01 Feb 3 Tips and Tricks for Decorating Small Living Spaces
Hello, Acadeo friends! Many of us rent homes or studio bedrooms within the city because that’s where we study or work. It takes time to find apartments for rent in urban areas that are fit for our budget, especially as students or young professionals, and oftentimes we have to settle for places that don’t have a lot of space.
It can be disheartening to go home to a tiny space. It’s been proven through studies on human psychology that living in a cramped or cluttered environment can greatly affect a person’s moods and mindset, and many people associate this with small homes or rooms. But the truth is, there are ways to avoid a negative vibe even if you’re staying in a small room.
Acadeo presents 3 tips and tricks that are sure to elevate your small home into your very own personal sanctuary, no matter where you’re staying.
FOCUS ON QUALITY FURNITURE
When it comes to furnishing a small living space, it’s important to choose quality over quantity – or size, for that matter. Think about it like this: you only have a limited area for your bed, cabinet, table, and chair. You’ll have even less space if it’s a studio apartment that’s already furnished with appliances like a refrigerator and kitchen or dining appliances.
Because you only have one shot at decorating your space, choosing the best quality furniture that you can reasonably afford will actually save you space and expenses in the long run, compared to buying a lot of furniture that barely fit into your living space and having to sell them off at a much less price eventually, or paying to fix them when you inevitably trip over them on your way out.
SIZE DOES MATTER
As mentioned previously, living in small spaces means your options for decoration is limited. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to choose small furniture and appliances for everything.
While it’s not a great idea to get a bed that takes up 50% of your room, a large plastic box that you can store under your bed may be a better choice compared to a prefabricated cabinet that’ll take up more floor space in your room.
Bigger containers actually save more space than smaller containers, because each container has a unique shape and creates pockets of space between each other that you can’t use. Whereas with bigger containers, you can pack in as many items like clothes into them and still have enough space for extra items, while still only occupying one solid area in your room.
You can also put smaller containers into bigger containers, stacking them together without taking up more floor space.
STACK VERTICALLY
Going off the previous advice, vertical storage is the best choice for small living spaces, because it gives you as much floor space as possible. But why is floor space important, in the first place?
Floor space is what we call the area you can walk on, by extension the area you can move around in. The more furniture you place on the floor, the less space you have to move around, which is actually a safety concern especially if you have a disability or if you experience an emergency.
Stacking vertically, on the other hand, preserves as much floor space while still providing adequate storage for your belongings. Getting sturdy shelves and stackable containers not only keep your living space easier to move around in, it’s also easier to clean up. Double win!
STATEMENT PIECES GO A LONG WAY
Not everything in your home has to have a functional purpose. We all want to decorate our home too, and whether it’s for sentimental or aesthetic reasons, there are some things that we’ll want to place front and center in our homes, regardless of their size.
With small living spaces, it’s much better to choose a big piece and use it as the centerpiece or focus of your home decor rather than having many small items scattered throughout your living space.
Contrary to popular home decorating myths, many small decorations can actually make your home seem even smaller than it actually is. Big pieces (relative to your home’s space, of course) give the illusion of space, because if they fit in your home then there must be space. On the other hand, a handful of small decors scattered throughout can give the illusion of a cramped living space, making your home feel smaller than it really is.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Home is where the heart is, whether or not that home is a mansion with a farm or a humble studio apartment in the middle of the city. What we make of our homes is more important than how many new gadgets or branded furniture we have. If you find a home that you feel comfortable in, it’s just as precious as the most expensive designer house in the world.
Good luck decorating! Let us know in the comments your favorite decorating tips!
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