Just moved into a smaller size home & don’t know how to make it look & feel good? No problem! Here are 12 genius small apartment hacks & small apartment tips you have to know about for an effective small space!
Small homes can be a big challenge for first time owners: they are hard to furnish, decorate & arrange. That’s why you’ll need the best resources & ideas that’ll help you easily transform your space!
And this one’s definitely it!
This guide is specifically tailored to your small apartment. I’m showing you 12 genius small apartment hacks (decor, design & storage as well!) that are crucial in creating the most effective, yet stunning small home ever!
The best small apartment hacks
01. No more floor lamps
If you really want the best for yourself & your small space, you’ll say no to floor lamps! They are such a waste of your precious floor space!
Instead, opt for wall sconces, table lamps & wall light fixtures. They’ll not only help you utilize your vertical space & save you tons of floor space, but they’ll also let you illuminate all the surfaces you need or want to illuminate!
And this alone will help you effortlessly create some seriously stunning focal points in your home, which will open up your space nicely.
02. Limit your color scheme to 3 colors only
Want to create an airy, harmonious small space that never gets overcrowded? You gotta think in a smaller color palette then!
Choose a maximum of 3 colors you’re going to work with throughout your whole apartment. Your best shot are light neutrals combined with some warmer undertones, like brown, blush pink or gold. Together they can bring such a cozy, energizing atmosphere to life!
Why is narrowing down your color palette so important though? Simply because less colors make your home look more put-together & cohesive, no matter the size of it. But especially in small spaces will you be thankful for a clean color scheme, that avoids an overcrowded outcome clashing colors can create.
03. Utilize vertical space for storage
When you’re short on space, you have to get creative with storing your stuff. This is where all that vertical space you have comes into play!
Therefore, one of the most highly recommended small apartment hacks is to start going vertical with storage! You’d be surprised how this alone can transform your whole space!
So install those floating shelves onto your living room walls, get a wire wall grid panel for your kitchen utensils, store your books & decorative stuff on tall bookcases and get a multiple tier rolling cart just in case you need more space as well!
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04. Master the art of making functionality look good
No matter the size of your home, too much functionality showing can ruin its aesthetical value. But especially in smaller size homes do you have to really master the art of making your functional, everyday items look good!
First, consider getting a cable management box or tuck away all those cords neatly, so that they’re out of sight.
Then, start focusing more on your everyday items in plain sight. Especially in your kitchen & living room! Try to get them all a cute storage box, or if you can’t, make it seem like their placement was intentional.
How do you do that, though? If your reading glasses are on your coffee table, place it on a decorative tray & surround it with your favourite decorative items, like a candle or a vase.
Another great example of this intentional placement is if you leave your kettle on your countertop, but create a beautiful composition out of a wodden cutting board, a decorative fruit bowl, a vase filled with , your beloved candles & a few cookbooks in its immediate surroundings.
The key is to counterpart your functional items with items that are of high aesthetical value.
05. Opt for multi-purpose pieces
If there’s one thing that will literally save your tiny home, it’s definitely multi-purpose furniture! Some of them are wall-mounted, folding or extendable, so they’ll maximize your space.
Not only that, but because they are fit for multiple purposes (hence the name), you won’t have to get the items for each purpose individually. Which is super wallet-friendly, as well as space-saving!
So don’t hesitate & invest in some great multifunctional pieces for your tiny home & rationalize your space!
You’ll love a lift-top coffee table, that acts as a coffee table by day, but a home office by night. A wall-mounted folding desk could double as a tiny office space, as well as a dining area. For a studio apartment, a sleeper sofa could also be advantageous.
06. Work with natural materials
Prioritizing natural materials in a small home is one of the most crucial small apartment hacks out there, that’ll help you elevate your home easily. Think rattan, seagrass, wood, cotton, bamboo, silk, linen or jute. All of these contribute to an airy, harmonious design.
And you might have already noticed, that the more simple you go, the better your small apartment looks. This is a basic principle of small space home decor! When you work with simplistic natural materials, you won’t be able to take your eyes off of the outcome!
But what’s even more important, is that you’ll be able to open up your space nicely, creating the illusion of a much larger apartment. And when you pair it with a neutral color palette, the outcome will be out of this world!
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07. Build around your bed
If you feel like your bed is taking up too much space for no reason, you’re probably right! A regular bed that offers no storage space under or above will make you sacrifice lots of valuable floor space for nothing in return!
So get yourself a platform bed with storage if you can. But if if that’s not possible, definitely try & build a storage/shelving unit around your bed!
There’s no need to have it all custom-made, when you can do it yourself! First, you’ll need to elevate your bed with bed risers. You’ll want to get some underbed storage baskets, drawers or containers to place under your bed.
Then, add that very much needed extra storage space above your bed using wall cabinets, high cabinets or wall cube shelves. And there you have your custom shelving unit!
08. Don’t forget to add plants & flowers
Feel like something’s missing? You might not have enough plants & flowers in your home!
We often forget about bringing a little life into our home with the help of our favourite potted plants, freshly picked seasonal flowers or even dried flowers.
But especially in small spaces will you be able to sense the negative effects of your home lacking plants! The atmosphere will be dull, lifeless & this is only going to make your space seem smaller.
If you want to avoid this happening to your home, incorporate more plants in nice stoneware or ceramic pots & flowers in glass vases into your home! This one is one of the most impactful small apartment hacks out there, so make sure you act on it!
09. Learn to organize your kitchen & nothing will go wrong
If you’re mindful of how you use the space you’re blessed with in your kitchen, nothing can go wrong! Great kitchen organization is basically the foundation to a decluttered small apartment that feels larger than it actually is!
This can easily be done with the right types of organizers, that are specifically tailor to small spaces. Under cabinet organizer shelves, corner shelf organizers, a fruit hammock or under shelf mug hooks will make sure you have maximum cabinet space, for example.
If you want to learn how to maximize your kitchen space & organize your things like a pro, definitely read this post on the top 22 life-changing small apartment kitchen storage ideas!
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10. Choose the right size decor
There are tons of ways to go wrong with decorating a smaller size apartment. One of which is regarding proportions: you might have chosen the wrong size decorations!
Of course, we all want our decor to be the main focus in our home, that’s why we tend to go with larger, more eye-catching items. But this is not very beneficial for small spaces! See, when your stuff is disproportionally large to your tiny apartment, it’s going to make it look much more cramped.
So scale down on your decor (as well as your furniture, don’t get me wrong) & see how this simple idea creates the most harmonious look for your apartment!
11. Don’t underestimate your doors
Your doors don’t have to be empty anymore, because this is one of those small apartment hacks that’ll help you fully utilize your door space!
When you have a small space, you gotta work with what you have! And doors are the perfect example for that! They provide you with so many possibilities, especially regarding storage, you just have to utilize them.
Whether on your bathroom, closet or bedroom door, over-the-door organizers will lend a helping hand in providing some extra storage space for yourself. But over-the-door racks, hanging drying racks for your laundry & over the door hooks for clothes you can’t fit into your closet will also be super useful for this exact purpose!
12. Make sure you illuminate your home well & with style
Great illumination is key if you’d like your home to look its best! Wall sconces, spectacular chandeliers, stunning globe vanity lights, “black hat” chandeliers, glass pendant lights or multiple-light kitchen island lighting are all must-haves!
But proper surface & moodlighting is extremely important as well! I’m talking mason jars filled with fairy lights, icicle lights, curtain lights, table lamps, globe string lights & candles (normal or battery-powered)!
Not only can they create the coziest atmosphere ever, but they’ll also bring some eye-catching focal points to life. And when you have multiple focal points, you’ll instantly make your space feel much larger!
This post was all about the most life-changing small apartment hacks. If you know these 12 hacks, transforming your small apartment into the most effective space ever will be extremely simple!
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