Living in a drab, dark studio apartment is like a rite of passage. It seems illogical, but organizing and decorating a small space can be harder than doing so in a large one. Sure, it may have been fine for some of us to crash in a semi-furnished studio during our college years, but once we entered adulthood most of us started wanting a clean, chic living space that we could show off. Luckily, Ikea is around to give ideas to those of us who need helpful tips on giving life to our tiny living spaces, and Ikea’s Home Tour Team did just that for one fortunate Washington D.C. resident.

Ikea Home Tour is a home makeover team of sorts. They completely design and refurnish apartments for renters that may be having a tough time envisioning what to do with their spaces. Namatie, a professional living in a Northwest D.C. studio, was puzzled over how to maintain a functional area in which she could still invite friends over. Of her 460 square-foot studio she said, “My biggest challenge in this space is entertaining, and just trying to figure out where everything can be placed. And, just having people in this small studio is kind of hard.”

The Ikea Home Tour Team definitely had a tough job on their hands as Namatie’s apartment was quite tiny and disorganized to begin with. Nevertheless, what they transformed the apartment into was spectacular…

The team did an incredible job of one thing—maximizing space. As you can see, it wasn’t necessarily about adding heavy pieces of furniture, it was about implementing beautiful, sleek pieces that also served as organizational tools. For instance, the addition of the ventilated shoe cabinet provided Namatie with an extra surface as well as a place that would keep her shoes orderly and looking like new.

Splashes of color also became the main focal point in the studio. Before the team got their hands on the space, Namatie was only working with mismatched furniture and minimal natural light. The Ikea Home Tour Team added a strong element of brightness by choosing bold, colorful pieces. As you can see, there were various shades, designs, and prints in use here, but they all seemed to pull the room together quite well. The best part about the color palette is that it can be changed easily. The machine washable seat covers are removable so that Namatie can change them up easily depending on season or mood.

 

So, what’s the verdict? Well, obviously Namatie loved the improvements that the Ikea Home Team Made to her studio! “It’s wonderful! Everything about it is exactly what I wanted. It’s such a small space, but it doesn’t seem like it. You know, everything just seems brighter and it seems bigger, and I love everything about it.”

Another happy ending! It’s great to see people full in love with their homes.

 

What do you think of Namatie’s studio apartment makeover? Would you let the Ikea Home Tour change up your living space? Let us know in the comments below!