Limited space is one of the major concerns when it comes to decorating an apartment. Ideally, when it comes to decorating, maximizing the amount of space available would need to be one of the priorities, with adequate storage solutions running a close second. Apartment decorating ideas which can incorporate both space-saving and storage solutions would be worth their weight in gold. Part of the problem, when it comes to the majority of apartment complexes, is the number of units that are packed in as close together as possible to maximize rental potential.

This is fine for the landlords, but inevitably less acceptable for those people who call an apartment complex ‘home’. As successful apartment living is a completely different concept from living in an average-sized family home, apartment decorating ideas also need to be tackled uniquely. There is absolutely no point in taking ideas that have always worked well in a single-family home and applying those same concepts to decorating an apartment – then hoping against hope that the result will be just as successful. Through better luck than judgment those ideas may work – but then, what if they don’t? You will have wasted a lot of time, effort, and money, only to end up with a less-than-perfect result.

So, when it comes to apartment decorating ideas, space is paramount – even down to the size of the furniture and any patterns used when decorating: it all matters and nothing should be left to chance. One way of making every inch count is to combine furniture with multiple utilities: buy a desk that, when you need to sleep, easily converts itself into a bed. This isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. The 2009 Ideal Home Exhibition at Earl’s Court, London is currently advertising a piece of furniture that does exactly that. At face value, it certainly isn’t a cheap option but, when you consider how effective and efficient it is, it is an economic solution. This particular piece of furniture is manufactured in a wood composite for durability, and cleverly veneered for a lovely finish.

When the bed is folded away, the piece of furniture looks exactly like a desk. When the function needs to change and the bed needs to be used, you simply pull down the bed which folds down, and the desk slots back into the recess previously occupied by the bed. The charm of this system is that the bed is packed away readily made up for use and, when the desk needs to be put away, it glides backward so that any items currently in use on the desk can stay exactly where they are: they will not be disturbed. The whole system runs on a cleverly hidden hydraulic unit so that you only need to use one hand to pull the bed down or push the desk backward. For apartment decorating ideas, this piece of furniture, and others like it, is ingenious.

Apartments that need decorating may be limited in size but never forget they also have height and this is something that can be very successfully utilized when it comes to furnishings such as an entertainment center, or a desk for your home office equipment. Drop leaf tables, or tables which have additional leaves that drop into the middle of a dining table, have been around for generations. There are now many dining tables on the market that can be fitted against a wall, with a drop-down leaf that can be released when not in use. Conversely, another innovation is the dining table into which two chairs can be slotted when not in use – certainly my choice if I was in a position where I needed to conserve space.

Colors always give an illusion of space or lack of it and, to make the most of apartment decorating ideas, the last thing you want is to choose the wrong color or wrong shade, with the result that your lovely, newly-decorated apartment appears to be much smaller than before you started. Stick with pastels, or pale hues, which will catch any available light and give the space you do have a lift. Carrying on with this theme, place mirrors around the apartment to reflect as much light as possible. Use mirrors as accent pieces and you will be pleasantly surprised at the success of your apartment decorating ideas and the warm vibrancy of the resultant finish.