Design Hotline is a new column dedicated to solving real people’s home problems. Here, writer Diana Budds speaks to experts to help a reader maximize their small-home floor plan.
Question: I’ve lived in small spaces in New York City for a while, but I’m struggling with how to maximize the layout in my new studio apartment. It’s about 450 square feet, and the living area is basically a square shape. I’d like to try to carve out a space for sleeping, lounging by the TV, and working at a desk without it feeling too chaotic, or too “dorm room.” I’m renting and might only be here for one year, so I don’t want to invest too much money in buying new items or building custom pieces. How can I make the most of my small-home floor plan?
Congratulations on the new apartment—how exciting to move into a new space and make it your own! About 450 square feet is indeed a tight squeeze. It’s entirely possible to live in that area comfortably and without having to revisit the lofted twin-extra-long beds of dorm-room days, but it’ll require a tight edit of the furniture and objects that you have, plus a spatially advantageous arrangement.
Let’s start with the furniture. Madelynn Ringo, an interior designer who lives in a 350-square-foot Brooklyn apartment, recommends reevaluating what to bring into the space.
“Sometimes we think an apartment has a couch, a bed, a TV, and a dining table, but it’s important to rethink that a little bit,” Ringo says. “That’s where you can get really creative with a small space. Is it actually a couch that you need or is it a really nice lounge chair with an extension for your legs that can multiply as a second seat for somebody who’s visiting?” If you work from home infrequently, Ringo adds, you could likely get away with a round café table that also works as a side or dining table.
