You’ll need to go about decorating in a different way than you would in a larger apartment, but you can still achieve a stylish and functional living space. Here are some ideas for decorating a 400-square-foot studio apartment.
How big is a 400-square-foot apartment?
Four-hundred square feet is about the size of a two-car garage. It’s not a huge apartment, but it’ll get the job done. After all, two cars take up a lot of space and you won’t actually have two cars parked in your house — the furniture you have will be much smaller!
What does a 400-square-foot apartment look like?
When working with 400 square feet, there are only a few layouts that are truly usable. Most apartments of this size will be studio, so you won’t have multiple rooms. Rather, you’ll have one giant room that blends everything together.
Everything in a studio apartment is smaller, so you’ll probably have a basic bathroom and a kitchenette instead of a full kitchen.
Source: Avalon Midtown West
5 ways to decorate your 400-square-foot apartment
Small spaces can seem daunting to decorate — too much stuff and you’ll look like a hoarder, but too little and it might look like a prison cell. There’s a happy medium that you can achieve through the below design tips.
1. Build your own storage
In such a small apartment, there isn’t likely much storage built in. You’ll have to get creative and make your own. That means getting bookcases and shelving units, a dresser, a wardrobe and a bed frame with drawers. Any time you possibly can, find furniture that has storage in it, such as ottomans, benches and desks.
2. Decorate in corners
Because corners can be tricky to decorate, many people ignore them. But if used correctly, they can be put to great use. If you’ve got an empty corner, try adding a stool that can be used to display a plant and a place to sit for when you have company. Or, if you have an odd corner behind a piece of furniture, use a standing lamp to give it some life and light.
And if all else fails, you can find shelves or drawers to put there for some extra storage. Shelving units and sets of drawers come in all shapes and sizes these days, so no matter what you’re after, there’s a good chance you’ll find something that will fit.
3. Utilize the walls for storage
We often focus on how to arrange furniture and store things on the floor, but the walls can be just as useful. Use hooks and shelves for wall storage and instead of having pieces of décor on top of tables and other usable surfaces, stick to wall décor to keep those surfaces clear.
And if possible, use the ceiling and add hanging storage or décor. You can always hang plants, or some even hang art so it looks like it’s floating in the room.
4. Simplify your colors and patterns
The colors and patterns you use when decorating a small space should be consistent and cohesive. Choose only a few colors to incorporate throughout the space. Too many colors and different styles of décor in a small space can make it look busy and you’ll feel overwhelmed when you walk into the room.
If using storage bins or pillows, use the same color and only a couple of different styles. And when choosing art, keep the colors simple and make sure they’re in the same palette as the rest of your apartment.
5. Make your room look bigger with a smaller bed
We’d all love to have a bigger bed, but when you’ve got limited room to work with, having a smaller bed is the way to go. Even if you downsize from a queen to a full-sized bed or from a full to a twin, it can add a few more square feet of usable space and open up the room.
Living in a 400-square-foot apartment
When you’re trying hard to decorate an apartment, it can be easy to get excited and do a lot. But try taking a step back and keeping things simple. The less space you have, the less you need to do to fill it. Start with small and simple elements, then add to it later on if you aren’t satisfied.
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