10 Ways To Make The Most Out Of Your Studio Apartment Layout (2024)

If you’re in the habit of kicking off your shoes and dropping your coat right at the front door, it’s time to create a new plan for your entryway. The entryway in your home is an easy place to clutter and make the rest of your space feel unorganized. Even if your home doesn’t have a mudroom, you can create a drop zone that only needs a few tweaks to give your entryway a major upgrade.

Try adding hooks for coats and bags or lining the walls with shoe storage options. If you have the space, a small chair or bench with extra storage will come in handy when you’re coming and going. Finally, don’t forget to hang shelves to house all of the items you need before you head out the door.

Even if your studio apartment is one long rectangle, you can create visual interest and separate living spaces by creating zones. By adding a rug under your bed to designate the sleeping area, using a bookshelf to separate the living room from the kitchen and angling your couch to create a zone between the entrance and the rest of the living area, a few carefully placed items can help to create space and estables zones.

By using the furniture and accessories you already have to create different areas in your apartment, you’ll make your space more accessible and your apartment will feel more welcoming and inviting.

When furnishing your studio apartment, the pieces you choose need to be purposeful and practical in addition to matching your style. Consider a modular sofa or sectional that can be moved and adjusted if you are entertaining and need more room for guests. If you find a chair that also contains hidden storage, that’s always a winner.

Even a desk that folds up so you can have a home office that doesn’t take up too much space in your home is a must-have for studio living.

Finally, you’ll want to skip the big and bulky furniture and instead choose pieces with a smaller footprint so that you don’t overwhelm and clutter your space.

No matter the size of your home, storage is always an issue. When you live in a studio apartment, you have to get creative with the places you’ll use as storage. When choosing a bed, opt for a frame that includes under the bed storage. This is a perfect place to stash seasonal clothing and extra linens. Use your walls to showcase your art and decor, but don’t forget to save space for shelves that can also double as storage.

With a studio apartment, you’re trying to fit all of your living spaces into one room. With too many colors, contrasting styles and pieces of decor, the room can quickly feel disjointed and disconnected. This will also make your space look smaller and cluttered. To keep the flow of your layout and to plan a cohesive space, start by using coordinating colors throughout the apartment.

Instead of choosing a new color palette for each individual space, pull the look together with similar colors and accent pieces. While you can make space feel unique and distinct, pulling colors and textures from one area to the next will keep the cohesive look.

Pull open the curtains and let the light in. Because natural light opens up any room and makes it look larger, use the natural light to your advantage. Mirrors are also a great way to make the most of the natural light that is shining into the room. So if you have open walls and nothing to hang, grab a few mirrors.

If you’re thinking about a paint color for your apartment, consider a color that is light so that the walls are more reflective. This will make even the tiniest of spaces feel open and airy.

Curtains add color and texture to any room, but in a studio apartment, they can also offer up privacy. Install curtain rods near your bed, and when you’re ready to go to sleep, don’t worry about staring at a sink full of dirty dishes that you forget to clean. Simply pull the curtains shut and deal with those dishes tomorrow.

Surrounding your bed with curtains is also a great option if you are ready for some shuteye and your partner is staying awake to binge watch TV. With the curtains, not only do you have a secluded space, but hanging curtains from the ceiling will give the illusion that your space is bigger than it actually is.

If your apartment has an interesting nook or a floating wall in the middle of the room, instead of trying to fight the architecture of the space, work with it. From tucking a small couch into the nook or using the floating wall as the headboard for your bed, incorporate the architecture into your overall design to save space and create unique elements in your home.

A layout hack that designers often use in small spaces is to float the furniture. While you may be tempted to line up all of your furniture against the walls, floating your furniture in the middle of the room actually creates the illusion of a bigger space. Plus it makes the room feel more cozy and defines the space. If you can easily move around your floating future, give this design hack a try.