Photographer: Mindi Cooke/ Styling: Tahn Scoon
As house prices rise, more Australians are moving into apartments. The idea of making a life in an apartment feels somewhat at odds with the traditional Australian dream of a house on a quarter acre block, but there are many benefits to apartment living. Buying or renting an apartment generally gives you an opportunity to live in an area that you might not be able to afford a house in, and often offers a greater sense of community. Yet, apartments often come with a lack of space and more open-plan layouts that may take some time getting used to. Luckily, with the right pieces of furniture, apartment living is a breeze.
The best furniture ideas for apartment living
Room dividers
Most apartments enjoy an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, with some even featuring fully open studio or half-open loft bedrooms. Room dividers can help create a sense of separation between your sleeping, eating and working areas, as well as add a layer of privacy in spaces where it may be lacking.
Traditional room dividers are good options for spaces that just need a small boundary, such as between a work-from-home space and a living area. Bookshelves can also be a good option for areas that need a more concrete distinction, such as if you were separating your bedroom from the rest of an open-plan space.
Dark Brown Solid Wood Paulownia Divider,
$155, Harvey Norman
Large Banjo 5 Tier Bookcase,
$399.99, Temple & Webster
Sideboards and buffets
Apartments typically lack closed storage, making any unfitted style statement also a valuable storage opportunity. If you’re working with a small kitchen, sideboards are a great place to store plates and other kitchenware that you don’t regularly use. If you’re very short on space, you can even pop extra linens and duvets in there.
Renters can also use two-or-three sideboards as a substitute for wall-to-wall built-ins. This works particularly well in a living or dining space, topped with lamps, books and other knick-knacks.
Osaka entertainment unit,
$332, Mocka
Hallie Buffet,
$2,499, Freedom
Banquette seats
Banquette seating is perfectly suited to apartments and smaller spaces. Rather than trying to squeeze a table and four bulky chairs into that tight corner of your living area, a sleek L-shaped bench seat can make more efficient use of the space.
Homeowners may find a built-in bench seat worth the investment, but renters can also DIY their banquette seating quite easily. You can buy furniture made for a banquette seating arrangement or create your own with a couple of IKEA benches.
Elliot Leather L Shape Banquette
$2,348, Castlery
Callie Storage Banquette Bench,
$799, Castlery
Sofa beds
Sofa beds are a non-negotiable for apartment living, when spare bedrooms may be few and far between. A full-sized sofa bed will always be a living room staple, but don’t look past a single armchair style sofa bed for its ability to turn a home office into a guest bedroom.
Sorrento fabric sofa bed,
$2,999, Freedom
Vienna Armchair Sofa Bed,
$1,402.50, Ecosa
Storage ottomans
In an apartment, anything that can double as storage should. One of our favourite pieces of multi-functional furniture is the storage ottoman, which can be used for storage, seating and as a coffee table. If you prefer a harder surface for your coffee table, opt for a chest-style coffee table that allows you to store things inside as well.
Agnes Slipcover Storage Ottoman,
$649, Castlery
Vintage Trunk Coffee Table,
$799, Early Settler
Floor cushions
(Photographer: Brigid Arnott / Stylist: Jessica Bellef)
Entertaining in an apartment or small space can be tricky – there’s almost never enough chairs around the dining table or space on the couch. Make the most of the space you do have with a few carefully selected floor cushions, allowing for cosy and comfortable coffee table-centered parties.
Abigail Floor Cushion,
$129, Freedom
Florence Floor Cushion,
$149, Freedom
Vertical storage
When you’re short of space, going up is usually better than going across. In the living room or bedroom, this might look like a tall storage cabinet or bookshelf, while in the kitchen, you might embrace floor-to-ceiling cabinetry or a tall storage rack. Tall furniture can also nicely balance out a room where everything naturally sits a little lower.
Garmon Shelving Unit,
$1,999, Freedom
Anya Mango Wood & Rattan Cupboard,
$999, Temple & Webster
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