Style your one-room apartment with the latest trends

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Works by Aino & Alvar Aalto, NORD3 NORD3 Commercial spaces
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Who doesn’t dream of having that romantic Brooklyn-style studio apartment in the city? One-room apartments are a great solution to city living on a budget. These tiny spaces should have everything you need in it, whilst being small enough to keep the rent low and you close to the bustling heart of the city.

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that furnishing such a small apartment should be all about functionality. The design of such a space is just as important, since it comprises your entire living space.

When it comes to furnishing and decorating a one-room apartment, a selective process is key. It is true with any type of interior design project that you need to plan the space carefully, and systematically consider which objects to include and which to leave out. This is even more crucial when it comes to a one-room, since you have much less room to make design mistakes, and have to ensure that every object belongs there, in harmony with the rest. When you also have a limited budget, the choice of which items to invest in becomes so much more important.

Take a look at our guide for creating a stylish one-room apartment in the latest trends, maybe you find just the right tips to make the most out of yours!

Avoid plastics, opt for wood and tin

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As we have mentioned, every object should be carefully considered when deciding whether it should go in your one-room or not. For this reason, it is highly advisable to stay away completely from plastics. Although the right type of plastic object can easily find its place in even the most sophisticated of settings, it is best to simply avoid it in this case where you only have room for few key items and should save every last cent for the things that really count.

When thinking of which materials you should then include, we urge you to place your bets for this year on wood and tin. Not only are these materials relatively inexpensive, it also adheres to several design trends of the season, like the natural look, sophisticated upcycling, and the incorporation of folk style.

Bookshelf wall

Continuing with our tips for making the most out of your one-room, we want to keep functionality in mind throughout. Therefore, this next tip is not only a sophisticated design choice (if done right), but also highly practical.

If you cover one of your walls with shelves you are creating invaluable storage space in a small apartment, not only for your books, but for any ornamental items or even crockery and other household items. Vertical storage allows for the creation of much more storage space, since it uses the dead space on higher areas of the wall that would otherwise be left untouched.

DIY brick wall

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Exposed brick walls are a classic. It brings a raw and earthy aesthetic to interiors, while making the room feel cosier and warmer. This look is very trendy at the moment, especially where a wall displays only partially exposed bricks. It is a shabby-chic technique that has also become popular in folk style, which is still on the rise. Don't believe us? Just take a look at these brick walls with added WOW!

If you’re renting an apartment or do not want to go to the expense of removing the plaster from one of your walls, you can easily overcome these obstacles by making your own brick wall – it’s easier than you think! Nowadays you get several types of faux brick wall panels, usually made of wood or polystyrene, which are so similar to the real thing that you cannot tell the difference.

Antique leather sofa

When it comes to your furniture pieces, the first thing you should remember is to opt for moderately scaled items. Just because you have a one-room living space, doesn’t mean you can’t have all the furniture you need, but you’ll have to stay away from bulky and oversized items if you want your space to be functional. This will also make your space look bigger than what it actually is.

When you are looking to turn your on-room into a trendy apartment, a leather couch as your central living space furniture item will always be a good idea. A second-hand sofa covered in soft brown leather can also easily remind of the 70’s, which is a recurrent theme in interior design trends for this year.

Plenty of plants

In a small living area or one-room apartment, it is essential to make some space for plants. You might think that there is no place for this in such a limited living space, or that plants don’t reach the priority list when it comes to deciding on the few key decorative items in your tiny apartment. Indoor plants are, however, and excellent way to make the most out of small spaces. It adds a sense of depth to the area, as well as freshening up the atmosphere. They are simply indispensable additions to a trendy and comfortable one-room.

Besides the practical benefits of indoor plants, they also have a high trend value this season. Botanicals are one of the biggest interior design trends for 2016, not only in print, but also in the flesh. Jungle themes are all the rage this season, and the more plants, the better. Therefore, adding plants to your apartment serves both applied and aesthetic goals.

Display your kitchen items on the wall

Using naturals in the kitchen is a trend that’ll be big this year, and it’s all about living harmoniously with the environment. Therefore, toning down the decorative aspects of the kitchen area and leaving your kitchen items exposed will reinforce this natural feeling.

Once again, we come in with vertical storage, but this time we even leave out the shelves. Hanging your kitchen equipment and items on the wall solves the storage problem in a small kitchen, as well as giving you the opportunity to display your coveted cuisine tools. Another option will also be to install a magnetic board, a cool and innovative solution! Take, for example, this great board from Magic Wall, it is convenient and quirky.

Which of these tips are you going to try out in your one-room?

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