Apartments are the small

[Horehound]

I've come to the realization that my one bedroom apartment is quite tiny, yet with just me i think its useful. yet its hard creating any kind of space in this 800 sqft place for work, granted i am a simple man with simple things. so i guess whats the the best way to make an apt more homey.

HH

[Tanya]

so you are back home!? Great!

I find stuff on the walls makes a house feel like home. i'm a big fan of wall hangings, special lamps hung from the ceilings and area rugs.... all can be moved....none take up space

invest in a nice bedspread that you really like, especially if you spend a lot of time in your bedroom not sleeping. :hahugh:

The same is true of furniture... i've gotten used to having almost none, but what i do have I really like and says a lot about me...hunt for things that are really YOU.

also... (forgive my girlness) but pots of flowers... again.. highly mobile and can be replaced to keep things looking fresh and different. right now I have dried grass arranged in a beaten Kzack copper bowl... its doesn't have to be flowers... soon it will be pots of mums....etc etc...

really.. what ever it is that is your passion.. get its ass out of the closets and cupboards and on to your walls... musical instuments, pottery....heck my husband has a collection of opium pipes on the wall....

glad you are safe!

[TygerTyger]

Listen to Tanya, if you have any doubts have a look at the place where she lives now!

:thumbsup:

I've had a couple of small appartments and the lack of space didn't bother me much as long as I could do some painting & drawing and writing, oh and a bit of physio.

Even if I won the lottery I wouldn't want the largest house going, just a study for myself!

P.S. Hate the pot plants idea though - get hayfever!

[Cindlady2]

Well, if you ever feel ou have too much space, I have a 460 sqf. House on almost an acre of land for rent!

[Horehound]

in wisconsin hmmm thats a lil to far north for me but thanks :D.
i have stuff on the walls, and ur right it helps, i may just need a few house plants.

[SphinYote]

800 ft seems like a great deal of space to me. Average for a one bedroom is about 450-500 sq ft.

[Meadhbh]

I agree on not being a big fan of a lot of space. I'm okay with small and cozy. Just so long as I have room to turn around and fit most of my stuff then I'm good.

[Lunacie]

Had to stop and do some math (ouch).

The home where my hubby and I raised our daughter was a two-bedroom, only 940 square feet. The home where my daughter and I are raising my two granddaughters is a three-bedroom, only 1,150 square feet. The only time it feels too little is during the summer when the girls are out of school and it's too hot to play outside all day.

Most of the decorating ideas come from my daughter, she has a good eye for such things. I'm constantly fighting the clutter than continues to accumulate. One thing I insisted on buying was a fake fiscus tree for the corner, I have a very brown thumb for potted plants.

[Terra Mater]

Tanya hit the nail on the head with taking your passions out of the closet and hanging them on the walls. i have one friend that takes all the action figures she has in their packages and hangs them up on her walls.

I have a lot of wrought iron knicknacks hanging on the walls in the kitchen/dining room and the living room is covered with gifts that my children have made me over the years. Scattered throughout are signs that I started buying a few years back. Each Halloween I go to Target, Michael's, and other stores that carry wooden signs with witchy themes and buy the ones I like. Then I add adornments of my own to personalize them.

A friend of mine gave me a plain wood framed mirror as a housewarming gift. Since I like to hand a mirror facing the entrance door to reflect negativity back out the door, I hung the mirror there after first oiling the frame with a special oil blend for protection and personal growth. I added a 6 inch diameter wood pentagram to the top and bottom and am working on some simple wooden goddess cut outs to add to the sides. Another friend is making crescent moon cutouts for the corners.

My husband collects baseball cards. I take frames and display his best ones according to team, player, series, etc. Each frame has its own theme and a small engraved plaque that lists the theme.

So, what do you have stuffed away that tells a little something about you? If you cannot come up with ideas on your own, post what you have here and let us help you come up with some ideas.

[Chaos Hawk]

Can you have pets?

A small pet like a ferret or a bearded dragon, or even a fish tank would make it feel more homey.

[Horehound]

ill show u whats done sofar
i take pictures

[Sollie]

-points above- They all have great suggestions. Another way to make it homey, and add space, is to have lots of wall shelfs and so on. And scent is a great way to make a space feel like home. Find an incense/oil/candle you like and light it in the morning, when you get home, etc. In such a space, the scent will linger for awhile. Or even a cinnamon broom. Great smell and decoration, two for one deal. ^^ And you could put various gems or herbs and so on in it also.

I'm living in a two bedroom that's around 1000 sq foot and it's pretty nice, but cluttered. I have too many papers and books lol

[childofcrow]

if you are worried about hay fever or allergies, invest in some realistic fake silk flowers. You can change it up whenever you want. I have several bunches in vases around my home, and it really ties things together. Just don't go overboard.
And give 'em a dusting once in a while. Maybe put a drop or two of a floral essential oil on a small piece of cloth and put it in the vase for a more realistic smell.

[*~Amora~*]

Use vertical space as much as you can, get hanging shelves and stacking organizers.

Use light colors and mirrors to make the place feel more roomy.

Also, a pet really makes a place feel like home.

[Lunacie]

800 sqft? Tiny?

Guess you haven't lived here, lol. That's... average... large, for some people.

Our first apartment together was 350 square feet. Second place was 700, the place before this one was 748, and this one is 940 (two bedroom two bath) and I think we have a lot of space :crown:

I agree, 800 square feet for one person is quite roomy. My little family of three (hubby, daughter and I) along with a couple of dogs and a couple more cats all lived quite comfortably in a house of about 950 square feet. Two bedrooms, 1 bathroom and a laundry room. I've seen families living in much smaller houses or apartments. The 2 bed/1 bath my former son-in-law is renting is smaller than that little house was. But it's only him during the week, the 2 kids are only with him on the weekends.

[childofcrow]

I am glad I live in Halifax. My apt is 1,118 Square Feet, just the perfect size.

[Élistariel]

Use vertical space as much as you can, get hanging shelves and stacking organizers.

Use light colors and mirrors to make the place feel more roomy.

Also, a pet really makes a place feel like home.


I totally agree with the light colors. I don't know how big my house is, it was built by family in the 1920's. When I moved in after the last non-family renters the dining room was a horrid maroon color. I chose a pastel green and it opened up the room so much. The half a wall sized mirror didn't hurt either.

[Corvis Canis Latrans]

Seriously? 800 sq ft? Small?

Um.....no. That's actually a pretty damn good size and big compared to most rental spaces available. Its bigger than the house I'm renting right now. Which save for my parents home is the largest space I've ever lived in.