Congratulations! You've just moved into a new place, but... it's pretty small. You or a friend is living in a tiny 400 sq ft studio apartment, and you're trying to squeeze everything you need in there, but you need some inspiration. We've got a few Apartment Ideas For a 400 Sq Ft Studio for you to help you make a liveable and comfortable space.
1) Twin Bed Over Couch
These twin beds are pretty useful. If you go to this Amazon link, you'll see a twin over futon bed we found that should work well in a small studio apartment. It only takes up the space of a single twin bed, but if you want more space at night, you can fold out the futon for a full bed. It's helpful if you have guests or if you don't like the inconvenience of having to pull out your bed all the time since the top bunk is another bed.
2) Murphy
Murphy furniture is ideal for small or multifunctional spaces like studio apartments. Murphy beds, bars, tables, and other Murphy furniture are pieces that fold up into the wall so that they only take up space while you're using them. With pieces like those, you can fold your table up when you're done with it or keep your bed stowed any time you're not sleeping. To help you get started with murphy furniture, we found this tutorial for building your own murphy bed in fifteen steps.
3) DIY Pallet End Tables
End tables are useful in small spaces if you don't have enough room for a dining table or even a coffee table since you can use them in place of a coffee table. They might free up enough space that you can have a full-sized dining table since they don't take up as much room as a coffee table. Try using this video from TreeCycled to learn how to make end tables from pallets since you can get pallets for free or cheap.
4) Space Saver Kitchen Table Set
If you're trying to fit everything into 400 sq ft of space, you'll need some compact stuff. We found this neat space saver kitchen set that should be perfect for a single person or couple. It has a fold-out leaf that you can use to extend it slightly while eating, and there are two seats that tuck neatly under it when it's not in use. It's even got drawers for storage, and it rolls so you can stow it in a corner when you're not eating.
5) Sheet Vinyl
One issue with a studio apartment is deciding on flooring that'll work in your kitchen and also in your bedroom and living room and every other room in the house. We recommend sheet vinyl because it's waterproof and easy to clean, making it optimal for kitchens, but it's durable and can look like hardwood, making it an excellent living room or bedroom choice. If you decide to go this route, you can use these instructions to install the sheet vinyl.
6) Rollaway Folding Bed
One way to keep your apartment open and have enough clear space to use it effectively is to stow your bed away when you're not sleeping. You can get a small rollaway folding bed like this to sleep on, and then fold it and roll it into a corner when you're not using it. This gives you free space to place other folding furniture or to use for things like morning exercises. You can also put your bed in a space you normally walk through since you'll have it tucked away during the day when you need to walk around.
7) DIY Renter-Friendly Accent Wall
It can be hard to figure out how to paint or design the walls of a studio apartment since the design or color has to work for your entire room, from the kitchen space to the bedroom space. Since your space is small, it's probably a bit utilitarian, so we suggest an accent wall like the one in this video that looks somewhat like marble, making it a good fit for a kitchen. The pretty design also looks nice for any room, making it ideal for a studio. If you like the look, you can watch the video for instructions.
8) Get Organized
Since you have a small space and no natural dividers like walls, you'll need to stay organized to keep your apartment from becoming unmanageably cluttered and to avoid creating dangerous walking conditions. If you check out this article from Homedit, you can learn how to organize the furniture in your studio for the maximum space and to keep it from getting cluttered. The main thing is to pick an organization method and stick with it.
9) Use Corners
One way to optimize any space is to make sure that you use your corners effectively. Corner spaces are hard to fill because they can be awkward, so look for furniture like this side table from Amazon that's designed to sit in a corner. It has some table space and even has a drawer for storage, so you can place it next to the door as a catch-all if your door is near a corner or even use it as counter space if you need a little extra room in the kitchen-dining section.
10) Futon
In a studio apartment, you're using one room as many rooms, and you can do the same with your furniture. One of the easiest things to do is to have a nighttime setup and a daytime setup by getting a futon like this one from Amazon. The futon will fold down into a bed at night, and you can turn it into a couch during the daytime so that your living space and bed area will be the same.
Did any of these ideas help you figure out what to do in your 400 sq ft studio apartment, or are you still searching? Studio apartments are unique, and we'd like to hear how you've stocked yours. Please tell us about it in the comments below.