A Short Guide to Apartment Design

Apartments are probably the most popular form of housing stock on the market. At least in urban environments, most young adults (and even plenty of families) are choosing apartments as a living solution. Accordingly, the demand for new apartment complexes has probably never been higher, leaving all sorts of opportunities for new and innovative apartment designs. Keep on reading a short guide to apartment design.

Architectural Design vs. Decoration 

Therefore, the better strategy might be to split this guide into two and cover both how apartments are designed before construction and how they are decorated and made liveable after construction. In the former case, the resident naturally has little control over what is “designed in” to the apartment. Nevertheless, by becoming aware of what should be accounted for in any architectural plan for a new set of apartments, you can more effectively weed out the ones that are in some way substandard. 

When it comes to how apartments are decorated, you naturally have more freedom to make things your own. Therefore, considering design in this context is more about decoration choices. Tips here can be useful for giving you an idea for how to optimise your apartment space and how to give your apartment the best chance of being sold when it comes time for you to move on to a new residence. Decorating is all about weighing up personal taste with the recent market trends and the interior design fundamentals that can help you a tie a place together. 

Architectural Apartment Design 

So what type of apartment are you going to move into? If you ask yourself this question, then what you have foremost on your mind is the architectural design of the apartment – interior design can come later. For brevity, it is best to focus on the apartments being designed and built right now and what the hottest design trends are within this sphere. Older apartments are quite different and reflect the architectural norms of a different period. When it comes to older apartments, you take what you can get. 

With apartments being built right now, you can certainly look out for the following design elements. However, you should judge various elements of the design differently. For example, you could look out for apartment design elements that make for a beautiful building. Still, you should also keep an eye out for the design elements that do other things such as guarantee safety, sufficient light, convenience, and require the least long-term maintenance. These are the practical considerations you should keep in your mind and the aesthetic ones. 

So, here follows some of the top design elements of apartments being built right now:

• Windows 

Windows really can make or break an apartment, and this is something which modern architects have firmly in mind when they design apartment blocks. You should ensure the windows offer sufficient natural light as a top priority. If this has been satisfied, it comes down more to personal taste. Various widows common in apartments today include full-height windows, corner glass windows, and windows with innovative or interesting framing. Apartments also often boast excellent views, so you should ensure the windows make the most of this aspect. 

• Balconies and Railings 

Another thing you should ideally make the most of the views from an elevated apartment are the balconies and the railings. You should think of these as the only way an apartment can provide an “outside” dimension. But, of course, it is vital that they are safe, and they should also be attractive and the kind of place you could imagine relaxing on summer evenings. 

• Landscaping 

Can apartments have a garden? Well, this is one of the hottest design trends right now. Green landscaping for apartments isn’t exactly a garden, but it introduces vegetation and plants that usually climb up the exterior wall or around the balcony. This type of landscaping nearly always looks great and is a sure value booster. 

A Proper Safety and Security Infrastructure

This is one of the most important practical considerations you should have guaranteed before buying or renting any apartment. Naturally, residential safety doesn’t look like a range of first aid kits, hazard signs, and fire extinguishers scattered around the place. It should be more invisible, but it should certainly be there. Ensure that there is a clear fire exit (and, for that matter, working alarms) and that there are no spaces that seem particularly conducive to starting and spreading a fire. Furthermore, a good apartment should be secure against burglars and trespassers, so ensure strong doors, locks, and an alarm system. 

It should also be noted that there are always legal requirements for structural safety at the design stage and the later installation of a security system. It is therefore wise to know what these are. 

Interior Design 

Such are the important aspects of an apartment’s architectural design. Moving on now to the more aesthetically determined interior design, here are some top tips for decorating an apartment:

• Make Small Spaces Seem Larger 

Attractive apartments always make the most of the space afforded to them, and much of this is a matter of pure optical illusion. Apartments that look more specious are the ones that have the higher values in the majority of cases. Besides keeping areas from becoming cluttered, it is also wise to invest in furniture with legs, rather than low-to-ground furniture as legs cause the eye to continue further rather than halting at the furniture’s base. This is a great tip for making small spaces appear bigger. Placing a few large mirrors around a room will also achieve this effect. 

• Choose Your Colour Scheme Carefully

When you pick a colour and wallpaper scheme for your apartment, there isn’t any specific advice. For sure, colors like muted greys and whites are more “in” right now than flowery wallpaper or avocado bathrooms, but much of this depends on the apartment and personal taste. Therefore, the only advice is to choose the color scheme you want but keep current market design trends somewhere at the back of your mind. 

• Use Smart Storage

There are truly many great products here that can help you store your things while trying to economize on space at the same time. Things such as overdoor shoe pockets, sliding doors on cabinets, telescopic drawers, and even simple clothes hangers can all combine to create a smart storage system that is efficient and saves space. 

Conclusion – a short guide to apartment design

In terms of both architectural and interior design choices, we have barely scratched the surface here when it comes to the options available and the tips that can help you out. Nevertheless, combining these two forms of design is the proper way to appraise or influence the overall design of an apartment. And doing that is a necessary step, whether you are buying, selling, or living.

Thank you for reading “a short guide to apartment design”