35+ Small Apartment Design Ideas

Small apartments are perfect for a variety of people – new graduates, young couples, single adults, young and old, city-dwellers, and anyone looking for a minimalist lifestyle. The only problem is that small space design can be highly challenging. That’s why you need to gather a handful of small room décor ideas first. Then, with careful planning, the right furniture, and good organization, you can create a home you’ll love. Here are thirty-two tiny apartment ideas to get you started.

Furniture for Small Spaces

Chances are if you already have furniture that you used in a larger home, some or all of it won’t work in a small apartment. But that’s okay. There’s plenty of excellent small apartment furniture available. You can makeover even the tiniest apartment with the right furniture pieces to create an inviting, beautiful space.

So, what are the challenges related to furniture for small spaces?

• Finding apartment size furniture
• Having enough storage space
• Creating a space that’s cozy but not crowded
• Having enough places for guests to relax
• Choosing the best colors for a small space
• Arranging the furniture for maximum usability and visual appeal
• Creating individual spaces for different purposes

What Furniture to Choose

Is your old furniture wrong for your small apartment? Or, are you just setting up housekeeping and can’t imagine what furniture will work best? Never fear! You can use small space furniture ideas, like the ones in this section, to make the right selections and get the most out of them.

1. Swap that bulky sofa for a smaller settee

Want the ideal apartment sized furniture for your home? Opt for a settee. Small settees are among the best choices for small rooms. They’re not only smaller than a regular sofa, but they tend to be more streamlined and usually add height as well.

2. Get a daybed

As apartmenttherapy.com points out, the daybed is a wonderful piece of furniture. And it’s just right for a small apartment. Why? That’s easy. It’s multi-function furniture. It gives you and your guests a comfy space to sit, and at the same time, stands ready to accommodate overnight guests with a cozy bed. Get a daybed with a trundle, and you even have additional space for sleeping.

3. Get a narrow dresser

Back in the 1800s and early 1900s, dressers were small compared to the ones that came along in later years. Well, it’s time to bring back narrow dressers for small spaces. While many dressers now are as wide as 69 inches, you can find many slimmer dressers. That means you can have more floor space to walk around and even put it on a shorter wall if you like.

4. Try a chesser

Chessers are top-rated in the realm of tiny room ideas. So, what is a chesser? It’s a hybrid between a chest and a dresser. Some chessers have a tall side that looks like a chest and a shorter, wider side that looks like a dresser. But others – the ones that work best for small bedrooms – are all one height. And they’re taller than a dresser, just a bit wider than a chest, and have plenty of spaces for storing your apparel and accessories.

5. Go for streamlined furniture

Choose furniture that takes up less physical and visual space. One idea is to choose a bed with a metal frame rather than a wood one. This creates the illusion and possibly the reality of extra space.

6. Don’t forget the storage

A small apartment can make a great home, but where are you going to put all your stuff? If you choose furniture that doubles as storage, you’ll have plenty of space to put away your belongings.

7. Make sure you have enough seating

Having enough seating for small spaces can be a struggle. Yet too many small pieces can make the room look cluttered. So, what can you do? Here are some cute apartment ideas for seating. Try using two settees. Or choose a few streamlined chairs and create extra seating with ottomans and a daybed.

8. Select simple styles

Ornate furniture can be very appealing in a large house. But in a small apartment, it tends to be overwhelming. Opt instead for simple styles like contemporary, modern, or even Mid-Century. You’ll find small spaces furniture options in each of these unadorned styles.

9. Add a tall bookcase

A tall bookcase does three things. First, it adds height, which makes your room appear larger. Second, it takes up little floor space. For example, you can get a tall black bookcase by Coaster that is only 31 inches wide. But at 67 inches tall, it has a lot of storage space for books, statues, and photos.

10. Look for smaller dining room options

Small dining rooms require smaller furniture or less of it or both. Choose a small, round table to maximize your space. Or, what about a bistro set? The Twilight Bay Antique Linen Shelter Island Bistro Set has four comfortable barstools and a table that works perfectly for one or two people. If you often have guests, consider an extendable table that becomes very small when you take out the leaves.

11. Choose furniture with legs

Furniture for smaller spaces that sits up off the floor gives your room a light, airy feeling. Mid-Century furniture is especially suitable for this, as it usually has thin tapered legs. You can get both living room and bedroom furniture with this type of legs, too.

12. Choose light-colored furniture

If you’ve ever asked a designer, “What color carpet makes a room look bigger?” you’ve probably gotten the answer that light colors are the way to go. The same is true of furniture. Monochromatic or neutral color schemes including white, ecru, beige, light grey, or even a pale pastel can give your room a clean, open look.

How to Arrange Furniture

Once you have your small furniture, arranging it is your next interior design challenge. And when your area is small, that takes a little extra thought and maybe even some trial and error. Here are some furniture arrangement ideas for small apartments.

13. Place two settees back to back

If you’d like two intimate conversation areas in your living room, try placing two settees back to back. This way of arranging your room also keeps the furniture away from the walls without leaving unusable space behind the sofa.

14. Get the seating away from the walls

Speaking of furniture and walls, it’s nearly always best to keep your main furniture away from the edges. That means sofas or settees, accent chairs, and dining room sets need to be positioned so that there’s space between them and the wall. In the bedroom, the bed will be easier to make when you have floor space on each side rail of the bed.

15. Set your workspace apart

Working from home is more common than ever these days. So, you need a separate space to concentrate on the job. You can create a cozy workspace just by the way you arrange your room. Set up a small desk along the wall at the end of your bedroom or choose a corner desk. Then, set that space apart by putting a houseplant between the desk and the rest of the room. Or, try using that space to place a bookcase with the shelves perpendicular to the wall.

16. Place furnishings around the edges

When you’re living in a small home, you need all the floor space you can get. One way to get it is to place flat furniture around the perimeter of the room. You can line the walls with bookcases and shelves, mount your TV. Or put a bench below a window to make a moveable window seat.

17. Consider alternative coffee table solutions

Coffee tables can get in the way when you don’t have much floor space in your living room. But there are other ways to accommodate lamps and artwork or give yourself and your guests places to set down their drinks. One is to place a long table behind the settee. Make sure it’s the same height as the back of your sofa so that guests can reach it easily. Another option is to choose a clear coffee table. This creates an open look in your living room.

Plan Your Room

Want to have the perfect small living space? The best results start with a plan. Follow these steps to create a list of your favorite interior design ideas for small houses and apartment living.

Throwing whatever furniture you come across into your small home can be a disaster. Instead, take some time to learn more about layout and décor for small homes. Then, you’ll be ready to make the most of your tiny space.

18. Read magazines and books about small room design

Flip through some magazines for a leisurely look at room layout ideas. Or if you’re feeling ambitious, delve into a book on small room décor. Here are some books that may help you find the perfect look.

• Apartment Therapy’s Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces, by Maxwell Ryan
• 200 Small Apartment Ideas, by Cristina Benites
• Rental Style: The Ultimate Guide to Decorating Your Apartment or Small Home

Check out these magazines for the latest trends in small apartment design.

• Architectural Digest
• Better Homes & Gardens
• House Beautiful
• Dwell
• Elle Décor

19. Watch videos to learn more

Watching videos on small apartment layout and decorating is a great way to get a vivid view of the possibilities hiding in your small space. For example, MF Home TV has a video on furniture placement that shows five different ways to layout a small bedroom. Jansen’s DIY Channel has several excellent videos on the subject, too, including this video featuring 25 ideas for making your tiny home more spacious. The Kinwoven Home – Live Your Style has tons of interior design ideas in videos like this one offering “Clever Small Apartment Hacks and Ideas”.

20. Follow design gurus on social media

You’re probably on social media already, so why not check out interior designers for tips on decorating your tiny space. Here are some of the hottest interior design gurus to check out.

• Bri Emery
• Emily Henderson
• Studio McGee
• Jenny Komenda
• Kirsten Grove
• Miles Redd
• Molly Madifs
• Kelly Behun

21. Check out interior design blogs

Blogs give you up-to-date information and trendy ideas. And they’re easy to access at a moment’s notice. These blogs always have fresh ideas for small home interior décor.

• Apartmenttherapy.com
• Homedit.com
• Apartment34.com
• Asmalllife.com
• Elledecor.com
• Architecturaldigest.com
• Sfgate.com
• Thespruce.com
• Housebeautiful.com
• Houzz.com

Are you ready to discover the ideal design room layout that serves its purpose and looks fantastic doing it? Try these ideas to create the home of your dreams.

22. Consider what’s already there

Every apartment is different, of course, so you have to be mindful of the quirks of your floor layout and existing features. Whether you’re using an app or drawing out your furniture on paper, start by noting the doors, windows, fireplaces, and any other specific features that will affect the arrangement.

23. Think about your habits

Whenever you’re creating a home, you must take your habits into account. Make a space for your indoor hobbies and interests. If you typically ditch your coat and shoes as soon as you get in the door, be sure you have hangers and a shoe cubby near the door so you can put them away. If you often have guests in your home, extra seating will be vital to you. But if you usually see friends somewhere else, you may be more comfortable with less furniture.

24. Go with your preferences

Regardless of what anyone tells you about designing your layout, you are always the final authority. Go with the styles, furniture pieces, and artwork that appeals to you. Take cues from the information you’ve gathered about how to arrange your home. Then, adapt those ideas to suit the way you like it best. Don’t forget: it’s your home to enjoy the way you prefer.

25. Use an app to create a layout

Room layout apps give you a quick way to explore different ways to arrange a room. Apartment Therapy lists several of the best apps for laying out any room, including small living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms. Simply input the dimensions of your room and the furniture you plan to place there. The apps give you a clear image of how your room will come together.

26. Visualize your room

Shift your gaze from the design on your app to the room where it will come to life. Imagine what it will look like when you have the furniture and decorations placed there. If it isn’t your idea of a dream home, make adjustments until you’re happy with it. Then, when you’ve chosen your final layout, you’ll be ready to put your plan into motion.

Tiny Apartment Decorating

Once you’ve figured out the layout of all your small rooms and have chosen your furniture, the next step is coming up with small apartment decorating ideas. Want to know how to decorate a small apartment? Here are a few small space décor ideas that might help.

27. Add rugs

Rugs serve several functions in small room décor. They not only add physical warmth on the floor, but they can also create the illusion of having more space. Choose a round or irregularly shaped rug to disguise the limits of your floor space. Or choose a long, striped rug with the stripes running parallel to your longer wall if you have a narrow room.

Get a medium-sized rug to avoid the unplanned look you get with a bunch of small throw rugs as well as the overwhelming feeling that comes with huge rugs. Then, place the rug with the front legs of your furniture on it so that your floor doesn’t look crowded. Curbed.com has even more space drawing ideas for choosing the right rugs.

28. Use functional artistic touches

When you’re decorating small apartments, you’ll want to include some artistic touches. One thing to remember is that art can do more than just look pretty. You can decorate your home with artistic pieces that also serve a practical purpose. Homedit.com suggests using bookshelves filled with colorful books to add storage space that’s also beautiful. Another idea is to display your dishes on open shelves, so they contribute to the attractive look of your apartment when you aren’t using them.

29. Divide a room clearly

What about small houses decoration ideas that work for apartments, too? Here’s an outstanding one to try. If you want to have separate spaces without making your room look too small, consider putting up a glass partition. Your home still looks open and breezy, but you can enjoy each area as if it was a separate room. Or use a folding screen for a little privacy in a small bedroom.

30. Brighten up your space with natural light

Knowing how to decorate home includes understanding the best ways to bring in natural light. There are several ways to use curtains to make your apartment look bigger and brighter. Hang them so that the tops are above the windows to create the illusion of vertical space. Use mirrors to reflect the light from the windows throughout the room. You can even go curtain-less, which not only brings in more natural light but also has a minimalist look just right for decorating small spaces.

31. Choose the perfect size of small room décor

You might think that small spaces need small decorations like miniature knickknacks, vases, and sculptures. But actually, too many tiny decorations make your small apartment look cluttered and smaller. Choose space decorations that are just large enough but not too large. A good rule of thumb is to stick with pieces that are about the size of a small cantaloupe.

32. Get organized

Small room organization is essential if you want to keep your home looking attractive. You can get ideas for organization from videos like this one from Jansen’s DIY. Or check out home décor blogs that explain ways to maximize your space with great organization tips like the ones in this blog from The Spruce.

33. Choose the right coffee table

Coffee tables can get in the way when you don't have much floor space in your living room. Luckily, there are other ways to accommodate lamps and artwork or give yourself and your guests places to set down their drinks. One is to place a long table behind your sofa or seating group. Make sure it's the same height as your sofa's back so guests can reach it easily. Another option is to choose a clear coffee table, which creates a relaxed look in your living room. Ottomans with trays on top also make excellent coffee table alternatives.

34. Decorate with functional artwork

When you're decorating small apartments, you'll want to include some artistic touches. One thing to remember is that art can do more than add visual appeal and a pop of personality. You can decorate your home with artistic pieces that also serve a practical purpose. Consider using bookshelves filled with colorful books to add storage space that's also beautiful. Another idea is to display your dishes on open shelves, so they contribute to the attractive look of your apartment when you aren't using them.

35. Consider your lifestyle

Whenever you're creating a home, it's important to take your habits and lifestyle into account. Make a space for your indoor hobbies and interests. If you typically ditch your coat and shoes as soon as you get in the door, be sure you have hangers and a shoe cubby near the door so you can put them away. If you often have guests in your home, extra seating will be vital to you. If you play music, make art or jewelry, or like to take online fitness or yoga classes, consider dedicating a small space for your hobbies or choose furniture that can easily be moved around to make room.

36. Choose smart storage

A small apartment can make a great home, but it's important to have a place for all of your belongings. If you choose furniture that doubles as storage, you will have plenty of space to store your items. Storage ottomans are some of the best storage options, as they can double as a coffee table - simply add a tray. As a bonus, if you choose an ottoman with a padded top, it can serve as extra seating when you're hosting guests.

Ready? Set? Go!

With these tips in mind, you have access to all the ideas you need to create the small living spaces of your dreams. Take the time now to get your plan in order before you begin decorating. Next, pick up the furniture and décor that suits your plan. Then, arrange, organize, and decorate. Once you’re finished, you can enjoy your small home for as long as you choose to stay.