If you feel like apartments are getting smaller, it's not just your impression. In Santiago, according to a study by the consulting firm Colliers, as reported by... The Real Estate Daily, The stock of apartments up to 22 m² has already reached 2,000 units in the Metropolitan Region, 381% more than in 2023. In Mexico City, a study by Alfa Inmobiliaria cited by The Economist It documents that the average size of new apartments went from 76 to 56 m² in a decade.
The reasons are well-known: more expensive housing, smaller homes, and a preference for living close to work and amenities. The consequence is equally clear: every square meter has to work harder. This guide helps you decorate and furnish a small apartment to make it comfortable, organized, and full of personality.
Before you buy: measure and define uses
The most expensive mistake in a small space is buying first and measuring later. Before choosing furniture:
- Draw a simple plan with measurements of walls, windows, doors (including their opening radius), sockets and radiators.
- Define the functions of space. Where do you sleep, eat, work, and receive guests? In a studio apartment, the same area can fulfill two or three of these functions at different times of the day.
- Leave circulation. Reserve comfortable steps in the main routes (from the entrance to the kitchen, from the sofa to the window); an apartment full of furniture feels smaller than it is.
- Check the access. The elevator, door, and hallway must be large enough to accommodate the sofa or mattress. A sofa that doesn't fit through the door is a problem no one wants to discover on delivery day.
Multifunctional furniture that is worth having
Small home design now incorporates solutions such as folding furniture, extendable tables, and beds with storage, according to an analysis by ESDESIGN published in El Economista. These are the most cost-effective pieces:
Bed with storage
A bed with storage underneath or drawers replaces a whole dresser. In small bedrooms, it's probably the best investment in space.
Sofa bed (if you're really expecting guests)
If you frequently have guests or live in a studio apartment, a good quality sofa bed serves two purposes. Otherwise, prioritize a comfortable and compact sofa: a poor-quality sofa bed is uncomfortable both for sitting and sleeping.
Extendable or folding table
A table for two that opens to accommodate six, or a wall-mounted folding table, frees up space in everyday life without sacrificing the ability to entertain.
Benches and poufs with storage
Extra seat that also stores blankets, games or shoes.
Wall-mounted desk or console
For teleworking, a narrow desk or a console can be integrated into the living room without dominating it.
Vertical storage
Tall shelves, over-door shelves, and suspended furniture take advantage of the height and leave the floor clear, giving a feeling of spaciousness.
Visual tricks to make it look bigger
- Clear and continuous palette. Light and neutral tones on walls and large pieces visually expand the space. Repeating colors between rooms avoids a sense of separation.
- Few materials. Limiting the number of finishes (for example, a wood, a metal and a textile as the main element) provides coherence and reduces visual noise.
- Furniture with legs. Seeing the floor under sofas and sideboards makes the space breathe.
- Strategic mirrors. In front of or next to a window, they multiply the light.
- High curtains. Hanging them near the ceiling visually lengthens the walls.
- A rug that brings things together. In a studio apartment, a well-sized rug defines the living area without building walls.
Separate spaces without closing them off
In studios and micro-apartments, the bed, kitchen, and sofa often share the same space. To organize it without sacrificing light:
- use a open shelving as a divisor;
- separate with curtains made of lightweight fabric that can be gathered during the day;
- change the zoned lighting: a floor lamp in the living room and wall lights next to the bed;
- difference with carpets or colors each area.
Common mistakes in small departments
- Large-scale furniture. A huge sofa can be comfortable, but if it blocks the walkway, the whole apartment loses.
- Too many small pieces of furniture. Many small pieces create visual clutter; a few well-chosen pieces are better.
- Ignore storage. If things don't have a place, the space fills itself.
- Buy without viewing. Measurements on a product sheet don't always tell you how a piece will look in your space. A Baymard study of furniture buyers in the U.S. shows that written measurements (49%) and images with dimensions (42%) are the most sought-after ways to determine if something will fit: measuring is essential, but seeing the piece in context helps you decide.
Try before you buy
In a small apartment, the wrong piece of furniture takes up space and money. Before buying, simulate the piece against a photo of your room: check the proportions, colors, and whether it leaves enough space. The same applies to the color palette: seeing how a room looks with light tones before painting avoids rework.
Conclusion
Decorating a small apartment isn't about giving up, but about making better choices: measure before buying, prioritize multifunctional furniture, take advantage of vertical space, and maintain a clear and cohesive color palette. With a few well-chosen pieces, 30 square meters can feel comfortable and full of personality.
Find more ideas in the DekorAI blog. If you want to see how a sofa bed or an extendable table looks in a photo of your own apartment, try Home Try-On? in stores that offer it, or simulate a new layout and palette with HomeStyle Studio. If you own a furniture store, Request a demo.
References
- The Real Estate Daily — The fastest growing format in the Metropolitan Region: nano-apartments double their presence (December 12, 2025; Colliers study) — https://eldiarioinmobiliario.cl/noticias/el-formato-que-mas-crece-en-la-rm-nano-departamentos-duplican-su-presencia/
- El Economista — Why are apartments getting smaller? Housing design is changing (July 9, 2026) — https://www.eleconomista.com.mx/econohabitat/departamentos-son-vez-pequenos-diseno-vivienda-cambia-20260709-822329.html
- Baymard Institute — Furniture & Home Decor Quantitative UX Insights 2026 (May 19, 2026) — https://baymard.com/research-articles/furniture-and-home-decor-quantitative-ux-insights-2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How to decorate a small apartment to make it look bigger?
Use a clear and continuous palette, few materials, furniture with legs, mirrors near the light, and curtains hung at ceiling height.
Which multifunctional furniture should you buy first?
A bed with storage and an extendable or folding table usually make the biggest impact. A sofa bed is only suitable if you'll really be receiving guests.
How to lay out an apartment of 30 m² or less?
Define zones by function (sleep, eat, work, be), leave free passages in the routes and separate environments with open shelves, rugs or light.
What colors visually enlarge a space?
Light and neutral tones, such as off-white, sand or beige, especially if they are repeated between environments.
Sofa bed or bed with storage?
It depends on the use. In a bedroom, a bed with storage saves space; in a studio apartment where the living room also serves as a bedroom or guest room, a good sofa bed solves two problems.
How can you tell if a piece of furniture will fit before you buy it?
Measure the space and access (doors, elevator, hallways), compare with the measurements on the data sheet and visualize the piece on a photo of your environment.
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