When you are a fresh graduate and have a first job, living on your own can be expensive. One of the best ways to cut down on that is to have a small apartment. 1-BR apartments tend to have lower rents. While you may aim for larger apartments and share it with roommates, it is not as private as having a full apartment of your own. The trouble is that it can feel a bit cramped. Smart decorating and a proper layout can fix that problem. Here are some insightful tips that should help with that.
More Light
It can be surprising how more lighting can help in making your small apartment feel bigger. Many of these places look small because the windows are not enough to bring in the necessary light. You need to maximize the light that is coming in. One way to do that is by painting the apartment in bright colors. This allows for the light to reflect easily. The effect makes the place feel airy and light.
Besides the color scheme, you can also put up a few mirrors to give the illusion of space. This can be very effective in spreading out the light in the room, too. If possible, you should have a limited amount of partitions. These can limit the light in some parts of the apartment to a negative effect.
Don’t forget night time illumination either. If the apartment has a central light, ask the landlord to replace it with an LED light. If you can’t do that, you can get additional lighting in the room. This can be done with some lamps. You can even get fancy and have string lights up on the walls. This ensures that even at night, you have a bright apartment.
Be Aware Of What You Own
The limited space in your rooms means that you should avoid wasting space. This is where being aware of your possessions is important. Before moving in, you should sit down and evaluate everything that you own. For one, you should have no duplicate items. While it is nice to have something as a backup, it also wastes space. Keep the best version of an item and dispose of the duplicates.
Besides that, you should be very critical of what you own. If you have not been using an item for a year, you should consider disposing of it. Additionally, this should also cover your furniture. With limited space, you should only have the essential items in your apartment. A good approach would be to buy large pieces instead of individual ones. For example, a single large sofa instead of multiple chairs is a good choice.
Use Every Surface
With limited space, you should be using every surface for storage. Instead of only horizontal space, you should use vertical spaces more. For example, you can use an entire wall as a place to store things. If you have floor to ceiling shelving, you will be able to put many items up there. For example, you can place all of your books on them, along with other knickknacks.
Vertical surfaces also have other uses. For example, the best TV for a small apartment is a flatscreen TV that you can hang on the wall. This saves space greatly instead of using an entertainment stand. Additionally, another option is to add hanging racks, which can hold a variety of things. For example, if you own a bicycle, you can hang it up on a rack instead of leaving it around.
All of these changes are pretty easy to implement. A single afternoon can have all the shelving and supports done. Just ask your landlord whether you can do it.
Avoid Clutter
The best way to save a lot of space is to be a lot more organized. Many new graduates are still a bit of a mess from their college days. If you are one of these people, you need to be better. Learn to avoid clutter in your apartment so that you can get more space from your room. There are several solutions on how to make it easy for you. One is to have specific storage spaces.
Small apartments may seem to be limiting. But the right approach can allow you to get much more value from them. This allows you to get more bang for your buck. Implement some of the suggestions above so that your small apartment will be much more comfortable.
