Most of us, at one time or another, have lived in an apartment. In fact, many of us still do, especially if you live in a place like London, Hong Kong or Singapore.
This month we’re going to try and give you some tips for styling apartments and making the most of the space, however big or small it might be!
Step 1: Apartment Decluttering
Well, we always start in the same place with our tips and we aren’t going to break tradition today. So, our first tip when living in an apartment is to declutter. I know we talk about it all the time, but it really is key if you’re living in a small, single-level space.
You don’t have to do it all at once, but move slowly from room to room and channel your inner Marie Kondo!
Step 2: Apartment Zoning
The next important step is to define your space. Most apartments these days are open plan, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have rooms within rooms. You can still have a living-dining room in a small area as long as you create different zones in the room.
One of the easiest ways to do this is with a rug. With well-placed rugs that are the right size – neither too big or too small – you can create a cohesive dining ‘room’ unit, separate from your living ‘room’ area.
You can also define spaces with large pieces of furniture placed as separators, as well as with the art on your walls or the way the light fills different areas of the room. If you want a separate living room and dining area, then make sure that you have an overhead light for each space.
Step 3: Apartment Storage
Storage in an apartment is essential, but it has to be smart storage. A giant wardrobe filling half the bedroom may fit all your things but it will also make the room feel smaller.
Great storage should make your home feel much more spacious.
With apartment storage, it is all about using the space you have. If you have high ceilings, think of vertical storage. If you have any stairs, can you use the space below them.
Think about hiding your storage within larger pieces of furniture too, like with an Ottoman bed. Chances are you won’t have too much space to pull out drawers, so a hydraulic lift-up system is perfect for an apartment bedroom.
Bench-style seating too, with storage underneath the seats, is a fantastic way to hide away your extra things in the kitchen.
Step 4: Apartment Furniture
Make sure your furniture is in proportion with the size of the room. It doesn’t take a genius to know that large furniture in a small room will make it feel even smaller, but here are a few other smart tips for placing furniture in an apartment.
Try and keep the larger pieces of furniture neutral so that they don’t take up too much visual space.
Keep your furniture away from the wall, this again makes everything seem bigger, an Inch is fine!
Step 5: The Details!
Start your decor at the front door! Add a small table, mirror or plant outside your front door and you’ll feel at home before you even open the door!
Bringing the outside in by maximising your view, is another trick to making everything feel bigger. You can do this by framing the window with beautiful curtains and keeping the rest of the wall-art to a minimum.
Make the most of any unusual features in the architecture of the apartment, such as beautiful wooden floors or beams by, again, keeping other decor to a minimum and using tones that match.
Most modern apartments often lack character in this regard, so have fun with colour, lighting and art to add your own unique personality to the space. Our blog on mixing patterns and textures is a great place to start!
All photos from this article are from a recent home staging project in Hong Kong.
