If you live in a big city like New York or Paris, there is an excellent chance that you are living in an apartment which is as big as the train space that you’ve sat for one hour. Studio apartments are cheaper and they have a unique charm, which is appealing to almost every adult in the world. Well, there is just one small problem, they feel so small and cramped up! It is quite normal that you can’t stretch the space in between the walls more than it already is, but you can make it feel bigger.

If you are looking for ways to make your studio apartment feel a lot bigger than it actually is, here are some fool proof ideas.

Light Colored Floor – This type of flooring makes the apartment look more spacious as opposed to darker colors, which makes any space look smaller and constricted. If the budget does not allow it, you can try light colored area rugs can be just the thing to do the job.

Choose colored walls and ceilings – Lighter shades are the way to go if your plan is to make the apartment feel bigger than it is. A good paint job would do the trick. Make sure that color on the ceiling differs from what was being used on the walls.

Less is more – Remember the lesser it is, the better it is! The more space your furniture takes up, the less space you are left with to use or even to look at. Keep these following tips in mind when you are buying furniture for your studio apartment. Don’t buy anything too large, and stick with only what you really need.

Double duty – One of the best way to save space is by minimizing furniture clutter is to buy things that can do double-duty. Try a sofa-bed or a bed with a lot of storage space under it and the list goes on. The basic idea is to find things that can do the job of two different types of furniture. Look out for space saving furniture.

Look for a space between the walls and the furniture – Be sure that the sofa and any other furniture, should not be touching the wall. A few inches of space should be left in between the walls and the furniture. At first, it might be weird, but you will realize that it is actually making the apartment look more spacious.

Decorate with stripes – Interior designing is no different from fashion designing. Once you use a light colored rug with darker stripes on it. Same as stripes make some people look wider, the same way it will make your room appear bigger as well. Do make sure that the stripes and the rug cover the maximum of the floor.

Uncovered windows – A very neat trick often used by interior designers to make smaller apartments look bigger is that of leaving the windows uncovered. This simple design choice makes sure that natural light is brought into full effect, giving the room or apartment some much needed depth. It works best if the frames of the windows are particularly slim and the glass is exceptionally clean. In case you are worried about privacy, just opt for two-way mirror glass or roman shades.

Shelving, Shelving and More Shelving – Shelving is another way to take advantage of vertical space, but also important enough to warrant its own category. There are a multitude of prefab shelving out there on the market, perfect for housing all of your book and trinkets. Custom shelving, however, will allow you to add storage anyplace including linen closets, under a set of stairs or a kitchen pantry.