Condominiums and apartments have a lot of perks, but living space is rarely one of them. There’s no reason to despair though. Even in a more compact home, there are many ways to make that space feel like it has more wiggle room than usual.
You might be mulling over a condo and/or apartment for sale. Or, you might already be living inside one. If you’re checking out this blog, chances are you’re looking for ways to maximize the square meters (sqm) available to you.
Here are some helpful hacks you can try out.
1. Take stock of the space you have
Using a pen and paper, make a rough outline of your living space and mark areas where space-saving solutions are needed. List down the elements (e.g. furniture, lighting, paint, decor) that can benefit each room or section.
This lay of the land helps you visualize your ideas and the specific requirements to execute your plan. You can revisit what you wrote down midway through the project to see if things are going according to plan — and whether or not you need to scrap some ideas.
2. Think multipurpose when it comes to furniture
Most, if not all of your furniture, should have more than one purpose. Think sofa beds, storage ottomans, modular dining tables, and benches with shoe cabinets. The versatility of these items reduce the need to use two or more pieces of furniture.
A quick Google search or retail therapy session at Ikea (wink, wink) will show various types of multipurpose furniture you can incorporate. Just make sure it matches the overall aesthetic of your space.
3. Define boundaries without closing off areas completely
In small spaces, the living room, kitchen, and sometimes even the bedroom are just inches away from each other — hence the cramped feeling.
But if you define where a certain area ends and where another begins, your home can feel a bit bigger and less restricting. Just remember to avoid closing off an area completely from the rest. Some recommendations to remember:
- Open shelving units can act as room dividers while serving as storage for books, memorabilia, and other items, just like this 35-sqm fully-furnished condo — another smart way of utilizing multipurpose furniture.
- Freestanding kitchen islands that are small enough to fit in your space can help delineate the kitchen from the living room. And they usually give you more storage and workspace options — once again, multipurpose!
- Semi-transparent room dividers provide privacy and flexibility in how you utilize a certain space.
4. Rugs add texture and more
Speaking of boundaries, rugs can also add that layer of separation without introducing solid physical barriers. They also do a good job of adding texture and comfiness to any space, which makes activities like reading or listening to music quite enjoyable.
This 2-bed and 2-bath condo, for instance, makes use of rugs in different areas quite well.
What’s more, if sounds and noises easily come through from the lower unit (hopefully not too frequent) some rugs can partly muffle those sound waves.
5. Make smart use of lighting and mirrors
Almost everything is better with good lighting, which is awesome at making a space look bigger than it actually is. And in this well-lit 3-bed, 139-sqm condo, the sense of depth can momentarily trick you into thinking you’re not inside a condo at all.
If your home has windows, take advantage of natural lighting with these tips:
- Layer with sheer curtains so you don’t completely block off light.
- Keep large shelves and cabinets from obstructing the light coming from windows.
- Use wall mirrors to allow light to spread out within the space.
For condos or apartments with minimal or no natural light, consider:
- Strategically using artificial lighting throughout the space.
- Use a combination of ambient, task, and accent lights to create a sense of depth.
- For extra dark corners, you can use floor lamps and wall sconces.
- Use mirrors to help sources of light disperse wider.
6. Use vertical space
Every inch of space is precious in a condo or apartment, including vertical space. There are nifty ways to use this often underutilized portion of the home. Here are a few suggestions:
- Wall-mounted storage in the form of bookshelves or cabinets for living room paraphernalia.
- Tall and slim cabinets for wardrobe or general storage items to reduce the amount of floor space occupied.
- Behind a bedroom door is a good area to attach removable hooks and smaller wall-mounted storage.
- Hanging storage is a great option for kitchen utensils or plants in the living room area.
7. Small kitchen? Make each item and appliance deserve their spot
It’s not unusual for some condos to have paltry kitchen space. In this scenario, make sure every item and appliance has a functional and aesthetic purpose.
The look and feel of the refrigerator, rice cooker, coffee maker, toaster, and so on, should complement each other — as well as the space. Whether you’re going for a rustic or industrial look, each element should play a role in achieving your design vision.
8. Make decluttering a regular part of your schedule
In smaller spaces, clutter can pile up more quickly. Without routine decluttering, no amount of multifunctional furniture or space-saving hacks can truly make your home look and feel bigger.
But we all know decluttering is easier said than done.
To make the task more manageable, try doing short bursts and more extensive decluttering sessions. The specifics are up to you.
For instance, you can start with a 10-minute interval on a frequently cluttered area per week. Complement it with an hour-long decluttering session every month covering most of the space.
As you declutter, evaluate whether or not you’ve used a specific item recently (say, in the last month?). If you haven’t and you think that it no longer serves a purpose, it may be time to free up some valuable space.
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