13 Perfect Studio Apartment Layouts to Inspire

Prioritize Function

Consider how you live day-to-day, and what would make you happier at home when designing your studio apartment layout.

Want to invite friends over for Netflix? Sacrificing some bedroom and dining space enabled this New York studio to have a large living room worthy of a streaming party.

If you're not allowed to paint your walls, here's another idea to steal from this apartment: removable peel-and-stick wallpaper. It's easy to install and dresses up dull walls without jeopardizing the security deposit.

Let The Light In

If you can make architectural changes to your studio apartment layout, a half wall can help create division between your living and sleeping areas while keeping the space light, bright, and airy.

In this space, light colors, sheer drapery, and just a few consistent color accents help the studio feel larger than it is. The dark peacock blue on the sofa and the wall opposing the bed draw your attention toward the public areas rather than toward the bedroom in a studio apartment.

Turn Your Studio Into a Boutique Hotel

If you're always on the go and home is just a place to shower and sleep, why not style your apartment like a boutique hotel room?

For instance, this studio apartment layout example is packed with features found at trendy lodgings, all placed steps from the bed, including a chic kitchenette, a few pieces of retro furniture, and a curated minibar on the windowsill. These prioritized little luxuries make each day feel like a vacation in a 300-square-foot hotel room rather than a typical studio apartment.

However, the star of this apartment, as you'll find in any stylish hotel room, is the comfortable bed decked out in high thread count sheets.

Go With Midcentury Modern Furniture

Nothing beats the magical room-expanding powers of low-profile, midcentury modern furniture, especially when decorating a studio or small space.

Compared to many contemporary styles, midcentury modern designs sit much closer to the floor, which makes ceilings and windows appear taller. In this sunny 270-square-foot studio in Montmartre, Paris, the smaller furniture helps make the space larger and brighter.

Consider a Loft Bed

Whip up more livable square footage with a loft bed if you have high ceilings. Here, a 193-square-foot studio apartment layout is the perfect example.

The second level isn't the only reason this Scandinavian charmer appears much larger than its actual size. The walls and decor are gallery white and blurs where the ceiling starts creating an open and airy effect. Room-warming accents in metal and leather keep the bright white interior from feeling antiseptic.

If you're searching for storage solutions, another exciting feature is the staircase with built-in drawers. However, if you steal this idea, please add handrails for safety.

Get a Double-Duty Sofa

This railroad apartment in Gothenburg, Sweden, is less than 190 square feet. Here's how smartly placed decor transformed the minuscule dwelling into a tiny comfortable abode.

The first order of business was creating a multifunctional area for sleeping and socializing. A beautifully styled bed that doubles as a sofa carved out the perfect spot. A leggy desk and two small tables add function but don't detract from the room's openness.

The perfect finishing touch in this little nest is the cozy Moroccan rug. 

Pick Easy-to-Move Furniture

When it comes to optimizing itty-bitty studios, Graham Hill is a wizard at making them feel twice their size. His company, LifeEdited, works with architects and developers to create ultra-livable micro-apartments. 

Hill's current project is a 350-square-foot studio that he shares with his partner and their two dogs. Keeping the layout fluid is key to making their home multifunctional.

There are a few ideas to steal from this studio apartment layout. For example, double-duty furniture makes it possible. Versatile pieces like a modular sofa and expanding coffee table can quickly transform Hill's living room into a dining room. See the storage wall across from the TV? It conceals a Murphy bed.

Work Every Nook

Make the most of every nook and cranny by using the existing architectural elements to your advantage. Here, a shelf within the exposed brick wall becomes the perfect spot to display art and place a lamp, while a wide floorboard is home to a small stereo.

The sofa pulls out to a bed to maximize space for both night and day, and a tiny, low-profile coffee table provides just enough room for a snack, some fresh flowers, and this week's reading material.

Rethink the Foot of the Bed

Face the sofa away from the bed to create two distinct areas, as seen in this bright and colorful micro-loft in downtown Los Angeles. The sectional sofa carves out a cozy enclave with a coffee table and basket of blankets helping further define it.

Yet the cohesive color palette ties it together as one unified space, making the apartment feel bigger, brighter, and airier.

Add Built-In Furniture Pieces

If you own your studio apartment, consider investing in clever built-ins and flexible furniture. Features like these will make your space feel huge and may add value to your home when it's time to sell.

This studio in New York's first micro-apartment building designed by nArchitects features transforming furniture and integrated storage that maximizes square footage.

The built-in cabinet wall behind the sofa conceals a Murphy bed. The unit below the TV provides extra room to keep stuff out of sight. Innovative solutions like the double-duty coffee table and expanding kitchen console create more space for dining or working. 

Invest in Low-Profile Furniture

Dividing up space for different uses in a box-shaped studio with low ceilings only seems challenging. The trick is using the right furniture.

This San Francisco micro-loft is decorated with low-profile and leggier finds. The furnishings don't take up a lot of vertical space, so the ceiling appears higher.

This easy-to-copy layout places a full-sized bed near a low-profile sofa to create additional seating. A room divider at the head of the bed is the tallest object in the apartment. It carves out a dining nook decorated with industrial-inspired furniture.

Hang Curtains for Extra Privacy

Make your bedroom feel more private with a partition. You can use a folding screen or install built-in sliding doors. But we prefer the simplicity of this room divider curtain spotted in an apartment at White Stone Studios in Phoenix. Just slide it closed at night or whenever you want to have two distinct spaces.

Fuse Function With Style

Turn your cookie-cutter studio into a chic one-bedroom apartment with a few budget-friendly pieces. This studio pictured here is a perfect example.

First, an IKEA KALLAX bookcase is a room divider with hidden storage space.

Display your most artful objects, then stash everything from office supplies to scarves within the closed boxes. It's a solution that won't block sunlight, and it's sized for the perfect small space partition.

Next, a lovely, large ikat rug anchors the living room and differentiates the living from the sleeping space. Since the walls are bare, the colorful floor covering makes a big stylish statement.