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Studio Spaces

Studio apartments are becoming ever more popular, especially in inner cities. However, the challenge with a studio apartment is how to make the most of a small space. However, there are some tricks to creating a studio space that fills all your needs and still feels light and spacious.

Visually Separate the Space

Because studio apartments tend to have their living space stretched out over one or two areas with no dividers, it is important to have some means of visually dividing the space. The best way to do this is with room dividers. The cheapest divider that is available to you is your furniture. By arranging your furniture carefully, you can create distinctly separate spaces.

Curtains are not limited to windows – they can also make a great room divider. All you have to do is hang your chosen curtains from a rod that attaches to the ceiling. Sheer fabrics work best as they provide privacy without blocking light. Bookcases that are open on both sides are also a great option for dividing a room. Simply place the bookcase between the two areas that you want to divide. As an added bonus, the bookcase will give you extra storage. Folding screens are another option as they are extremely versatile. They can be easily moved around and they take up a minimum of floor space.

Avoid Clutter

Perhaps the most important thing that you can do in order to make your studio space feel larger is to avoid clutter. Go over what you own and eliminate anything that you haven’t used for a long time or anything that you don’t really need. Ensure that shelves are well organised. Paint the walls in a light colour so that the space does not feel closed in.

A shoe organiser is a great addition to any studio space as shoes have a tendency to be left out and make a space feel messy and unorganised. A simple shoe rack that goes in the bottom of a cupboard or a shoe organiser that hangs over the back of a wardrobe door is perfect.

A great way to avoid clutter piling up is to take advantage of the vertical space that you have in your studio space. Wall shelves are perfect for this. Store things such as CDs, DVDs, photographs, books, and mementos on these shelves. They’ll be easily accessible without taking up a lot of room.

Use Multi-Functional Furniture

Because space is at such a premium, it is a good idea to buy furniture that has more than one use. An armoire is perfect. An armoire is simply a tall cabinet with drawers, shelves and doors. They can be used to store your clothes, as a desk for your home office, or you can even use them as an entertainment unit!

For seating that doubles as a bed when guests are staying over, consider futons, sofa beds or day beds. For dining, use a table that has fold down leaves, so that is compact for everyday use but it can be expanded whenever you have guests over. Store extra chairs in a cupboard or a storage unit.

Storage ottomans are fantastic and so versatile. They can be used as extra seating, as a footrest, and many have a hollow compartment inside that can be used for storage. Finally, try and find a bed frame that has built in drawers. These drawers can be used to store linen, toys, or clothes that are out of season.

Storage Ideas for Studio Spaces

There are all sorts of storage ideas to help you maximise the space that you have in your studio. Baskets are great as they are cheap and can be placed anywhere that is convenient. Wooden chests or trunks are another idea as they can be used for storage as well as doubling up as a coffee table.

Stackable plastic drawers are also great as you can buy as many or as little as you need. They can go underneath the bed, in your wardrobe or in cupboards. Alternatively, you can buy plastic storage containers that have been specifically designed to fit underneath the bed.

Use hooks to take advantage of empty wall space. They can be used in the kitchen to hold cups or pots and pans, in the entranceway to hold keys, coats, bags, and umbrellas, and you can even hang a small container off them to hold regularly accessed items such as your mobile phone.

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