How To Optimize A Small Apartment Space - on Blogger!

Living in small apartment spaces can be challenging practically and aesthetically. The space can tip over to being overstuffed and can become disorganized.  These are ideas to set small spaces up efficiently, so they function properly and are allowed to display their considerable charms.

Generally, in small spaces you are forced to decorate up against walls, since there is not enough space to place objects in the middle of a room. That’s okay, you can plan to to decorate up against walls, when you understand the walls themselves, the width and the height, and where the corners are. This restriction can work in your favor when you envision the different furniture options you can place against them. What furniture do you wish to place near the windows? What can you place in the corners?  

Using clip lights on an armoire, bookcase or desk, highlights the given location,  reaches the apartment walls, warming and opening up the space. Plants and other objects can be positioned to reach the light. These clip lights are inexpensive and are easier to reach or replace than overhead lights. These are especially helpful if the light in your apartment isn’t great. Consider brighter color pillows, throws and duvets, too, if the lighting in your apartment is less than optimal.

A faux electric fireplace can really warm up a room. Small versions are available. They can create a bit of drama, while adding to the lighting.

There are many considerations when buying a couch, especially for a small space.  A light-colored couch can fill up a space, but a gray or neutral-to-dark couch hides inevitable stains. You can cover the couch with bright, interesting decorative pillows and throws, which color contrasts with the couch. Throws and pillows are easier to switch out and update than the couch, so consider keeping the couch a neutral color.

In addition to color, contrasting textures between the couch and throws and pillows can work well. If the couch is big enough to sleep on, it’s easy enough to convert it to an occasional bed, without it being the obvious college futon. Depending on the design, you can use the couch for storage space underneath. Don’t overstuff underneath; think flat, minimal and organized, with under the couch storage. Keep it organized. There are also couches with storage to consider.

Similarly, a word about under the bed storage. Don’t overstuff because usually air or heat needs to circulate under the bed. Once again, keep under the bed storage flat and minimal, allowing a gap between the storage and the bed, so air can go through. There are products that can help you achieve this storage goal.

Make substitutions. Maybe your space isn’t ideal for big stuffy furniture, but you can have a reading pillow.  No room for a kitchen island but there are smaller, moveable rolling carts available. You maybe can’t have a chandelier but ceiling fans with lighting doubles your use. A great big bean bag chair could work better than a recliner depending on the space. 

Be ruthless about getting rid of objects, clothes and clutter that accumulate. A small space can easily go from charming to stuffed up quickly. The less stuff around, the neater, more organized and more expansive it will look. Donate, resell, eliminate. Chances are, out of sight, out of mind, if you don’t see it, you probably won’t miss it. Small spaces are actually beneficial that way. It’s all the more reason to get rid of stuff.

The traditional advice is to paint the wall in a light color to expand the space making the space seem larger. However, painting one wall a bright solid flood of color, that is pleasing to the eye, or painting with bright colored trim, might provide a focal point in a small space.

One of the many considerations of painting is what objects you will place on a wall after it is painted. There is also the advice to utilize large paintings, rugs or objects, such as pillows, planters or baskets, in small spaces to make the space look more expansive.  If you have a lot of small items, make sure to group them together to create cohesion.

A small space doesn’t mean that you need to forget comfort and luxury. You can use luxurious materials like velvet and faux fur in small spaces, keeping in mind their effect on the surrounding space, and what you are trying to achieve. Perhaps a chaise lounge would suit your design aesthetic and would well if you don’t want a conventional couch.

Color matching may be obsolete. You may want to try blending colors together as you fit objects you love into a room. You can watch the color of these items meld together and create harmonious color combinations you haven’t considered. The point is to not have to color restrict in the space.

Have you ever seen a room that is too strictly color-coordinated?  You only see perfectly matching rooms in magazines and may want your space to have a more realistic feel. Color matching can be constrictive.  Rather than sticking to a color palette, see how different colors and objects meld together in a room. The colors are closer together in a small space, more noticeable, so consider mixing them liberally for maximum effect.  

With limited wall space, make sure to use it well. The traditional advice is to fill up the space with larger, not smaller objects. Don’t get a half mirror, get a full mirror. Get a tall armoire not a chest of drawers. Thinking carefully about what you are putting in place, trying out different options on paper or online, may save you time, money and problematic utilization later on.

Speaking of armoires, getting one that is a flat, box shape ensures that you can store or display items at the top. A curved armoire doesn’t work as well to display smaller items at the top. And, you really aren’t able to get enough distance to see its unique curved shape anyway.  Design, and the amount of real estate it can create for you, matters. Don’t lose storage opportunities since storage is at a premium in small spaces.

Long thin furniture, such as consoles, tables or benches, can be hidden against a wall, behind a couch or behind or beside a bed for storage. Very handy to have a console next to a couch or a bed that seemingly doesn’t take up a lot of space. A visual trick and very handy, these furnishings are a practical display for lamps, chachka and books.

Look for convertible pieces or objects that are multi-use. A small secretary-style desk, with lots of drawers, can provide storage, and serves as a computer desktop area.  A small table can serve several functions including as a study or dining area. A coffee table can be moveable and provide storage. A sleeper chair can become a bed. A daybed can take the place of a place of a couch.  An antique wooden knitting box can become a magazine rack or storage for folders.

Pieces of decorative tile can serve as coasters or as a surface for under plants and books. You can line pieces of tile up on a windowsill for a textured effect. These tiles integrate into your existing décor, adding texture, without adding bulk.

Window treatments, blinds and shades provide lighting and privacy options. They are one of the most effective ways to level up the look of a small interior. You can get inspiration from high-end designer options, while utilizing one of the many budget-friendly blinds and shades companies available online. Blinds and shades are another instance where sticking to light colors and neutrals, that integrate with the surrounding walls and cabinets, works well.

Decorate with books.  It’s good to keep in mind that they are aesthetic objects, besides their actual purpose, that have an effect on your interior, whether as stacks or lined up on a bookshelf. If you have an overabundance of books, stacking them artfully or grouping them together helps.

You can maximize closets with hooks to hold things on each side or from the back. Hooks can be a convenient feature throughout a small space, providing an easy way to arrange items like towels, clothes and bags. Aesthetically pleasing, such as on doors, they can change the look of a wall, in addition to being a great way to organize.

Baskets can serve as quick, easy and aesthetically pleasing storage in corners of a room or on the top of an armoire or cabinet. They can hide a multitude of sins like awkward corners and electrical outlets. You’ll never lose sight of an outlet, a remote control or folders if they are stored in a basket.

You can create a hedge on a window with plants or use plants as decorative objects to make a space look more interesting. The shape of plants impacts the look of an apartment. Once again, one large plant can have a major impact, warming up a space. Plants make a space look more lived in and more luxe at the same time. They are worthwhile additions to your space and can feature health benefits too.

A tray or a platter can become a focal point grouping objects together, rather than have objects spread out all over the place on a countertop. You won’t lose an object if it’s part of a group on a tray. Trays and platters can vary greatly and be very stylized.

Older items add character and interest. You can integrate useful vintage and antique objects into your space, such as an antique silver platter to hold your keys, and other unique finds, such as tins, planters, antique mirrors, kitchen pottery, yarn holders, shoeshine boxes, trays and more. Go beyond typical use and re-purpose your thrift store finds as decorative enhancements.

Switching out handles, knobs and pulls can be a great way to change up the look of cabinetry. How do they make your apartment look more expansive?  Better knobs and handles are a focal point for the eye, adding distinction.

A bulletin board above a desk is great way to keep you on track, with calendars, and you can pin all kinds of inspiration and reminders. You can even have one custom made. What’s more, you can make the bulletin board changeable artwork as seasons pass.

In a small space, everyday objects that you use can become displays. Racks of clothes, hats, collections of pans, baskets, bags, scarves and mannequins are typical objects for display. Come up with your own based on the objects you collect.

Many household items are now designed for smaller spaces. Look for them to provide problem-solving and convenience. Air purifiers are a way to mask noise, solving two problems at once for your small space. A wall plug charger outlet extender is more elegant than extension cords on the floor. Look for these kind of devices, that are highly functional, and make your small space look neater.

And finally, let the space speak to you, if you live in a 1900s building with crown moulding, don’t plan on an ultra-modern design with lots of neon. Make it your own while respecting the space as it exists – or not. Some people enjoy the contrast, the old and new, the crown moulding and the neon together, the different styles contrasting each other. Either way, old or new, remaining conscious of different styles will serve you well as you plan to decorate within the parameters of a small space.