I Moved Into a Studio Apartment! And I'm Transforming This Small Space Into a Dark Cozy Retreat
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I moved into my 500 square ft studio apartment a couple weeks ago! And let me tell you, I was not messing around this time. I said, "Steffi, you know what you want. Life is short. Paint your damn walls and ceiling a dark color immediately." So, I did. 🥰🖤
And already this tiny studio is utterly transformed through the power of dark paint, moody vibes, and a sheer stubborn force of will. A will that was not gonna let me dillydally on my decor dreams.
So today I'm going to give you a studio apartment tour, showing you what my space is looking like two weeks after moving in. It's definitely a work in progress, but I'm excited to show you what it's looking like so far and to give you a little glimpse into the beginning stages my decorating process.
If you live in a studio or any kind of small space, love dark interior design, and want a glimpse into the styling process in its beginning stages, continue on for ideas and inspo!
Would you rather watch than read? Here’s the video! ↓
The Yellow Problem
Now, before I get to anything else, I first want to acknowledge the… big yellow elephant in the room. 💛😬💛
I recognize the absurdity of my gold couch now being in the same room as my greenish gold comforter. Remember, I'm coming from a one-bedroom where these were in two separate rooms, okay?
This is only temporary madness. I ordered a new couch for color and sizing reasons, and it won't come for another month or so. So, please bear with me in this very yellow time.
Dark Paint in a Small Space
Beyond the gold extravaganza, the star of the show is the dark chocolatey paint. Like I said, I didn't want to mess around here. I wanted to make the big dramatic dark statement I've been yearning for for years, but couldn't bring myself to do for one reason or another.
So, before the official furniture move-in day, I went ahead and painted the place, ceiling and all. At first, I wasn't really up for the ceiling aspect of things just because, oh my God, what a job. But luckily, I had lots of help with the painting process. I'm not sure if I could have done it alone.
And I'm so glad I went for the ceiling statement! It wouldn't feel like this cozy, dark cocoon otherwise.
I think I've discovered that for me, in order to be happy with paint, it has to be all in. No single accent walls, just full-blown color drench. And really, this is just how I operate when it comes to decorating in general. Go all in. Make the statement. Shout it. Don't whisper it.
And when it comes to this specific color selection, I wanted to go dark - but not black this time. I've done a black wall before, and this time I wanted something with a bit more color complexity to it, not just a straightforward black.
I wanted a warm dark with plum undertones, so I went with Benjamin Moore’s Tudor Brown.
Now I have a chocolate-flavored studio apartment! And I swear, it's like stepping into a hug. It's so cozy in here.
And for any naysayers about using a dark color in a small space, here are my thoughts…
Darkness does not make a space feel smaller. Other things (like clutter, bad lighting, wrong furniture sizing and placement, etc) will make a space feel smaller. If done well, darkness will only make your space feel cozier, and maybe more enclosed in a way, like how a wonderful warm hug is enclosing.
And it's fine if you're just not into dark, dramatic, snuggly hugs. 🙃 But we need to drop this myth that dark colors just by themselves will shrink your space. It's just not true.
Peel & Stick Wallpaper
In addition to the dark paint, I also went ahead and did a peel and stick wallpaper wall. Because that's just what I do, haha. Yes, it's the same black and white vintage floral design that I had in not only my last apartment, but the one before that as well.
And no, it's not because I have some kind of weird pathological need for this wallpaper… I mean, maybe I kind of do. But it's actually because I just so happen to have an entire extra roll of it just lying around! You see, when I ordered the wallpaper for my last apartment, they got the measurements wrong. So, I messaged the Etsy seller and they were lovely. They just sent me a whole new roll with the correct measurements and told me to keep the other one. That means I've had this extra roll this whole time. And what am I going to do, not use it?
So, for the third apartment in a row, I am using this wallpaper because I had it, and because I love it.
When you love something, don't set it free. Hang on to it and then use it pathologically in every apartment for all time. 🙃
Now, it's awesome that I basically had free wallpaper for this apartment, but there was a catch. As you can see, it falls short in covering the whole wall. Definitely not ideal, I know. But I knew this was going to be the case and ultimately decided, what the hell, it is free wallpaper, so I'll make it work.
Most of that lower area is going to be covered by not only the media console, but also with things like a blanket basket, maybe a faux plant, or a side table. Whatever combination of things it ends up being, this chunk of wall will be mostly be obscured.
And my solution for the gaps that do show through is I'm basically going to create a faux trim situation with these little tiles. A little gothic trim situation, you know?
I'd say if there weren't going to be any pieces covering most of this area, this might not be the perfect solution. It's definitely a bit of a band-aid, but again, I think it'll work when the styling takes place. And just make this look more intentional rather than a mistake.
The Desk Area
Up next, we have my little desk area, which is a bit of a mess of faux florals and move-in clutter at the moment.
And this spot is actually about to change drastically because I ordered a new, bigger, more functional desk from West Elm. And I just got the email yesterday that it's ready for pickup, so I'm very excited about that!
Choosing a desk is so hard for me because it really epitomizes the age-old battle between form and function, style and utility.
I'm personally extremely picky about storage when it comes to desks. I hate a desk that doesn't have any drawers, and a lot of the cutest ones out there just really lack when it comes to storage.
So, I think with this desk I've found it's the best of both worlds. The wood is very pretty and it has really great storage. It's simple, but once I put my styling touch on it, it'll blend really nicely with the vibes of this space. All in all, I'm so excited to have a desk that isn't tiny and a desk that actually has significant drawers.
The Kitchen
The Bathroom
So, that's what my studio is looking like right now!
Once my new sofa comes and I choose a layout, then I can really start fleshing this space out with some real styling. And you know that's my favorite part. It's killing me that I can't just let it rip in here.
And you might argue that I could start styling away, but I want to make decor decisions from an informed place. When it comes to decorating a studio, the big picture is just so important, at least for me. What's the overall visual story I want to tell? If I don't have a full cast of characters, I can't really tell a good story in here.
So, I'm just letting myself exist in imperfection right now. 😊
