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Posts Tagged ‘small apartment furniture’

The One Room Lifestyle

Monday, August 15th, 2016

Fine Furniture Design Living Room Chaise 3101-06 offers restful lounging and sitting.

Fine Furniture Design Living Room Chaise 3101-06 offers restful lounging and sitting.

There are various upsides to small apartment living. First, there’s lower rent, also, it is at a closer proximity of many downtown areas. Small is also cozy depending on how you design the space so it’s all a matter of how you would beautify you place.

One of the sad mistakes that apartment owners make when decorating their small apartments is that they focus only on functionality instead of coupling it with design. Don’t go through the same errors – it’s time to learn some small apartment styling tips.

Delineate Different Areas

Living in a tiny space shouldn’t automatically mean embracing the open space layout. In fact, there are so many other designs that you can look into. There’s just one thing that you need to keep in mind – that you must keep yourself from overwhelming the space with unnecessary stuff.

Define the different areas by giving each a function. Shoe and coat racks can be placed by the door and that’ll define your entryway. A simple buffet should divide our dining and kitchen areas. This provides easier food service and ample storage. Backing your sofa right by the foot of your bed can draw the beholder’s eye towards the living area.

Be sure to highlight your hobby or interest as this will cap the look of your home. A bike rack will tell everyone that you are a fitness enthusiast or maybe just a lover of the outdoors. Make who you are become an integral part of your design project.

Use Dual-Purpose Furniture

When you are dealing with a tiny space, know that every inch counts. Maximize the space by buying only the kinds of furniture that have a double purpose. Find pieces that will work with the limited space that you have.

The space where you’ll set up your bedroom can have a foldable sofa. An ottoman can be a seating and storage unit at the same time. A foldable dining table can be hidden from view when no longer in use.

Find dual-purpose pieces that are the appropriate size to your tiny space. Those overstuffed furnishings will only make a small place look a lot smaller.

Look for Unused Spaces

Having moved into your cute space for months, it’s easy to be stuck with the design that you initially came up with. There are many spaces that you can free up and repurpose. If you’ve been storing old magazines in huge boxes for the longest time then this just means that it’s time to unclutter.

Nooks and crannies could also have their purpose. They can be used as a corner library or as a small corner office.

Grow Vertically

It is crucial that you think vertically when you have a small space to work with. The tall, narrow storage units can help solve clutter issues. You can begin by placing two bookshelves of the same height on both sides of the doorway. A single entertainment center can also be used, one that reaches from the floor all the way up to the ceiling.

 Hooker Furniture Living Room Melange Joli Nesting Ottomans offer dual purposes – they can be used as a seating as well as a storage unit.

Hooker Furniture Living Room Melange Joli Nesting Ottomans offer dual purposes – they can be used as a seating as well as a storage unit.

Make Organization Your New Best Friend

Storage is your best pal when you have a small apartment. This is your tool in hiding stuff that you don’t need at the moment. Practically speaking, though, you have to learn to find and keep just the things that you need.

Make good use of back-of-door hangers and hanging organizers. Line your shelves and drawers with extra bins or baskets.

As soon as your organization tools are set, you would soon realize how much space can actually be freed up. Just cap your design project with a light paint palette and you’re done.

 

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Making Small Space Living Lovable

Friday, July 22nd, 2016

The Fine Furniture Design Living Room Settee 0811-02 is great for small homes because it is compact yet it is visually enticing nonetheless.

The Fine Furniture Design Living Room Settee 0811-02 is great for small homes because it is compact yet it is visually enticing nonetheless.

Have you taken the time to notice, lately, that most neighborhoods are showing bigger and bigger houses? See also how a nice row of like-looking houses is still an ongoing trend? More often than not, though, these homes are owned by small families. This spells less interaction among family members. The building of these giant structures are breaking down what should have been a close relationship among family members.

Going Non-Palatial

The recession made a lot of people realize that homes can be built a little smaller. They are a lot easier to maintain (and even pay for). And with the living costs rising each year, it becomes more and more reasonable to live affordably. This can be done by starting with the structure of your home.

It may not be that appealing to live in a smaller home if the basis is the series of United States Census where the average American home size is at 2,400 square feet in 2010. Large homes may be dominant but there are benefits that these colossal structures won’t be able to give.

Here are some of the major benefits of living in smaller spaces –

Energy Eficiency

Smaller homes are known to be more energy efficient. There is less space to cool or heat which also means that a smaller home as a lower carbon footprint.

Having fewer rooms also means that you won’t have a pricier maintenance expense. This also means less time spent on cleaning a lot of rooms. The time that you used to spend cleaning your home can now be spent on quality activities with your family. You can now spend more time outdoors, doing the things that you all love.

Hooker Furniture Living Room Melange Joli Nesting Ottomans: Find pieces that have dual functions.

Hooker Furniture Living Room Melange Joli Nesting Ottomans: Find pieces that have dual functions.

Coziness

Gigantic rooms are often not cozy. Only smaller rooms can evoke this kind of feeling, and  can even add a sense of intimacy which all larger homes lack.

Less Expense

Smaller homes are also less expensive to keep. These are designed to stay cool using cross-ventilation and shade. You can also enjoy the summer months by staying on the porch, keeping the windows open and using only fans. You will spend less with electricity when you use natural light and enjoy the natural breeze.

Compact homes are also well-built. They are less exposed to the natural elements. Just make sure that the construction materials used are sturdy.

An Improved Social Life

Being in a neighborhood with smaller homes means the structures are built closer to each other. Most gigantic homes are built with a large front and back lawns, plus more square feet of extra space. Add to that the fence, bushes and trees that cover these giant homes and socialization becomes virtually impossible.

City or city-like living means you have less space to sleep and walk around in but the great outdoors will serve as your grander home. With small space living, you have to learn to schedule your activities as a family outside of your home. If you live alone, then walk to and from work; enjoy biking rather than running in an elliptical trainer; or have dinner with someone at a fancy restaurant somewhere.

Front porches in neighboring small homes also have a welcoming feel to them. It’s like begging for you to pay your neighbor a visit. Big and grand areas are never within walking distance so if you want a lot of socialization, then it’s time to live in a smaller home.

Small Space Challenges

It would be wrong to think that small space living is sublime all the time. Smaller kitchen means less space for you to move around as you cook your food. It may also be awkward to live in a limited amount of space at first but you’d surely get used to it. Later on, you’ll realize that there are more benefits to living in smaller space than to keep a humongous place.

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Furnishing Tiny Apartments

Friday, June 24th, 2016

1586-90014-BLK1 Belle Semainier Chest is petite and vertically superb for any small apartment.

1586-90014-BLK1 Belle Semainier Chest is petite and vertically superb for any small apartment.

Small apartments may have their upside but they also come with some furnishing concerns. Sure, you love paying the lower rent and being close to your work, add the coziness and all, and what you get is a warm, easy-to-decorate place. But is it really that easy to furnish a tiny apartment?

One of the greatest misconceptions about decorating smaller apartments is that functionality should always come before design. While function is important, it is also just as crucial to create a design that describes who you are. An apartment might have limited space but this does not mean that you have to be short on style, too. You have to find the right balance between style and function or you won’t be comfortable in your apartment, eventually.

You Can Still Define Separate Areas

One advice that homeowners often get when it comes to style is to use an open space layout. This lack of definition on space could look cluttered if not given much attention.

As much as you can, try to define separate areas by giving each area a purpose. For instance, you can place a coat and shoe racks right by the entryway. Place the buffet between the kitchen and dining areas so serving and storage become easier. Back the sofa up to the foot of the bed so the beholder’s eyes are drawn to the living area.

If you have a hobby, go ahead and experiment in separating the area where you would display your collections and other living areas. Don’t be afraid to show who you are. If your hobby is biking, then install an indoor rack that will make your bike look like it’s been intentionally made into a décor. Plants may also be used to signify changes in space use.

Make Use of Dual-Purpose Furniture

Every inch counts when it comes to dealing with small space. Invest in smaller furniture that, preferably, can double into something else. Focus your energies on buying furniture pieces that work with your chosen theme.

Bedrooms are often the perfect rooms for dual-purpose furniture. It is best to buy furniture that has a dual purpose than to work the space around the furniture that you purchase.

Consider having a trundle bed that folds into a sofa when you want to watch the television. A hollow ottoman can also double as a storage case, or a dining table with built-in leaf to make guest entertainment a lot easier.

Whatever kind of dual-purpose piece you buy, just make sure that you buy the sizes that are appropriate to your available space. Overstuffed pieces will only make your space look a lot smaller than it already is. Now don’t worry too much about searching for sofas, there are many designs that will fit your micro-living space.

Assess Unused Spaces

Living in a small space means you also have to rethink unused areas now and then. If there are extra pots that lay around or candles that have not been used for so long, then what’s the point in keeping them around?

Now look around your apartment and find out if you have any dead spaces that serve very little to zero purpose. Find blank walls and unused corners then discover how you can make these spaces more useful. Use them to your advantage, create storage where there was none before.

Extend Vertically

Planning the best way to use space means you have to know how to use vertical storage. Narrow, tall storage systems work best in smaller spaces so shop for those kinds. An entertainment center that is narrower yet reaches from floor to ceiling is your perfect divider between the living and sleeping areas.

Decorating tiny apartments doesn’t need to be taxing. All you need is a little creativity and a tad of patience and you should be fine.

Flexsteel Living Room Love Seat 1139-20 is the right solution for small apartment seating needs.

Flexsteel Living Room Love Seat 1139-20 is the right solution for small apartment seating needs.

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