When you live in an apartment or a condominium, it might feel that you’re constantly battling with space issues. Whether you’re dealing with too much clutter, not enough places to store things or you seem to always be bumping into things, there doesn’t seem to be much room for living. Don’t be discouraged. Just because space is at a premium, you don’t have to sacrifice style to make everything fit. One magic key to decorating smaller living spaces is to reassess the space you do have and to utilize wisely.
Go Vertical
Walls are part of the apartment too! Use them to their best advantage. While it might seem counterintuitive to choose oversized shelving units, unless you have other plans for a specific wall, the integration of furniture that includes additional storage will make the rooms in your home more functional. A wall unit such as the American Drew Tribecca 51 Inch Entertainment Center Set makes maximum use of vertical space in the living
while the Ameriwood 16 Cube Organizer could be added to a wall in the bedroom, living room or a hallway. Wall units like these two provide a place for your television, accompanying components and collectibles.
Tall bodied cabinet furniture pieces like the 4D Concepts Storage Tower in the bathroom or the
Stanley Furniture Tre Venti Oak Grande Palazzo TV/Wardrobe Armoire in the bedroom take up wall space rather than floor space. The storage tower includes a pullout hamper, which will save you from have to buy a separate one that will take up additional room. An armoire in an apartment becomes especially useful if you are sharing and the closet is not very accommodating.
The Fine Art of Arranging Furniture
Pay close attention to how you arrange the furniture. Rearranging the sofa or repositioning the bed can greatly improve traffic flow throughout the apartment.
In the living room, create seating arrangements around a focal point like an electric fireplace that are intimate and inviting.
Rearranging might mean removing. If it’s worn out, doesn’t really fit in with your current décor or you’re just hanging on to it for reasons known or unknown, perhaps now is a great time to Craigs List it or donate it to your local thrift store.
Choose the “Right” Furniture
Particularly if you are purchasing new furniture for an apartment or condo, select furnishings that are smaller in scale or specifically have a compact design. If you are already living in an apartment or condo, when it’s time to replace the sofa, for example, consider downsizing to a loveseat and a pair of club chairs.
Go for dual purpose furniture wherever possible. An ottoman that doubles as a coffee table; a bedroom bench or a hallway bench with hidden storage; a dining table or a sideboard incorporating wine storage are all acceptable candidates for dual purpose furniture ideally suited to apartment living. Of course, the ultimate dual purpose piece of furniture has to be the futon, convertible sofa or the sofa bed like the Catnapper Softie Queen Sleeper. Selecting a sofa that can double as a bed when guests visit is especially useful in an apartment or condominium without a separate guest room.
Select furniture that is foldable or collapsible. It will give you the freedom of storing it away in the closet when it’s not in use.
When you want to entertain in style, the Home Styles Furniture Steamer Ebony Folding Home Bar gives you all of the benefits and features of a standard home bar. But its compact size and functionality makes it especially attractive to apartment style living.
