Decorating a studio or efficiency apartment

Written by Rick Smith Sunday, 22 May 2011 09:13

Decorating a studio or efficiency apartment can seem challenging; however, there are many benefits to decorating a studio apartment as well. You can create a unified space that flows well together with little effort. Once you get inspired, you can create an inviting and relaxing environment in your studio apartment.

Decorating a studio or efficiency apartment can seem challenging; however, there are many benefits to decorating a studio apartment as well. You can create a unified space that flows well together with little effort. Once you get inspired, you can create an inviting and relaxing environment in your studio apartment.

The below are excellent suggestions, use of color, scale, placement of furniture, storage, vertical space, and mirrors.

The two biggest challenges for small spaces are often defined or restricted by the use of the room, such as a bedroom or living room. It's very difficult to scale down a bed or a large sofa in a living room.

Small bedrooms with a large bed is often a challenge, especially if the headboard is large and not to scale with the room. Recently we just solved this problem with a client by whitewashing the oversized headboard which eliminated the high contrast and allowed the headboard to blend into the room subtly and not stand out allowing the rest of the room transformation to a soft fluffy atmosphere perfect for dreaming.

If you have a large sofa like a sectional you can often remove the corner section which transforms the large sectional into two new cozy, scaled down, areas to lounge.

Camouflage is used to make big things disappear. A large red sofa against a red wall will pull the focus away from the sofa into the wall causing a camouflage effect.

Keep your color scheme in the same family throughout the living space - By keeping your color scheme in the same family it will allow the space to seem unified. Try using different shades of blues, greens or beiges that are only slightly different.

Use light brighter colors - This will create the illusion of a bigger space. Darker colors will make your space seem smaller. Use light bright colors to give your studio apartment the illusion of being larger than it is.

Decorate to scale - This is very important when decorating a small space. If your studio is small or if you have shorter ceilings, you do not want to use large scale furniture such as an armoire or big chunky couch. These large furniture pieces will make your space look smaller and everything else will feel out of scale in comparison to these pieces of furniture.

Furniture placement is key - When placing furniture in a small space such a studio apartment you must carefully consider your choices. Avoid placing furniture too closely together; this will make your space feel cluttered. Use minimal and functional pieces. Do not place furniture where it will be bumped into, such as doorways or next to a table. Try to use as many multi-functional pieces as you can, such as a futon that can serve two purposes or a coffee table that has underneath storage.

Use storage solutions - Proper storage is essential when decorating a studio apartment. Utilize storage in multi-functional furniture pieces when possible. Hang shelves on the wall, or put shelving units into your closets. Remember to keep your storage pieces in scale with the rest of your decor.

Use vertical space - Utilizing the vertical space is essential in a small space. For example, you can hang shelves all the way to the ceiling in the kitchen and they can serve as a decorative piece to display your dishes as well as a functional piece. Hooks can be used to hang things from the ceiling along with plants or pats and pans.

Mirrors - Mirrors are a great way to create the illusion of a larger space. When possible, place them across from your windows and they will reflect the natural lighting from outside.

Be creative - As long as you remember to be aware of the scale and function of your decor, you can use your imagination and come up with some great decorating and storage ideas!