Over the years I have worked on a few apartment projects and I would say the key to successful apartment living is proportion. Choosing the right sized furniture for your space so that you don’t compromise flow of movement. For this reason I take my time to select the perfect sofa for apartment living for my clients.
Size of space
Generally speaking the one and two bedroom apartments I have worked on, are small to medium sized. The living area is open planned and there is usually some kind of restriction. For example, not enough wall space for the TV or too much natural light.
The size of the space directly impacts the size of the furniture. But functionality is also important. So often I have seen large chaise lounges squeeshed into an apartment, like below. It’s not ideal.
Here is an example of a project I’m working on in South Yarra. The client wants to turn their one bedroom apartment into an Airbnb. In this before shot I took you can see the large sofa the tenant has in place.
It makes the room feel small and blocks the nook in the back being used as a home office.
I appreciate that as a tenant you can’t be buying a new sofa every time you move but I see this all the time. Even when the owner is living in the apartment.
From my experience, the perfect sofa for apartment living is between 1.5m wide to 2m.
Perfect sofa features
The perfect sofa for apartment living has a few other features. For example, it has legs. Elevating the sofa from the floor creates a sense of lightness and space.
Another feature for the perfect sofa for apartment living is a low back and a seat that is not too deep. Depth on sofas averages between 80cm to 90cm, so keep the depth to your sofa to 80cm.
The upholstery on the sofa is also an important feature to consider. Whether you choose leather, faux leather, fabric or vegan leather depends on your style, budget and functionality.
Less is more
From years of working on interior design projects in apartments I would say the general rule of thumb is less is more. For example, while you might need a sofa, do you need a coffee table.
If the distance between the TV and sofa is small then consider side tables as an alternative.
Do you need a dining table? Some clients are happy to eat at the breakfast bar or on the sofa.
Choose furniture that reflects you and your life and how you actually use the space, rather than some idealised lifestyle image in a magazine.
While apartment living may not be for everyone is some of the projects I’ve actually created more zones to enhance the space. For example a TV watching zone and a sitting zone. A sitting zone has always been received well by clients because it gives their apartment a generous feel. And key to success of multiple zones is a perfect sofa for apartment living.
