Small flat design: How to design a friendly home for one

Did you just move to a new country? Are you going to be staying alone for the foreseeable future? Live in a rented small flat, because come on that is all the space you need when you are an expat right. Nonetheless, just because you are moving to a small apartment and going to live alone it doesn’t mean that your apartment can’t be a happy and friendly space. Small flat design can be tricky, but it can also be very rewarding.

We are here to help you create a fun and comfortable small flat design because a warm and friendly home can be your comfort zone.

You can shrink, but you cannot forgo

Living alone in a small space can tempt people to forgo having a dining table. However, this is one of the elements that cause your space to stop looking like a proper home.

If your small flat doesn’t look like a proper home it will stop feeling like one.

We highly recommend shrinking your dining table instead of not having one at all. For instance, check the small circular tables used tor elegant breakfast nooks.

This will provide you with a nice elegant place to sit down and have dinner without dominating your limited space. This small table can also multitask as a desk and this way you add a nice work space that you didn’t have.

Bed or no bed, this is the question!

This point may be a little tricky because other factors go into the equation with the limited space.

First case scenario, if you live in a studio. If your small flat is in fact a studio, exchange the bed for a day bed or a Murphy bed.

This gives you two benefits. First, these options do not take up too much from your already limited space. Second, by daytime, a Murphy bed is tucked into the wall and a daybed is a sofa, so you do not feel like you are living in your bedroom 24/7. This is a good trick to make your studio elegant and uplifting during day time and not make you feel like you are cooped up in a bedroom all the time.

Second case scenario, if your small flat is a one-bedroom. In this case by all means get a nice bedroom and a proper bed. That is what the bedroom is for.

Go stingy with furniture and generous with accessories

This statement is good for both, budget as well as space.

If your flat is rented, chances are you might move at some point. Furniture doesn’t always fit different spaces so you may have to let go of some pieces. That is why you do not want to buy expensive furniture for a rented apartment.

Moreover, in a limited space, you do not want to crowd the floor space with bulky furniture. Try to choose smaller items, opt for slim rather than bulky.

Accessories on the other hand make the house feel like a happy lived-in home. Plus, they are very easily moved and they can fit in almost any space. You can even move them to a furnished apartment if you move to one next.

That is way we encourage you to buy the accessories you really like, even if you splurge a little for a fancy plush rug that makes you want to take your shoes off and walk bare foot.

Curtains are a key element

Bare windows make the house look generic and/or deserted. Curtains are a must. Some people ignore hanging curtains in a small flat design thinking that the bare windows will enlarge the space. But the truth is, it is better to hang curtains even if you will leave them open most of the time.

But choosing the right curtains is very important in small spaces; you want the room to feel airy rather than closed-in. So choose a light fabric, it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, in a light color.

Light fabrics and light colors allow for sunlight to filter through and make the home look brighter.

One more trick to add space is hanging the curtains higher than the window. This makes the roof look higher up and adds the illusion of more vertical space.

Embrace living alone

Decorating with other people often means that you have to compromise to make others happy.

So rather than letting your solitude hinder you, embrace it. You get to make all the design choices by yourself. For instance, if you have always dreamed about getting a Barcalounger go ahead and buy one!

If you have a favorite color that no one else seems to enjoy as much make it the focal point of your home in pops of color and small detail. Basically, your home is your kingdom, be it a small one as it may, it is still utterly yours, embrace that.