Small Items that make a HUGE Statement

1. Lamps: Call them multifunctional for adding light and also being a piece of decor; but lamps are something every small apartment should have. Overhead light can be too harsh but lamps can light the hard-to-get places. For me, two or three white lamps will really bring out the fact I'm going with a chocolate and white theme. Plus, I really like white lamps. 
2. Shower curtains and matching hand towels: Coordinating these two small items in your bathroom means you need to do little else do dress up your bathroom. Using matching colours like tan, red or forest green keeps everything looking very neat. A matching rug would also be optimal as well. 
3. Flowers/Plants: A simple few pots of live plants makes a very large impact, even in a small house. You don't need to have a bamboo tree for your place to look great. A vase of fresh roses or dahlias, or an aloe plant by the window looks refreshing and also freshens up the air. People worry sometimes about too much state-of-the-art technology but going back to the roots makes for a cozy home. 
4. Clocks - Clocks come in all different shapes and colours, from round and white to square and wooden. Not only do clocks tell the time, but having one in a room just seems to always feel right. Everybody will occasionally glance at the clock to see what time they may need to leave, or what time their show comes in. Soon, you'd wonder what you did without one. Picking one with your kind of taste--whether oversized or small and chic, is the fun of it. 

IKEA Solutions for Home Office for Apartments

LAIVA DESK $24.99

SPACE-SAVING DESK

SMILLE GUEST CHAIR $29.99

Home Office for Small Apartments

Whether you are a student or a full-time worker, everybody needs an office for their printer, fax machine, computer, etc and to organize their paperwork and files. That way, when it is time for tax returns or to pay bills, you have all of your paperwork in one, neat area. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to construct a Trump-tastic desk in a teeny apartment but that does not mean with a little innovation you cannot create an impromptu desk!

Using hinge tables, a small corner or crevice or against a small wall--there is possibilities for a small home office. Perhaps a wall mounted desk and a simple chair will suffice along with some under table file cabinets. I want to add a small home office where I can use the computer and keep everything organized, and since space is at a minimum, a wall-mounted table would be the most likeliest. But these things can be very attractive. Adding a colorful vase on the desk or some paintings above the desk can help the area flow in with the rest of the house--as well as using a table that is the same colour as the walls.

Working with Small Spaces

People often see a closet and use it as a closet, but sometimes that space would be better utilized as a small office or a bookshelf. I see a lot of little spaces in the apartment I want to use to its best ability like little ledges and window spaces. You can do a lot with a bit of space! All you have to do is think about functionality and be creative. How will it benefit you? Will yo get use out of it? Is it something you need? Some people cannot do with a dining table but if their apartment is too small, a dropleaf table can be a dining table and also a desk when not in use for eating. Areas that are used for multi-tasking are best in small spaces, it isn't like there is room for a sitting room, a parlour room, the den, etc to all be separate. Though we wish!

IKEA SOLUTIONS TO SMALL SPACE

IKEA IS KNOWN FOR BEING FUNCTIONAL AND AFFORDABLE SO THESE ARE SOME SOLUTIONS I'D LIKELY USE.

From Blah to Wow

Charming and tiny kitchen--if this can work, anything can.

Storage and painting fix everything

Kitchens in urban Toronto apartments are uninspiring at best. Tiny, narrow and drab you wonder how you can whip up a spicy penne sausage dish in such a hideous, tiny and ugly kitchen. I fear the bathroom and kitchen will be the hardest to work with. I cannot picture a beautiful kitchen when dealing with ugly, outdated appliances, counters and floor space. But there is always hope!

The average Toronto kitchen

What I would do with this drab kitchen is put down a colorful mat with chocolates and yellows, maybe some red in there. I would paint the boring walls a deep gray and add some post-Impressionist art on the wall adjacent to the sink and paint those forlorn cabinets ivory or something. I would add red curtains to the tiny window and add a wall pantry shelf adjacent to the sink with spices, olive oils, aged balsamic vinegars and some wine. Voila!

Small but functional, well decorated kitchen