How to Arrange a Studio Apartment

Painting the walls a light, neutral color can make your small space seem bigger.

Studio apartments may be small, but there are many ways to make them less crowded and more like home. Because of the space limitations, storage is at a premium, and your furniture can seem packed in too tightly. Whether you own or rent your studio apartment, plan your furniture arrangement and coordinate your decor. Small spaces don't need to feel claustrophobic, and the smallest rooms can be made to be functional.

Things You'll Need

• Painting supplies and light color wall paint
• Bedroom furniture
• Living room furniture
• Mirrors

Instructions

1. Measure your space and furniture. This will allow you to test various furniture arrangements on paper to make sure they work before actually moving heavy furniture around your apartment.

2. Paint your walls and trim. Because of their small size, studio apartments can feel claustrophobic or cluttered. While furniture arrangement is a big part of the solution, painting the walls a light, neutral color can also make the space seem bigger and more like a home. According to Fresh Home, painting moldings and trim a lighter color than your walls can add to the illusion of space. If you can, finish your painting before moving any furniture or boxes in. It will be much easier.

3. Use as little furniture as possible and find furniture that has more than one function, like a storage trunk that you can use as a coffee table. Too much furniture is the quickest way to create clutter in a small space. Use under-the-bed storage to free up closet space and invest in floor pillows so that you can use your coffee table as a dinner table, too.

4. Place large furniture against the walls. While placing a bed in the middle of the room may look cool in a spacious loft, pushing big items like your bed, sofa and entertainment center against the wall will free up floor space and visual space. This will also help keep footpaths clear to make it easy to move around the limited space.

5. Define your living spaces. Most studios have enough space for both a sleeping area and a living area. Use existing or new furniture to separate and define the two areas of the room. A well-placed bookcase, especially one that is tall, can act as a wall between the bed and the living room. If you don't have a bookcase, a dresser will also work. You can also buy room dividers in pretty designs and incorporate them into your decor. An area rug can help define the living area, but be careful not to find one that overwhelms the rest of the decor.

6. Keep the floor clear. Use shelving on walls for storage instead of large and bulky drawers or armoires.

7. Hang or lean mirrors against the wall. Using a mirror is a well-known device to make your small space look bigger.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the room is adequately lit. Bright lighting, natural if possible, will add an airy feeling to the room.

References

• Fresh Home: 5 Tips for Fooling the Eye and Making a Room Look Bigger
• Rental Decorating Digest: Studios: How to Make Them Work for You!

Resources

• Apartment Therapy