Apartment living can be a fun and exciting experience, especially when living in a city, but it certainly causes us to work with a minimal amount of space. This is particularly the case when trying to cram furniture into a small studio apartment.
If you’re finding that the space you have to work with seems almost too small, don’t fret. Here’s a simple plan to have your tiny apartment looking suave in no time.
Know Your Space
While the square footage of your apartment is important, the space of each room is ultimately going to decide what you can and cannot do. In the case of a typical studio, you’ll only have one room to work with, which can work to your advantage.
Having the same amount of space broken up into separate rooms eliminates some significant floor space with walls, but can help you to designate which rooms will be used for what. Before rushing into this headfirst, take a moment identify the space you have to work with. Making a rough sketch will help you come up with a game plan for arranging furniture.
Starting Big, Working Small
Your bed is the largest and most crucial piece of furniture that you own., which means it will need to go in first. If you have multiple rooms, then pick the smallest that your bed will fit in. You don’t need a lot of room to sleep, but you will need a closet or room for a dresser to hold your clothes.
For studio apartments, your bed should be placed in the corner farthest away from the door to maximize space while providing a little privacy.
The Social Hot Spot
Next in line for largest furniture is the combination that makes your entertainment center. No apartment is complete without a place to get together and the electronics that bring us the comforts of home.
The focal point of your entertainment display should be in the room or space closest to the door. This allows friends to simply walk in and hang out while enabling you to kick back after a hard day’s work more easily. Any chairs or couches should be situated around the focal point, and the whole social spot can be easily defined with an area rug.
A Place to Eat
When space is limited, combining your kitchen with your dining area is a must. Keep it simple. Your appliances will already be in place, so situate a table far enough away for you to cook comfortably but close enough to save on floor space.
When company does come over, they don’t necessarily have to eat at separate dining room table. A small table in the middle of your social spot works just as well for you and them. If you feel the need for one but don’t have space, a folding table works wonders.
A Place to Work
Whether you’re a student or make your living from home, having an area for your computer is essential. A home office is difficult to pull off in a tiny apartment, but a chair and table are all anyone needs.
Put your already existing tables and chairs to extra use for an easy fix. That dining room table can easily become a workspace during the day or a study space at night.
Defining Your Rooms
If your tiny apartment has a lack of walls to separate the rooms, there are ways you can help to delineate each space. Choosing to have a bookshelf next to the bed in a studio apartment denotes that area as the bedroom while adding an extra level of privacy.
The best thing you can do is create a focal point in each space. That could be backsplash tile in the kitchen, an interesting coffee table for the social area, or a decorative vase for the dining/work table. If all else fails, you can opt to use room dividers or curtains to help close spaces off from one another.
Time to Start Decorating
While the functionality of your furniture placement is crucially important, that doesn’t mean sacrificing style has to accompany it. Fitting your unique brand of style into a tiny apartment can be a challenge as well, but there’s still a lot of space to work with after everything is in place.
Table toppers and lamps are a go to when giving life to a room. However, they can take up much-needed space in an already small area. Try out these style options instead to keep your apartment feeling clutter free.
Going Green
The absolute easiest way to liven up any apartment is by adding indoor plants. Opting for air plants and succulents requires next to no maintenance. They only need low levels of light and about two ounces of water once a week.
While they certainly create a livelier appearance for your place, these plants offer a variety of health benefits as well. Studies have shown that, aside from improving air quality, they help to relieve stress and elevate your mood. Those studying or working from home will also benefit from increased productivity by having green plants around.
The Walls are Your Canvas
An easy way to decorate any tiny apartment with your brand of style is to utilize wall space. Purchasing a painting online or from a local art shop will add a certain finesse while hanging nicely framed pictures can capture your character through memories and even be art themselves.
Why stop there? Bookshelves make for the perfect place to hold knick-knacks, plants, and unique décor. A decorative clock can quickly become the centerpiece of any area while choosing to hang pots and pans in the kitchen creates a rustic feel for the area. Go ahead, express yourself.
Enjoying Your Place
Arranging and decorating a tiny apartment can seem like a daunting task, but with a little planning and know-how, it isn’t that difficult at all. Smart placement of furniture and a few stylish decorations do go a long way.