It’s natural that you want your apartment to feel comfortable and express your own personality. This can be a challenge in an HDB flat, where you and a hundred of your neighbors share the same floor plan, but it’s not impossible! Here are some easy tips to help create an exciting and personalized living space.
Color
Pale pastels, light neutral earth tones, and whites are the best colors for small flats. Dark colors make a room feel claustrophobic and depressing, while light colors promote a feeling of openness and spaciousness. Consider using light green or sage in living rooms and kitchens to complement wood furnishings, and pale blue in a bedroom to promote restful sleep.
Furniture
Any small apartment will benefit from the addition of multipurpose furniture. To keep your floor from feeling cluttered, choose furniture that mixes functions—for example, a bed with drawers built under the frame, or a coffee table with built-in shelving.
Go vertical whenever possible. Add display shelves high up on the walls instead of using a huge piece of furniture, and hang large pieces of art to draw attention and provide an expansive feel.
Contrast
Use some bold contrast to convey your multi-faceted personality. Add bright colors with cushions or a piece of brightly painted furniture. Horizontal stripes or a few splashes of large floral or graphic prints bring an airy, contemporary feel to a room.
Create that eclectic feel with contrasting styles too. Boost a room’s personality quotient with an antique piece amid sleek contemporary design, or upholster an old chair with an updated fabric print.
Floors
To create a feeling of spaciousness throughout the floor, keep the floors clear. This means avoiding excessive use of rugs, making use of floating or built-in shelving as much as possible, and choosing floor coverings that match or complement wall colors.
Keeping the floor coverings even throughout the floor will produce a natural flow from one room to the next. Wood flooring is a great option, and cork or bamboo provide the look of natural wood with added environmental benefits.
Light
Above all, let the light enter your apartment! In small spaces, track lighting is a great option. Use curtains that accentuate windows, rather than hide them. Put up some mirrors to reflect natural light and double the effect of the lamps.
Contemporary interior design encourages the combination of styles, colors, and patterns, so it should be easy for you to choose a scheme that showcases your own personal style.