How to Maximize the Space for a Studio Apartment
- 1). Buy or build a Murphy bed. These wall units, which have been around for more than 100 years, are designed with powerful springs fastened to the base of the bed's steel frame and the wall, so that rather than pulling out a sofa, you lower the bed like a bridge over a moat. If constructing or purchasing a Murphy bed isn't an option, you can also opt for a sofa bed or put your carpentry skills to work by creating a loft bed (see link).
- 2). Use your dining chairs as both seating and wall art. Install a series of ornate hooks on your longest wall and hang your chairs from them when they're not being used. Paint your chairs in bright, fashion-forward colors to liven up your studio apartment's walls when they're on display and choose a rectangular dining table over a round one to save more space.
- 3). Choose a color palette that fools the eye into thinking you've got more square feet than your studio apartment's dimensions claim. White/light walls increase the feeling of space and if your studio apartment resembles a bowling alley, painting a short wall in a vivid color will create the optical illusion that the room's not as long and skinny as it really is.
- 4). Take a pass on Mom's thoughtful gift of her old couch if it's going to hog half the floor space in your studio apartment. Find small furniture pieces that work optical miracles---as evidenced by professional room stagers who prep homes for sale by trading big, chunky recliners and couches for slim futons and lightweight chairs.
- 5). Use mirrors to create an illusion of depth. Expect the mirrors to do more than just add visual space: you'll also gain twice the reflected light given off by windows and lamps. Choose wall-mount lamps in place of floor-hogging models to free up surfaces. Become a skinny shelf maniac to create storage in small areas.
- 6). Be clever about storage space. Use the top half of your chest of drawers for clothing and the bottom half for linens, serving pieces and rarely used kitchen items. Dump superfluous stuff that's not being used and donate it to a thrift shop in return for a donation receipt that will come in handy at tax time. Make it your mission to streamline your studio apartment so efficiently that you'll be eager to come home after a day spent in a cluttered world.
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