While it's great to live in a metropolitan area like New York City, close to restaurants, shops and activities, when it comes to living space, there's a bit of a downside.

While small apartments can be a challenge to decorate, and still have space to move around in, it's not impossible.

To help give you some ideas, I'm sharing some tips, including a few from Maria Velniceriu, décor blogger at - www.missmv.com

Tips to Maximize Space in Small Apartments

The goal of designing a small apartment is to make it feel cozy and comfortable, while also maximizing space. To achieve that goal, think about how to group furniture and utilities, what wall paint to use and how to place the lighting appliances.

Many apartments in different cities have small, one-room studios. Tight quarters are often the trade-off for living in a great location. If you think creatively, you can make your home feel bigger than it is by applying a few simple tips:

Create a focal point

If your place is a studio flat where the living room serves as bedroom and kitchen all together, then consider dividing the space for creating privacy and for tweaking around and maximizing every inch of your home.

For example, sleeping and entertaining don't go well together, so if you need to do them both in the same place, then your bed should be kept somewhere out of sight. Murphy beds and inflatable mattresses are a good option for tiny spaces like studio flats.

By choosing subtle partitions for dividing the kitchen, sleeping and living room area you can make the apartment look and feel bigger when using the correct room dividers. Room dividers can be purchased directly, or you can DIY if you want to save a bit of money.

Book shelves are one of the coolest ideas for dividing the space without cluttering the room. Ceiling to floor tall bookshelves will not only serve for book shelves but are an elegant piece of décor that won’t take too much space in the room.

Make the most out of walls

For small spaces it is best to keep the wall decorations to a minimum. If you really want to personalize the walls with your favorite family photos or art, you can use a large wall panel for pinning the printed photograph according to your ideas.

Having one large wall decoration will create the impression of a larger space, rather than cluttering the wall with multiple small photo frames.

Choose furniture that serves multiple purposes

When choosing furniture, try to find pieces that serve other purposes too or are multi-functional. For example, instead of getting a dining table that also doubles as a desk, buy an inexpensive pedestal table that you can use either as a dining and office desk.

Another option is to get a sofa bed or an inflatable couch (they work great for studio flats). Storage ottomans are other multi-function furniture pieces that serve for seating, for a small table, or storage space for things you don’t want cluttering the room. Flip-top tables and chairs, and coffee nesting tables are also great options for small apartments.

Use white walls and lots of light

Painting the walls white can add a dramatic impact to a small room. Light coloured walls it'll make the room feel bigger, open, and airy.

White walls paired with led ceiling lights will create the effect of a larger space. But you don’t have to limit only to ceiling lights. Placing arched floor lamps near the window or a mirror will create the illusion of extra space. The floor lamps can be used during the daylight too for brightening-up the room on rainy and gloomy days.

Choose minimal furniture

There are many ways to maximize a space with minimal furniture items. Having fewer and bigger furniture pieces it’ll allow the room to breathe. Rather than cluttering the apartment with multiple small furniture accessories it is best to choose compact pieces that come with storage space and also, it will allow you to move freely in your apartment.

Maria Velniceriu, (décor blogger at missmv) says that a good example of a compact furniture item is a bed with storage space. People don’t actually realize how much space will save an ottoman bed with storage space.

When you live in a tiny flat it makes sense to choose smart furnishings. The idea applies to living room sofas too. The first thing that I check when I’m planning on buying a new bed frame or a sofa is to check if it comes with storage space or not. These furniture choices usually cost a bit more, but considering that they will serve for a few years is a good investment from my point of view.

Consider using the vertical space

One way to make a room look more spacious is by using the space between the ceiling and tops of furniture. Even in large houses there's often space in this area that can be used to open up a room and make it seem less cramped.

This technique can also be seen in high-mounted or hanging objects, like shelves and bookcases. If you're able to customize, make sure your cabinets and bookcases are all the way up to the ceiling.

Even though living in a small space has certain disadvantages, there are also benefits. For example, you don't have to clean the space that often, or when you clean it, you will spend considerably less time compared with cleaning a large space.

Replace the bathtub with a shower cabin

Bathtubs usually take quite a large chunk of space in a bathroom. By replacing it with a medium size shower cabin it will free half of the space that a bathtub occupied. Another tip for maximizing the space in a small bathroom is to install an over the toilet organizer. These shelves are budget-friendly, come in various sizes and are perfect for creating a beautiful aesthetic décor.

Take advantage of wall decals

Wall decals are extremely versatile pieces that can transform the décor instantly. Peel and stick arch decals placed on a wall behind a sofa will ultimately create a 3D effect and will make the room feel considerably bigger. This trick has been very popular among interior design enthusiasts on TikTok and Instagram and it continues to do so.

Whatever type property you live in, make sure to personalize it to make it your own space! Big or small is your habitat, a place where you feel that you belong to.

By applying the tips listed in this post you might be able to design a small apartment like a professional interior designer.