Studio apartments are great spaces, but it can be tough to decorate them without things getting too cluttered. Here are eleven ways to make your home cozy.
Studio apartments are highly coveted real estate in many parts of the world. These little homes have all the benefits of their larger counterparts with less upkeep and cost.
If you’re not careful, trying to fit your things into less square footage can create a cluttered look. There’s a fine line between making the most of the room you have and utter chaos.
Never fear, though. You can balance that line!
With a few tweaks to your decor style, you can have a homey studio apartment and still squeeze in all your favorite things.
1. Add Your Touch to the Walls
Most apartment rentals have bare, neutral walls. Covering them up with some personal touches turns the look from cold and boring to warm and relaxed.
Unless your lease says otherwise, you should be able to add some tapestries and art to the wall. Small, finishing nails don’t do a lot of damage. If you’re worried about holes, you can use double-sided sticky tape to hang light artwork.
Removable wallpaper is another quick and easy way to revamp a room. It goes up without a mess and comes down smoothly when you’re ready to move out.
2. Invest in Quality Furniture
One of the best things about a studio is that it’s an actual case of “less is more.” You can’t buy a lot of junk you don’t need because there’s not enough room for it all.
Instead of quantity, to make your apartment feel like home, focus on quality furniture.
To make the room you have more efficient, look for furniture that serves more than one purpose. A pull-out couch is perfect for company, and a bed with a storage headboard gives you space for your things.
Room dividers add a bit of privacy and give the illusion that the studio is bigger than it seems.
3. Break Up the Area With Shelves
For the look of a room divider with the perks of a bookshelf, open shelving units are the way to go. These almost ceiling-to-floor furniture pieces split the room into multiple areas.
There’s no need to decide if you want to use your unit in one room or the other. Since both sides are open, the shelves are accessible from either direction.
It does take up a little room straight through the middle of your apartment. But the extra space it offers more than makes up for it!
4. Fill the Corners
When everything seems to be in the right spot, but something is still not quite right — check your corners.
Too many open edges can make a room look harsh. Give it a homey feel by adding corner shelves or artwork. A standing lamp or coat rack is another simple touch, too.
Cutting out that glaringly open jagged edge quickly changes the feel of a room.
5. Change the Lighting
Bright lights are great in the kitchen. For a comfortable feel in the rest of the home, use mood lighting.
White bulbs are harsh, but they’re usually the cheapest and easiest to find. Look for bulbs that offer soft, yellow light, like incandescent bulbs.
Other ways to light your studio without using the harsh fixtures that are already there include:
- Floor lamps
- Dimmer lights
- LED light strips
- Fairy lighting
You’ll come home after a long day able to relax and unwind in a cozy-lit room. Worth it!
6. Add Soft Finishing Touches
The furniture and walls are the first things people notice in a room, but it’s the finishing touches that really set the scene.
As with an outfit, the accessories make all the difference.
Are you trying for an elegant and classy style? Rustic and outdoorsy? Contemporary?
Whatever look you are aiming for, it’s all in the finishing touches.
Complete your studio’s style with an area rug in front of the couch, some throw pillows, and a cuddly blanket. These little things add a soft feel, and you can find them in almost any design you are using.
7. Make the Place Smell Nice
Walking into a room and inhaling a familiar and enjoyable scent has an automatic relaxing effect. Your mind and olfactory senses are connected, and some fragrances trigger calm.
When you know which scents make you feel peaceful, bring them into your studio. With so many choices available, it’s easier than ever to find fragrances in air diffusers, candles, plug-ins, and wax melts.
8. Show Off Your Keepsakes
Having a collection of your favorite things or souvenirs that are sentimental to you is a good thing! It shows your personality or reminds you that you’re loved.
But too many curiosities, no matter how special they are to you, turn into dust collectors. Unless you’re regularly taking them down off their perches, cleaning, and using them, it might be time to downsize.
Keep your absolute faves, the items that have value to you for unique reasons, like your degree or family heirlooms. Find a place to display them in your studio where you’ll enjoy them.
Everything else can go in a storage shed if you have one or another home where someone will appreciate them more.
9. Add Plants
One of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health is to get a plant (or a few) for your studio. Such limited space makes it difficult for the air to circulate, and having at least one plant improves the quality of the air that’s there.
Depending on how many plants you choose to bring in, you might need to get creative with your placements.
There are macrame hangers that let you display your greenery from the ceilings. Succulent walls do double duty by covering up empty space and giving you the advantages of having a plant.
Of course, there is always the basic storage. Small pots can be set by the TV or on the kitchen counter where you’ll remember to water them. Large pots are perfect for the corner of a room to soften those sharp edges.
10. Cover the Windows
Your studio apartment’s windows help make the space look larger, but privacy is a must. Covering your windows is essential for your security and does the job of creating a relaxing atmosphere, too.
Use room-darkening blinds; you can raise them when you want to let in the sunlight. Over those, choose curtains or drapes that match your decor. The blinds help limit sun damage on your furniture and curtain fabric.
11. Make the Most of Hidden Storage
Clutter is the complete opposite of relaxing. Your brain is constantly processing everything around you, and when you have a lot sitting visibly, it’s stressful.
Hidden storage is a must in a studio apartment. Make the most of your flat and empty spaces with under the counter shelving units and dual-purpose furniture.
Use drawer and over-the-arm couch organizers and vertical storage everywhere you can.
Conclusion
Just because you have a smaller area to decorate doesn’t mean you can’t make a significant impact. With these 11 tips, you’ll feel at home as soon as you walk through your studio door!
Dominique Daniels has five years of Property Management experience working primarily in high-end apartment community living. Her ability to consistently deliver white-glove service to her residents and prospects has propelled her in a successful career that now finds her leading the team at The Cove.