5 Secrets to Studio Apartment Living

Whether you're renting or you're signing a lease for a home in the city, you would know how expensive CBD properties can get. To save on cash, a lot have chosen to move into studio units. Luckily, living in a compact unit doesn't automatically mean you have to sacrifice style. Unlock the secrets to one-room living by experimenting with the tips below: 

1. Store it, hide it and organize it. 

Storage is a priority in one-room living, since any form of clutter can be easily seen and become an eyesore. Unlike built-in closets for your wardrobe, consider getting fixed or flexible shelving and freestanding cabinets with doors made to hide your kalat.

READ: 5 Easy Organizing Solutions for Small Spaces

2. Define areas of the room. 

Segregate your studio unit into at least two areas: one for cooking/work/dining and the other for lounging/sleeping. Define each by having a distinct furniture grouping for each area. If you're fortunate enough to have a separate bedroom, make sure it is reserved for rest only. If you want more privacy in an open layout, go for low partitions, or invest in a freestanding bookcase that can shield your sleeping area from your living areas. 

READ: 5 Stylish Room Partitions For Small Homes

3. Keep it well-ventilated. 

Make sure your windows are generous, and can be opened—you need proper ventilation and a lot of natural light in a small space. Get a rangehood for your kitchen, unless you want your whole home to smell like adobo when you cook. You might want to use roll-up blinds instead of drapes, which are visually heavy. 

READ: 5 Ways To Make Small Spaces Extra Bright and Airy

4. Use less furniture. 

Less is more. Pare down your furniture to the essentials, and use pieces that multitask: try a sofa bed, an ottoman seat that doubles as a center table, or a dining table that can become a desk. 

READ: 5 Compact Furniture Pieces For Small Spaces

5. Add variety through decor.

Since you’re living in just one room, add visual variety so you won’t get bored. Unify your decor with a specific theme (Asian, modern-retro, eclectic) and a color scheme but add variety in textures, materials, and seating styles. 

READ: 4 Easy Ways to Decorate a Bare Condo Unit

Read the original article ("Studio Style") in the Jan-Feb 2007 issue of Real Living Magazine. Download your digital copy of Real Living on the Real Living App now! Log on to summitnewsstand.com.ph/real-living for more details.