Multipurpose Furniture

I stumbled across this apartment on Home-Designing's site today. Check out the photos below.

Talk about efficiency. It's basically efficiency defined. Bonus: an added touch of oo-la-la sleekness. Everything's built-in and every square inch is maximized. The stairs have drawers that double as drawers. The workstation functions as a desk and shelf area without looking like a, well, desk. Basically the whole apartment has functional surfaces that allow its occupant to go basically furniture-free besides adding a bed, desk chair, and couch to the living space.

Is your small apartment designed like this one? Probably not. But you can get some of its efficiency by incorporating the following into your apartment:

Futons

Yes, futons. Not the nasty college dorm one that your sloppy friend spilled Easy Mac on. A chic one. Futons have a nice, geometric symmetry about them that lets them be sleek and stylish yet take up minimal room. Bonus usage: a bed. A futon-turned-bed can be used either as your main sleep spot or a crash option for your friend.

Coffee tables

And by coffee tables, I mean big coffee tables. My boyfriend uses his for anything and everything. Storage, a desk, kitchen table, and, like the piece's namesake, a good cup of Java. Stick one of these items in your living room, and you'll find an array of purposes for it. Guaranteed.

Ottoman cubes

These guys are cheap and cute and double up as storage boxes! My best friends in college used their ottoman cubes in their dorm room to hide items they didn't want male friends who stopped by to see: mainly, ahem, feminine products. Hopefully, your apartment has a bathroom for those necessities (please tell me you opted for a place with a toilet), but you can still stash some items in these cubes. Think books, magazines, or your favorite chocolate!

Photo credits: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com, http://craftydots.blogspot.com, http://woodframefuton.com, http://www.home-designing.com

Let me introduce myself . . .

My name is Laura, and you could say I'm in an awkward interior design stage. A stage called college. I went from my bright and sunny, green-accent-walled bedroom at home to a dark, bunker-like dorm room that had a view of - wait for it - a cement wall. An egress window with a grate over it, folks. Lovely.

Now in my junior year, I'm out of the dorms (thank God) and into an apartment - ish. It's fully furnished, and while it's nice, it also has a cold, industrial feel: hotel meets apartment. Next year, I've committed myself to having a real apartment. My own furniture, my own style.

Now while I plan on still having a poster or two (I love my black-and-white European photo posters), gone will be all the command strip hooks that hold up nearly everything on my walls. Because I'll finally be in a place that actually allows an old fashioned hammer and nail. A big step forward I know. Another line of growth on the door jam.

I'm a 21-year-old with specific vision interior design vision in mind but on a college student's budget. I'd like to say that my apartment design will be, in fashion terms, that area between business formal and graphic tees and sneakers combo: i.e. hip, yet sophisticated. I believe I can create a chic and fabulous apartment no matter my lack of funds. I'm ready for this journey. It won't begin for a few months yet. But I'm looking forward to planning out my apartment ahead of time. I hope you'll join me. Get ready for fun DIY projects, awesome decor accents, and some occasionally witty lines by yours truly.

-Laura