Tips On Furniture Styling For An Apartment

When it finally comes to moving into your dream apartment, the designing and decorating can be the most enjoyable part! Apartment living is all about maximising space, something that Justine Wilson, interior designer of Vault Interiors knows all too well. Here are some great tips from Justine to inspire your design journey. 

01. Top Furniture Pieces                   

When it comes to styling an apartment, Justine believes the furniture items need to be “both aesthetically pleasing and practical!” There must be a dual function for the pieces you select as space is premium. It is also essential to think about the scale of the furniture pieces in the apartment to make the aesthetic more seamless, such as selecting a sofa with raised legs.

“Pick a sideboard with storage over an open leg console or hall table, consider having the guest room as a combined study/bedroom by choosing a sofa bed instead of just having a large bed in the room and thus you won’t use the space as often,” Justine says.

Justine also suggests that you should “opt for glass where you can, such as dining and coffee tables as they don't take much vital weight, and ensure you go for more compact dimensions overall. For example, choose a small profile occasional chair over a large deep armchair, you have the same amount of seating, but this will enhance circulation and spatial flow and open up the floor space.

Use mirrors wherever you can, one of the benefits of apartment living is there are often lovely views, so why not reflect those amazing outlooks - and this will also increase the amount of natural light in the property.”

When designing for an apartment Justine loves incorporating inbuilt or standalone joinery units which could include big bookshelves or floating shelves. These pieces will assist with the hurdles of storage which is limited in apartments. She recommends including designer coffee table books, personal trinkets and photos to create a nice vignette. “A well styled shelf makes a visual statement and is an organised way to display your mementos,” Justine says.

02. Maximising Space Through Styling

Space is vital in apartments as there is limited room to add your favourite furniture pieces but also make the room feel larger. Justine suggests using lighter colours for the finishes as it can assist with creating the illusion of having more space. Things like “soft linen sheer curtains, light coloured walls and lighter tone flooring” can really help.

“Introduce lighter coloured furniture in neutral tones, this is a more calming palette and you can still inject life through texture or colour - but do so with cushions and accessories over feature walls or furniture, its less visually overwhelming this way and easy to swap out.”

Choosing the right size and placement of the pieces will enhance the space. Justine believes a “3 seat sofa and an armchair over a large modular in units” will be beneficial so it doesn’t block the flow of the room. She suggests using side tables instead of coffee tables as a great fix for compact floor plans along with a round dining table over large rectangle dining tables to further help with circulation.

Lighting also plays a crucial role in maximising space and there are several ways to lighten an apartment. Justine says “Ambient lighting like floor and table lamps, alongside task lighting such as pendants and overhead lights” will really improve the feel of the apartment. “Having nice candles is also a great way to create a relaxed mood in your interior, and they look pretty at night.” The different light levels for various times of the day can really change the way we feel in an apartment space as it brightens up the room to create a nice vibe.

03. Dos and Don’ts in Furniture Styling

When it comes to furniture styling it is a very personal choice for apartment owners to decide how a space looks and feels. Justine suggests that you choose “pieces you love, don't be sucked into trend-based furniture items as the main trends change every year and you will forever be updating your home to stay current!”

“Selecting pieces that are timeless and neutral means you can easily swap out art or rugs if you want a new accent colour without having to redo the full room.” Justine advises apartment owners to look through Pinterest and interior design magazines for some inspiration when beginning to style. This will also display top end luxurious homes that follow the design principle of using less items overall and generally more paired back dressings and colour palettes.

The classic saying ‘less is more’ goes a long way as it makes the style of an apartment appear more high end with a few statement pieces rather than a cluster of mismatched items.

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