Living in a studio apartment can have its downsides – you cannot buy all you the things you want because you are limited by space, you feel like you’re always in your bedroom, and other 101 reasons you can think of.
However, it does not mean that you have a hopeless case in your hands. In fact, you can turn your limited space into something fun, cozy, and enjoyable.
Here are some design tricks that will make you love your studio apartment:
Separate your bed from the rest of your room
Bedroom, Sims Urban Oasis Condo. Picture: iProperty
Want to get rid of the feeling as if your whole studio apartment is one big bedroom where you eat, sleep, and do all your stuff?
Simple solution – enclose your bed with drapes around it, so it becomes your private sanctuary. Alternatively, you can use a closet bed, so it’s kept completely out of sight in the day. The same closet, if big enough, can also be used to store your other belongings.
Get your bed off the floor
Your bed, no matter what the size, is another space hogger.
Get more storage space by raising your bed off the floor. You can either use bed risers so you can make use of that space under your bed or make a loft bed.
Aside from getting more storage space, you can also use that as a study area or a place where you can hang your clothes and other belongings.
Maximise your walls and ceiling
Picture: IKEA
If you need more space in your apartment, you can free up space by utilising your walls and ceiling as a storage space.
How?
Add hooks or pegs on your wall where you can’t just hang decor but functional things as well. You can also attach a storage netting on your ceiling so you can have more room below.
Go for big furniture
Picture: unsplash
The idea might not make sense, but large furniture in a small room makes the room appear larger.
On the other hand, small furniture makes the room look busy and cluttered.
To further use big furniture to your advantage, don’t group in one corner of the room. For example, couple your couch with a small coffee table.
Let the sunshine in
Picture: unsplash
Light can also make a small room appear larger and airier.
To add more to this illusion, place a large mirror in your room – this can also become the focal point of your room. Also, use bright coloured paint and materials. Remove anything from the window that might obstruct light from coming in.
See more: Light the way to a happier and healthier home
Camouflage your storage
You might have seen those smart and chic videos showing built-in storage spaces in the wall.
These are good ideas because you not only save a lot of space, but it also makes your room look cleaner because there’s no clutter lying around. While not everyone can apply this storage idea in their apartments, another smart alternative is to use furniture with a double purpose.
For example, you can use a bed with a closet underneath or a couch with hidden storage inside.
Use transparent furniture
See-through furniture is one of the tricks designers use to make the room appear bright and airy.
That’s because the clear lines do not interrupt the eye, allowing the place to seem less cluttered.
So if you want a functional yet less invasive furnishing, go for transparent or acrylic furniture like the ones pictured above.
Mirrors are your best friend
Bedroom. Picture: unsplash
Small spaces will significantly benefit from mirrors. Not only does it make the room more prominent, but it also lets natural light in. You can place mirrors on the wall or lean on the floor so they will reflect light into the room.
The light will bounce off across the room making it appear more prominent. Aside from mirrors, you might also consider using mirrored furniture. Like transparent furnishings, they seem less bulky.
See more: 9 ways mirrors can be used to craft magical optical illusions
Dividers are not always a smart idea
A lot of small apartment dwellers are often tempted in using dividers thinking it can create an illusion of bigger space. It can make a room look more spacious, but this is not always the case.
In fact, it can even make your room look cluttered and claustrophobic.
If you want to use dividers, then go for dividers that are not too high and ones that let natural light come inside the room.
See more: A Swiss Army knife-inspired apartment in NYC
It’s your turn!
Living in a small, limited space does not have to mean it has to look cluttered and claustrophobic. There are many ways to make it look cleaner, bigger, and less cluttered.
Try the ideas we suggested and see these little things can make a big difference in your small space.
This article was first published in Property Quotient.
