Lower maintenance costs, location, and a greater freedom of mobility are powerful factors in favor of choosing an apartment over a single family home.
However, there is one area where some apartments fall behind in side-by-side comparisons. Apartments tend to be smaller than their single home counterparts, but this does not mean you have to live a Spartan life to live in one without feeling the pinch.
Think of a smaller space as a creativity challenge. With forethought, research, and a little out-of-the-box thinking, you can still live large.
Double Duty
When furnishing an apartment, consider the function of your furniture choices in addition to their look. What purpose does it serve? Wherever possible, chose items capable of serving "double duty." Choose furniture with hidden storage, or that can accommodate storage if it is not built into the piece itself.
Consider a storage ottoman in place of a coffee table. Depending on the design, some take up less space while providing 2-5 cubic feet of storage, and they can be used for additional seating when you entertain. Use them to store spare blankets and linens or out-of-season clothing to free up closet space. If you have children, they make for terrific toy boxes.
Look into convertible furniture designed with apartment living in mind. Choices today go beyond sofa beds. There are dining tables that collapse into console tables or coffee tables. Some systems switch between a desk and a bed without the need to clear the desk first. You can also find dining tables that collapse into bookshelves.
What if new furniture isn't in your budget? Use some creativity to find ways to utilize hidden spaces or camouflage storage into your existing space. Under bed storage boxes are easy to find, and a simple bed skirt keeps them out of sight.
Decorative baskets and boxes are also easy to find and can be adjusted for any decor. Get a set of nesting boxes and use them in place of a side table for hidden storage with an eclectic style. Not your thing? Collapsible storage baskets can be found in a plethora of colors, patterns, and sizes, and they add easy, hidden storage to any shelf.
Utilize Wall Space
When it comes to planning out our spaces, it can be easy to forget about the walls. In doing so, you miss out on a lot of potential storage. Floating shelves aren't just a trendy way to add interest and visual appeal; when utilized well, they can add considerable storage to your apartment as well.
Have a tiny kitchen? Hang several floating shelves to increase your kitchen storage. Decant dry goods into glass jars or cute tins to create an open pantry. You can also choose to display your best crockery or small appliances.
Think Outside the Apartment
When the solutions above are not enough, or your need for storage is connected to an
upcoming move, it's time to start thinking outside the apartment.
Self storage facilities are available almost anywhere and are a viable option if you need long term storage with frequent access. Then there are portable storage options if you need short term storage without the need to get to your items often.
What if your storage needs are connected to a move in your future? Self storage works well enough for short distance moves, where you can use it to house your low priority items during the move. Portable storage can be a time and cost saving option if you are moving over a long distance.
Instead of taking numerous trips back and forth to a stationary self storage unit to place your items and again to unload them as you move, portable storage units come to you. Once they are loaded, they can either remain there, be taken back to a facility for storing, or be delivered to your new address. This makes them a cost effective way of making big moves simple and easy.