Studio Apartment Ideas: How to Make Your Studio Cohesive + Stylish + Like YOUR Home
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I realize that to a lot of people, a studio apartment is probably one of the least desirable living situations. But for me, studio living is very desirable. Ideal even!
Although, I know that decorating a studio can feel like someone handed you an empty box and said, “Here, now make it pretty”. Not even just pretty - make it livable. Make it comfortable. Make it a place you like to be every day.
And I know that can feel impossible with a studio, or any kind of small space.
So today I'm giving you a bit of a crash course on decorating a studio when it comes to:
Layout
Color palette
Lighting
Storage
Personal style
Let's make your small space feel like a lovely, cozy retreat.
Because studio living isn't a sad last resort. It's actually lovely! …And ideal for a happily unmarried childfree cat lady such as myself. 😽
And with a little bit of imagination and good styling decisions, it can be the ideal living situation in which you can thrive, not just survive!
Would you rather watch than read? Here’s the video! ↓
Studio Apartment Layout
Layout is usually one of the toughest things to figure out in a studio, and I know this from experience. I've gone through 4 different layouts in my own studio, trying to figure out which one feels the best. Like Goldilocks and the four layouts.
The challenge is creating a furniture layout that flows well, looks nice, and just feels good living in. You want to create a sense of separation in a studio yet also a sense of unity. It's like this delicate little dance… that involves a lot of heavy lifting.
So, let’s go over what I think are the 5 most common layouts that you can do in a studio. It can be helpful to refer to these if your mind is just kind of blanking on what to do!
Layout #1: The Row
The Row is when the bed and the couch are side by side forming a row, usually facing a TV or desk area and maybe your kitchen.
Layout #2: The Triangle
The Triangle layout is where the bed, the couch, and the TV are all diagonal from each other forming a kind of triangle.
I have the Triangle in my current layout:
And remember, triangles are your friend when it comes to interior design. Anytime you can create a triangle, whether it's with big pieces of furniture or smaller styling pieces, forming a triangle is just pleasing to the human eye. It's just mathematically beautiful somehow!
Layout #3: The Stack
The Stack is when the couch is placed in front of the foot of the bed, forming a stack with each other, usually facing a TV or desk area.
Layout #4: The Couch Divider
The Couch Divider is when the couch is floating parallel to the bed, acting as a divider between the living room area and the bedroom area.
My first studio had the Couch Divider layout:
Layout #5: The Hotel Room
Finally, there's the Hotel Room layout. This is for studios that are so small that a couch won't even fit. You just pretty much have a bed and a TV, kind of like a hotel room.
So look around your space and try to imagine these different layouts in your own studio. Would one of these feel better than what you're currently working with?
Every studio has its own set of needs, and it's just a matter of figuring out what those needs are and also what your personal needs are!
And as you're considering different layouts that you could do in your studio, don't just think about looks. Think about how you'll experience the space every day. Sometimes it makes sense to sacrifice a little bit of style for the sake of experience. (I never thought I would say those words, haha).
Also, don't be afraid to try multiple layouts in your space! It's a pain in the ass, but it's definitely worth the hard work because the reward is a studio layout that feels just right, Goldilocks. 😉
Color Palette
Figuring out your color palette in a studio is its own unique challenge, because all of your furniture, decor, and daily living takes place in one single room. So getting all of that to be cohesive together in terms of color is the goal.
Back when I was living in my first studio, I broke color palette into a very simple formula:
1 base color + 1 or 2 accent colors x repetition = color cohesiveness.
My old studio had gray as the base color and greens/golds as the accent colors. Then I simply repeated both throughout the space to create color cohesiveness!
Your base color is likely going to be on the neutral side, with the larger items (sofa, bedding, area rug, etc) in your studio having this base color.
Your 1-2 accent colors the smaller things, like throw pillows or any other decorative accents.
Then you simply repeat these colors throughout the studio, and that will help you create color cohesivness.
Of course, this formula isn’t a strict rule. It's just a way to simplify color.
Also, when it comes to choosing colors for your studio, think about the kinds of emotions you want to feel. Color is very much tied with emotion, so think about what your brain needs.
Lighting
Lighting is probably the most important thing when it comes to making any kind of space room look good.
Simply put, bad lighting ruins everything. It'll make even the prettiest styling look like shit. You could have a perfect layout, a cohesive color palette put together, and the prettiest decor in all the land, and none of it would matter under bad lighting. And the big light in your apartment (the main source of overhead lighting) is very bad lighting.
The big light is my sworn enemy. The big light is the true adversary of style, mood, atmosphere, and vibes. If the vibes aren't vibing in your studio, then what are we even doing here?
So of course, the key is pretty little lamps. A lot of pretty little lamps. You want to go for little pockets of glow throughout your studio. And get a little ridiculous with it. Just when you think you have too many lamps, add another one!
Perfect example: Abigail Ahern's home. It isn’t a studio apartment, but her use of lamps throughout her entire space is one of the main reasons why her home has such a wonderful mood to it.
Basically, do not touch those light switches to turn on the big lights in your studio. Instead, put little lamps throughout the space and create little pockets of glow. And that's what will give your studio an atmosphere.
Atmosphere is everything. Mood is everything. Your studio is nothing without mood!
Storage
I pretty much boil storage down into two categories: decorative and hidden.
Decorative storage is pretty, and hidden storage is just that: hidden.
Hidden storage is less attractive - yet functional - boxes and containers that get hidden away. Or it’s the kind storage that's hidden in places that you wouldn't expect like in an ottoman, coffee table, bench, or other pieces of furniture.
Another go-to small space solution that I always recommend are bed risers, which were my saving grace when I was living in shoe box apartments in New York. If you're living in an especially small studio, then you'll definitely want to get some bed risers and then some drawers to put under your bed.
Examples of Hidden Storage:
Decorative storage, on the other hand, can be out in the open and factor into the overall decor scheme of your space.
Examples of Decorative Storage:
Overall, when living in a studio, you basically have to reprogram your brain to always look for storage opportunities in every shape and size. This help you live more comfortably (and less chaotically) in your studio!
Personal Style
Personal style is is the funnest part. This is where you make your studio feel like home, not just shelter.
Just because you rent your space doesn't mean you can't own your style. So take ownership over the style of your studio!
I don't care if we don't technically own our homes. I'll probably never own a house. That's just like not in the cards for me and most of my generation. So, I refuse to just exist like a whisper in various apartments. I want to be a battlecry. I want to shout my style and shout my existence, not just whisper it in various short-term rentals.
Now, when it comes to figuring out your personal style, frankly, that's a gigantic topic and it's pretty much what my entire YouTube channel has been about since day one. So you should give my videos a binge for decorating ideas, inspiration, and deep dives into various styles!
But my main tip to injecting your own personal style into your studio is to tell a story. Visual storytelling through decor is how you create a space that has depth and personality, and doesn't just look like a model home room.
So, for example, the visual story I want to tell in my studio is a dark, moody fairy tale set in the 1970s. Groovy swamp witch is what I came up with recently, lol. Think about what yours can be!
This is where some imagination and creativity really go a long way. But if your brain doesn't really work like that and you need a more practical approach, simply think about what styles inspire you, what colors make you feel good, and what personal touches you can add.
All of that sounds very simple and like decorating 101, but frankly, sometimes we just have to go back to basics and simplify things in our mind.
And really, whatever you do, don't be afraid to be bold. If you're a decorating drama queen like me, don't hold yourself back (unless you're super concerned with your damage deposit).
Either way, don't be afraid to be bold and let your personal style scream instead of whisper, whatever that means for you!
