How to Create a Comfy Home in a Studio Apartment 

Moving into a studio apartment is a great choice for simplifying your life. Sure, it’s a small space, but with planning and creativity, it can become a wonderfully comfy and welcoming home.

As you explore how to decorate a studio apartment, especially in a senior living community, you’ll be faced with three design goals. The first is how to separate your different living spaces. The second is how to avoid a cluttered look. And finally, you want to blend your personal style with functionality to make the most of every corner.

If you’re tech-savvy or can enlist the help of family, the internet offers plenty of studio apartment ideas and small-space inspiration. And retailers like Ikea, West Elm, Apt 2B, and Pottery Barn all offer furnishings and storage solutions that cater to the needs of apartment dwellers.

Having a vision and carefully planning your space is key. To help you get started, we’ve put together 8 tips on how to decorate a studio apartment and turn it into a place you’ll love to come home to and welcome in family and friends.

Resolve to Rightsize

As you contemplate how to decorate a studio apartment, you may want to consider what today’s designers call “rightsizing” your furniture and belongings. Pare kitchen supplies; lose the big heavy bedroom and dining sets and think lighter, airier, more compact pieces. Valuable Tip: Know your room measurements. Measure everything –  walls, floors, windows, etc. – before you bring it or buy it. And also make sure it will all fit through the doorway! 

Vow to Go Vertical

Your  floor space is sacred! Think vertical dressers instead of horizontal ones. Instead of bookcases, choose “floating” wall-mounted shelves and cabinets around the apartment. Mount your TV and lose the bulky entertainment center. The same with bedside lights – opt for swing arm lamps or sconces instead. Go with a lamp/table combo instead of a side table. Glass is also a great choice for keeping a space airy. A round glass table instead of square wooden  one adds a lighter feel with no hard corners that can bruise older hips or knock you off balance.   

Divide & Conquer

Standing screens, room dividers, and open cubby shelving units are wonderful for breaking up spaces with a light touch. An open cubby placed behind a living area couch divides a space and is great for displaying collectibles – just be selective and keep your display simple. Another design trick when you’re contemplating how to decorate a studio apartment is suspending artwork or large colorful fabric pieces from the ceiling to delineate one room from another. 

Create Focal Points

Large area rugs and a feature wall painted a different color also create focal points and can anchor a sleeping space or a reading nook. If allowed, set curtain rods a few inches above windows  to add height. If you’re given paint color choices, stick with a neutral palette.

Store in Plain Sight

Many of today’s furnishings are wonderfully multifunctional, which makes the trick of how to decorate a studio apartment much easier. Look for beds with built-in drawers for storage. Choose ottoman cubes that open to store blankets and other necessities, and can be used for extra seating as well as a spot to prop your feet. There are even lightweight cabinets and shelving that can hang off doors to store shoes, toiletries and more – no need for a hammer and nails.

Make Closets Work Harder

Don’t settle for the hardware and single shelf typically found in a closet. Add your own shelving system to make the most of the space. No need to hire a designer to do it – you’ll find these available at retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond, The Container Store, and Ikea.

Don’t Become a Clutter Bug

In a studio apartment, it’s easy for stuff to expand and begin to overtake your space! Resolve to do a little “organizational maintenance” once a month to ensure the things you have are things you need and want to keep. If it doesn’t serve a purpose or “spark joy” as design expert Marie Kondo likes to say, then by all means toss it, donate it or gift it!

Above All, Add Comfy Touches

If you like to read or curl up with a cup of coffee, don’t forget to create a little corner for that with a comfy chair and ottoman, a table lamp and a couple of floating shelves for family pix, books etc. Greenery is great but be choosy … just a few. Oversized plants make good room dividers or can anchor a small nook … better yet, go with today’s fabulous artificial varieties for one less thing to worry about.

Welcome Home to Monroe Village

Explore our studio floor plans for independent living and assisted living. Then order a copy of our FREE downsizing guide for the tips you need to create an inviting, comfortable home. If you’d like to ask more questions about Monroe Village, fill out our contact request form and we’ll call you back for a chat.