Whether you're renting or you're signing a lease for a home in the city, you would know how expensive CBD properties can get. To save on cash, a lot have chosen to move into studio units. Luckily, living in a compact unit doesn't automatically mean you have to sacrifice style. Unlock the secrets to one-room living by experimenting with the tips below:
1. Store it, hide it and organize it.
Storage is a priority in one-room living, since any form of clutter can be easily seen and become an eyesore. Unlike built-in closets for your wardrobe, consider getting fixed or flexible shelving and freestanding cabinets with doors made to hide your kalat.
2. Define areas of the room.
Segregate your studio unit into at least two areas: one for cooking/work/dining and the other for lounging/sleeping. Define each by having a distinct furniture grouping for each area. If you're fortunate enough to have a separate bedroom, make sure it is reserved for rest only. If you want more privacy in an open layout, go for low partitions, or invest in a freestanding bookcase that can shield your sleeping area from your living areas.
3. Keep it well-ventilated.
Make sure your windows are generous and can be opened—you need proper ventilation and a lot of natural light in a small space. Get a range hood for your kitchen, unless you want your whole home to smell like adobo when you cook. You might want to use roll-up blinds instead of drapes, which are visually heavy.
4. Use less furniture.
Less is more. Pare down your furniture to the essentials, and use pieces that multitask: try a sofa bed, an ottoman seat that doubles as a center table, or a dining table that can become a desk.
5. Add variety through decor.
Since you’re living in just one room, add visual variety so you won’t get bored. Unify your decor with a specific theme (Asian, modern-retro, eclectic) and a color scheme but add variety in textures, materials, and seating styles.
Read the original article ("Studio Style") in the Jan-Feb 2007 issue of Real Living Magazine. Download your digital copy of Real Living on the Real Living App now! Log on to summitnewsstand.com.ph/real-living for more details.
This story originally appeared on Realliving.com.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Femalenetwork.com editors.
