Seven Space Savers for Apartments
Space is at a premium when decorating an apartment, and trying to decorate an apartment on a budget can make it more challenging. Try these space-saving solutions for all your daily doings to add precious square footage to your little loft:
Dining
Drop leaf and extension tables - an easy find in consignment shops, antique stores and auctions, drop leaf tables can turn a kitchen sized table for 2 into a dining room table for entertaining. You can try a table with a leaf extension, but where to store the extra leaf when it’s not being used? Newer Ikea extension tables store the leaf onboard and just take a quick tug to pull out the leaf.
Recycling
Recycling is here to stay, but it doesn’t have to take up kitchen space with ugly recycling bins. Mesh laundry carts with pull out drawers can be pressed in to service for sorting recycling – and the top is just one more surface to act as make do counter space. The stainless mesh design works well for contemporary, modern décor, and is certainly a step up from red and blue plastic bins.
Cooking
Kitchen workstations by Yestertec are freestanding, compact kitchen workstations hidden away in a handsome armoire, open the door or drop a false front and voila – there’s your appliance, microwave area or even your kitchen sink. If you need your kitchen to pull double duty as an office, living area or dining room, these vintage inspired designs may be just the ticket for keeping kitchen work areas out of sight and out of mind.
Relaxing
Wall mounted plasma televisions are no longer the budget breakers they once were. Smaller sizes can be purchased for under $500, darn close to the price of the big old bulky televisions. Have them mounted on the wall with a swivel arm, you’ll save valuable space not only from the television, but the furniture you had to find to hold the darn thing.
Sleeping
Murphy beds – if you’ve seen a real live Murphy bed, you may be dating yourself – they were popular back in the 1930’s, and good design never goes out of style – the Murphy bed company is STILL in business after over 100 years. Their beds flip up and store in a cabinet - opening up valuable floor space – shut the doors, and you can hide your rumpled bed in less than a minute. My favorite part – you can use a regular mattress and there are no hard metal bars to dig in to your back like a fold out couch.
Try space savers to complement your style and open up some space in your apartment.