I’ve had a few clients over the years that live in apartments. Both renters and owner occupiers. After living in London for a few years I’m familiar with living in small spaces and how to make the most of them. While apartment living doesn’t suit everyone, apartments have many benefits. One benefit includes lower maintenance. But to make the most of apartment living requires consideration based on actual functionality. So here are some of my apartment interior design tips.
Actual Functionality
Generally speaking in an apartment there are some space restrictions to think of. For example, a lot of my clients who live in apartments want the ability to accommodate guests. But how often do guests come to visit? How long do guests stay?
One of the goals of my brief meeting with clients is to understand how the space is used. Especially if there is a multi-functional goal such as in an apartment where you might have a second bedroom act as a home study and guest room. Or a living room as a guest room.
I think a guest room is a nice to have, and while it’s easy to incorporate a sofa bed into an apartment, are you actually going to use it? Could your guests stay in an AirBnB close by?
Furnishing a space for the functional use, 90% of the time is what we should be aiming for.
Too Much Furniture
A minimal approach is key to successful apartment living. Over filling apartment spaces can really undermine functionality, flow of movement and overall harmony. In an apartment I completed recently instead of a dining table, I specified a bar table for the open plan living, kitchen, dining area.
This bar table ticked a few boxes, it was additional counter space as the kitchen had limited prep room. It acted as a dining table and work place. One table that performs three functions.

Size of Furniture
I see it so often where people buy furniture that is too big for the small spaces in apartments. Size and proportion to space is important. In a room there is positive space and negative space. The positive space is taken up by the furniture of the key function of the room.
The negative space is the space not taken up by furniture that allows flow of movement in and around pieces of furniture. Large furniture compromises flow of movement and makes the room feel smaller and stuffy.
I loved living in smaller spaces. It really makes you think about what’s important to a happy home. You have to be discerning in how you use the space and what you fill it with. If you take the time to think about how you use your apartment you can fill it with gorgeous forever pieces. Instead of temporary pieces that end up in land fill.
These apartment interior design tips are intended to explain that because apartments are fast becoming forever homes and not just the step on the property ladder to a home, it’s time to reconsider how we use and how we furnish an apartment. So that it reflects the way we actually live and our personal design stories.