Creative Use Of Space In Small Apartments – You guys know how much I love studio apartments, so today I wanted to share some tips and ideas for decorating them – ways to maximize space without sacrificing style. This is something I feel quite passionate about – you
Live well in small spaces! You just have to put in the effort and decorate smartly, and a big part of that is in the pieces you choose. So I’ve put together some guidelines for the best types of furniture for small spaces for studio apartments, but of course this could apply to any small space. Hope this helps!
Creative Use Of Space In Small Apartments
One important thing I’ve learned over the years is how important balance is to making a room work well. For a studio apartment, I think it’s best to place the bed and sofa on the opposite wall. They don’t have to be directly opposite each other, but if they’re both on one wall, that side can feel heavy and the other side visually unbalanced with the other wall. By placing the two (probably) largest pieces of furniture on the opposite wall, it creates a balance that is so pleasing to the eye in the design. I think it also helps establish a sense of separation between the sleeping and living areas. Matthew Kowl’s apartment in Lonny is one of my favorite examples of this!
Ways To Layout Your Studio Apartment
When shopping for furniture for small spaces for a studio apartment, it’s important to look for pieces that have some air underneath them—that is, pieces that have legs. Of course, you’ll need storage pieces like a chest of drawers – but you want to make sure you don’t end up with an entire apartment of cubed storage pieces. Just one or two pieces on the legs can really help create a sense of breathability. Plus, leg pieces often have a drawer or shelf, so you won’t be completely lost when it comes to storage! Win-win.
This is a tip I learned from Nate Berkus (I think when his TV show was still on, it’s RIP). He said that people in small spaces often think they have to use small furniture, but it actually makes the space feel smaller. So no dollhouse furniture – use full size pieces! It is also more economical as you will still be able to use these pieces in the future if you move to a bigger space.
I know I just featured this space designed by Elizabeth Bauer in my recent post on tips for dividing a studio apartment, but I have to feature it here again because of her genius use of mirrors. Mirrors are a great way to trick the eye into making a room feel bigger than it really is, and nowhere is this more important than in a small studio apartment! In this example, you can see that the mirrored wall helps to visually enlarge the space, while the pink standing mirror does the same and also reflects a nice view on the gallery wall. Mirrors also reflect light, which is very important when taking small steps. Furniture with mirrors can also be great, as you can see here in Michelle Adams’ former bedroom:
I have to admit that I find mirrored furniture a little annoying because you can see every speck of dust on it, so how genius is this: mirrored drawers. If only I knew where she got that fantastic cabinet!
Setting Up A Mini Apartment: Smart Ideas For Kitchens & Furniture
Another quality to look out for when shopping for furniture for small spaces for a studio apartment: items that expand and contract. Nesting desks are a great example (bonus points for lucite!), along with slatted desks or desks. These items can be “expanded” when the need arises, such as when visiting business, and then folded away for everyday when you want to keep things a little more streamlined.
I wrote a whole post about it, which you can read here, but in short: in a small studio, it’s very important to use every centimeter wisely, and that includes vertical space. Spine bookcases are my favorite way to do this – they have such a small footprint but hold a ton of books and look really cool and modern (I got this one from DWR). You can attract eyes with a striking lamp or a high headboard, but of course don’t forget to hang the curtains all the way under the ceiling,
On top of the window frame! Wall lamps are also a really great way to save space and look classy and recessed (even if they are sockets). Look for ones with a cable cover for a clean look. My sister has a pair of these and they look way more expensive than they are – plus they have a dimmer switch! Above, you can see how Meagan Camp and Katherine Vo used wall sconces (and they both look amazing).
I actually only realized this recently when I got my Society Social Swivel Stevie – swivel chairs are PERFECT for studio apartments! I put mine between my bed and the living room, and I honestly didn’t realize how perfect it was for the simple fact that you can just turn around to be in one “room” and then turn around to be in the other. It’s like two chairs for the price (and footprint) of one! I prefer the ones where you can’t actually see the rotation, like my Stevie chair – it just looks like a normal upholstered chair, but then you sit in it and it spins!
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Furniture, it is useful to watch out for narrow furniture. You don’t want all your furniture to be super narrow, but a slim console or coffee table can go a long way in giving you more breathing room (not to mention walking space!). I had a slim console from West Elm in my first apartment and it fit perfectly in the nook I had in the entryway. This lucite console is perfect for tight spaces, plus lucite brings me to my next point…
See-through furniture is truly a godsend for a studio apartment. Lucite is probably the first thing that comes to mind (and it’s a great option), but if that’s not your bag, look for other types of furniture that are light and airy, like cane. The coffee table above in this home is such a perfect example of clear furniture that isn’t lucite (and I love it, I wish I knew where it came from). When it comes to lucite or acrylic furniture, my recommendation is to only use one piece – too much and it can look weird or tacky. A ghost chair, lucite coffee table, or lucite console will disappear from view and visually expand the space as your eye travels through them (hence the term “ghost chair”). I have this ghost chair and it has held up very well over the years. It’s such a useful piece that’s light and easy to move around and flexible enough to function as a desk chair or side chair. Extra seating is always a challenge to incorporate into a studio without it feeling too crowded, and this is a great solution.
In a studio, you want pieces that can do double duty. Think creatively and try to rethink the parts you have. Can a chest of drawers be a TV stand? yes! Can a bookshelf be storage for clothes? Yes, if you add cute baskets. A desk can double as a bedside table (see above), a storage drawer can serve as a coffee table, a console table with a border can hide shoe storage, a desk chair can be used as extra seating when moved into the living room, and a bar trolley can it serves as a side table if you place it next to the sofa and decorate it with a table lamp. I especially love the table as a nightstand as you can see above in Lauren McGrath’s apartment and this lovely shot on the right which I think is from Lonny?
One last piece of advice for studio apartment dwellers is to get a bed that allows storage under the bed! I’m not the biggest fan of beds that have built-in drawers underneath – I prefer and always use under-bed boxes hidden by the bed skirt. But everyone can act! I have this bed skirt and absolutely love it – in fact I’ve been using it for over ten years, I’m kind of shocked they still have it! As far as under-bed boxes go, I use these from the Container Store (they’re actually boot boxes, but they hold a surprising amount of clothes!) and I also love these flexible ones that you can squeeze into a tight space. If you have the space, these seem great and very handy (unfortunately I have a pesky grab bar under my bed so they wouldn’t fit). I also put them in storage boxes to protect the woolen items without the unpleasant smell of mothballs.
Maximizing Small Spaces: Design Ideas For Apartment Living
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