Small Studio Apartment Decorating Ideas On A Budget

A flexible small-space studio designed for easy moves

Moving can seem fun and exciting, but creating a home that feels truly yours can be a challenge. Especially in a temporary place with strict rules. See how you can turn your small studio into a home – even if you can't paint or drill.

A room or apartment interior with bare walls. A bed in the middle holds all the furniture and essentials of a small home.

A completely furnished, small apartment (from a bird's-eye view).

Small-space living turned smart-space living

Don't let limited floor space restrict you. With some clever planning and the help of multifunctional furniture, your new home can be both cozy and feel bigger than its size.

Densely furnished small-space apartment with shelf, clothes rack and a sofa made by cushions and a two low, stacked beds.

Corner of a room with a made, low double bed surrounded by an apple-crate bookcase and a clothes rack.

Space-saving sofa and double bed in one

When moving in and out of small spaces, flexible furniture is key. Like the simple genius of a stackable bed. When you need maximal floor space, it's a comfy sofa corner. When you want to spreadeagle through the night, transform it to a spacious double bed in seconds.

Corner of a room dedicated to a small, openly stored wardrobe, hung on a clothes rack and folded in metal-wire crates.

Make your wardrobe part of your home

You love your clothes, so why not put them on display? A clothes rack enables you to both store and organize them – and parade your latest finds. Since it's easy to move, it can also work as a room divider when you need to.

A lightly filled bookcase made of three wooden crates lain on the side and stacked. placed between a bed and small dining table.

Stack your storage in style

Often the simpler an idea is, the better it works. When they're not used as moving crates, these apple boxes can be stacked and shaped as you like. Super simple, super affordable and super mobile. And they happen to look super, too.

Corner of a room with table, one end to the wall, surrounded by folding chairs, extra stools and various storage.

Dining table to home office to friends corner and back again

An expandable table and some folding chairs are perfect for when you quickly have to go from work-mode to serving your unannounced friends some fika.

The worktop of a kitchenette with drainers for tableware and cutlery. A leafy plant just above hides piping.

Let the heart of the home go green

Plants are real mood enhancers and perfect even for the kitchen. If you weren't born with green thumbs or are allergic, go for a fake plant. Also, it's an effective way to hide plumbing or other less decorative fixtures.

A two-wheeled trolley holding various kitchen accessories positioned right next to a kitchenette, as an extra surface.

Your customizable kitchen

A space-saving and mobile kitchen trolley holds all the accessories you need, and can be placed where it's most accessible, whether next to the worktop or by the table.

The area next to a kitchenette with wall decoration hung on a line. A small fridge stands on a LACK table, bin underneath.

No drilling, just decoration

Even if you can't drill holes, you can still personalize your small studio kitchen. Combine an LED lighting chain, laundry pegs and photos, and attach it to pipes or other features. A space-saving tip is to place the fridge on a small side table and put the recycling bin underneath – simple yet effective.

We love to see our customers get creative with our products. Go for it! But please note that altering or modifying IKEA products so they can no longer be re-sold or used for their original purpose, means the IKEA commercial guarantees and your right to return the products will be lost.

Made by
Interior designer: Mia Gustafsson
Photographer: Johan Månsson
Writer: Henrik Annemark