you have a color palette of white, grey and blue, each area will have one predominant color. You could have blue in the living area, white in the bedroom and grey in the kitchen. Make use of pillows, rugs and throws to add some texture with art and apartment décor to provide splashes of color.
2. Prioritize Your Needs
One of the biggest challenges of living in a studio apartment is catering to all your needs. This is why you need to prioritize and choose the two things that you cannot lie without. This could be cooking and entertaining which link together.
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Functional spaces can be included in your small space with some smart design. If your main priority is entertaining, you can have a dining table that turns into a workbench or desk when you need it to.
3. Have A Clever Layout
A smart apartment layout is a way that you can make your studio feel more spacious than it is. The use of double function furniture is important for this and you need to make the most of the wall and ceiling spaces. While your bed and sofa cannot always be moved, you will be able to use vertical shelving for storage instead of floor storage. You could also look at a hoist-able bed or a wall bed that clears floor space when you are not using it.
When you look at all 5 surfaces in your apartment, you will be able to double the space that you can use. A platform living area with hidden storage, a small loft for hung furniture are all options that you should consider.
4. Have A Feature Wall
Small homes will often have a lot of personalities and this means that feature walls fit in. Like zoning, you can use a feature wall to frame an area of your studio. You can use artwork or wallpaper to make the wall stand out from the rest of the apartment.
5. Use Sliding Doors
If you have more than one room in the apartment, you should replace any hinged doors with a sliding door. Screens can be used instead of cabinet doors in the kitchen. You can use a barn-style sliding door for the bathroom, patio or bedroom.
Sliding panels are generally more industrial in style, but this is not always the case. Frosted glass and acrylic sheets can add some contemporary flair to your home. A pastel painted screen will twist the area to a mid-century modern feel while a clean white wood sliding door has a more Scandinavian feel.
6. Use Mirrors
Small spaces need to have reflective surfaces and there are two reasons for this. The first is that mirrors will create a visual illusion of space and depth. The second is that these surfaces will reflect light in the rooms. Even the best small apartment will only have one or two windows that do not always provide the light you need.
A large mirror can provide both benefits. You should place the mirror close to the light source to make the most of it.
