Designing your studio apartment may feel like a challenge sometimes, due to the smaller space you have in comparison to bigger apartments. However, when carefully considered and planned out, you can give yourself many more options to let your design ideas run free.
Whether it's through layout, furniture choices or accessories, there's many different elements to consider. In this post, we'll cover 13 different options to make the most out of your studio apartment:
Keep It Minimal With A Platform Bed
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Due to the smaller feel that studio apartments have, investing in a loft apartment can free up verticle space, creating a sense of increased size. Verticle height can do wonders throughout any smaller space, therefore fitting in perfectly with studio apartments.
As well as freeing some verticle space, platform beds are also super aesthetically pleasing from a minimalist stand point. With clean lines throughout, it blends in perfectly in with your space, making it feel like you have one less piece of furniture in your space.
These beds come in a variety of finishes, the majority in a wood finish. The natural tones can act as an accent in your overall space, whether you want it to contrast other primary colours or have cohesion to it, that's entirely up to you. Both choices look equally as good.
Incorporate Open Shelving Throughout Your Space
Image Credit: Ben Simpson Furniture
One of the most effective ways to free up some space when it comes to storage is through open shelving. Without loosing any actual storage space, just having one simple, flat shelf can create an airy feeling to your walls.
Like platform beds, open shelves come in a range of different finishes, inlcuding wooden finishes, painted shelves and metal shelves. Every finish will have the same effect (that being freeing up space), it will depend on what interior design style you're going for in your space in regards to how well they'll fit in.
Alongside storage, open shelving is also perfect for displaying decorative pieces, keeping the focus on the piece itself. The shelves themselves can add that extra bit of colour/texture to make all of your decor feel more connected.
Install a Sliding Door To Efficiently Separate Your Space
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A sliding door is another effective way to save space in a super efficient way. Although your door will space shut most of the time, a sliding door will give your more space for things like extra storage or a workspace.
Sliding doors can also feel more like a space separator, helping you to create the feel of designated areas in your studio apartment in a super minimal way. Lighter colours such as white and grey along with lighter wood speices work well due to the size. You can definietly go for a darker colour, but you might loose some sense of space that comes with lighter tones.
Apply Natural Materials To Add Texture
In most spaces, natural materials can add warmth and texture. This is especially the case with smaller spaces like studios, due to how many light, soft options you have available that don't create an overbearing feeling.
For studios, incorporating materials like wood through elements such as flooring and shelving can add a ton of texture and overall visual interest, acting as a perfect focal point for your space. You can easily base the rest of your colour palette accordingly using lighter colours to further keep the open feeling.
Using materials such as cotton or jute for pieces like your pillows are rugs can add coziness to your space, whilst adding some extra texture to make your space more inviting.
Use Rugs To Define Spaces
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Keeping on the topic of rugs, rugs are perfect for defining spaces, especially in a smaller apartment. The best things about tugs is how they don't tak eup any more space than other decor pieces, instead they fill a gap.
As they're on the floor, they don't feel as if they actually fill any extra space. This gives you the opportunity do go for a bolder statement piece like an oriential or kilim rug, or keep it neutral with a jute or plush rug.
Include Wall Art To Liven Up Your Walls
Wall art will always be one of the best ways to add some personal creativity in your space. With so many different designs for you to choose from, there's a style out there for everyone. With studio apartments, you can either go for a minimal piece that blends in with your colour palette, or go for bolder art to be the focal point of your space.
The Bauhaus movement supplied us with tonnes of wall art designs, featuring bold colours and geometric shapes. These designs are perfect to make a statement in your space, but be sure to not overcrowd the same space to keep the focus on the art piece.
For a piece that blends in better with your space, a boho print or a minimal illustration print will seamlessly flow with the rest of your colours whilst adding that extra visual (personal) interest.
Look Out For Some Smart Bar Stools
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Using barstools for your countertop seating can be the perfect way to save space if you already have seating, whilst adding extra minimal seating if you don't. The clean, exposed lines that characterise these chairs allow light and air to pass through, making the area of your space feel generally lighter.
You can find a wide range of different designed bar stools for your space that incorporate different materials. Wooden stools can add some natural warmth and texture to your space, whilst metal stools can add an industrial, minimal vibe instead.
Add Some Extra Texture With Decorative Cushions/Pillows
Another super effective way to add some texture and coziness to your space is through a decorative cushion/pillow. This piece of decor works in a similar way to wall art, as they are available in a range of different designs, all of which can add a personal touch to your space.
There are many different materials that you can use, including cotton, linen, jute and velvet, all of which create a different tone, subsequently working with different styles better. The same can be said for the designs on the pillows, with plain, simple pillows that are carried by their texture or bold colourful designs that stand out much more.
Keep It Functional With a Coffee Table With Storage
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A stylish coffee table can do wonders in a smaller space, as their small nature can prevent too much room being taken up. A key element in small spaces is to maximise your storage, so having a coffee table that can hold some extra things laying around is a great way to keep clutter free.
Keeping things as minimal as possible with the design of your coffee table will be best, as they'll probably be a little more chunky than a regular coffee table. Adding texture and visual interest through a wooden top can be a great way of preventing the table from becoming a boring block in the middle of your space.
Warm Things Up With Some Wood-Woven Storage Baskets
Keeping on the theme of maximising aesthetically minimal storage in your studio apartment, a woven, wooden basket rack can not only hold so much of your everyday items, it can add yet more natural texture to your space.
Another great element of this storage method is how little room they take up in comparison to traditional storage units due to being stacked on top of each other. Their simplicity also allows them to blend into the space, in a sense being their own decor piece.
Reflect Your Space With Mirrors
With smaller spaces like studio apartments, finding ways to make your space feel as big and open as possible will do wonders for your home. Using mirrors in your space is an ideal method in doing this, as they reflect the space back at your, creating a big sense of depth and size.
Nowadays there are so many different options when it comes to the mirrors design. For the most minimal look, a free standing rectangular mirror can project a good amount of your space back at you without you really noticing the mirror itself. An irregular shaped mirror can provide an extra touch of contemporary minimalist, whilst maintaining the function of reflecting the space.
Separate Your Space With a Room Divider
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With your studio apartment's different areas being so connected, finding minimal ways to separate your space giving you designated zones can create the feeling of separate rooms. A room divider is the ideal decor piece to do this.
Available in many different materials, colours and overall styles, you can blend these pieces in perfectly with your existing interior design style, making it so the divider doesn't feel out of place whilst retaining it's job of splitting up your space.
Bring In The Outdoors With Some Foliage
Incorporating plants into any space can do so much for its aesthetics, bringing the best parts of nature indoors. With studio apartments, this minimalist, simple way to add colour and texture can liven the space up like nothing else.
Either placing smaller plants throughout the living spaces and your bathroom or dedicating a wall for a hanging garden can be equally as effective in brightening up your space. Mixing and matching different plants can help with the visual interest and the overall natural feel.
Overall, there are many different elements for you to consider when maximising the potential of your studio apartment. Whether that's through overall colour schemes or small, finishing touches, focusing on keeping your space minimal whilst being functional will always allow for extra room to add your own personal creativity to your space.