Need the best small apartment design ideas? These 16 life-changing tips will not only maximize your space, but also beautify it like crazy! You won’t even recognize your own place – in the best sense possible!
If I’m being honest, designing a small space is one of the hardest challenges! Sinceyou have constrainst on space, you gotta think twice about what you CAN actually include in your design.
And not only that, but every small details becomes influential: you can’t use certain types of materials, colors or patterns & you also gotta be careful where AND how you place your items.
A complete nightmare!
However, this extensive guide was made just for you! Read & learn 16 life-changing small apartemnt design ideas that’ll both maximize your space AND beautify it like crazy!
the best small apartment design ideas
01. Add mirrors
Mirrors are literally the backbone to the perfect small apartment design! You HAVE to add them into your home as many times as you can, because they are super beneficial in small spaces!
Not only do mirrors brighten up & energize your space, but thanks to their reflective properties, they visually enlarge it as well!
So if you’d love to make your small home seem a bit more expansive, prop a few standing mirrors in empty corners & hang a few wall mirrors above your bed, sofa, dining room and in your entryway as well!
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02. Keep it simple
One of the easiest ways to instantly enhance any small space design is to keep it simple! What I mean by that, is that you should NEVER EVER opt for harsh, clashing colors, materials or patterns! Instead, go with tried & true shades, & simplistic patterns!
See this stunning home that was featured in Decoholic? It’s the perfect example of what you SHOULD do in a small apartment. This space is full of basic neutrals, like grey & white.
The limewashed wool rug & linen boho throw pillow are extremely simple, yet gorgeous! Their patterns are minimalistic, but you can still easily spot them from across the room. The perfect blend of minimal & exciting: just what your small apartment needs!
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03. Decorate window sills richly
When you live in a small apartment, it’s really important to utilize every inch of space you have! But there’s one surface that’s often forgotten about: your window sills!
Your window sills are honestly one of the easiest surfaces to utilize ever. So don’t forget about them!
Decorate each & every one of them richly with statement candle holders, framed printables, a decorative table lamp, ceramic vases, a stack of magazines & stick candle holders for maximum aesthetics!
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04. Make your vertical space work for you
One of the most crucial small apartment design ideas ever is to make use of your vertical space! Since you have a limited amount of floor space, it becomes more & more precious.
And this problem is extremely easy to solve. You’ll want to utilize something you have plenty of: your vertical space!
Whether it’s decor or storage solutions, you can easily make it work on your walls as well! There are lots of different types of wall shelves or baskets to store your things in. But your decor shouldn’t take up much floor space either! You’ll be better off if you prioritize pictures, photos, printables & other kinds of wall art over decor that takes up much coffee table, console table or even floor space!
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05. Place storage solutions into empty corners
Have a few empty corners you can’t seem to make useful? If you think about it, placing storage solutions into awkwardly empty nooks will make your space much more effective!
Tall bookcases, ladder shelves but even high cabinets are all great ideas! Thanks to their slim, yet high structure, they’ll become an indispensible part of your both aesthetically, AND functionally!
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06. Work with natural materials
Working with natural materials is one of those small apartment design ideas, that’ll instantly transform your space! Honestly, there’s nothing more stunning – especially in small spaces – than the cavalcade of wood, linen, seagrass, rattan & wool!
It’s so refreshing for the eyes! And especially gorgeous in small spaces! Since these natural materials are simple, they’ll contribute to an airy, expansive design. Which you’ll probably want.
So get a few woven rattan / seagrass baskets, a simple cotton sofa & headboard, incorporate a few boho linen throw pillows, ottomans & throw blankets into your design, create a wood slat wall & use wooden accessories for best results!
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07. Brass & gold details make everything look better
There’s nothing more elegant than a few touches of gold or brass! With their evergreen nature, they’ll turn your home into a sophisticated abode with lots of focal points!
And you might already know what focal points do to a small space: they make it feel larger!
So if this isn’t the perfect sign for you to add gold / brass details into your design, I don’t know what is.
Copy this whole look with the help of West Elm! The brass side table together with the eye-catching coffee tables bring such a royal composition to life that’s guaranteed to make you forget about the size of you space!
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08. Take your time choosing your rugs
If there’s one thing that can either make or break the look, it’s more than likely your rug choices! You REALLY gotta be careful with them.
It’s so easy to go wrong. If you choose something too large, you’ll end up narrowing down your space even more. But a too small rug is just as harmful: it’ll create a disproportional, tacky design.
Here’s an easy guide on how you can find the perfect size rug for each room.
But it’s not just the size that matters: make sure your rug is minimal in pattern, natural in material & simple in color. Geometric lines, limewashed wool rugs or boho diamond rugs are all fine, but don’t even consider something more eventful!
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09. Scale down your decor
One of the most useful small apartment design ideas is to scale down your decor. Of course, at first it might seem self-explanatory. But when you’re in the midst of designing & decorating your space, you’ll only think in extremes.
That is, to either sacrifice your valuable space for decor, or sacrifice your decor for more space. But what if I told you that you can have both? You only have to scale down your decor!
That means being mindful of your space & not trying to overcrowd it with items that are seemingly too large. Instead, go a few sizes smaller, so that you can have more!
Just take a look at the photo above! The coffee table is decorated well, but in a minimal manner. The vase is the appropriate size for the coffee table & the book isn’t too large either.
If you take a look at the floating shelf, you can see how there are lots of printables. Since they are all different sizes, but equally slim, the owner had no problem fitting them onto the shelf. The donut vase is also a few sizes smaller than it could be, so it doesn’t make the shelf look cramped.
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10. Prioritize statement chandeliers
Make sure you get statement chandeliers for every room in your apartment! They are not only super pretty & unique, but they also have some huge visual impacts in smaller spaces.
Since statement chandeliers, like black hat chandeliers, Sputnik globes, paper lantern pendant lights or modern LED ring lights are very exciting, they catch the eyes instantly. And when your eyes linger on something eventful, you’ll perceive your space to be much more expansive, since you won’t be focusing on how small it seems.
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11. Go vertical with lighting
One of the most underrated small apartment design ideas ever is to go vertical with lighting! We’ve talked about going vertical with your decor, but you’d be lying if you told me you’ve ever thought about swapping out your regular lights for wall lights!
Most of us don’t really consider that as an option. But when you need to save as much floor space as you can, it’s highly recommended.
So from now on, try to swap out your basic floor lamps & table lamps to wall sconces! They provide just as good surface illumination, but are much more space-saving!
12. Layer your decor
We’ve kind of all assummed that decorative items have to be lined up instead of stacked upon each other. Why? Probably because we though that if every detail was visible, we’d get the best aesthetic results.
That is not try & it’s better to hear it later than never: your decor is just as stunning stacked, as it is next to each other.
Take a look at the photo from We’re the Whites for inspiration! It’s decorated nicely with a couple of items. But as you can see, they’ve utilized the slight elevation the decorative books provide. The double knot, the candle holder & the decorative vase become at least 10 times more eye-catching on top of the books than if they were all placed next to each other in a straight line.
Try to recreate the look yourself!
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13. Create an accent wall
What’s a small space without at least one strong focal point? Creating a simplistic accent wall is all you need to make your apartment feel bigger!
However, you gotta be careful with this one. Since small apartments are not on good terms with intricate things, forget about anything too crazy!
To keep the simple, airy design going, you’ll want to establish a wood plank wall in your home. Or a wood slat wall. Both will catch the eyes, but they won’t make your space look overcrowded, that’s for sure!
14. Floating cabinets are the way to go
Anything without legs is a huge win in small spaces! This is acutely true for console tables!
Somehow regular console tables with legs just don’t look as suitable for small apartments. They kind of make your space look cramped.
So whether it’s an etryway cabinet, a storage cabinet or your media console, try to prioritize floating cabinets! They’re much easier on the eyes than their counterparts with legs.
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15. Install a few floating shelves
Have an empty wall somewhere? Whether it’s in your bedroom, living room or in a hallway, it might be one of the best small apartment design ideas to set up a wall of floating shelves there!
Let yourself inspire from the photo above! You’ll need to install a few floating shelves below each other. Choose a distance that you see fit. If you want it to be like a bookcase, definitely install them a little closer to each other. But if your home’s already packed with decor, take it lightly & go with an airier design.
Decorate the shelves with your favourite framed printables, sculptures, candle holders & dried flowers in decorative vases & admire your stunning new piece!
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16. Get a corner bench with storage for your dining room
I’ve NEVER seen this idea anywhere else, but I hope I can inspire you to get one for your apartment!
Instead of your basic dining room setup, go with something more fun & more suitable for your small space: a dining bench with storage! In this case, the perfect option for you is the IKEA Nordli 6-drawer dresser!
At first such a huge item may seem space-consuming. Of course, this bench takes up more space than 2 chairs, BUT it’s also MUCH more useful! You’ll be richer with one more storage solution. You can even bring a whole PANTRY to life in it! (That’s what my grandma is doing as well, it works like a charm!)
And trust me, no one else has it! If you want to be unique with your small apartment design, but also wouldn’t despise some extra storage, get one for yourself right now!
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