Condos are great places to live. But moving into a studio sized apartment or small living space may feel overwhelming at first in terms of décor options. Where can you put stuff? And how can you fit everything you need into such a small area? This is made simple with some space saving tips.
Condo Space Saving Ideas
Here are the top 10 you should follow to easily update your space and keep it feeling open.
1. Choose bistro over fine dining – Condos typically have smaller kitchen areas than houses. To maximize your space in this area, use a bistro style table instead of a large dining set. This will immediately reduce the amount of space you are using and make the kitchen area feel larger and more accommodating.
2. Take the lights off the floor – Many people use lights that sit on the floor or accent tables to help brighten a living area. This can take up valuable real estate on the ground and make the room feel smaller. Instead, try to hang lamps as much as you can, or use lamps that sit behind a chair or couch allowing the base to remain unseen and the light to take up less space.
3. Use every inch of space for storage – If you have room underneath your bed for lesser used items, such as holiday decorations or seasonal clothing, use it to pack things away. You may also consider getting a chest for a coffee table so you have additional storage in the living room. Wherever you can, cheat your space and store items in dead spaces that would not be used otherwise.
4. Be smart about your shelving – Shelves are a great way to store boxes of paper, books and other items that may otherwise find their home on the floor. Use tall bookshelves or layered shelving to maximize your space and fill the walls with décor at the same time.
5. Buy furniture with clean lines – Bulky furniture gives an automatic feel to a room of being smaller than it is. Instead, buy furniture with sleek, clean lines and you can instantly update your living space to look and feel more open giving the illusion of having more space than you actually do.
6. Research color options wisely – Color is a great way to brighten up any living space, but doing so with dark colors can quickly make the space feel smaller than it actually is. To introduce colors, consider using one wall as an accent wall instead of painting all four walls with color. You can also use whites and light colors around the trim to make the room feel even bigger. Visit 10 Great Ideas for a Colourful Living Room for more ideas.
7. Keep your office at a minimum – Most people do at least some work from their house. But desks and office areas can take up large amounts of room that many people do not have. Instead, do double duty by making the kitchen table work as your desk, or create a small setup that is just large enough to fit your needs but is small enough to not consume the space.
8. Eliminate the clutter – Clutter can instantly make a room look overwhelming and disorganized which can make it feel smaller than it is. Transform your space by eliminating any clutter from shelves, cabinets and tables to make the look of your living space more open and inviting. If you don’t know from where to start then these 5 basic steps to declutter your home might help you out.
9. Organize behind closed doors too – If you make a habit out of stuffing cups in a kitchen cabinet or randomly tossing clothing and accessories into a closet, you will maintain a feel of organization around the condo that will help you to declutter other areas of your living spaces as well.
10. Think vertically – Hanging décor on the wall instead of leaning them up on a piece of furniture can instantly make a room look bigger. The eye is naturally drawn upwards instead of focusing on the bottom of the image that sits on a piece of furniture that may be close to the floor.
Condos do not have to feel small and overwhelming. Use these space saving tips to open your living areas today and love your condo, size and all.
Aileen Pablo is part of the team behind Open Colleges, one of Australia’s leading providers of TAFE courses equivalent and interior design courses. When not working, Aileen blogs about travel, lifestyle, home improvement, and beauty tips. She is also often invited as a speaker in Personality Development Seminars in the Philippines.If you have a blog and would like free content. You can find her on Google+.
