There’s no denying that small apartments, as well as studio apartments, dominate the rental market in many countries. It should not come as a surprise though, especially taking into account the fact that a minimalistic lifestyle has been growing in popularity in the last couple of years.
However, just because your apartment has small square footage, it doesn’t mean that it has to look small. Quite the opposite – as experts from Portable Partitions Australia state, there are many ways in which you can make your place seem a lot bigger than it actually is.
Want to find out more about it? Just keep on reading then.
Let’s Start With the Basics
Unless this is your first time ever reading something about it, you probably already know some of the most common tips on how to make your space feel more spacious. However, if you don’t, here is a quick recap.
- Use lighter shades for walls and furniture – it has been proven many times that light colors can help you expand the space. However, don’t be mistaken – we’re not only talking about white. The truth is that you can choose whatever color you like – be it pink, yellow, orange, etc. – as long as you pick its lightest shade.
- Get some mirrors – this is probably one of the easiest ways of enlarging a space. Just keep in mind to place them somewhere where they’ll be able to reflect natural light.
- Replace regular furniture with multifunctional pieces – although replacing your furniture is both costly and time-consuming, it is worth it in the long run. No one says that you have to replace every single piece of furniture with a multifunctional one because that would be ridiculous. However, having a sofa with a bit of storage space underneath or a foldable table definitely wouldn’t hurt.
- Use the same flooring in every room – different flooring is great if you want to divide the apartment clearly. However, it does make the space feel much smaller than it actually is. Using the same flooring throughout the whole apartment, you can create an uninterrupted flow, making it seem larger. Also, avoid having your rugs sit under the sofas or other large pieces of furniture, as it might tighten the room as well.
Some More Advanced Tips
If you want to take a step further, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the more advanced tips that are often not mentioned.
- Don’t hesitate to add shelves – aside from the fact that they offer additional storage space, correctly placed shelves can give a room a sense of scale and height. Try to combine open shelves with closed ones, as if you stick to one format, you might receive the opposite of what you want, and the room will either seem too cluttered or too small.
- Try to experiment with drawing – if you are a creative person, you should draw something by yourself in your apartment! Think about painting stripes on one of the walls – either vertical or horizontal ones. The former will visually expand the wall they are painted on, and the latter will elongate it.
- Think vertical – when it comes to interior design, it’s all about tricking the eye. Add some things that will emphasize the vertical space in the apartment – not only will you add a feeling of openness to the room, but also create a sense of flow. If you want to make the bathroom seem bigger, you can add wainscoting. If it’s your living room that you want to enlarge, try vertical wood paneling.
- Pull some furniture away from the walls – this is one of the most commonly made mistakes. Putting the furniture right up against the walls makes the room seem cramped. By putting some pieces of furniture away from the walls, you can create a feeling of additional space.
- If you want to add color to the room, pick one and play with its variations – for instance, if you like the earthy green color, choose different hues for the walls, the furniture, the rug (if you have any), and decorations. This way, you’ll be able to keep the unity that visually expands the space without compromising your personal preferences.
The Bottom Line
Many people these days live in studio apartments, or just generally small flats. Some do it due to financial reasons, and some simply like it. However, despite your apartment’s square footage, you can actually make it look larger!
There are many ways to make it visually bigger, some of which we have shared above. The choice of which ones you will implement into your apartment depends solely on your personal preferences (and maybe on your landlord’s approval, if you have one). And if you don’t like the way it looks in your particular apartment, you can always go back to how it was before. Either way, we wish you good luck!
