How to efficiently decorate a small apartment

Doing an interior design for a small living space is often a difficult task. Comparatively small space should be arranged in a way that both looks good and fits contemporary criteria for comfort and functionality. On the other hand, a small apartment has a lot of benefits. It has that unique sense of cosiness, comes with a much, much smaller price tag, and the furniture itself could be bespoke and at the same time cost you less than furniture for a larger apartment. Not to mention that a smaller apartment would require much less maintenance on your end and the utility bills will definitely be lower.

Often, however, the owner of such properties give in to the impulse to think “functionality” at the expense of the design and the overall look of the place remains neglected. A compromise of the sort is completely unnecessary. Even with a small space available, absolutely stunning results could be achieved, beautifully balancing between design and functionality. This is how you achieve that balance.

1 Correct space division

At first, the idea to leave the entire space open could be very attractive. This is a mistake you should not make! Regardless of the small size of the apartment, often the open plan could get heavy on the eyes. Besides, if there is not a clear division of the room, in time the entire place will get cluttered and definitely start looking messy. This is really off putting!

The solution is to properly divide the area into smaller functional zones. The borders between those areas could be different, depending on your preferences. For instance, if you’d like to have a more private area where you could take a break, then the best way would be to install a sliding door to separate your sleeping from the living area. The door could be completely shut, giving you the much-desired privacy, or completely open, letting more light into the area. Speaking of sliding doors, there are a lot of choices. That’s why SBS Design offers you a free consultation with an expert and manufacturing a sliding door that will fit the space you have perfectly. Another option you could go for are the decorative space dividers or floor to ceiling bookshelves. If you go with the bookshelf you’ll save space by utilising the available area efficiently and have the apartment divided into a functional zones.

2 Invest in functional furniture

When you have the task to decorate small space, every centimeter counts. To achieve optimal results it might be a good idea to think of furniture that has more than one use (like a bookshelf that doubles up like a room divider). In this line of thought, choose furniture that fit the available space. Don’t go over the top, picking items that are too large for the space you have. Minimalism is key. Pick simple pieces which look good and give a sense of space. If you have the means, you can consider having bespoke furniture made. That will save you a lot of headache and running around, looking for the perfect piece of furniture.

3 Pay attention to unused space

It might sound weird to you, but even in small areas there are nooks that remain unused. At the same time, there are corners in small apartments that look overwhelming. So pay close attention and try to identify the areas that you’ve not utilised the best way possible. These might be empty corners or walls. Once you know which are the so-called “dead zones”, try to brainstorm some ways to use the available space.

For instance, you could use that huge window sill and turn it into a working space, or a reading corner that you could decorate according to your needs. Or have a corner bookshelf made to fill the space that’s empty and unused. The empty space above the fridge could be turned into a storage for plates you don’t use that often – all you need is a set of nice rattan baskets.

4 Think vertically!

When you plan on how to make a better use of the space available, the best you could do is use the vertical space. That means investing in higher shelves. Decorating a small space in such fashion gives the sense for space and in addition, this designer solution is quite stylish.

An example of vertical thinking are identical bookshelves, mounted symmetrically on each side of a door. Another good option you should give some thought is a floor to ceiling TV stand. We already mentioned space division, and a stand of the sort is a good way to achieve that.

5 Pick carefully the colour palette

Rich and dark colours create the sense of smaller space. That is why when decorating small apartments, your best bet would be to use lighter colours. If you’re the one choosing the palette, go for 3 colours – two lighter and brighter ones which will open up the space, and one darker colour, which will contrast and put an emphasis on certain design features.