TOP 10 Furniture Pieces for Small Spaces (Perfect for Apartments & Studios!) - SMALL SPACE SERIES

Hello everyone, welcome back to the channel. I'm Julie, and I am so excited to be rolling out a brand new series. It is all about small spaces. We're talking furniture pieces, best studio apartment layouts, teeny tiny terraces, those itty bitty balconies, clever ways to upgrade your small bathroom, and I'm even gonna throw in some feng shui tips for studio apartments. I've got storage hacks, styling hacks, bedroom tips. I am so excited to be rolling out this series. You guys have been hounding me for more small space ideas, and here is our first episode. Before we get started, I wanna thank Skillshare for sponsoring this video. I have introduced you to Skillshare before. It's an online learning community where you can take thousands of online classes when you want, where you want. Class topics include everything from photography to marketing to productivity to creative writing, more lifestyle tips, interior design. I mean, I really just can't get enough of the content. Most classes are under 60 minutes, and it's a combination of online learning and a cool project at the end, so you feel a little bit more hands-on. I recently watched Plants at Home, Uplift Your Spirit and Your Space by Christopher Griffin, and you guys know how I feel about indoor plants. I want to create the ultimate jungle-o, and I love that Skillshare offers these types of lifestyle classes so I can learn new tricks to elevate the spirit of my home while, of course, beautifying my space and promoting mental health with indoor plants. Skillshare classes are specifically honed for learning, so no ads means no interruptions and more time to hone your skills. It's less than $10 a month for an annual subscription, but the first thousand viewers who click on the link in my description box will receive a free trial of Skillshare Premium. You'll gain access to the thousands of videos featured on Skillshare. You can even try live classes so you feel like you're a part of this growing community in real time, which I think is pretty cool. Let's get rolling with the first video in this small space series. It's the top 10 pieces you need to furnish your small apartment. It's all about pieces that work over time in your small space. Consider the pieces that you already have in your home. Ask yourself this question. How else can this piece be used? If it serves double duty or even triple duty, it's a keeper. I love using familiar pieces in new ways that might not be so obvious at first. Let's start with the most important piece you need to furnish your small apartment. It's the right scale sofa. Sometimes your small living room won't allow for additional seating or accent chairs, so the sofa is it. Remember that you're only as good as your measurements, so always start by measuring the space you have allotted for the seating group. I will assume that since you have a small space, you'll be pushing this main sofa up against the wall, so max out that wall width to get the largest sofa or love seat you can fit in the space. Source a petite sectional to gain more seating, or even a sleeper sofa that doubles as your bed in teeny spaces. It's especially useful for guests that crash through the night. Whatever you pick, make this investment and choose a sofa upholstered in the most luxurious fabric that fits your budget and your aesthetic. Your sofa is the showpiece of your small space, so do your research and buy what you love. If your sofa takes up too much space in the living room, consider a daybed instead. If you're really only designing the apartment for yourself, don't force yourself to buy a sofa. A daybed will free up more floor space and give you an opportunity to play with different living room looks. There's no hard-set rule that says every seating group has to start with a three-seater sofa. Try a low daybed that doubles as a guest bed or even the main bed that you sleep on. If space allows in your living room, source a swivel chair as your accent piece. The smaller footprint allows for optimum angles no matter which way you swivel. Engage with the living area and dining room with a simple turn. When it comes to seating, select pieces for their primary function first and those that have dynamic purpose so the space feels cozy but also smart. Play with shapes, colors, and tactile fabrics that enhance the style of the room and the story of your space. Moving on to the dining area. I love to source a slim bench or a small banquette that is flanked right up against the walls. You may not have the optimum square footage for chairs scattered around a dining table, so experiment with a slim banquette or bench instead. If you don't have the 36-inch minimum clearance to pull all your chairs out without hitting the walls, this is the perfect spot for a banquette. Bonus points if you use this seating and table to work at. You can stretch your legs out for a bit or even sit cross-legged for a more relaxed loungy position. While we're still in the dining area, let's talk about the dining table. Source a round table versus a square one. A round table has no sharp corners and they're easy to walk around. You can theoretically seat one more person at a round table than you can a square one. If you ever host guests, round tables are the perfect solution to get more guests seated around the table. The console table is the perfect furniture piece to flank up against the wall and create a stunning focal point. It can also serve as an entry table for a valet station and can even be used to showcase curated decorative pieces that show off your style. The trick is to source a console according to your needs. Consoles with cabinets and drawers underneath add extra storage. Consoles that are open and streamlined allow you to tuck additional storage ornaments underneath and pull them out when you require extra seating. Wall sconces and pendant lights add extra brightness to the room without taking up valuable floor space. It makes the space feel larger, look cozier, and adds much needed style to help define each zone. If you've seen my apartment hacks video, rental-friendly tips to help you upgrade your small space, you can cross-reference my lighting tips to help layer more light into your apartment. Floor mirrors are a must-have in every small space. You can keep the mirrors lean on the floor or you can mount them on the wall. Mirrors give the illusion of bigger space and bonus points when it reflects beautiful landscape to bring more of the outside in. Framed mirrors can easily double as wall art as it's one of my favorite ways to make a small space look larger. I mean, what's not to love about mirrors? It's equal parts stylish and functional, instantly amplifying light and doubling the visual impact of everything it reflects. I love to add drama with a mirror mounted over a console table. But remember that if you follow feng shui guides, never install a mirror behind a sofa since that implies too much active energy bouncing back towards your head, and that's never a good thing. Consider where you're placing the mirror and make sure that it reflects more of what you wanna see. It could be a beautiful landscape, it could be more lighting, just anything that inspires you. Make use of all of that vertical wall space with a tall bookcase. The taller, the better. Opt for closed cabinets on the bottom to hide clutter while displaying pretty pieces up top. You could also use a tall bookcase as a privacy divider between the bedroom and the living space. Storage needs are always lacking in a small space and a tall bookcase is the perfect solution. And finally, an area rug helps pull it all together and define your seating group. Remember my cardinal rule for an area rug, buy the largest that you can afford. The largest size area rug that is perfectly scaled for the space can also be used in multiple ways, in multiple spaces, and will have longevity when you move from home to home. Check out my ultimate guide to area rugs for more inspiration and tips on finding the perfect area rug for your space. The smaller the home, the more important it is to design with form and function in mind. From studio apartments to even those small little corners in your home, small spaces have major potential to help you live a more stylish and functional life. The goal from this small space series is to help you make the most of your square footage with good design and great functionality. I am so excited to be rolling out this small space series. I know that you guys have a ton of questions for me. Definitely comment below and let me know if you have any questions when it comes to your small space. Thank you to Skillshare for sponsoring this video. If you like this type of content, please give this video a thumbs up. Share this video with anyone you know who is struggling with their small space, and subscribe to my channel so you don't miss the latest updates. Thank you so much for watching. I'll see you next week.