Maximizing Space in Your Tiny Apartment

Guest Blogger #597, Entry #1388, July 17, 2012

Whether you’ve moved into your first home away from home or you’ve recently downgraded due to unfortunate circumstances like divorce or a demotion at work, you might find yourself living in a postage-stamp-sized apartment with limited possibilities when it comes to interior design. You may have grandiose notions about a California king bed, a formal dining room, and a sectional sofa with seating for six, but those will have to wait for a larger residence. For now you’re stuck with a truncated space that probably won’t even fit the items you currently own. So once you’ve sold off your oversized furniture you can start getting down to the business of designing the small interior space for maximum efficiency and a little personal flair. Here are just a few tips to help you on your way.

Brighten your small apartment with light furnishings

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Choosing the right colors

The first thing to consider in the design process is your color palette and how the right hues can affect your space. Although a common trick is to paint the ceiling white in order to make small spaces appear larger, that doesn’t necessarily help you to choose the remaining colors for your apartment. However, you should know that dark or saturated shades can not only make a space seem smaller, they can also be overpowering. For this reason you might want to choose light neutrals and pale shades for walls and carpeting and then throw in accents in bolder colors to let your personality shine through. Another good trick is to place mirrors strategically throughout your space in order to make the most of any natural light coming in as well as create the visual illusion that your rooms are larger than they are.

Small apartments can have character

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Choosing the perfect furniture

The next thing to consider is furniture, and while you almost certainly have to think about limiting the number and size of pieces in your apartment, it doesn’t necessarily mean you must live in a hobbit hole full of half-sized furnishings. You can find many ways to fit the right items in, provide for all of your needs (sleeping, entertaining, and so on), and still have the light and airy open space you desire (to an extent). This can be done first through the use of modular furnishings, or those that are made to fit together and come with many options for adding on. So you might start with a small sofa and add a couple of chairs from the same collection, along with side tables and an entertainment center to hold electronics, media, books, and display pieces. Many will items will have options for stacking so that you can expand and use vertical space when you don’t want to take up any more of your floor plan.

Use multifunctional furniture in your space

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Go for multifunctional furnishings

Of course, multifunctional furnishings are another great option. If you don’t have enough space for your king-size bed AND your dresser, thinks about getting a bed frame that has storage underneath (either built-in drawers or clearance for bins to hold your clothing). For the living room you can get seating or ottomans that have hidden storage compartments inside. And even if you only have a breakfast nook that accommodates a small dining set, get a drop-leaf table or one that has a cabinet built into the base. You probably know that apartment rentals are notorious for a lack of usable space, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find myriad ways to make the most of it through planning and design. So try these tips and watch your tiny apartment magically expand.

For more home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.