Studio Apartment Ideas To Make the Most Of Your Space

I’ll never forget the moment I laid eyes on it for the first time: We signed a lease via Craigslist and had never seen the place in person. In the end, we bought a futon from World Market (which, when set up as a bed, actually touched the dishwasher in the “kitchen”) and called it a day. That’s why I dove into The Everygirl’s archives, perused the home tours, and put together the five best tips and tricks for mastering the layout of your studio apartment—futons be damned!

A common misstep I find with studio apartment design is that we’re always trying to hide the fact that there’s a bedroom in the same room as our living room/workspace/dining area. Of course, there are ways that you can create distinct areas (we’ll get to that later), but why not take a note from our senior graphic designer and online course director Kelly Etz’s former studio and make the bedroom a focal point? Facing the bed toward the living space opens up the entire room, provides a better flow, and creates an ultra-cozy setting.

This controversial decision allowed her to create a full sitting area on the opposite side of the room, complete with a generously sized sofa, armchair, and coffee table. In addition to bringing in more light and tricking the eye into thinking there’s extra space, it’s also a functional piece that’ll make getting dressed in the morning a total breeze.