Five ways to make your studio apartment look larger

A studio apartment.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • A clever way to achieve this is to create illusions of extra height and floor space.
  • Avoid couches and chairs that have monstrous arms and unnecessary thick padding.
  • If you can, switch your curtain boxes for stylish curtain rods and then hang them as high up as you can.

We used to refer to them as bedsitters, or worse, servant’s quarters, in short, SQ. Now they are known as studio apartments. Styling your studio calls for plenty of cleverness and coordination. It is, after all, a small space that has great demands placed on its shoulders as it serves multiple functions. These multiple functions can be addressed by making it look and feel larger than it is. A clever way to achieve this is to create illusions of extra height and floor space by carefully selecting your furniture and décor accessories.

Here are other ways to do it:

1 .  Couch and chairs

Avoid couches and chairs that have monstrous arms and unnecessary thick padding. Not only is this style dated, it is also unappealing to the eye and eats up space, instead, go for furniture with comfortable seating but slim backs and slimmer arms - mid-century styling comes to mind here.

Also select some whose legs are lifted off your floor. Being able to see the floor beneath your furniture gives your space breathing room and creates a sense of openness. Have your fundi custom make your furniture so that you can select these design specifications. What’s more, you do not have to go for the standard three-seat or five-seat couches – get non-standard dimensions that fit to what you have in your studio.

2.  Curtains and drapes

If you can, switch your curtain boxes for stylish curtain rods and then hang them as high up as you can, as close to the ceiling as possible. This will draw the eye high up, creating the illusion of higher ceilings and taller walls. Also opt for flimsy sheers for your living room and kitchen as opposed to cathedral-like drapes. This creates an airy feel in a space, and allows for more natural light to pour into the room.

Take it a step further by selecting flimsy sheers in shades of white, brilliant white, off white or cream white. Use double sheers if a single layer does not prevent your neighbours from peeking into your studio and getting a load of your business. .

3.  Lighting

The default in studio apartments is a single light fixture in the middle of the room. Instead of hanging a light pendant from this single fixture, go instead for multiple alternative lighting options with soft-yellow bulbs that create a soothing warm ambience in the space. . Avoid chandeliers.

4.  Colour palette

Colours dictate the feeling one gets when they enter a room. Dark colours tend to make a room feel more closed in and smaller. Light colours reflect more light – natural and otherwise – and make a room feel more airy, more open and grander than it actually is. Think along light hues such as clean white, cool grey, blush pink, pale blue, greying brown, beige, soft yellow and light green. Bright and dark complementary colours to consider are dark blue, charcoal black, deep purple and teal.

5.  Multifunctional furniture

The limited space in a studio means you have to be smart about the type of furniture you invest in, therefore try not to clutter it with single-function standard furniture. For example, think twice about getting a coffee or end table because they will function as just that: tables. Consider investing in an ottoman instead, which can function as extra seating, storage chest and as a coffee table. Also get a hardworking bed that has drawers beneath it, so that you can store items such as extra beddings, pillows and towels.

You could also install floating shelves in the bathroom to hold your vanity items as well as to display some décor items, especially above the toilet.