At some point or another you will probably have to live in a small apartment. Whether it is your first apartment after moving out of your parents house, the apartment you got because you moved to a new city for work, or because you are not a fan of a high mortgage payment, it is bound to happen. At first that small apartment might not seem like your ideal living situation. Questions such as “Where will guests sleep?” and “Where will I store all my belongings?” and of course, “How will I decorate?” will run through your head.
Now, it is time to change your outlook. With a few creative storage ideas and space utilizing tips, you will be living in what feels like a spacious apartment, even if it is really not. Be willing to try some new ideas and you just might find yourself loving your small apartment.
1. Multi Use Pieces
Having a piece of furniture that has multiple uses can be a saving grace when it comes to maximizing space. You most likely will not have a guest bedroom in your apartment, but you can have a pullout couch. Pullout couches can be super comfortable and save you space. It is a piece that you will learn to love quickly when your best friend comes to visit and you don’t have to share your bed. Trunks can also be used as coffee tables, bedside tables, or end tables. This gives you the table space you want, while doubling as extra storage.
This tactic can also be utilized in your bedroom. Instead of having a traditional end piece to your bed consider putting a sleek desk with a compact chair at the end of your bed. This gives you a multi use space that you can use to get ready in the morning or do some work at home. You most likely will not have space for an office. Using the space in this way allows you to still have a desk and designated work space without an office.
2. Multiple Mirrors
Mirrors can completely change the look and feel of a room. Placing a stylish mirror above the couch, in the kitchen, or on any wall, can instantly make the space feel bigger. Mirrors give the illusion that a room is taller and wider than it actually is. Easily expanding the room, and giving it more dimension. Use as many as you feel comfortable using in the space. The repeated use of mirrors will continuously trick your eyes into thinking you are in a bigger space than you are.
3. Floating Shelves
The more visible floor space you have in your apartment, the larger it will seem. Therefore, to increase storage while also maintaining visible floor space, floating shelves are the answer. They can be attached to any wall, and you can use however many you want. If you want to create an interesting design and fill a wall with them, by all means go for it. They can be utilized in every room, from the bathroom to the kitchen. You can place baskets on them to increase your storage space even further.
4. Keep it Light
Lighting and color are everything when concerning how spacious an apartment feels. Painting the walls a light color will make the area feel more spacious. The light color tricks the eye into thinking there is more room than there really is. Allowing you to relax and not feel like your in a tight space. If you don’t want white, it’s not necessary, but keep the color light and maybe consider just doing an accent wall of color.
Keeping it light also applies to the use of natural lighting. Natural lighting will be one of your biggest helpers when it comes to opening up the space. Natural light coming through windows can immediately make a space seem like it is twice its size. Utilize this optical illusion to the fullest extent by using white curtains. The white curtains allow light to come through even when you don’t want the curtains open.
5. Add a Second Shower Rod in Your Bathroom
Small apartments will most often come with tiny bathrooms. Your bathroom can easily feel like a crowded space with stuff easily being knocked over all the time. An inexpensive way to quickly add storage space is to add a second shower rod to the inside of your shower. Place it towards the top so it doesn’t get in the way when showering and put S-hooks on the rod. You can now hang various items from the S-hooks such as, a shower caddy with shampoo and conditioner in it, or your favorite loofah sponge.
6. Fewer But Larger Pieces of Furniture
It is logical to think that since you have a small space, smaller furniture is the way to go. This method actually ends up taking up more space. In order to still have enough furniture for guests to comfortably sit, you end up with multiple small pieces of furniture. Collectively they take up much more space than one large one.
Instead of buying two love seats, buy one large couch. The couch will use more floor space, but you only need one. Thus eliminating duplicating elements such as an armrest. One large couch can also be placed up against a wall, therefore not taking up as much open space in the room. Whereas having multiples of small furniture would most likely force you to use some of the open space in the room, making it feel smaller.
7. Storage Ladder
A storage ladder is a decorative and useful piece to add to a living room, bathroom, or bedrooms. Most are wood ladders that can be found at many home goods stores. They easily can be used to hang towels or blankets. This method gets organizes your towels or blankets while taking up minimum space. If you want to increase their use even more hang S-hooks on them. The S-hooks will allow you to hang baskets from the ladder to further increase your storage. Truly any type of vertical storage is extremely beneficial when trying to maximize space.
8. Utilize the Open Side of Cabinets
If you have cabinets in the kitchen that are not closed in by walls on both sides, you have some storage space you may not have considered. The open side of a cabinet can be used to hang various kitchen needs such as a spice rack, oven mitts, or cooking utensils. You can attach command hooks or clips to the side of the cabinet and instantly you have increased your storage space.
Creativity is Key
You don’t need more space, you just need to be more creative with the space you have. Creating storage in unexpected places can not only be a fun experience but one that will have a huge payoff. Creative use of shelves, mirrors, and furniture can easily make a small apartment feel spacious and open.
Having a small apartment can save you a lot of money in either rent or a mortgage. Utilizing some of these space maximizing tactics can give you the ability to live in a smaller space than you thought you would be comfortable in. Don’t let the size of your apartment restrict you, get creative and make the most of your space.
About Author
Madison Clifton is a part of the marketing team at Transactly. She spends her days working with social media, and writing blog posts for Transactly. She loves learning and writing about real estate, and business. In her free time she loves to dance, read, and go exploring. Madison loves to learn new things and can often be found doing just that.