Creative Space-Saving Hacks That Will Transform Your Small Apartment

Are you struggling to style your small apartment? Maybe you’re questioning how you’ll ever make your petite space work. If so, you’ve come to the right place! We’re sharing our BEST creative space-saving hacks to bring your decor dreams to life.

Creative Space Saving Hacks - girl sitting with packed boxes.

Creative Space-Saving Hacks That Will Transform Your Small Apartment

Just because you have a small space, doesn’t mean you can’t make it look stylish. With our strategic space-saving hacks, you can transform your apartment from cramped to cozy in no time.

The Living Room

Create a Space For Conversation

Your sofa is your largest piece of living room decor, making it the most important piece to arrange correctly in your space. You might think that pushing your sofa against a wall will make your small lounge appear bigger. But surprisingly, that’s not true!

By giving your sofa some breathing room and pulling it closer to the rest of your furniture, you’re creating a “conversation space.” This allows you to have a dedicated area in your home for chats and connections with your crew.

Roll Out A Large Rug

There’s no easier way to add a touch of luxury to a small apartment than with a large rug. Even if you have a small space, adding a rug can really brighten up a room and bring your furniture together. If your apartment has carpeting, adding a rug on top completely transforms the room, plus it hides those red wine stains!

Your rug doesn’t have to be a silk, Persian rug for it to look luxurious. You can purchase an affordable but chic rug for under a hundred dollars.

If you want your space to look on-trend, as well as luxe, consider layering your rugs. All you do is layer a smaller rug on top of a larger rug. Easy, huh? Try playing around with different colors, textures, and patterns to find a combo that compliments your decor.

Photo showing an example of how you can Make Your Small Apartment Look Luxurious.

Balance The Room

When arranging your sofa, it’s important to factor in the balance of the room. Since your sofa takes up a lot of visual space, the room will appear balanced and put together if something is placed opposite it. This can be your TV, a coffee table, bookshelf, or if you’re lucky, your fireplace and mantle.

Even if your furniture items aren’t the same size, you can still achieve balance in the room. Placing two items on either side of the room, such as two chairs or ottomans, will create symmetry and balance in your space.

The Bedroom

Place Your Bed Against a Wall

We’re going to aim for symmetry, which will require you to place your bed in the center of a wall without obstructions. I.e., a wall without windows or a closet.

Placing your bed in the center of a wall is the best possible layout for a small room. The symmetry makes the room feel inviting, balanced and harmonious. However, it won’t be possible for all spaces, especially if you’re trying to squeeze a California king in the tiniest of rooms.

Girl holding pillows thinking about how to Arrange Your Bed in a Small Bedroom.

When you arrange your bed in a small bedroom, you want to ensure it doesn’t block any doors or pathways. You should be able to walk around your bed without tripping over in the middle of the night. So if you have to jump onto your bed from the entryway, perhaps consider placing your bed in the corner of the room instead!

Take Advantage Of Under Bed Storage

Put your bed to work and maximize the storage you have at the tip of your fingers. I know it’s tempting to shove all your unwanted clothes and shoes under your bed and let them sit there collecting dust. But there are genius ways to neatly store your items under your bed, completely out of sight.

This under-bed storage (with wheels!) allows you to pack away the clothes and shoes you don’t wear often. Whenever you need them, just roll them on out.

Use Closet Door Storage

If you have a closet, make the most of it and utilize the vertical space by hanging a pocket organizer on the door. Use it to store any clothing items that don’t need to be hung up like T-shirts or jumpers.

Or, you could even use it as storage for shoes. By hanging it on the inside of your closet, you can keep it out of your bedroom, meaning more room for other storage hacks.

Clothes neatly organised - Storage Hacks For a Small Bedroom

The Kitchen

Establish Your Kitchen Zones

What are zones, you ask? Kitchen zones might sound a little OTT, but they make managing your space in a small kitchen much more manageable. If you’re not familiar with kitchen zones, here’s the breakdown:

Cleaning Zone (Store rubbish bags, cleaning products, dustpans)
Food Zone (Your pantry, refrigerator, and your freezer)
Non-Food Zone (Store cups, plates, bowls, cutlery, and storage containers)
Food Prep Zone (Store the utensils you use for food prep, I.E., chefs knife, cutting board)
Cooking Zone (Store the items you use for cooking and baking, I.E., pots, and pans, and baking dishes)

Establishing your “zones” will help you figure out where to place cooking utensils and appliances to utilize space.

Declutter Your Bulky Unused Appliances

Do you have large appliances taking up space in your small kitchen? Ask yourself: will I ever get around to using that waffle maker or that egg poacher? If you have an appliance that takes up space, and you’ve never used it, consider giving it to a friend or donating it. Save that precious cabinet space for appliances you actually use.

If you can’t quite muster up the courage to get rid of your never-used appliances, store them in a box for the meantime. Then, store the box out of your kitchen, so it doesn’t take up space. Think ice cream maker and popcorn machine. If months go by, and you still haven’t used them, reconsider donating them or gifting them, so they can (hopefully) get some use!