Studio apartments, or efficiency apartments, are an excellent choice for renters looking to keep costs low. Studio apartments generally range from 300 to 450 square feet. As such, living room, bedroom, and kitchen are all combined in a single space. Often kitchen facilities are usually partitioned off by a smaller half-wall, but the bathroom is its own separate room. Because they are so small, studio apartments can be difficult and daunting to decorate. You have free reign over furniture arrangement, but with no pre-made room division, how do you go about setting up? How should you organize in the small space of studio apartments? Here are a few tips:
Room Dividers
Most of the time, studio apartments only consist of a single room. While this makes the space nice and open, it looks pretty awkward having your bedroom 10 feet away from your kitchen. The solution is a room divider. Essentially, you are creating your own wall to divide your apartment wherever you would like. There are lots of different ways you can divide apartments. A large, long bookshelf is ideal, as it allows you to divide the apartment and store your belongings at the same time. Don’t limit yourself to just books, though; records, office supplies, framed art or photos, and other knickknacks can be stored here, too. If you choose to put the shelf directly behind the head of your bed, keep your lamp and alarm clock there for an instant headboard. Other divider options are a curtain attached to the ceiling or strung on a line from wall to wall, or a decorative folding screen. If you’re really pressed for space, another option is to hang a curtain just around to the bed to create a canopy for privacy.
Organizing
In studio apartments, horizontal surfaces are likely limited to a few shelves and cabinets, a kitchen counter, and a bathroom counter, so when it comes to organizing, if you can hang it up instead of setting it down, do it. This goes for every space. Put pots and pans on hooks on your kitchen wall; staple a window screen into a picture frame and hang it up to store earrings and jewelry; install hooks by your front door and in your closet to hold coats, hats, ties, purses, scarves, and more. If you’re smart about organizing, small apartments don’t have to be cluttered.
Décor
Small apartments don’t need to be sparse to seem larger. Putting up a few mirrors can instantly expand a space. Placing potted plants near a window or on a patio also makes apartments more inviting. As a bonus, try growing your own herbs. Just be sure you don’t go overboard with decorations. Because studio apartments have so little space, an excess of décor can make the apartment seem messy.
For other decorating tips and tricks, check out more posts on our apartment living blog, If you are currently trying to find an apartment, take advantage of our moving checklist and let ApartmentSearch.com help you make the move.
