4 Condo Interior Designs & Storage Ideas For Extra Space

Designing a condo is much like designing any other space. People get to let their creativity and style show through. Condos tend to be smaller than other home types, meaning owners may need more care in designing and decorating the space. The good news is several options are available to make their condo feel unique while preserving the function of each room. With these tips, condo owners will have a few ideas they can use to make a great condo design.

Condo Storage Ideas

Small spaces tend to have less storage, but condo owners can get creative to expand it. Many pieces of furniture can fill more than one purpose. For example, someone with a small bedroom may purchase a chest bed with built-in drawers underneath. Similarly, there are many options for furniture that folds or tucks away into a nook for easy condo storage. Someone with a very small living area could take advantage of a fold-down table that can fold flat against the wall when not in use.

The types of storage you choose should help create a sense of order and calm in the room. Hidden storage creates less visual clutter in the space. In a multipurpose room, the ability to put certain items in a cabinet or drawer makes it easier to keep the room organized and tidy. This aesthetic is essential for different rooms, particularly the kitchen and bathroom. Homeowners may prefer to use cabinets or cupboards instead of open shelving. Custom storage options allow you to maximize storage space to fit each room.

Using Optical Illusions

In a small space, the use of light can significantly affect how the room looks. Rooms that are dark-coloured or dimly lit may appear smaller than they are. Homeowners can minimize these problems by changing the room's layout, colour palette, and décor. Lighting should be appropriate for the space and positioned in the right places. A single light on the ceiling may feel harsh or leave dim spots in the corners. Multiple lighting options, including lights near the wall's centre, will create a more comprehensive illumination that feels brighter and more open.

Paint can impact a room's size. Use colour and other tools to create an optical illusion of greater space. Light colours look brighter and more expansive because they reflect light instead of absorbing it. Homeowners may want to choose light shades for walls, ceilings, and furniture and leave dark colours for accents or trim. Adding mirrors on the opposite wall can make the space feel suddenly larger for rooms with small windows or limited lighting options. Use mirrors carefully, as too many reflections can seem off-balance or jarring.

Maximizing Your Natural Light

Bright, natural light is an excellent way to illuminate a space and make it feel open and airy. Condo owners may need to use multiple methods to increase it. Older buildings tend to have fewer smaller windows, making it more challenging to maximize natural light. Some rooms have windows that open in directions that get very little light at certain times of the year. Many rooms in a condo, such as a storage closet or bathroom, have no windows.

There are plenty of ways homeowners can bring natural light into their space, even with an insufficient number of windows. These may include:

• Placing mirrors near the windows to instantly brighten the space
• Using clear glass to reflect light into other spaces
• Painting walls a light colour
• Choosing window treatments that filter light instead of blocking it
• Upgrading old or faded windows

In some cases, condo owners may change the structure to increase the lighting, such as replacing a solid exterior door with a style that includes windows.

Choosing Condo Décor

When choosing condo décor, you may need to be more careful in your choices than you would for a larger home. Floor space is at a premium, which limits the amount of furniture, storage, and decorations you can use. You may want to maximize your use of the walls to keep the floor open for walking or sitting. Choosing multipurpose furniture makes it easier to narrow down the number of pieces.

Whether you own a house or condo, there are plenty of ways to design small spaces so they feel stylish, comfortable, and practical. For small rooms with tall ceilings, bringing the eye upward instantly makes the area feel larger. Installing storage cabinets up to the ceiling helps maximize space while emphasizing the lightness of the walls and ceiling. Wall storage, or freestanding cabinets that are tall and narrow, have the added benefit of taking up less floor space. For rooms without a natural focus, installing an attractive light fixture to hang from the ceiling can draw the eye and make the ceiling look bigger.

Try Out New Condo Design Techniques

While condo owners can choose whatever they like when designing their own spaces, there are a few rules they may want to consider following. Maximizing natural light, using a light colour palette, and choosing storage furniture are ways to make a condo more practical and enjoyable. There are enough options that homeowners can still let their creativity stand out. Employing multiple techniques allows condo owners to try out new approaches and determine which ones will be most appropriate for each space.