Tips for decorating a small apartment
It’s easy to overstuff a small apartment and feel like you’re being suffocated by your belongings.
However, if you keep a few of these tips in mind, you should be able to decorate your home and feel like you have plenty of space to spare.
Keep it light
The first step is to make your walls and floors as light as possible.
Using light colours like beiges and whites will make your rooms feel bigger, and they are also a great neutral palette for any bold decor you want to use.
Use curtains or binds in a similar colour so they blend in and keep the walls looking continuous.
Buy a mirror
When it comes to mirrors and small spaces, bigger is better.
Hung opposite a window, a mirror will reflect the light, making the space feel airier. The reflection will also visually increase the amount of space in a room.
Metallic decor – think silver trays or chrome lamps – has a similar effect.
Downsize your furniture
You might love large, poufy lounges, but a small apartment is not the place for them.
Smaller furniture has the double benefit of taking up less space and making a room feel bigger, so downsize where you can or opt out of some pieces altogether if you can live without them.
Clear Perspex or glass furniture like coffee tables, side tables and chairs won’t take up much visual space, so they will help keep your rooms from feeling cluttered.
Buy items that can double up
Hollow ottomans are your friend here. They can be a foot stool, a seat, a side table, AND they can store bits and pieces like magazines and remote controls.
Similarly, a vintage trunk can make a great coffee table, and also store a large amount of clutter.
Any piece of furniture that can double as something else – a side table that can be used as a stool – is a godsend when you’re short on space.
Bring your furniture away from the walls
It might sound counterintuitive to move your furniture in closer, but even moving it 10 centimetres away from the walls will make your room feel instantly larger.
For bonus points you can mount your furniture on wheels, so you can move it about on a whim or rearrange it to suit your needs.
Get some greenery
Plants will make your space feel lighter, and they can be a great point of interest without taking up too much space.
If you’re really squeezed for space, you can hang them for the same effect without losing room.
Get decorative with depth
Small rooms lack depth, so smart use of floor rugs, throws, and hung artwork will add texture and create a sense of depth.
If you’ve painted in neutral tones, don’t be afraid to add a splash of colour here.
A large piece of art that has depth to it will create the same effect as a large mirror, so don’t be scared to go for something oversized.
Use floating shelves
Instead of using a large bookcase or cabinet, install floating shelves to give yourself storage without the bulk.
By installing shelves all the way to the ceiling, you also increase the amount of space you can use without taking up valuable floorspace.
Declutter
Get rid of the excess clutter (seriously, throw it out or donate it), and store the rest out of sight.
Buy boxes to store off-season clothing under your bed, use spare kitchen cabinet space to store recipe books and other trinkets, and try to get rid of anything you don’t use often but can’t hide away.
The more you store behind doors, in baskets, in drawers and boxes, the better: your home will look cleaner, for one, and there will be more visual space.
How do you like to decorate your space? Share your tips in the comments below!
Written by Rachel Clun. First appeared on Domain.com.au.
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