With the niche of purposefully downsizing to a tiny home or actualizing the Japanese method of Konmari —asking yourself simply if the item brings you joy— decorating small spaces is challenging. If you are in the midst of an apartment search, it can be even more difficult as you have to consider the physical changes that are allowed by the landlord or property company. Do your research ahead of time and ask questions to find out what is allowed, and then start planning your perfect apartment decor!
Reach for the sky
Apartments are notorious for not always having the best natural lighting, so with the windows, you do have, play up ceiling height in an optical illusion. The perfect, easy, and most cost-effective way of making your apartment’s ceiling look higher is to hang long drapes —as in floor-to-ceiling length— as high as you can, and as close to the ceiling is optimal.
If your apartment feels more dark and dreary, or you need more light, paint the apartment in bright colors! Try a yellow-orange in the living room, spring green in the kitchen, or light blue-grey in the bathroom. Avoid dark colors; it will make the space feel even smaller.
Also, consider a neutral palette; it’ll help the rooms flow together!
Go small
If your budget allows, invest in small furniture or dual-purpose furniture. The trend in furniture is big sectional furniture with a chaise lounge and a big, plush footrest, which is super intrusive in a small living area. If having one is non-negotiable for you, then, by all means, get one, but a small couch or a couple smaller chairs increase the size-feel of a room dramatically.
Using dual-purpose furniture is helpful in saving space. Finding a bed with drawers or storage underneath is ideal, or utilizing a chest as a coffee table to store games or blankets in. Are you in need of a home office, but don’t have an extra room or space? You can find wall-mounted desks that fold into the wall and look like a cabinet when it’s not being used, and fold out into a nice desk space when you need it!
Mirrors
Another great optical illusion can be created with the use of mirrors. Floor length mirrors are the perfect touch in adding depth, and small mirrors on the living room wall, instead of pictures, creates a chic look in addition to faux space!
The same idea can be applied to artwork. Displaying dramatic artwork from floor-to-ceiling, similarly to curtains, accentuates the height of any room! The visual continuity of both mirrors and artwork creates a sense of calm.
Lighting
Lamps are a perfect statement piece in any space, but in small spaces, they tend to clutter up the environment and block the flow from room-to-room. Investing in hanging lights or light fixtures mounted on the wall will free up space for other design.
Get organized
Getting organized in a no-brainer in a small space. Utilizing bins in every nook and cranny is quite helpful, as well as hiding all electronic cords and cables with a plug-in hub or colored fabric tape to help it hide in plain sight!
In a kitchen with limited space, try a hanging pot rack that suspends from your ceiling to hang pots and pans.
The idea of an open shelving concept in the kitchen has received much notoriety lately for creating the illusion of open and airy space, however, if you’re not extremely meticulous in putting dishes away neatly, it could look cluttered and disorganized fast!
Hopefully, these tips will get the creative juices flowing and you can turn your apartment into an organized sanctuary!
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