When your own four walls are a challenge, you need a sure sense of your personal needs and the right tips from interior design experts to make the most of living in the smallest of spaces. We will show how to create a pleasant living atmosphere even in a small apartment.
Ideas and design tips for small-space living
How the personality of the occupant determines the concept
One of the most important recommendations for styling your small apartment is to identify your own needs beforehand. The basic functions of sleeping, cooking and dining areas as well as the bathroom are usually dictated by the floor plan of the apartments or houses.
However, your home as a whole can only become your own personal domain if your living priorities are also given the space they need. For example, if you practise a hobby within your own four walls, you should make it possible for you to exercise this option.
To achieve this, it is important to really utilise the entire space, not to leave niches and corners unused and to make full use of the room height. The cupboard can even be as high as the ceiling. To this end, also consider investing in custom-made shelves if you own the property, for example to utilise the space under a sloping roof. Wall cupboards also optimise the use of available space.
If, for example, the yoga mat is needed several times a week, foldable or wheeled furniture is perfect, which can simply be moved to the side temporarily without much effort. We also recommend the use of practical rolling boards, such as those used for flower pots, to flexibly create free spaces.
Modular technology and multifunctionality
Many furniture manufacturers are now focusing on the development of innovative modular lines that can be flexibly adapted to the limited possibilities of small apartments. In the interests of sustainability, this also allows adding on when moving to a more spacious home.
Smartly designed furniture can be adapted to lifestyles by offering the advantage of multifunctionality. One example is the classic sofa bed. It can be used for several living and leisure activities, for example as a relaxing place to sit, a reading corner or a TV armchair in the evening, and can be converted into a place to sleep at night with little effort. Often, these versatile sofas also offer indispensable storage space in the form of an unobtrusive bed drawer.
Less is more
A small room quickly looks cluttered and cramped. A clear strategy for the furnishings, colour concept and lighting can solve this problem.
It almost goes without saying that the individual pieces of furniture should be light and smaller in size rather than heavy and bulky. As far as the choice of colours for the walls and textiles is concerned, white and light, natural colours are more likely to convey lightness and a feeling of openness than dark, oppressive tones. However, interior design professionals also know how to use contrasts in small rooms. They use darker colours to set accents and thus create the impression of spatial depth.
The combination of modern wallpapers with three-dimensional art prints can also create a special aesthetic. Placed selectively, they are a suitable style element to visually expand the room.
Do not underestimate the importance of the lighting concept. This applies to all rooms, but small rooms need light and brightness all the more. Ceiling lamps and wall luminaires are well suited for this purpose; bulky and space-consuming free-standing luminaires should be avoided.
Bring nature into the home
What should not be missing, however, even in the smallest of spaces, are your favourite flowers and green plants. A fresh bouquet on the table lifts the mood and ambience. Evergreen indoor companions, perhaps positioned harmoniously as room dividers or as eye-catchers in a corner, are good for the indoor climate and promote peace and serenity after a hard day's work.
We have another useful tip for you: Small spaces need to be kept tidy! Untidiness ruins the atmosphere in your home. Everything lying around takes away your living space and spoils the ambience. A small apartment thus encourages you to concentrate on the essentials. It can even inspire you to part with the unnecessary. We often feel overburdened by work and everyday life and long for more simplicity and a clear structure. In this way, a smaller apartment can develop a special charm through its minimalist nature, which opens up an inner sense of lightness and creativity.