Affordable Decorating: Apartment Edition

Ever wondered how to live in a small space without it feeling super cluttered and claustrophobic? We’ve come across this issue several times in our last few design assistance sessions and wanted to tell you - small space living does NOT mean you have to sacrifice function or decor!

Jolene has lived in this small, Austin eclectic apartment complex in North Austin for the past 4 years. Her and her BF love the location but got tired of the clutter, lack of storage and lack of identity the space held. We came in to bring purpose and intentionality to the space, while injecting some design personality to give them a space they feel both proud of and comfortable in.

Problems:

1. Too much stuff in open shelving 

2. Random storage containers

3. Lack of definition of spaces 

4. Incomplete design style

Our session revealed Jolene gravitated towards earth tones and warm metals. She also had a small budget of $750 to redesign the whole space so we got to work! LOOK AT THIS TRANSFORMATION!

Our plan of attack: 

Decluttered - remove unwanted items to be sure you are only storing what you need. Small spaces require you to be thoughtful in what you keep around 

Used what we hat - mix matched black bookshelves made way more sense pushed together and placed in the center of the wall. Adding black storage cubes helped minimize visual clutter and hide within the piece itself. 

Created Zones - rearranging a small cabinet and dining table completely transformed a walk through from the bedroom to kitchen, to a small dining space. Adding ceiling mounted battery operated lighting and artwork further defined the space.

Covered it Up! - we cannot say it enough…. Contact paper, wallpaper and solid colored bins can do wonders! No longer are they greeted by a boring wood cabinet or lots of visual clutter!

After - with a dedicated dining space, new lighting & a new cozy couch! 

We were named a local expert on ApartmentGuide! Read the full article on how to create zones here:

Room Divider Ideas to Visually Separate Your Spaces

ApartmentGuide is a subsidiary of Redfin.com

Affordable Interior Decorating IS possible - it just takes some creatively, focus AND JoySpace Austin :)

Need design support without the full cost of an interior designers? Reach out to us at illie@joyspaceaustin.com now!