Making your apartment feel like home is more important now than ever. This past year, most of us have spent the majority of our time within our own four walls. In my opinion your home should be a sanctuary –somewhere you enjoy being and feel completely comfortable. Mid-pandemic, my partner and I moved into a 400 square foot studio apartment in downtown San Francisco. Since then, I’ve been on a journey to maximize this tiny space and make it feel like home. Here’s a few ways I’ve actualized this goal and made my apartment into the cozy sanctuary it is today.
Decorate Using Your Own Personal Items and Style
This is perhaps the most fun way to make your apartment feel like home. Some of the most obvious ways to incorporate personal items are by hanging pictures and displaying personal mementos. For me, the next level up from this was displaying art and gifts from friends. Cross stitches, watercolor paintings, handmade candles etc. have made my space feel like home and connected to my community. Additionally, a great way to find and decorate with your personal style is by thrifting! Furniture can be expensive, and you may be less likely to purchase that funky accent piece when the price is daunting. I’ve had great luck looking around on Facebook marketplace, at local thrift stores or even upcycling furniture I’ve found being given away for free! Cheaper accent pieces can always be upgraded later once you’ve found your style niche.
Incorporate Your Hobbies and Passions into Your Living Space
Incorporating your hobbies into your living space is a great way to ensure that your apartment feels like home. I love to garden and grew up with a backyard where I would plant vegetables with my family. Nowadays I don’t have a backyard but got myself a raised-bed planter box for my rooftop. Planting and caring for this garden really gives me a sense of home. Additionally, my partner loves all things coffee. When we determined the layout of our kitchen, we incorporated a designated space for his espresso station. Having his little coffee corner truly makes my partner feel at home in the space.
Keep Your Space Decluttered
Keeping your space decluttered is something I think is integral to making your home feel cozy and comfortable. Although this is applicable to all spaces, for apartments and small spaces its particularly essential. To me, having a decluttered space just means that everything has a place. I achieved this aim by being intentional about the items I keep and creative about storage solutions. My favorite tip for creative storage is open shelving. Open shelving allows you to utilize vertical space that often stays vacant and forces an intentionality about items you keep as they will be on display in the open. I installed open shelving in both my kitchen and living room and love how much bigger they make my space. Using organizer bins in cupboards and drawers is another great way to declutter and give every item its own place. To keep my storage cohesive I use and label acrylic bins in my cupboards.
Find the Balance Between Aesthetic and Functional
Finding the balance between aesthetic and functional is a personal preference equilibrium. Personally, I tend to fall in the style over function camp, so moving into a tiny space helped me appreciate and depend on functionality. One of the major ways that I have embraced both aesthetic and functionality is by choosing furniture that can serve more than one purpose. Something that worked well for me in my space was a murphy bed that can fold away during the day to maximize space and a nesting/ lift-top coffee table. For those that doesn’t need multi-purpose furniture or have a larger space to work with there are still many ways to embrace the aesthetic/ functional balance. For example, I incorporated my mounted TV with a gallery wall to give it a more cohesive natural look. I also chose to place mirrors strategically to brighten my space by reflecting the natural light from my windows.
Add Life to Your Space with Plants
Finally, adding plants to your apartment is a simple and fun way to make your apartment feel uniquely homey. I’m no professional when it comes to plants, so I started out with some basics. Pothos are great for hanging and snake plants are perfect for the floor or plant stands. Both of these are also super easy to care for which is a huge bonus. I also love to pick myself up some fresh flowers from the grocery store or even splurge at a florist. Fresh flowers give my apartment an extra boost of life and color -truly making it feel like home. I like to stick to whatever is seasonal and have been loving tulips on my coffee table lately. Finally, don’t neglect the bathroom! If you’ve been trying to make your bathroom feel like a spa after reading this P&S article, I recommend leveling things up with some plants. The greenery can really brighten up the space and add some personality in the room that tends to feel cookie-cutter. I used my shower curtain rod to hang a spider plant and love the life it adds.
This post was guest contributed by Kate Wetterstrand. Kate is a Canadian-Californian living in San Francisco. She is currently awaiting the beginning of her law studies this fall at UC Hastings and is taking her time off before to explore her passions for fashion, lifestyle, and interior design. Kate loves all things social and aesthetic and spends her time curating outfits, thrifting clothes and home décor and exploring the many beautiful places that California has to offer with her partner and friends. You can find her on social here.
