There are many benefits to living in NYC, but with 8.4 million people living in only 302.6 square miles, the reality is that apartments tend to be both expensive and small. Different studies have shown that the average size of a unit worth living in NYC is around 866 square feet, and yet the majority of apartments on the market are under 700 square feet.
Living in a small space isn’t for everyone, but it’s not impossible. Millions of people in NYC do it everyday! You’ll have to make some sacrifices, but there are plenty of small apartment hacks you can follow to make your space feel more spacious than it actually is. The best part is that you don’t have to break the bank! The following design tips for small apartments can make your apartment functional yet chic at the same time.
Downsize Your Stuff
Living in NYC means you’ll have to live a more minimalist lifestyle. After all, you won’t have the same amount of space you would if you lived in the suburbs. If you plan on making it in NYC, the first thing you’ll have to do is to get rid of some of your things. Take a look at everything you own and separate out the items that you haven’t used or worn in the past two years. Chances are if you haven’t used it within that time, you don’t really need it. Sell and donate as much as possible and then trash the rest. If it’s a family heirloom, reach out to other members in your family and see if they can take it off your hands.
Chances are you will still have too much even after that initial purge. Now comes the hard part. You should spend some time looking at everything you own and decide what items you really can’t live without. Leave behind bulky items such as furniture as you will need to purchase smaller ones for your new apartment anyway. You’ll need to be ruthless when downsizing as you simply won’t have the luxury of too much extra storage space in small NYC apartments. Many don’t even have closets!
Take Advantage of Vertical Space
It’s essential to use any vertical space you might have. Most NYC apartments have 8 foot ceilings, so there’s plenty of places for you to put up shelving or cabinets. Not only will your storage increase, you’ll also make the room feel bigger by increasing your floor space. Heck, why not get your bed off the floor as well? Either buy a lofted bed frame or build your own. Not only will you still have a comfortable place to sleep, you’ll open up the floor space below which you can convert into your ‘walk-in’ closet, office space, or changing area.
Heck, once you start approaching your apartment in a more 3-dimensional sense, you’ll be surprised how much you can fit! Put up a hanging rack on the ceiling in the kitchen and hang your pots and pans. Place a magnetic strip holder on the walls to hang up your knives. Add some shelving to your walls in the kitchen so you can hold cooking appliances. If you get to go ahead, add some extra cupboards to hold your dishware. The possibilities are endless. When you do install the shelves that you have them securely attached to the wall by stud or wall anchor.
Although you can get away with the cheap wire shelves, your apartment will look nicer if you spring for more expensive options. If you can, use floating shelves to keep your walls from looking too cluttered.
Choose Your Light and Room Color Wisely
Color and light can have a huge impact on how large or small your apartment looks. Darker colors tend to make places feel smaller than they actually are because they create darker shadows. While this might be a great way to make large spaces feel more intimate, it’s not so great for an already small apartment. Light or neutral colors are great options as they make your place feel larger. Of course, you don’t have to shy away from colors. There are many ways to incorporate it into your apartment. For example you can:
- Add accent colors around your door frame
- Paint designs/stencils on your wall
- Paint a single wall a color you want
There are plenty of ways you can add that pop of color. If you go this route just make sure to stick to a tight color scheme.
Besides color, the next most important thing to keep in mind is lighting. If your apartment has lots of windows, take advantage of it! Keep your window frames bare if you can to get as much natural light as possible. If that’s not possible, invest in some sheer curtains as you’ll be able to get both privacy and some nice filtered light. Even if you don’t have natural light, invest in some good overhead lighting solutions. There are hundreds of attractive corded lighting solutions you can invest in. These are great because they require no drilling, they take up zero floor space, and they come in all shapes and sizes. What’s not to love? You might also want to consider strip lighting solutions as well in places like the kitchen or bathroom for extra light.
Pick Smaller and Multipurpose Furnishings
If you want to make a small apartment feel large, you’ll want to have as much open floor space as possible. That means going for the smaller furnishings over the larger ones. When you go furniture shopping spring for the smaller options. A love seat will give you more room for other seating options like a small table and chair in the corner and it will look proportional to the size of the room. To make it look even less cramped, pull sofas and chairs a few inches from the wall.
When you go furniture shopping, always bring a tape measure with you and maybe even a general floor plan of your apartment with measurements. It’s best to draw your floor plan to scale. This way after measuring the furniture in real life, you can see immediately how much space it would take up in your apartment. This can also help you come up with different layouts for optimal room flow.
Speaking of furniture, when possible try to buy items that are multifunctional. For example, opt for coffee tables with built in drawers or sofas with slightly higher legs so you can stash more of your stuff. Captain’s beds are a great investment for your bedroom as the drawers can double as your dresser or just extra storage for your other items. If you’re waffling between two furniture options, always opt for the multipurpose one.
Conclusion
You don’t have to sacrifice style or comfort just because your apartment is tiny. In fact, there are so many ways you can transform your apartment so it feels larger than it actually is. Plus, it can be fun decorating a small NYC apartment because of the restrictions. You have to get creative and for those who love interior design, it’s a way to flex their skills.
The tradeoff of having a small apartment is the fact that you get to live in NYC. There’s always something to do. Even if you don’t have plans, just walking around Manhattan can be interesting and you might stumble upon a concert in the park or watch a neighborhood sandlot team play a pick up game. Living in a small space isn’t easy, but when New York City is your backyard, it does make it more bearable. Once you’re ready to make your NYC move, make sure to ring up professional local movers like us! We’ll provide a customized quote and answer any of your questions.
FAQ
I don’t want to get rid of some items, but they won’t fit in my apartment. What should I do?
Your best bet is to rent a storage unit. There are a variety of sizes so choose the one that makes sense for you. NYC Great Movers also offers storage solutions, but you can only use our services for up to a year. If you need long-term storage, there are several storage companies around NYC.
Where are good places to buy storage and organizational items?
There are several places you can buy these items but some good places to start include:
- Home Depot
- Container Store
- Bed, Bath, and Beyond
- Ikea
Do I need to ask my landlord before putting up shelves and painting
Yes, always ask your landlord or building manager if you can put up shelves or paint. You should also ask what your responsibilities are when you move out. In many cases you will need to re-paint the walls back to the original color, remove the shelves, and patch the holes made by the shelves.
