What to do when you own a studio apartment?
If you own your studio apartment, consider investing in clever built-ins and flexible furniture. Features like these will not only make your space feel huge but may also add value to your home when it's time to sell.
Can you expand your apartment footprint?
Of course, you can't magically expand your apartment's footprint (unless you knock down your neighbor's walls). But with a little space planning and the right décor, you can maximize every square inch of your place to create the grown-up home you deserve—no remodeling required!
Can you turn a cookie cutter studio into a one bedroom apartment?
Turning your cookie cutter studio into a chic one-bedroom apartment is entirely possible with a few key pieces. Three standout items transformed this former crash pad into a jewel box home.
Create a Landing Area
Not every studio apartment has a built-in entry, but if you have some spare wall space in a hallway near the door you can create a landing area with simple wall hooks or floating shelves and a small bench if space allows. Otherwise, install transparent removable hooks on the back of a closet door to store coats, bags, keys, and umbrellas.
Zone It Out
Creating multiple zones will help enhance the impression that your studio apartment is more spacious than its footprint. Even small distinct areas for activities such as sleeping, eating, relaxing, and working will give you a sense that there are multiple rooms within a single space.
Use Area Rugs to Define Spaces
Add area rugs under your desk, dining table, bed, or sitting area to give each zone a self-contained feel. Don't be afraid to layer rugs in different patterns, textures, and styles, but keep a common color theme for cohesion.
Define Areas With Lighting
A pendant lamp over the dining table will define your dining area from above in the same way that an area rug defines it on a floorplan. By lighting your dining, kitchen, living, working, and sleeping spaces separately, you can illuminate areas in use and dim unused zones, giving you the sense that your one room apartment contains multitudes.
Rightsize the Furniture
Choosing lots of small furniture pieces for your studio apartment will create a cluttered and uncomfortable dollhouse effect. Select the largest pieces you can fit comfortably, taking care not to use oversized furniture, such as king size beds and overstuffed sectionals.
Hide the Bed
If you feel awkward about entertaining in a studio apartment with a visible bed, or don’t like looking at the bed during waking hours, install a sofa bed, a Murphy bed or a multifunctional piece of furniture that turns from a bed to a dining table or desk.
Make a Feature of the Bed
If you choose a bed that fits the space, there’s no reason to camouflage it. Instead, make a feature or even a focal point out of your bed. Give it a sense of presence with an extra-tall headboard that will take advantage of untapped vertical space and create an expansive feel. Have fun with linens.