Simply put, a studio apartment is the ideal first home for students, a young family, or someone who has recently moved out of their parents’ house. This relatively small apartment with an open-floor room efficiently combines a few functional areas: sleeping space, lounge area, and kitchen zone. Additionally, an improvised home office, dressing room, and, mandatorily, an attached bathroom are included.
If you’ve recently moved into a studio apartment and are looking for ideas to design it or you fancy a makeover of the existing design, this article will come in handy. Here, you can find the freshest and trendiest design concepts suggested by trendsetters and professionals who’ve long worked in the field.
5 Key Features You Cannot Miss in a Studio Apartment
Now that we have gone through the basics, there is nothing left but to dive into the range of design ideas for your studio apartment. Stay true to your taste, yet consider the designers’ recommendations as well. Some of the following design concepts may inspire you.
Best Practical Design: Room Divider
Usually, homeowners want to make the sleeping zone feel private and separated. In this respect, designers suggest modern room dividers, mounted or mobile. The best solution is a glass partition wall and sliding door, with or without frames. Why glass? To keep the room as light as possible.
Discover alternatives in our article on the best room divider options for zoning your studio apartment.
Balcony Trick: Improvised Home Office
If you are lucky to have a balcony, whether separated through a door or as part of the open-floor room, use one of its sides for an improvised working nook. A floating desk, a few mounted shelves above, and a compact chair are enough.
Open-Floor Space: Color Coordination
Avoid striking contrasts between the functional areas. Choose a common color palette and underline the style coherence. In the following Modern Studio Flat Design Project by the exclusive online designer Alex Jolea from Hackrea, you can notice the smooth transition from one functional zone to another through a shared light color palette and occasional black and gold accents.
Hidden Work Zone
Use the vertical space to the maximum. For instance, you can hide an entire workspace or vanity zone in your closet and use it regularly by opening or sliding the doors. It won’t take much space and ensure your studio apartment has the necessary functional areas despite the limited space.
Lighter and Larger: Add Mirrors
Fortunately, mirrors can be fully attached to walls, and they won’t steal additional space. Furthermore, mirrors, especially sizable ones, are perfect for creating the effect of a larger space. A large mirror appropriately placed in a studio apartment is the best investment ever.
Split-Level Studio Apartment: Make Room for the Bedroom
If your apartment has a high enough ceiling, don’t pass by the idea of a split-level room plan. This gives off a subtle loft vibe. Depending on the room layout, consider an additional level above the kitchen or lounge area, and use this space for the bedroom. This solution shows how important vertical space is in a studio apartment.
Best Color for Small Studio: White
If your studio apartment is small, you must play with the right color shades. White is your safe resort in this sense. The room will feel less heavy and enclosed. From walls to furniture, paint everything white, adding a few contrasts, such as black accents or wood texture.
Multi-Purpose and Functional Furniture
It is optional, yet such furnishing will surely save you space. For instance, choose a bed with hidden storage space. Use a bookshelf room divider to store smaller items. Switch from a traditional kitchen table to a folding dining table. And remember, this doesn’t look cheap at all. On the contrary, futuristic and smart.
Unconventional Clothing Rack
Choose an unusual hanging clothing rack in the sleeping area or entryway as an alternative to closets and traditional racks. This improvised storage for clothes will save space, look original, and underline the functionality of the design.
Studio Apartment Individuality: Choose a Style
Regardless of how many restrictions a studio apartment design implies, you still have the right to choose your apartment’s personality. Staying within limits, pick a design style that suits your taste. The best choices are Minimalist, Modern, Industrial, Loft, and others alike. They feel more futuristic.
Back or Forward: Furniture Layout
Don’t push the furniture against the wall. Despite the urge to do so in a small room, as studio apartments usually are, keep at least a few inches free between furniture and walls. This trick will add depth to your apartment and make it feel cozier. Of course, it doesn’t apply to kitchen cabinets.
Low-Profile Bed
Regardless of your apartment’s size, there is never too much space in a studio apartment. Preserve the available free space as much as possible. Opt for a low-profile bed in the sleeping zone. Besides, it looks much more contemporary and appropriate for an open-floor space.
Add Privacy: Solid Room Partition
Use curtains or frosted glass walls to separate the functional areas and add privacy to specific zones. The significant part about curtains is that you can open and close them when necessary without stealing space from your apartment.
Visual Interest: Textured and Colorful
Although few decorative options exist, you can still enliven your apartment design through smart solutions. Try rich-textured surfaces, such as wood, stone, or concrete. Or, switch to bright-colored textiles, such as bedding or upholstery, all this on a neutral color palette.
Mini-Dressing Room
If so, arrange a getting-ready space behind your bedroom with built-in closets, a mirror, and a vanity area. Opt for tinted glass closet doors to make this functional zone feel larger and airy. Don’t skip the lighting part; ensure an appropriate amount of artificial light sources.
Mobile Furniture
Consider furniture pieces you can move from one place to another. These are usually units on wheels or light pieces that are easy to pick up and change location. For instance, you can quickly move a stylish accent table out of the way when you want to turn the lounge area into a bedroom. Or, drag a work desk on wheels to the bed or sofa if these are the only seats.
Acrylic Furniture
If you cannot stand the urge to add at least an accent table to your one-room apartment, you can safely opt for clear acrylic pieces. They will serve their purpose without taking up much space. Think of an acrylic accent table next to the sofa in the lounge area, acrylic nightstands in the sleeping area, an acrylic magazine or book holder, and even acrylic accent chairs.
