Living in a tiny, studio apartment feels like a rite of passage as a twenty-something millennial. My studio apartment, located in Washington, DC, is 480 square feet. When I first opened the door to my place in June, I must admit that a wave of panic washed over me. The empty space felt cramped, and I wondered how on earth everything would fit. In the three months since, I’ve come to love my studio. It’s a space that is completely my own, and I’ve put a good bit of thought into the functionality and feel of the apartment. Today, I’m excited to share a tour of my self-proclaimed bachelorette pad, along with future projects I plan on doing. Let’s dive in!

Rug | Coffee Table | Tray

When you walk into my apartment, the first thing you see is my living space (I say space and not room because after all, it’s all one room!). Since it’s the first impression, I wanted to make the space inviting and open. The feeling of openness was especially important because you have to walk through the living area to get to every other part of the apartment. For this reason, I opted for a glass coffee table. This one from Target was perfect because it had the light and airy look I was going for, but with a mid-century modern flair provided by the faux wooden shelf that also anchors the piece.

My rug was in the bedroom of my old apartment, but I decided to make it more of a focal point in my new place. I like that it adds a pop of color to the otherwise fairly-neutral space. I’m a blue girl at heart, so the rug and blue accents feel very me. The same can be said of the map tapestry. I dream of having a wall of maps in my future home– there’s just something about the worldly touch maps add to a space.

The styling of the coffee table is something I think I’ll play with over time. For now, I’m content with my vase (old from Pier Imports), faux hydrangeas, tray and babushka doll that my family friends brought back for me from Moscow.

Lamp

The love seat in my living area is the most comfortable couch. The bottom folds out so that you can recline and stretch out. It’s definitely the prime spot to watch TV or curl up with a book. While I’d eventually like a different couch, I’m thankful that my parents let me take the love seat from their house. Plus, I think the throw blanket and tassel pillow (both from Home Goods) dress it up.

I’m in need of an end table next to the loveseat, so that will be my next big purchase. However, after these photos were taken, I added a seagrass basket to store the plethora of blankets I own, and that will suffice for the time being.

Behind my love seat is my eating nook. The high-top pub table (also given to me by my parents) makes the space feel separate from the rest of the room. The curtains here run from ceiling to floor, which elongates the appearance of the ceiling height and makes the entire apartment feel more spacious. I love the natural light in this section of the apartment. The mirror above my bar cart reflects the sunlight, which is another trick to make your space feel bigger than it actually is.

Faux Sheepskin Throw

My “bedroom” is to the left of my living area in its’ own nook. This is the most unfinished part of the apartment in my opinion. At some point, I’d like to get a different nightstand and lamp and swap out my current bed frame for a tufted headboard. I’d also like to expand the gallery above my bed to stretch across the entire width of the wall. Or, who knows, maybe I’ll add temporary wallpaper for an unexpected pop of color!

Note: If it’s hard to picture the flow of the space based on these pictures, check out my DC Apartment Instagram highlight tomorrow. I’ll be giving a walk-through tour of the apartment and showing parts that aren’t included in this post, including my closet!

The desk next to my bed feels like it’s own separate space as well. I spend a lot of time at my desk on the days I work from home, so it’s nice to have a designated workspace. Also, the desk serves as my makeup vanity since my bathroom is majorly lacking in the counter space department.

The bulletin boards above my desk have sentimental value to me because my mom and I DIY’d them together before I started my freshman year of college. They’ve gone with me everywhere I’ve lived since! In the past, I’d print out pictures and hang them on the boards, but this time around, I want a slightly more sophisticated look. Let me know if you have any suggestions on what I should do!

Ladder Bookshelf

The latest addition to my apartment is my ladder bookshelf. I believe that books add character to a space, and that displaying your favorite books is a great way to incorporate your personality into the design of a room. Naturally, I wanted to exhibit my books but was working with limited space. At some point during my many Wayfair searches, I stumbled upon this ladder bookshelf and realized that it was the answer to my dilemma of only having a narrow, vertical area to work with. At some point, I may re-style my bookshelf so it’s not visually top-heavy, but for now, I’m really happy with it!

Another fun element of my apartment is the set of fluffy, white stools that sit under my TV. I spray painted the originally-black legs a gold brass to match the lamp and accessories in my living area. The stools serve as extra seating when needed. I can pull them up to the coffee table if I’m hosting a game night and be able to comfortably seat seven people in my living are.

All in all, I love how my studio apartment turned out. The fear I had when I first opened the door to the place quickly melted away. The 480 square feet I call my own is functional, stylish and home-y. What more could a girl want?

I’ve linked as many items in the apartment as possible, but if you’d like to know where something is from that isn’t linked, leave a comment or reach out via social media.  And don’t forget to check out my DC Apartment Instagram highlight tomorrow to see the full walk-through tour!

Shop the Post