A Spatial Question

[CreativeBeauty]

Hi everyone! I just recently moved into my first apartment. It is a bachelor with a small kitchen. It's just like a huge room, square in shape. I don't have tons of space and I have a queensized bed, a loveseat, a weaved rocking chair from ikea and a reading chair.

How do I maximize space and make my apartment as spacious as possible?

[vsynq]

Some sort of shelving system under your bed is a great way to use that space more effectively, unless you're storing large/long objects under there. Use hooks or racks in the walls to hang kitchen utensils if you've not very much cabinet space. Pare down your dishes to a minimum. Get rid of the chair you like the least and replace it with a low table and some large cushions that you can slide under the table when not in use. A standing rack over the toilet is a great place to put stuff in a small bathroom.
If you really want to get minimal, scrap the bed and get a thin double futon that you can fold in half on the floor so that, during the day, it turns into a low couch.
Keep the middle of your room open. Use indirect lighting.

[CreativeBeauty]

Hey that's great advice!

I'm not sure about giving up my bed, I'm pretty attached to it. There are a few dishes I need to discard, and I might throw away the other chair. I am in desperate need of a table, though, I had a folding table that just crashed. One of the screws went off.

You have pretty good ideas! Where do you get your ideas? I also get some of my home designing ideas from HGTV. Have you heard of the all-new season of Design Star in Las Vegas? It premieres on July 22nd on HGTV.

It's about these 11 groovy designers who compete with each other to win their very own show on HGTV.

I work with them so please check out http://www.hgtv.com/designstar.

Let me know what you think! Thanks for the advice again!

[END USER]

Get some of those 12x12 adhesive backed mirror tiles and go full height on 2 adjoining walls. Very retro and it create the illusion of a bigger room.

Put some on the ceiling for fun. But take the bottom, it makes your spam look bigger.

[vsynq]

Ha! I get my ideas from living in tiny places in college and being too poor to afford any other situation. Less stuff=more space. The more vertical flat space uninterrupted by objects you have, the better. Also, low-volume, high-density objects will help the space-perception of your room. Think about heavy statues, stones, etc.

[CreativeBeauty]

vsynq:
I feel you on that totally, plus i've also been working on the notion that less is more ! Ikea also has some great show rooms where they show what to do with small spaces. BTW did anyone get a chance to watch design star on HGTV ? Some of those designers are really creative.

[ash_work]

Before you can create a floor plan, you must first measure every room. Include the width of doors, windows and closets. In the kitchen and bathroom, measure out the width and length of the appliances, such as the refrigerator, stove, counters, sinks, tub and toilet.

Next, measure each piece of furniture: the bed, tables, couch, bookshelves, desks and etc. If you plan on buying new pieces of furniture, write down an estimate of their sizes. Once you've taken down all measurements, you're ready to create a floor plan.
Electronic Floor Planners

Computer programs are great for making floor plans. Not sure which one to use? Check out Furniture Guide Fred Albert's review of free online floor planners.

Go to the next page to learn how to draw a floor plan by hand and how to use your new floor plan.