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Putting together a studio apartment means always working from the “less is more” mindset. Whether you’re a college student, a graduate, a newlywed couple, or downsizing from home, studio apartments are small and require some strategic organizing to give your life the space it needs.
Single-use items, from furniture to kitchen cupboards, could become a waste of space. You want everything to serve two purposes, storage and aesthetics. To keep things both attractive and organized, consider the steps below.
01. Double Up On Storage:
If you’re starting and have little furniture, build yourself a captain’s bed out of low dressers and place your mattress on top, this means you don’t need to use a bulky bed frame to save floor space on your dressers. Use the low drawers for clothes that don’t need to hang up. On top of this, look for zippered pillowcases that you can load with linens, rolled towels, and your extra blankets. These pillows can be put along the back of the bed to turn the bed into a sofa in the daytime. This will help you save precious closet space, and your bed/couch will look great with the additional pillows.
Use this doubling-up action throughout your apartment. A blanket chest is wonderful storage, but a blanket chest with a cushion can become a window seat or part of your dining set. A small storage trunk is a nice spot for stocking up on toiletries, and with a lamp on it, it’s a side table. Most storage units like chests or dressers can serve multiple functions, don’t be afraid to get creative and move things around to see what works in more than one way. You might find a brand-new decor style and much more floor space than you thought you’d have.
02. Get Floating Shelves:
Bookshelves can be bulky and take up a ton of floor space. If you have a ton of books or knickknacks that you don’t want to get rid of, but don’t have the space for the shelves, floating shelves may be your solution. A floating shelf is essentially just a single piece of wood that you drill into your wall for storage space. They are straightforward to install yourself, and they come in many different styles to meet your aesthetic requirements. You can use bookends to hold your books up there, and you can install them high up on the walls, so you have plenty of space under for a couch, bed, chair, desk, or anything you want to put there.
Floating shelves are a great way to utilize space higher up in your apartment and can add a nice look to empty walls and other spaces. You can even install small floating shelves in your bathroom for storage or install them in the corner of your apartment for a nice look to fill the space.
03. Create Info Zones:
Use erasable markers and turn your refrigerator into your grocery list. Note when you run low on products and take a photo before you do your regular shopping. This can also be a great place for communication if you’ve got a roommate or have an inspirational quote you need to remember. To stay organized, download a monthly PDF calendar and tape it to a cabinet door to help you stay on track with daily tasks.
Setting up an info board or spot in your home can also help you keep track of household chores and stay on top of your apartment. Especially when you’re living alone, it can be easy to let your space slide into disarray without even realizing it. Writing down the chores, you need to get done that day can help you stay accountable. Your apartment is already so small, that keeping it clean will go a long way to keeping it a lovely living space, and you may notice that living in a clean space makes it feel bigger and cozier, even if it’s small!
04. Combine Clothes On Hangers:
Rather than hanging up single garments, invest in a few suit hangers and put together outfits. If closet storage is minimal, suit hangers can also reduce the need to iron for the week by allowing you to put together outfits that can hang together while the creases come out. If need be, put a hook on the back of the bathroom door and let tomorrow’s outfit steam out during today’s shower.
You can also use hangers to store things like handbags, tote bags, scarves, and necklaces. Also, you don’t have to hang these in your closet, either. You can get a rolling clothing rack and wheel it in and out of your closet space as you need to save space and have more room for more clothes. You can also get a clothesline that you can use to hang dry clothes and put up string lights when you have guests over or want to decorate. Consider putting things like shoes you don’t often wear on a floating shelf in your closet or somewhere else in your apartment.
05. Limit Pantry Storage:
Stocking up on extra cleaning products or body wash is a good idea, but try to keep only one extra item put away per product you use. Avoid overloading yourself with too much of any one thing unless you can get it for nearly nothing. One extra container of dish soap takes little room, but three extra bottles can eat into your storage and will not save you much if the price seldom changes.
Suppose you have a small kitchen and don’t have much extra room for tons of food. Consider meal planning every week and only buying the ingredients you need for those meals. Overbuying foodstuffs can mean less space in your kitchen and potential food waste if you do not eat it in time. Planning meals this way can ensure you’re not buying anything you don’t need, and you have plenty of space to store it all.
06. Get Smart Kitchen Appliances:
Kitchen appliances can take up so much space on your countertops and cabinets. One of the best ways to save on space with kitchen appliances is to buy appliances that can serve multiple functions. Instead of a pot and a strainer, get one pot with a lid that has a built-in strainer. Get an air fryer that is also a slow cooker. Get one crockpot and no other large pots. Take stock of the kinds of meals you make regularly, the tools you use most, and the ones you don’t use as frequently, and consider donating the appliances you don’t need anymore or replacing them with appliances that serve two functions. This way, you can save a ton of space in your kitchen while still having access to appliances for cooking.
07. Put Up A Divider Screen:
Treat yourself to a folding wooden divider screen if you’re also working out of your apartment and customize it to your needs. For example, you can put photos on the side that faces your apartment. On the other side, consider adding flat strips of wood where you can mount things like:
- a corkboard, where you can pin notes and ideas
- a whiteboard, for jotting down things you need to remember
- a magnetized board for photos and other inspiration
- or a chalkboard
Wooden screens tend to be made of very hardwood. If you want to attach anything to them, it’s a good idea to use a drill and make small pilot holes so the screws don’t split the screen frame’s wood. Once you have pilot holes, go ahead and put small strips of 1×2 or 1×4 pine in place, so you have a mounting bar. This wood will be much softer and less likely to split.
Lastly:
If your apartment is all one space, and you don’t want to use a screen to divide it, consider installing a curtain to divide your sleeping and living spaces up. A simple clothesline can help you put up a nice-looking curtain easily, and you can push it to the side when you have people over or want space opened up. Dividing your space doesn’t have to look bad. It can be a great way to help you move between “home” and “work” mentally. If you work from home, you can make your workspace on one side and your living space on the other. Open the curtain to signal that work is over, and now you are relaxing at home. You can even curtain off your workspace to get away from it all.
Before you bring anything into a studio apartment, make sure it has at least two purposes. If it doesn’t, even if it’s a freebie, it may not be a good investment. Always be thinking about using everything in your apartment for another purpose and constantly moving things around to find the best layout for you. You deserve a space that works for you, even if it seems small.
