How To Design A Small Space | Studio Unit Interior Design ✨ Design With Me Ep1

Hey guys! So, I thought of creating a series where I design spaces for my friends, families, or just anyone that needed my help in decorating their spaces. If you want to see all my designs and makeovers, visit my website, creativepinay.com. I posted a separate video where I share the whole details regarding my design services, so if you're interested, please check it out. For the first episode, I'll be showing you the design that I did for my college friend in her studio unit. My friend, let's call her by the name Charlene, reached out and asked for help in her studio. Actually, she only sent me one picture of the space. The layout of this space is quite new to me. I haven't designed a condo where the kitchen is located inside the main area because usually in a studio unit, kitchens are placed at the entry area, like this one where the kitchen is situated at the walkway. Charlene sent me a bunch of inspo, which is really great. Although these pictures actually have different styles, but I noticed the playful mix of textures, lots of neutrals, with some pops of colors, low-profile beds, and a cozy atmosphere. So for her space, I wanted to include a desk or a vanity area, a full-size low-profile bed, a sofa bed, and a dining table. I went with this floor plan since the bed will be the centerpiece of the room. As you can see, there's everything you need, a desk, a full-size bed, a dining table, and a living area with just enough storage. If you've noticed, I placed the TV in front of the dining and bed area, and away from the sofa bed. This is because most of the time, we just want to lie down and watch our favorite TV shows. Or when we are cooking and eating, we can watch the TV comfortably. As per the sofa, we have two options. First is we can add a swivel mount to the TV, so we can just swivel the TV facing the sofa. Second is we can place a projector on top of the bed. Then, we can instantly have a theater room. You can always go for a normal couch if you're not planning to invite someone to sleep over. Use floor-to-ceiling double curtains for the sliding door to the balcony. Use a sheer curtain to allow sunlight into the room, and a blackout curtain on the second one if you want to avoid the sunlight completely. A mini-desk slash vanity table beside the bed also acts as a nightstand to put your things when sleeping. The desk can be a working or a vanity desk. Of course, the centerpiece is the bed. Choosing a bed frame is crucial, but in this design, I went with a very interesting bed frame. It's a low-profile bed with a curved rattan headboard. Layering the bed with lots of textures from the sheets, blankets, and clothes will give you that cozy feeling. Styling this area with a large piece of minimalist art will finish the look. To create ambience at night, add a floor lamp beside the bed and the dining table. Go for a floor lamp instead of a desk lamp to save floor space. Beside is a full-length arch mirror, which again makes the space feel so much bigger, especially in this corner where it's hard to have natural light. Or, if you want more storage, you can add shelves above. But, you may want to avoid placing any bulky pieces of furniture on this wall so you can freely move around in the kitchen. I went for a modern chandelier instead of a pendant or ceiling light since this allows us to have multiple lights which is great if we don't have enough light sockets. Also, it is a nice statement that adds visual interest. Finally, a round dining table is perfect in this space. Round tables are best in small spaces because it allows you to easily move around, especially in this high traffic area. Add a round rug to create separation. Also, this wall is half-painted with a neutral beige color that ties everything together. As you can see, I played with different textures and materials. There are natural woods, metals, brass, leather, and fabrics. Everything goes well together because we are following the same color palette. White walls tend to make the space feel stark and cold. So, to make the space feel warm and cozy, I wanted to paint this wall a very light neutral color. Even in a small space, we can still create a mini entryway where we can put our keys, bags, and shoes. Add hooks to hang the keys and bags. I intended to have the closet near the entryway as it acts as a partition between the entry and the main area. Since the entry area is so small, we can store the shoes inside the closet. Just make sure to have it contained separately to avoid contact with the clothes. Or you can add a shoe shelf beside the closet. Or instead of hooks, you can also add a narrow shoe cabinet like this one. Make sure it does not get in the way when opening the door. Then, add baskets and trays where you can store your keys. When choosing a closet, it's easy to just choose a large 3-4 door cabinet to store all your belongings. But, if you have a studio apartment, this large bulky piece of furniture feels so heavy and takes so much space. So, what I suggest is to choose a 2-door cabinet and then add another piece of furniture where it can be an extension of your wardrobe. For example, this top cabinet is where you put your clothes in hangers. Then, instead of placing a media console for your TV, go for a chest of drawers where you can put your folded clothes. For large pieces like towels, beddings, linens, store them under your bed using this under-bed storage. You can also place other seasonal items here. So, what we did is we're spreading pieces throughout this space and not just on one large cabinet. You won't even notice that there's something in there. Lastly, make sure to avoid any dark-colored furniture for large pieces like this closet. It's okay if you have dark cabinets as long as it is placed in a corner and not here in the center. Then, hang the TV on top using a swivel mount. For the sofa bed, you need to be specific with the measurements as we only have enough space for it. Again, if you do not need a sofa bed, you can always go for a 2- or 3-seater sofa or a chaise. Then, add a narrow piece of furniture beside the sofa. Instead of a side table, it's better to have another storage where you can store other miscellaneous stuff. It can be a narrow bookshelf but I prefer this shoe cabinet which, by the way, can also be used differently and not just for shoes. I like this because you can easily open it from the top rather than having to open it at the front like a normal cabinet which is hard since it faces very close to the sofa. And lastly, for the final touches. Honestly, the space was challenging to design but I had fun and I love the whole vibe of this space. I love how we can use a piece of furniture as a statement piece. It creates character and adds interest. Let me know what you guys think. If you like this video, give this a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel. Thank you so much for watching and I'll see you on my next one.