Space Hacking For Tiny Apartments

Is your new apartment closer to cozy than comfortable? Houses and apartments are getting smaller, with the Royal Institute of British Architects noting that the average one-bedroom flat is roughly equal in size to a single London Tube carriage.

Luckily, even the smallest of apartments can be turned into a comfortable place to live with the right attitude to storage and interior decorating. These eight space hacking tactics will help you get the most out of your apartment, no matter how small it might be.

Choose furniture that's multifunctional

In a small studio apartment, every square meter matters. Free up valuable space by choosing furniture that's multifunctional, allowing you to achieve two things with a single coffee table or ottoman.

Good multifunctional furniture ideas include chests with a flat top, which can easily double as coffee tables, and ottomans with built-in storage. Need more space? Pick a sofa with hidden drawers to store blankets and spare throw pillows.

Use a TV or work desk as a room divider

Do you want to divide your studio apartment into living and sleeping areas? Create a divider by placing your TV or work desk between your sofa and your bed to split up your studio into an open living room and bedroom.

Limited floor space? Store items vertically

Is your chest of drawers bursting at the seams? Use vertical shelving to store books, shoes, and accessories to free up space in your chest of drawers and closet for bulky clothing.

In addition to freeing up valuable floor space, vertical storage is perfect for making your room more visually appealing. Add a vase, a souvenir, or an eye-catching book to one of your shelves to give your room some aesthetic appeal.

Use vacuum bags to store your clothing

In summer, bulky winter coats and thick trousers can make accessing your favorite clothes a challenge. Free up valuable closet space by storing coats and other winter clothing in vacuum storage bags.

By sucking all the air out of your vacuum bags before storing them, you can reduce the amount of space taken up by jackets and other winter clothes. Vacuum bags are also great tools for preventing mold and moisture from damaging your clothing.

Create storage space with bed risers

Do you need some extra space to store shoes, suitcases and other items? Lift your bed onto a set of bed risers to create an extra six inches of storage space beneath your bed.

Bed risers come in a wide variety of heights, allowing you to control the amount of under-bed storage space you have access to. Choose a set that matches the rest of your bedroom furniture for a unique, aesthetically appealing storage solution.

Studio apartment? Divide it with a curtain

If you've slept in a bedroom your entire life, falling asleep in a space that's also your living room can be tough. Turn your studio into an improvised one-bedroom flat by installing a curtain separator between your bed and your living area.

Hang your accessories using stick-on hooks

If you're renting your apartment, making large changes to its layout and design isn't always possible. Add extra storage space that's easily removable at the end of your lease with plastic stick-on hooks.

Adhesive hooks can be used to store anything, from hats and fashion accessories to spatulas and kitchen pot lids. From the inside of your closet to kitchen cupboards, use stick-on hooks to free up wall shelving for more interesting items.

Pick a bedside table that doubles as a desk

Cramped bedroom? If you like to work at home, push your bed into the corner of your room and replace the usual two bedside tables with a single big one that can double as a work desk.

Is your bedroom too cramped for a desk? Work flexibly from your bed or sofa using a lap desk. From utilitarian models based on classic school desks to amazing models with built-in lamps, a wide variety of space-saving lap desks are available.