How to Make Studio Apartments Cozy

Wall sconces provide lighting, yet do not clutter the floor area.

Studio apartments are also known as efficiency apartments and are typically the least expensive type of rental home. They combine one room that serves as a living room and bedroom area. Making this type of apartment seem cozy and intimate, rather than cramped or cluttered, is not a difficult task. Choosing the right type and size of furniture, colors and accessories enables the studio apartment to look welcoming and warm.

Things You'll Need

• Warm, earth-tone wall paint or upholstery, draperies and accessories
• Small-scale, multi-purpose furniture
• Daybed
• Comfortable chair, round table, tablecloth and small lamp
• Artwork or photographs
• Wall-mounted lamps or wall sconces

Instructions

1. Paint the walls with warm colors to create intimacy, such as beige, taupe, apricot, moss green or a deep gold. Warm, earth tones visually make the walls seem nearer, creating an inviting ambiance in the space. If your rental agreement does not allow you to paint the walls, use these colors in your draperies, upholstered furniture and other accessories.

2. Pick small-scale, multipurpose furniture. Low pieces visually expand the look of the area. A cedar chest doubles as a storage space and coffee table or even extra seating. Bookcases hold knickknacks, DVDs or CDs,books and baskets to store small items. This prevents a cluttered look that distracts the viewer from the cozy atmosphere.

3. Position tall pieces of furniture against the furthest wall from the entrance to the apartment and ensure you have a clutter-free path in your line of sight when entering. This prevents the apartment from looking crowded and messy.

4. Arrange the furniture in a "L-shaped" pattern so that you have enough space to walk into all areas of the studio apartment without feeling cramped. For instance, position the couch along one wall and the next largest piece of furniture at a 45-degree angle.

5. Invest in a daybed to serve as a bed and sofa unless your studio apartment is spacious. This is less difficult to put back together each morning. A sofa-bed combination often means the renter has to move out coffee tables or other furnishings to sleep and repeat the actions each morning.

6. Form two separate seating areas. Position a comfortable chair in a corner of the room. Set a small, round table nearby, covered with a tablecloth and a small reading lamp.

7. Hang artwork or photographs in the hallway to create the look of a mini art gallery. This fills the area and avoids an empty, dull-looking space.

Tips & Warnings

• Hang wall-mounted lamps or wall sconces in the studio apartment. This adds light to necessary areas and prevents adding clutter in the room.

References

• The Side Road; How To Decorate A Studio Apartment; Peggy Berk
• House Beautiful; A Surprisingly Large New York Studio; Carol Prisant
• House Painting Tutorials: Warm and Cool Room Color