One Room Living: The Studio Apartment

Studio apartments range from spacious to tiny. The common element is that their living space is a single room, with a separate bathroom and varying numbers of closets. The largest provide at least a nominal division between the kitchen and living room.

Some Benefits of Studio Living:

• Only one room to heat, cool, and light - utility bills are very low.
• Cleaning is a breeze with only one room to dust and vacuum.
• The pride you get from living efficiency and simply.

Keeping Studios Clean

Most studios don't have room for dust-collectors like coffee tables, china cabinets, and entertainment centers.  Instead, buy double-duty furniture (day beds and decorative chests), some functional items (computer desk, small dining table, television stand), and if space allows, a sofa or bookshelf.

The flip side is that small spaces magnify anything that is less than white-glove clean. If you forget to make your bed or mop the floor when a visitor stops by, you can't close the bedroom door or shoo guests out of the kitchen.

Decorating A Small Space

Keeping clutter to a minimum goes a long way. Keep the kitchen area neat and free of dirty dishes, and vacuum and dust frequently. A studio is not the place for knickknacks any more than it is for large furniture. These things take up valuable space.

Make sure that furniture and decorations don’t impede movement around the space. It pays to measure the furniture and make a floor plan before moving in. Don’t rent sight unseen and plan to just fit everything in once you get there.

Organizng Small Apartments

Plan before going grocery shopping. Small spaces have limited storage room. Bargain shoppers beware - there may not be room for jumbo packs of paper towels. Clutter makes a small space seem even smaller. To achieve a cozy but airy atmosphere, store things in sneaky spaces – under the bed or sofa, in the cabinet over the fridge (just not in the stove – it’s dangerous).

Try dividing the space into mini-rooms. Place a small telephone stand in one corner. Create an entertainment space: buy a shelf that attaches to the top of the television to hold a stereo. 

Add Simple, Personal Touches

Life in a studio is simple living at its finest. Everything you need is there - a roof over your head, a place to sleep, a place to cook and eat. You also have room for those touches that make a space home. Walls to hang pictures, a window ledge to place a vase of flowers, a closet or corner for mementos and books. What you do not have room for, you truly don’t need right now.