Living in a small apartment doesn’t have to leave you feeling cramped and restricted. You can rely on visual tricks to push back corners and create the illusion of more light and a larger space. Employing the right proportion and scale can help you create a really beautiful interior. Choosing colors that fool the eye is a good place to start to give your place an open feel. Taking advantage of every inch of available space for storage eliminates the clutter that may be closing in on you. Your tiny apartment can easily reflect your style and personality. Keep reading for seven tips that interior designers use to conquer small spaces.
Windows
Choose window treatments in the same color as your walls to avoid breaking up the space. Hanging curtains high instead of just above the window and selecting a length that falls to the floor will create an illusion of height.
Mirrors
Strategically place mirrors to reflect windows and make maximum use of natural light. Resting two or three oversized mirrors on the floor will do the trick and give your room a chic look.
Walls
Painting walls in pale shades will reflect light and make a room feel bigger and brighter. Using the same tones on floors and walls lends harmony and balance to your space while selecting vividly contrasting colors for different surfaces will make the room feel smaller. You can open up a room by painting the trim a shade or two lighter than the walls.
Lighting
Restricting lighting to only the ceiling fixtures that come with the apartment will make the corners of the room appear dark and the room smaller. Slender floor lamps can provide extra light that makes dark corners recede and enlarges the room. Select a slender style with the base and shade in the same finish for a seamless look that doesn’t take up too much space.
Storage
Storage is always in short supply in small apartments, so look for unexpected shelving locations over a doorway or in a hall. Think vertical instead of horizontal shelving to draw the eye upward and create the illusion of height. Floor-to-ceiling shelves provide a dramatic look as well as much-needed storage.
Even the neatest apartment dwellers have a hard time avoiding a cluttered feel when all the shelving is completely open, so mix open shelving with closed. Using completely closed shelves can drain a room of personality.
Shop for furniture that offers built-in storage or serves a dual function. Hidden storage under beds and sofas is also a great space-saver.
Furniture
Scale and proportion are the guidelines for furniture in a petite apartment. Swap out the overstuffed couch for a sofa on legs with low arms. Choose a round table or table with rounded corners that will occupy less space than a square or rectangular one. Glass tabletops won’t block the view and marble tabletops enhance your sense of space by reflecting light. Or, skip the big coffee table in favor of small side tables to keep traffic flowing. By using side tables, you can move them around the room and repurpose them to be a small desk or water table near your bed.
Art
Low ceilings call for visual tricks to lengthen the height of your walls, so try stacking artwork vertically. If you’re grouping small prints or photographs, exaggerate their size with wide borders and thin frames to make the wall look more open. If you’re hanging a statement piece with colors that are bold and powerful, juxtapose the dramatic work with minimalistic furniture.