700 Sq Ft Apartment Decorating Ideas

You've upgraded from a studio to a one-bedroom apartment — but how can you decorate it?

When you've got only 700 square feet to work with and a few small rooms, it's not easy to make each room feel open and useful.

While it's difficult, it's not impossible. Here are a few ways you can decorate your 700-square-foot apartment.

How big is a 700-square-foot apartment?

Seven hundred square feet covers one-fourth of a standard tennis court. If it were a single room, it would measure about 26 by 27 feet.

What does a 700-square-foot apartment look like?

Many 700-square-foot apartments have one bedroom and a bathroom, a living room and kitchen. While each of these rooms isn't very big, they're still usable and separate, so you're not trying to work with one giant room.

Layout of a 700-square-foot apartment

Source: Avalon Midtown West

5 ways to decorate your 700-square-foot apartment

Making your apartment look and feel open when the rooms aren't big is a challenge — but not impossible. Here are a few ways you can have fun with design without overloading the space with décor.

1. Use open shelving

open shelving

If you have a room that's a little small, the last thing you want to do is make it feel crowded with closed-off cabinets and storage. Instead, try open shelving. You can use this for decorative pieces, as well as adding a few storage bins here and there to hide items that aren't as aesthetically pleasing.

Or, if you don't want to use storage bins, you can make (or buy) storage boxes that look like books to give your room a little bit of extra charm. The key with open shelves is to not pack them with items, but rather spread them out — you don't want to put too much stuff on them, or else they'll look cluttered.

2. Play with texture

texture

Mix up your décor with different textiles and items with unique textures instead of using the same bland and boring fabrics and smooth surfaces. Like with contrasting colors, the contrast of texture gives the room a little more flavor.

This is a great way to keep your colors and theme cohesive while still adding a little more personality and variety to your apartment.

3. Try wallpaper

wallpaper

Since you're not in an extremely tiny apartment, you have more wall space to work with and can try using fun patterns instead of plain colors. Grab some peel-and-stick removable wallpaper and create a fun accent wall.

Or, if you're feeling really adventurous, use it to make your ceiling an accent! Wallpaper comes with many different colors and patterns, including textured and metallic designs, that can help your personal style shine through.

4. Focus on the floors

carpeted floors

Many apartments come with generic floors, which can be nice since they're durable. But they can look pretty boring, and you can't remove the flooring and replace it with what you like.

Instead, try using rugs or peel-and-stick removable tile to change them. This is a simple fix — both rugs and tiles come in all sorts of sizes, patterns and textures, so you've got lots of options from which to choose.

5. Be practical

practical decor

It's great to have things that just look pretty, but when you're working with an apartment that isn't huge, you need to limit those items that are only good for their looks. Almost everything you have should be practical and useful.

The bulky coffee table looks cool, but it takes up a lot of floor space, so go for one that's smaller. And the ceramic figure you have on your side table is lovely, but it leaves little usable surface area free, so it may be better to get rid of it. Your living space and everything in it should be functional and useful to you!

Living in a 700-square-foot apartment

You have enough space to live comfortably — as long as you keep it practical. You've got a few rooms to decorate, so have fun with it! The tips above will help you add character without taking away from the functionality of your space.

Related:

Decorating Ideas in a 300-Square-Foot Apartment
Decorating Ideas in a 400-Square-Foot Apartment
Decorating Ideas in a 500-Square-Foot Apartment
Decorating Ideas in a 600-Square-Foot Apartment
Decorating Ideas in an 800-Square-Foot Apartment