Effective ideas for one room apartments

Rita Deo Rita Deo
Квартира для молодой девушки, Ekaterina Donde Design Ekaterina Donde Design Scandinavian style kitchen
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Decorating single room apartment with all requisite furniture and décor an individual may need is a challenging task as one has to make right choices between essentials and non-essentials. In this situation multi-functional furniture is the ideal choice as this can meet several needs without sacrificing on owner comfort. As these are rental apartments one may not be keen on spending on permanent decor and in such circumstances light furniture that can be folded and moved around the house is the best option.  

The most difficult decisions while selecting furniture and other décor objects for a small apartment are about which areas to focus on and which ones to leave alone.Simple and versatile pieces of furniture like foldable tables and chairs, modular sofa, small décor pieces and simple lighting fixtures made of paper and wires made at home can help to brighten up even the dullest apartment. Decorative furnishings, kitsch rugs and artistic prints will bring color and spark while floating rustic cabinets that can be hung in the kitchen will create storage space. Here are a few furniture arrangement ideas that will create space and improve functionality of a small apartment.

Getting rid of the barriers

Open floor layout is the only decoration option in single bedroom apartments and making space for different types of furniture requires a clear floor plan. As there is a single uniform color in the room the furniture has to be in practical colors to suit the décor. In a small space, furniture pieces like bookshelves, sofas and tables become room dividers to demarcate spaces like dining cum kitchen area and living room.

In this room furniture has been smartly laid out to create different spaces within the same area and flooring too has been left in its natural condition to display the beautiful colors of wood on floorboards. The modular sectional sofa before the television is sufficient for a small family of two to three members and is in tune with the color palette of the house of grey and white. The modular kitchen with cooking range and wash basin may be wide but it does not infringe on any extra space as everything is laid out clearly.

Tricks to make additional space

The biggest problem an owner of single bedroom apartment faces is lack of storage space around the house. So while hanging floating shelves can help to a large extent there is only limited stuff that one can hang on walls. Here is a smart furniture idea created by Christian Chalupka that can help to create space that performs double duty of storage shelf cum table. 

Fitted with wheels these can be used to store utensils in the kitchen or as a table during a party in the living room with clever niches for glasses, plates and cutlery. While horizontal shelves are suitable for regular storage the X shaped table is ideal for storing smaller vessels and cutlery.

Dealing with a tiny kitchen

In a small single bedroom apartment that has no walls and only a narrow corner with a makeshift counter, adjusting all necessary required paraphernalia of a kitchen will require ingenuity. In these circumstances you may sometimes have to deal with a small kitchen that also doubles up as a dining area. If you have inbuilt cabinets like this one here in the picture with adjustable shelves then you can stock all utensils and cutlery within them.

In this minimalist kitchen the counter is right below the open window which brings in light and fresh air during the day. Though the counter is tiny, it is wide enough for the cooking range and washbasin with enough space to keep important things on it. Spacious cabinets above the counter hold the oven and other necessary items required in the kitchen. Corner space is ideal for folding chairs and small table which can be adjusted to seat the apartment owner with one or two guests.

Functional Areas

In a single bedroom apartment where the  bedroom is the only private space it has to be made multi-functional for all your creature comforts. A portable metal table with lacquer top that can be easily placed on the bed with a mat to keep it steady can be used for bed tea or for writing work late night as the bedroom is too small for a writing table and chair. Want to surprise someone with bed tea or a birthday wish early morning? This is the best way to have tea in bed or the balcony where there may not be enough space for a table. 

This table is wide enough for a laptop and even that can be kept on it to work when it is very cold and you want to snuggle in the bed and work. Combining different colored cushions on the bed makes it look wide and spacious and also brings color to this simple grey and white bedroom.

Capacity and functionality

Cleverly designed furniture makes maximum utilization of capacity without compromising on functionality. Space saving furniture makers have a deep understanding of people’s needs and make their designs to suit every niche of requirement. This long open cupboard cum entertainment zone designed in eclectic style is sufficient to meet the needs of a bachelor  of a bedroom cum  living area. It has shelf niches of different sizes to store different types of items in a single area like television, books, shoes, clothes and also music system at the bottom shelf.

If you are wondering if this is a bedroom or a living room then look carefully at the space above the wide cupboard where you will see a bed laid out that can be reached by climbing up the iron stairs built against the cupboard. The room doubles up as a living room cum bedroom and has trendy modular chairs laid out in a circle along with a vintage packing box.

Perfect example

In a small space furniture should be kept in a horizontal manner and drapes can be hung from floor to below ceiling beams to give an illusion of width and size. To make a small room look larger place the furniture away from the center that towards the wall and limit clutter in room by focusing on wall units instead of small cabinets.  This bedroom cum entertainment and laundry area is the perfect example of adjustment within available space.

In this corridor styled room, the long wall unit works as a work station cum dining area with small stools tucked below the shelf. The long settee cum bed is the perfect addition to this room to watch tiny television fitted into the cabinet. As this bedroom has a single large window at the end the furniture has been laid out in such a way that sufficient sunlight comes into the room during the day.

For more ideas on small apartments view the suggestions made by our experts in this ideabook.

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