Living alone involves some challenges. First, all the chores and tasks are solely yours to do. The big and small decisions are also yours to make, which can get a little overwhelming sometimes.
But let’s look at it this way: living on your own comes with a unique set of luxuries. It gives you more time to yourself. Being in charge of almost everything – from your meals to your schedule, to the overall appearance of your home, is also an exciting adventure in itself.
Whether you are already living solo or still in talks with your friendly neighborhood condominium property developer on finding a condo, have no fear. This guide will make sure you can maximize the space in your humble home.
1. Have an Open Floor Plan
Living by yourself usually means a more limited floor area. When you close off areas in your home, it makes the place look and feel smaller. Open the space up by literally opening the parts to each other.
This means fewer walls and dividers to separate one area from the next. If you have shelves, you may want to consider opening those up, too, by getting rid of their doors. With fewer things in the way, there is a feeling of connectedness and wholeness in the place.
Open concepts are not just good for creating a larger-looking home. They also help you save electricity. You need less energy to cool and heat your home, thanks to the lack of barriers between sections. You also need fewer light fixtures to brighten the room.
2. Have a Uniform Color Scheme
When you have too many things going at once, you don’t just shrink the space. You also put yourself in a position to experience an unpleasant sensory overload.
Use a light, muted color to unify your open-concept home. You can go with the same color for your ceilings, walls, and floors. If not, use similar colors so as not to disrupt its uniformity.
To avoid making the place look flat and boring, introduce texture to some parts of your apartment. Make sure these little accents add character without interrupting the overall monochromatic scheme.
3. Add Some Mirrors
Mirrors have the practical function of allowing you to check your appearance before heading to your next Zoom call or grocery run. Did you know that they are also perfect for decorating small spaces?
First, they add lighting by reflecting the light from your windows and fixtures. Strategically place the mirrors in front of or beside a window to maximize the amount of light they catch.
The size, shape, and frame also factor into how well your mirrors will work. Choose mirrors wisely by taking into account what aspects of the place you want to highlight and draw attention from. The style of its frame should also complement the overall aesthetic you have going on.
4. Maximize Vertical Space
The common issue with living in a small home is that there sometimes doesn’t seem to be enough storage space. Good news: just a bit of resourcefulness will do the trick in giving you the storage you need.
Instead of looking for empty areas to add more horizontal storage, look up and down and check which areas you can add vertical storage into. This often takes the form of rows of shelves and learning how to stack items vertically, such as coffee table books.
Just remember that when you are placing things on your shelves, put the heaviest items in the lowest spaces, going lighter as you go higher up. And a pro-tip: if your shelves aren’t fully stacked, it also makes your home look more spacious.
5. Go for Multipurpose
Modern technology has made a wealth of innovations possible and accessible today. Some of them are the amazing multipurpose tools and furniture that you get to find in your home.
Beds are some of the largest furniture you will have. Instead of your typical bed, use a daybed or sofa bed that you can convert as necessary. Some beds also come with extra storage underneath, which is also helpful.
Collapsible household items, such as hanging ironing boards, foldable desks, and even portable workout equipment help you find more use for the different spaces in your home, and smartly, too.
Living in a smaller space does not automatically mean there are fewer possibilities. On the contrary, a small home encourages you to make great use of every nook and cranny of the place. Let yourself enjoy decorating and finding unique uses for the different parts of your home!
