13 Easy Ways to Make a One-Bedroom Apartment Look Bigger

If you’ve lived in your current home for decades, chances are you’ve realized you don’t need all the space. Especially if you’re just using the kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom. While there are a lot of benefits to downsizing, one of the biggest drawbacks of moving to a smaller space is that they feel…well…small. But if you’re ready to spend less time taking care of space you no longer use, need or want, this blog post will show you how to make a small apartment feel bigger.

The Upside of Downsizing

By better aligning your living space with your current lifestyle, you could see several benefits, including:

• Lower cost of living: The smaller your new space, the more quickly you’ll start saving money on expenses like heating and electricity.
• Less maintenance: It can become difficult to clean and maintain a big living space. At Essex Meadows, we can handle any needed repairs to appliances, heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical. Plus, we offer dining, housekeeping and flat linen service.
• More socializing: Once the maintenance is taken care of, you’ll have more time to pursue your hobbies and interests. We offer a calendar full of fitness and wellness classes, clubs, committees, happy hours and social outings.

How to Make a Small Apartment Feel Bigger

To make the most of a small space, you need to be thoughtful with your design, furniture and layout. Here are some suggestions to help make a small apartment feel bigger.

Design

• Put everything in its place: To keep your space clean and organized, have a designated place for everything you own.
• Cut the clutter: The fewer belongings you have, the larger your space will look. Before you dive into the layout and design of your apartment, start by purging unnecessary items.
• Be reflective: Using mirrors can help create a greater sense of openness by tricking the eye into perceiving more space. Mirrors also reflect the natural light, making the room brighter.
• Go au naturel: To maximize your space, leave the area around your windows unobstructed to let in as much natural light as possible. If you want privacy, hang curtains made of lightweight material to let in the sunlight. But be sure to use a bar that extends far beyond the window frame so you can expose the entire window.
• Lighten up: Using light-colored options like beige, ivory, taupe and light gray on the walls will keep your space from looking cramped. You can then add an accent wall or statement pieces to draw the eye.

Furniture

• Simplify your furniture: Having extra Items like nightstands, coffee tables and side tables can make a room feel crowded. Where possible, eliminate unneeded furniture.
• Make a statement: After you’ve pared down your furniture, make sure one of your items stands out. A bold bedspread, funky couch, potted plants, or an interesting light fixture can spice up your apartment without overwhelming it.
• Scale it down: If a piece of furniture touches three walls or reaches from the floor to the ceiling, it’s too large. To create a sense of roominess, always leave a space between the sides of your furniture and the walls.
• Keep a low profile: Furniture that’s lower to the ground creates a feeling of openness because they leave more space above them.
• Show some leg: Furniture with exposed legs allow light to pass underneath, keeping the room from feeling tight or cluttered.
• Use furniture as storage: Having room to store things is at a premium in a small living space. To help, consider multipurpose pieces that do double duty: bed frames with built-in storage, or benches and ottomans that open up.

Layout

• Consider traffic flow: In a small space, it’s natural to want to push all the furniture to the edges. But if you have too much furniture in the room and bump into things while walking through, it can actually make the space feel smaller.
• Create a cluster: To make your area feel larger, keep as much floor space open as possible by arranging furniture to one side.

To Live Large, Think Small

A one-bedroom apartment at Essex Meadows offers a lot of possibilities. With no more responsibilities for home maintenance, cooking and cleaning, you’re free to explore a whole world of social opportunities, classes, and clubs right outside your door. To learn more about everything our one-bedroom apartments offer, contact us here.