Do you have a small apartment? Do you still want to organize and decorate it? You need to save space.
Here are 20 novel tips and tricks to help you optimize small spaces.
Decoration/Design | Storage | Furniture
Decoration & Design
- Think coherently. In other words, try to avoid clashing colors. If to stay with the same color shade throughout the apartment, the place will appear continuous, and therefore bigger.
- A long and narrow room will seem larger with a mirror attached to the wall.
- If you place it near a window, the light shined on it will reflect across the entire room.
- Play shades off of them. For example, you should avoid installing wooden furniture against light-colored walls.
- Pull out your sofa from the wall. You think you’re saving space by pushing it against the wall, however it creates the opposite effect. Separate it, and place behind it a house plant.
- Choose a similar color for the curtains and walls. They will gently frame the windows and create an effect of openness.
- Place your sofa diagonally, in an angle. People sitting down will have the illusion of having more space.
- To create an impression of volume, play with the lighting. Avoid halogen lamps (they “flatten”). Multiply the heights of the various light sources. For instance, you could place lamps close to the floor, others half-way and finish it off by one on a closet/wardrobe.
- Don’t hesitate to separate a large room in two smaller ones (with shelves or a visual style change). The two rooms may be technically smaller but the ensemble will seem larger.
- Think large, without eating up the floor. A bookcase that goes from top to bottom, an oversized mirror leaned against a wall, or a large headboard will give an impression of size without using much space.
- Use a variety of flooring. Going from wall-to-wall carpeting to wooden floors gives an impression of diversity, and therefore space.
Storage
- Walls are often overlooked spaces in a small apartment or house. Think of installing shelves of various sizes and shape across them. Racks can come up to the ceiling, allowing a practical way to put away items seldom used.
- To save some storage space, favor high beds. They will allow you to slide under them drawers or large baskets/boxes. Some beds even include storage space right off the bat.
- If your bathroom is really tiny, multiply practical storage spaces (such as spring-loaded rails). They can be easily put together and you can hang on them a ton of small accessories.
- The mezzanine is always an interesting option to place additional storage space, as long as the ceiling is high enough.
- Don’t hesitate to install headboards with storage space. They may not be the prettiest, but they serve their purpose.
Furniture
- Never underestimate how useful retractable furniture is. They are made of elements folding over walls or disappearing within a framework. Space is freed up when the furniture is not in use.
- Stairs swarm with possibilities. Under the steps, you can create a hanging wardrobe, and transform the railing into a bookcase.
- Equip yourself with foldable furniture such as nesting tables, foldable chairs or stackable stools. You will be able to have people over without being overwhelmed with useless furniture the rest of the time.
- Don’t forget all the new technologies. Televisions are now extremely thin, and speakers can be embedded in walls.
- Think of making the inside of cupboards into small office spaces. You can include a retractable tray that pulls out when the doors are opened.
Let us know how much space you were able to save!