How To Make The Most Space Out Of Your Apartment.

Trying to make the most out of a small apartment feels like a rite of passage. Everyone goes through the tiptoeing to get through small spaces, dinner parties with laps to rest plates on, and hidden storage all over the place.

Still, you don't have to deal with hosting guests in a small space that feels like you're all crammed like sardines. With a few quick tricks, you can reclaim additional space from your apartment and even make it feel spacious.

Storage.

This is the big one. More storage space is one of the first things to go in a studio apartment.

To keep a pantry organized without having to go to the store every other day is a challenge - especially when the pantry is proportionally tiny to your tiny apartment.

So how do you solve the issue of storage in a small apartment?

Double duty furniture.

By definition, a small apartment will be missing out on extra space but you can multiply the value of your furniture without it taking up more of your square footage by choosing pieces of furniture that fulfill multiple purses.

A coffee table with extra storage space below the surface can be a great place to store things like board games, video game controllers, and more.

You can even store books in there if you're not the type to have company over often but love to create some cozy moments for yourself with a good book by a window.

In the bedroom area, for example, you can invest in a storage bed to keep some extra items under the bed. Think warm quilts in summer and light clothes in the winter.

Maximizing space doesn't have to come with the bed itself, you can claim the additional storage under your bed with crates pr a custom storage unit made to fit in the cramped space below your bed.

Speaking of beds, you should look into a murphy bed if you live in a studio apartment.

Instead of giving in to preconceived ideas of what they 'mean' or signify, adding one to your small apartment can make a big difference. It means extra seating for parties, more room for activities, and more floor space if you want to work out inside.

Before you opt into using some unorthodox storage solutions, make sure that your kitchen cabinets are well organized. A little bit of real-life Tetris can go a long way.

Vertical storage

one very underrated trick to save space is using wall space.

Your bathroom sink could be completely overwhelming with skincare products and a useful but bulky electric toothbrush set but if you manage to add some sort of vertical storage - like a shower shelf but next to your mirror.

It's a great spot for extra toiletries and it also makes it so much easier to clean.

Since you're dealing with an apartment, it's important to pick something that works with adhesives and not screws but that's definitely possible.

Some extra sturdy floating shelves or ways to use your closet doors to store things like shoes can save more space than you thought was possible.

For small apartments, precious space is everywhere and you don't need a professional organizer to maximize space.

Taking full advantage of your walls and vertical space through hanging storage can make a massive difference.

Still, covering every wall is not the best idea. It's important to know where the limits are. If your vertical solutions are making it harder to move through a room then maybe it's time to think about getting a storage unit instead.

Making the space feel bigger.

Just because you have a small apartment doesn't mean that you should give up on home decor.

In fact, small spaces benefit the most from clever interior design. It probably won't get you a bigger sitting area but it can help your living room or bedroom feel more spacious.

Light.

Our bodies and minds absolutely love natural light. If you can find ways to add reflective surfaces to scatter natural light throughout your living area can have a hugely positive effect on your mood and health.

Floor-to-ceiling windows or mirrors may be out of your budget but doing what you can to create the illusion that your apartment is flooded with light will go a long way.

Studio apartments sometimes have to deal with only one room having a window capable of taking in enough sunlight. This is why mirrors on a front door or clearing up as much stuff as possible from the windows as possible is important.

When you're dealing with small spaces it's always worth it to make your furniture do more than one thing - that also applies to mirrors.

Dark spaces or den-like environments may seem attractive but, in a small apartment, it can make the place feel far more stifled and smaller than it is.

It's not just a question of style. Creating something that fits your personal style is super important, but not as much as making sure you're treating yourself to enough light.

Elements of Style.

Whether you're staying in that small apartment for a little while or a long time as you save up to move somewhere with more space, it's never too early to start defining your own sense of style.

This can steer easily into decoration tips but creating a focal point in a room is essential.

A focal point in decoration is something that draws attention. They come in multiple sizes and types; a nice TV, a beautiful but small painting, a moss wall, and so on. You then go ahead and design the rest of the space around that focal point.

The real tip among all the tips though is that you want to set that focal point a little higher than the average eye-line to get people to look upward.

For small apartments, this works wonders to create the illusion that the space is bigger than it seems. Take advantage of your tall ceilings if you have them, but don't stack storage items on top of tall furniture, that will help create a claustrophobic atmosphere instead.

Use high-up empty wall space for decorative purposes instead and leave the open shelving for your books lower to the ground.

If you find that you need a room divider, to create some office space, for example, think of something collapsible so that you can stow it away when not in use.

This can be very useful for remote meetings so that you don't have to carve out a tunnel of space behind you that's presentable at a moment's notice.

A final note.

Small spaces aren't a curse and they teach you some extremely valuable lessons about how to care about your personal items and your personal space.

The skills you develop after living in a small apartment transfer over when you, hopefully, find a better living arrangement. Instead of running out of space constantly, you'll learn how to create extra space instead.

Now it's time to roll up your sleeves and figure out what to do with all the clothes that are only taking up space in your closet.

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