Finding a home that is 100% perfect is close to impossible – usually, after you move, you’ll take some time to decorate and improve the place, so it suits your taste better. If you’re not feeling particularly inspired to design your new but tiny home, our small apartment ideas will be more than helpful for you. Check out the most useful tips we have gathered, and we’re sure you won’t have any trouble unleashing the interior designer in you.
At first glance, it will seem crazy to think that you can fit all of your belongings in such a tiny place. Won’t the place seem too cluttered or even claustrophobic? Not at all – if it’s decorated the right way. There are countless amazing ideas out there, and if you do your research, the chances are you’ll find something you like. But what if you have budget issues after long-distance moving? How to decorate a small apartment on a budget? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered.
With the help of your long-distance movers, you have finally moved to a smaller place. Just like any move, it was exhausting, and you’ve been under a lot of moving stress. It’s nothing unusual – we all feel a bit of anxiety before we move out. But, all that is now behind you, and once you unpack after the move, you’ll be ready to settle into a routine and adjust to a new town.
Yet, there’s one issue that still bothers you – how to decorate a small living room apartment you’ve just moved into? Worry not, we’ve got you covered. Even if you’re not the most creative person on the planet, with our tips for things to put on your new apartment shopping list, the place will feel like a luxurious mansion.
Interior designers know how to make the tiniest studio feel spacious, so the number of square feet shouldn’t be that big of a deal when house-hunting. It can actually be more fun to decorate smaller spaces because you need to use 100% of your creativity – plus, believe it or not, the task of designing your space is an excellent tool to fight relocation depression. Tricks like the use of bright colors to open up the room or exploiting the walls in various ways are well-known. If you get familiar with key principles of interior design, you won’t have any issues coming up with the design for your cozy nest – you’ll be enjoying the benefits of moving in no time.
This is 101 of interior design – if you know how to arrange your pieces and use the right colors and designs, a basic sofa can be so much more than a corner where you read a book (although we hope you wrapped your favorites when you packed books for a move) or binge TV shows.
Experts suggest that it’s best to have your furniture elevated from the floor when dealing with a tiny space such as a studio. What does that mean? Sofas and armchairs with thin legs should be your go-to solution – the place will seem more spacious this way. The same principle applies to coffee tables, and this type of design will also work for any pieces you plan to store in the bedroom (or part of the studio that will serve this purpose).
Another way to enlarge your studio is to get transparent furniture pieces – things made of glass or acrylic create an illusion of space, so keep that in mind when you go shopping for a coffee or the kitchen table. Additionally, acrylic chairs are pretty stylish, and you can combine them with almost anything.
Although you want to broaden up the place, that’s not the whole point of decorating. You want the pieces in your new home to represent your style and taste so that you can be comfortable there. So, don’t hesitate to choose certain items just because you think they will shrink the space. Your signature has to be visible in the design – don’t go for safe options, thinking only about avoiding the clutter.
Sometimes, bolder pieces can do more than classic, neutral-colored ones. But, be careful – you don’t want to buy too large items. It might be best if you had a garage sale before the big cross-country moving experience – this way, you can get rid of things you know won’t be suitable for your new little abode.
Those who live in a studio would benefit from separating the part where they sleep from the rest of the place. It’s best to put the bedroom area as far away from the front door as you can. There is a simple trick for separating a place into two zones – improvised bedroom and common area – that won’t cost you a dime (which is probably appreciated, even if you have found the cheapest way to move out of state).
Simply use furniture to make a barrier between the bed and the common area. You can put a desk at the foot of your bed – the bonus is that you won’t be facing a wall when you work. Sofa makes an excellent divider too, and tall shelves work just as well. Even a row of high plants can create an illusion you’re going for. If you’re not entirely broke after you’ve moved to another state, we also have a few suggestions that’ll require more money.
Even if you have rented a place and you can’t change things permanently, there’s no reason to panic – using room dividers is a straightforward and stylish solution that will provide you with the bedroom you need. If you have more freedom in decorating, you can divide the place in one of the ways we’ve listed below:
You don’t have a lot of space, so you must be smart about decorating it. There is a generally accepted rule for decorating tiny apartments – go vertical. The point is to utilize every inch of the place – walls included. You can also tremendously impact the impression of your place by playing with an idea or two for your floors. We’ve gathered a few tricks that work great for tiny spaces – check them out, and you’ll probably find something you love.
You may not pay much attention to your carpet on a daily basis, but it actually makes a huge difference. In smaller apartments, rugs can be used to separate the floor into a few zones visually – different colors will be a fashionable decoration and serve as borders of some sort. If you’re not so into classically shaped rugs, you’ll be happy to hear that irregular rugs (especially fluffy ones) are an excellent choice for smaller apartments. You will be drawn to the interesting shape and pattern, and you won’t notice whether the place is tiny or not.
Wall sconces are a brilliant idea for those who lack the place for lamps. Be sure to have one or two above your bed and sofa. Not only are they practical, but also chique. Now that we’ve mentioned lights, let us note that classic fairy lights would be an outstanding addition to all tiny spaces – don’t just remember them when you start thinking about how to decorate a small apartment for Christmas.
One of the best post-moving tips for those who’ve moved into a smaller place than they’re used to would be this one. Try to be as practical as possible – buy multipurpose items. For example, look for a table that is designed to be a kitchen table, a desk, and a coffee table all at once. Sounds impossible? We assure you – it’s not. Also, it’s wise to get items that can double as little storage areas. If you have a few of those around, it will never look too cluttered. Trust us, storage is the key for organized tiny homes.
Windowsill isn’t useless – at least if you’re creative. If you place the bed next to the window, the windowsill can be used as a nightstand. Add a flower pot or a desk lamp, maybe a photograph, and you’ll get a dreamy corner that is pleasant to look at. This can be done with windows in living rooms as well – turn the windowsill into a shelf.
Remember the rule – go vertical. So, that means high shelves are a must-have. When we say high, we mean reach-the-ceiling high. If you think you won’t have enough titles to fill them because you’ve donated books before your big move, don’t worry – shelves can serve as open-concept storage for many different things. The best thing is that you can’t go wrong with positioning them – wherever you put a shelf, it leaves an impression.
Of course, no residence is complete without beautiful paintings to decorate it. Place artwork strategically to make the space look stylish – you can hang it or even lean it to the walls. Either way, they will bring warmness into your place without making it seem too cluttered. Also, remember to hang a few frames with your favorite photos just to add a touch of personality to your place.
Designers say mirrors are an excellent way to fill out your walls and bring light into the place. You can’t put up too many mirrors in a tiny home – the more, the merrier. They should be positioned opposite the window. That way, they will reflect sunlight, and your place will seem brighter than it is. This idea works for all styles of homes, so be sure not to skip it.
In addition to regular shelves, you should also get floating ones to your wall. This is an excellent way to store decorative items or books that didn’t find their place on a shelf. Floating shelves are a lovely addition to the sleeping area, and they look great above the bed. If you add fairy lights on them, your place will seem magical.
You’d think that countless kitchen cabinets are an excellent idea for a tiny kitchen because they provide a lot of storage area, but that’s not exactly true. They will visually shrink the place, so it’s best to skip them. Don’t worry about the lack of storage areas – you can easily improvise things and arrange your items in the other part of your little residence.
If you’re committed to making the place look larger, don’t move your refrigerator with you – add it to the list of things to get rid of when moving to a tiny home because you’ll need to buy an under-the-counter version. You will be pleasantly surprised at how the area will seem bigger. There are countless little tricks such as this one, and you can see some of them in the video below.
Your cross-country move probably wasn’t a stress-free move, even if you had the best long-distance moving services out there. Understandably, it’s not easy to leave the familiar and step way out of your comfort zone – not even with professional movers and packers who provide exceptional packing services. But all that pressure to achieve an efficient relocation is behind you, and you can now focus on your new life and have fun decorating your tiny place. Be creative, and don’t let the residence size slow you down – let’s turn that little abode into a warm and lovely home.
