How to Make Good Use of Space in a Small Apartment

A small apartment is a fact of life in a city such as New York. If you want to live in one comfortably, you have to strip down to the (sometimes) bare minimum of what you need and either put the rest into storage or get rid of it. As long as you don't let your stuff overwhelm you, you can make due, even in a studio apartment.

Instructions

1. Remove every bit of clutter. Periodically go through your drawers, closets and cabinets to see whether you can get rid of anything. Once people throw out things they don't need, they open up a lot of space.

2. Get organized. Items that you don't use often should be put on higher shelves and in stacked boxes. Keep everything in its proper place to avoid messiness.

3. Purchase bed risers. They sit under each foot of the bed and elevate it about 1 foot from the ground. Keep blankets and clothes in storage boxes underneath the bed. Or purchase a loft bed so you can put your dresser or desk beneath it.

4. Rethink your options. An empty bottom drawer in your dresser can hold toiletries and beauty products you can't fit in the bathroom. Have a big suitcase that you rarely use? Store your bedsheets in it. Empty purses and tote bags can be used for stashing hats and socks. Bookshelves can also hold knickknacks.

5. Choose furniture with storage and space in mind. When purchasing a fold-out sofa, get one with a box underneath that's built to stow away linens. Buy bunk beds for the kids that have a dresser attached to it. Pick taller, narrower chests of drawers and bookshelves.

6. See what you can tuck behind the couch, on your closet floors, under your tables and on top of your bookcases. Your bike can slip between the sofa and the wall. Buy a rack where things besides shoes can be kept. Tuck your magazine holder under the coffee table instead of next to it. Stand oversize books on top of your bookcases so that you have extra shelf space for other items.

7. Pick a color scheme for your curtains, rugs and furniture that emphasizes lighter colors. Dark hues make spaces seem smaller and cramped.

8. Simplify your furniture. Instead of a three-piece sofa set, go for one long couch. Trade in your kitchen table for a drop-leaf to keep the room from feeling cramped. Pare down your wide desk to a narrower computer table and put shelves on the wall behind it to store your papers.