Making your home look and feel its best has become increasingly important as people spend more time indoors. Unfortunately, trickier spaces like studio apartments can be a bit more intimidating to tackle for design. These smaller spaces lack walls for separating rooms, which can make them feel chaotic. Plus, you have to be intentional with what you add or you may find yourself with a cluttered aesthetic. However, just because designing a studio apartment is difficult doesn't mean it can't look fabulous. In fact, with these 9 studio apartment design tricks, it is easier than ever to design the perfect space!
1. Go Multipurpose
Multipurpose and convertible furniture can transform an apartment since they give a boost of storage and reduce the amount of furniture you need. A convertible bed in the form of a futon or pull-out sofa tend to be the most common multipurpose piece seen in small spaces, but they certainly aren't the only option. Other furniture you may want to consider includes:
- Ottoman beds with storage
- Lift top coffee tables that transform into dining tables
- Floors poufs that can act as side tables, footstools, or extra seating
2. Illuminate
From toggling the ambience of your apartment to making it feel more spacious, light plays a huge role. Natural light is the first choice since it is free, can boost your mood, and can also support living decor like plants. However, while some studios are rich in natural light like these River North apartments in Chicago. others could use a helping hand. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to add light, such as:
Incorporating Lamps: Nothing says comfy and cozy like a softly lit lamp. If you are worried about floor or table space, use a mountable wall sconce or two. You may also want to swap out the bulbs around your apartment for daylight LEDs. It is the easiest way to cultivate a glow that feels akin to natural light.
Hanging a Mirror: Placing a mirror across from a window is the perfect way to maximize any natural light you get. It will reflect the light around the room, which in turn will help illuminate any dark corners and make your studio feel more expansive.
3. Know When to Go High and Low
A common mistake when decorating and trying to maximize space is to focus on horizontal space. But vertical space is equally as important. To make the most out of vertical space, you want to create a dramatic difference between elements. This means that it is ideal to keep pieces like your bed, sofa, and end tables low to the ground. However, you will want to hang curtain rods close to the ceiling to create the illusion of more height. Flush mount lighting can also make your ceilings feel taller than they are.
4. Take Advantage of Vertical Space
The importance of vertical space doesn't stop and furniture height and curtains-it is the key to magazine-worthy organization. Think floating shelves, wall mounted planters, pegboards for odds and ends, etc. These not only look great, but they won't eat up floor space or overcrowd the apartment.
5. Layer Textures
Layering textures is the secret to decorating small spaces without making them feel overdone, while infusing intrigue and a dash of coziness. If your place is feeling a bit bland or one-dimensional, try:
Adding Throw Pillows: They come in everything from sequins to woven textures. Plus, the covers can easily get swapped out to instantly change up your apartment's style, without eating up storage space.
Texturizing a Wall: Putting texture on the wall with removable wallpaper or similar can create a powerful focal point. Brick wallpaper is a popular choice for a chic, rustic feel.
6. Create Division Without Bulk
It can be hard to wind down when your home office is 5 feet from your bed. To remedy this issue or simply create some division in your apartment for the sake of design, you may want to try:
- Laying down area rugs
- Placing open bookcases between areas
- Color blocking
- Using a geometric room division screen or glass partition
- Hanging curtains to create a retractable partition
7. Sleep Away from the Door
Move your bed as far away from the door as possible. This can not only help your bedroom feel cozier and move you father away from sounds from the hallway, but it also means that guests aren't walking right into your sleeping area. This can help this zone feel like more of a traditional bedroom and overall, make you feel a lot happier with your studio apartment.
Can't move the bed away from the door due to your apartment's layout? This is where beds that tuck away or convert into sofas truly shine.
8. Make it Cohesive
While you want some separation between the zones in your apartment, it needs to flow. To cultivate a feeling of fluidity:
Pick a Color Palette: There is a lot of talk about light vs. dark colors when it comes to color rules for small spaces. While it is true that light colors can make a studio look more spacious, dark colors can also play a role since they create depth. However, you shouldn't spend too much time agonizing over shades since what is most important is picking a color scheme and sticking with it throughout the entire layout. The good news is this could be brights, lights, earth tones-whatever your heart desires. Just make sure it is consistent.
Extend Finishes: Extending a finish such as glossy enamel or stainless steel throughout your apartment has the same effect as carrying color but arguably kicks it up a notch. This could mean having a stainless-steel fridge, desk lamp, and picture frame above the bed to carry some silver sheen. Or having the same gold-toned light fixtures sprinkled throughout your space with a few other gold accents.
9. Get Creative with Storage
No matter if you have an eclectic style or more of a contemporary vibe, all homes benefit from a lack of clutter. And to avoid clutter in a small space, it often means getting creative with storage. As mentioned above, multipurpose furniture and vertical storage like floating shelves and pegboards are go-to's. Other storage solutions include:
- Using under the bed as storage with totes. Slip on a bed skirt to hide clutter
- Maximizing your cupboard space with risers
- Using a rolling cart for food prep or cocktails. It can easily be tucked into a closet or corner but wheeled out when needed
Small can be fabulous! It's all about the way you style it. Sometimes all it takes is a few tips, tricks, and some creativity to create the studio apartment of your dreams. And by using the 9 tricks above, you will be well on your way to making the best out of your space.
