Apartments, especially city-centre apartments, are often not the most spacious of dwellings, but that doesn’t mean that you have to live in cramped discomfort.
You can make the most of your space, and if you’re a tad claustrophobic you can make your apartment appear bigger. City living can be tough and stressful, so you want your home to be a place where you can relax.
Make your small space that little bit more space-effective with these 4 design tips. Some are quick fixes, others are more permanent and long-term changes.
Try Different Layouts
Often the layout that you go for in the first few days of living in an apartment will be that same layout that you have today.
Change it up! Try something a bit different, sometimes moving a sofa to the other side of a room can really open the space up. The more you redecorate, the more likely you are to find that optimal layout that offers that open feeling without having to chuck any furniture out.
It also offers some more life to your living space. With ever-changing furniture you’ll feel less stagnant and may be motivated to keep looking for that perfect layout.
Let The Light In
Natural light can change a room entirely, if you let some light into your apartment it will feel so much more open. While it may not offer any more space, it will feel a lot bigger, which is exactly what you may need if you’re feeling claustrophobic while working from home.
The more open and airy feel of the place also offers a more natural and calming feel; it can change an apartment aesthetic entirely.
When You Can’t Go Out, Go Up
Running low on space? It’s time to go tall. Many apartments have high roofs, so leverage that when decorating a room.
No space for a radiator in your work area? There may be enough room for a vertical column radiator which offers the apartment some quirky personality too.
Or maybe your storage isn’t doing the job? Get a tall rack that you can hang clothes on and store shoes under; it takes up much less room than a cupboard and shoe rack while doing the job of both at half the price.
Use Shelving
Shelving can be a lifesaver. Whether it’s just odd trinkets, books, or actual storage, they allow you to store without taking up floor space.
You can get sturdy shelves that will comfortably hold your clothes and bedding if need be, and if you’re on a budget you can even make some shelves yourself. They also offer many layout options; want to go for the more traditional symmetrical layout? Or you can have them bunched, spaced out, overlapping – it’s up to you.
Bonus idea; If you’ve got a bike, get some racking in the hallway to hang it up, offering one less thing to trip over and some more freed up hall space.