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Posted in After the Move, How-to on April 5, 2021
Kate Holland

A true grunge and rock music fan born in Seattle, Kate has moved across the country and started writing about her experience.

Small Apartment Ideas That Make Decorating Fun

Living in a cramped abode means that you have to be great at organizing, and you’re probably aware that every inch in it counts. However, implementing small apartment ideas for decorating doesn’t necessarily mean that your living space has to be only functional, and without style. Believe it or not, there are numerous ways to design a tiny residence to look comfy and bigger. It just takes some creativity to achieve it.

Small Space Design Has Been a Concept for a Long Time

Did you know that the first apartments actually date back to the Roman Empire, more than 2,000 years ago? These structures were strangely similar to today’s buildings and housed more than 80 percent of Rome’s population. Residing in a tiny abode or a studio has its advantages, and it usually means that you’re paying lower rent. Having lower monthly expenses. And living in close proximity to busy downtown areas.

 

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When you’re planning on long-distance moving to another state to live in a downsized home, you should probably think about carrying a lot less of your belongings with a long-distance moving company. It’s all too easy to cramp up an interior that is tiny in size, and that’s why you have to be smart about arranging all the furniture pieces and eventually top it off with decorations.

After all, a truly livable space needs your own signature and style to really call it your own. Otherwise, it will only look like a dormitory. Finding the right balance between functionality and a personal touch is crucial in making your place comfortable to live in for a period of time. That’s why learning how to decorate a small apartment is very important.

Young woman moving
Embrace our compact living ideas

Use Small Apartment Ideas to Achieve a Comfy-Looking Abode

If your reasons to move to a smaller residence are because it’s your first time seeking independence, then you definitely need some relocating hacks for moving in and making the place your own. Although taking the best out of a tiny home when decorating and organizing may seem like a real hassle, maximizing its functionality is easy with the proper ideas.

Everything is important, from choosing the right colors and different textures to shelves. It’s also important to figure out where to gain storage space. Because we all have items to keep out of sight so everything can look neat and stylish. So, when the cross-country moving company has finished with their long-distance moving services and left your new place, you can get right on the planning.

Declutter the Apartment on a Regular Basis

Cluttering is a natural way of doing things when you live in the same place for some period of time. But a tinier interior tends to get cramped up faster, as you have nowhere to hide all those used and unused belongings. This is why you’ll need to declutter and get rid of stuff regularly, just as Marie Kondo would advise.

Take the time at least twice a year to reevaluate what should be kept and what to give or throw away. Follow some good packing tips when decluttering, and you can even search for “long distance movers near me”, ask them for storage service, and put away some items in order to clear up your residence.

A grey sofa under a window
Tiny home can look cozy and lovely with the right pieces and no clutter

Start by Separating Different Areas

Your first impression of the tiny interior would probably urge you to think about decorating it with an open-concept arrangement in mind. But that kind of setting tends to get messy in no time because of its lack of definition. First of all, think about how much square footage you’re going to designate for each section. You can separate areas by color, divide them with furnishings, or even by placing rugs to give them a different purpose.

If you relocated for your loved one, you will probably want a more private feel to the bedroom. You can separate different areas by using draperies and curtains. If you don’t have a window in your bedroom section, just opt-in for white curtains so you don’t block the sunshine completely. Other options include decorative screens or even movable wooden walls if you’re not tight on budget.

Add Storage by Using Vertical Room Organizing Ideas

Mounted shelves and wall hooks can be used everywhere, from the entranceway, through the kitchen, and to the living room. You can find some chic-looking hooks to hang near your entrance, to have a place for bags and coats. Mounted shelves can also be used instead of the kitchen cabinets, to make the ceiling appear higher. You can store glasses and glassware, as well as plates and dishes on them, just choose the right color for all your fragile items, since they’ll be on display and you want everything to have a similar theme.

The trick with using hanging shelves is to add to storage space while keeping everything off the floor, and they can be transformed into a workspace. The walls can also be used for hanging plants and decorative lights. Adding ladders can do the trick if you don’t have a place for your blankets, or clothes pieces, and you can place them in your bedroom, instead of the nightstands.

Bright Colors, Clear Furniture, and Mirrors for Additional Light

When the walls are a darker color, they can look elegant. However, using bright colors in a tiny residence is the right way to create a larger place visually. Using clear furnishings to decorate is a trick that will add to a more decluttered overall look of the place. Using glass or acrylic pieces will trick the eye to think the interior is larger than it actually is. And if you’ve already bought a glass table to bring with you, it is always a good idea to take additional moving insurance, just to be on the safe side.

Mirrors add to the airy feeling, and they also bounce off the light, giving everything a more open look. You can play with different-shaped mirrors to add more to the style, and that is a great idea on how to decorate a small living room apartment, so it appears bigger. Remember to avoid large and heavy-looking furnishings, as they will take up a lot of space. This way, if you’ve got a job in the new city, and you want to squeeze in a home office, adding it to the tiny space by following these tips will make sure your interior won’t get cluttered.

Pastel panel and a sofa
You won’t make a mistake using bright colors, as they create an illusion of a larger place

How to Decorate a Small Studio Apartment and Choose Proper Furniture

However challenging it is to organize and decorate a smaller abode, styling up a studio may look near to impossible. The main key to overcome the lack of square footage is to bring in space-saving furnishings and to use every available inch. Some of the tips include placing the sofa at the feet of your bed, to separate the sitting zone from your bedroom. You can also do this by installing an open bookshelf between these areas, which won’t block the sunlight.

A Small Studio Design Can Be Charming

Placing a carefully chosen buffet between the kitchen and the rest of the residence, besides creating a separate zone, will give you more needed workspace and a place to store all kinds of utensils. These kinds of shelves are great for storing if you add baskets or boxes for placing items like keys, letters, and everything you want to keep out of sight. This is also a perfect place for decorative items and also artwork.

The area underneath the bed is a great place to store boxes or suitcases with seasonal clothing and spare linens or everything else you can think of, like packed shoes. When looking out for furnishings that can fit and be stylish and functional, look for sofas, beds, benches, coffee tables, and other furniture pieces that have hidden spaces within.

brown and black armchair in a home
Studio apartment decor will depend on your imagination and creativity

How to Decorate When Renting a Property

When renting a property, there’s a number of things you are not allowed to do or change in it. Perhaps you feel you’re left out of options to garnish your tiny home. But there are things that you can do to add to the sophisticated and elegant look, without losing your security deposit:

  • When you are a tenant, you’re not allowed to paint the walls. It may make you feel like the whole place became dull after some time. So, an awesome hack is to apply a peel-and-stick wallpaper to add color and pattern to your place.
  • Since you can’t hang artwork on the walls, as the nails will leave holes and make you lose some of that deposit, there’s a way to work around it. Just place your paintings and other art on your shelves, and lean them. You can even try to layer them, for a more sophisticated design.
  • As with art, you can buy mirrors that can be leaned against the wall, or you can find some beautiful floor pieces that will add to your personal style.
  • Since you can’t hang shelves on the walls, as they leave even bigger holes, go for the bookshelves and style them to your liking.
  • You can always accentuate a few colors by buying colorful pillows, bedding, rugs, and curtains. All these go with you when you move out.
  • Buy some stick-on hooks and shelves. These kinds of shelves are great for bathroom spaces, to keep all bathroom items organized. You can even stick them to the insides of cabinets in the kitchen, for keeping spices and alike.

All these ideas will make the place you’re renting feel much more like home. Adding coziness and your personal touch while keeping that deposit intact.

woman-surrounded-by-boxes
Apply our apartment decorating tips and enjoy your space

How to Decorate a Small Apartment for Christmas

Yes, every inch counts when you live in a smaller interior, but we’re sure you have some ornaments just ready to pop out of the boxes your cross-country movers have brought into your residence when you moved in. If you want to impress your guests with your Christmas design solutions or get in the holiday spirit by yourself, don’t worry. There are numerous ways you can do this and not clutter your residence.

Even the tree is not out of the question. Just go for a tiny version, which you can place on a shelf or a dresser. Throw in some sparkly holiday cushions on the bed and the sofa, and place candles and trinkets on the shelves and all other available spaces. Christmas lights can be lined around doorways or hung on the windows to add to the real holiday atmosphere.

Candles on a table
An effective wreath with candles will add to the holiday cheer

Don’t Give Up on Personal Style When Moving Into a Tiny Abode

Although lacking in square footage, even the tinier homes can be stylized to be enviable and yet functional. Don’t let the residence’s smaller space discourage your design ideas and wishes, every place you live should be made comfy and personalized.

Just remember to pack less when using the packing service with your long-distance movers and to go furnishing and decor hunting when you’ve moved in. To help you speed up the relocation process you should reach out to Long Distance Movers, and we will handle it all.

It takes a bit of planning to properly use every inch of a smaller residence, but the final most important thing is. However, you decorate it – do it so you can love what you’ve done to it.

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