Go vertical to maximise a small apartment

Small apartments don’t need to feel cramped. There are plenty of tricks and tips to make the best use of your space.

Many of the apartments we manage and sell in Neutral Bay and the Lower North Shore are compact, but residents find clever ways to optimise every square inch, and one of the best is to go vertical. Read on for some easy tricks.

Grow climbing plants

House plants are still bang on trend in 2022. The pandemic encouraged people to bring the outdoors in, and pot plants are now de-jour. Apartments, though, don’t offer a lot of space for plants, so the obvious solution is to use climbers. A climber on a trellis can transform a blank wall into a vertical garden. This looks great on a balcony and can even provide additional privacy.

Add art

You might be surprised how art can change a space. Believe it or not, one large piece can make a room feel bigger. If you choose a large piece of art, try bold shapes and nothing too fussy or intricate. Check out Artist Lane for some stunning modern art that will brighten any space.

Get creative with storage

Walls provide plenty of storage if you think outside the box. Think you have no room for shelves? Try floating shelves in the space above windows. No built-in robes? Hang your clothes from the ceiling with curtain rods on a pulley. Think cabinets won’t fit? There’s plenty of space over your desk for a Bestå wall-mounted cabinet from Ikea. Adding storage will keep things off the floor and give you additional space to move around.

Use your walls for sporting equipment

Don’t let a small apartment keep you from managing a successful fitness routine. You can store lots of home gym equipment, such as weights, on the wall with the proper support, and install a push-up bar in a doorway.

Bikes can also be hung on a wall if you don’t have a secure undercover storage area in your building – start with a simple bicycle hook from Howards Storage World to make use of empty space and keep your bike out of the way.

Use vertical, not flat surfaces

Many things that sit around on tables can go on the wall instead. Fixing bedside lamps to walls, for instance, can free up valuable space and create a feeling of openness. You can also install hanging shelves for other bits and pieces that tend to create clutter.

Go high with your furniture

There is no reason your furniture needs to stop well short of the ceiling. High, thin bookcases can make the most of a room’s height. Keep a stool nearby or use a trendy wooden ladder to reach the top shelves.

Another piece of furniture that takes up way too much space is a bed. As an alternative, a raised bed will create more floor space, and you can fit a home office or your clothes underneath while bringing a mezzanine feel to your bedroom. Check out Pinterest for some loft bed inspiration.

Look for fold-down items

One of the best space saving ideas for small apartments is fold-down furniture. You don’t have to go all out and install a Murphy bed, but fold-down furniture can still be a saviour, as it gives a single space multiple uses. Having a fold-down table like the Norberg from Ikea, for instance, gives you extra workspace or a cute dining area when you need it, and can fold it away when you don’t.

Do you have any clever suggestions for enhancing space in a small apartment? Let us know in the comments.