When it comes to apartments, especially in big cities, the small ones are more affordable and can be in a more desirable location.
That may mean living in a 300-square-foot apartment, which sounds impossible. But people do it and end up living comfortably in them for years! Here are a few ideas for decorating a 300-square-foot apartment.
How big is a 300-square-foot apartment?
Three-hundred square feet doesn’t sound like a lot of room, especially when we’re talking about the size of an entire apartment. To give yourself an idea of just how big a 300-square-foot apartment is, imagine living in a standard-size school bus — that’s about the same amount of living space you’ll have.
What does a 300-square-foot apartment look like?
Apartment layouts for 300 square-feet are usually going to be a studio. That means there won’t be any separate bedroom, living room and kitchen, but they’ll all flow together and be in one single space. The bathroom is the only room that will have its own walls and door.
And everything will be smaller — instead of a full kitchen, you might have a kitchenette and you may not have a bathtub but rather a small standing shower.
Source: East Park Tower
5 ways to decorate your 300-square-foot apartment
When you’re decorating a small space, you have to think about compacting and minimizing everything. Although you’ve only got a little bit to work with, there are so many possibilities — as long as you’re selective with what you use and smart with how you use it!
1. Get rid of clutter
Nothing makes your home look smaller than clutter. As they say, “more is always more,” and that certainly holds true in a 300-square-foot apartment. When you have stuff crammed in every nook and cranny, it will make your apartment look busy and cramped. Even if you don’t have a ton of stuff, trying to fit it in such a small living area might make you look like a hoarder.
Clean out your closet and get rid of the knick-knacks you’ve been carrying around for years. You’ll only have room for the essentials, so anything that is non-essential needs to go!
2. Organize
It’s time to channel your inner Marie Kondo and find a good place for everything. Since you’re working with a small space, you need to make the most of it and organize your belongings.
Identify a place for everything and make sure it all fits neatly. If you have shelves or open areas above cabinets or below tables and chairs, use opaque organizing bins that match your décor so you can hide what’s being stored in them and it will still match the rest of your apartment.
Avoid storing lots of items in open areas. Instead of having stacks of books on top of your nightstand, keep the surface clean by putting the books in a bin or drawer underneath. Keeping visible surfaces neat and clean will make your apartment look cleaner and open the space up.
3. Choose dual-functioning items
You won’t have room for all the separate pieces of furniture you want, so everything needs to have more than one purpose. Some ideas include:
- Use a table as both your workspace and eating area instead of a traditional desk and kitchen table
- Get a storage bench to sit on at the table instead of chairs to hide items you’re not using
- Use a daybed where you can sleep at night and use as a couch during the day, but won’t make your apartment look like a bedroom when you have guests over
Using furniture with more than one function will cut down on the number of pieces in your apartment, while still being practical and serving the purposes you need.
4. Use light colors
Darker colors make rooms look smaller, while light colors will make the room brighter and feel larger. Stick with light colors as much as possible, like whites, light grays and pastels, especially when choosing pieces of furniture or larger décor (bedspreads, wall art, etc.). When using natural elements, try going for light woods such as bamboo and birch.
It’s OK to choose décor that’s dark, but make sure it’s the smaller pieces. Use darker colors as more of an accent or to add variation to a section of your apartment that doesn’t have much color.
5. Add mirrors
Using a mirror in your main living area will help reflect light and add a little depth to your apartment. You can use one large mirror or a collection of smaller mirrors and hang them on the wall.
Or, if you can’t hang mirrors, try getting a tall standalone mirror and putting it in an unused corner — there are even some standalone mirrors that have storage compartments, so you won’t be giving up valuable storage space.
Living in a 300-square-foot apartment
While it may seem impossible to achieve the look you want in a 300-square-foot apartment, you still have plenty of ways to make it into your own space. It will require compromise and sacrifice, but you’ll find that it’s still completely doable and it will force you to be creative in ways you never thought possible.
Related:
