How to Design a Small Nigerian Apartment to Look Twice the Size

Let’s be honest. If you reside in Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt, there is a high likelihood that your apartment will not be the same size as you had first envisioned. Like when you began your apartment search. You entered the building with the conviction that it would be “manageable.” You signed the lease. Now every morning you get up and ask yourself, “How can this little room be even smaller when they’re in it?”

You’re not the only one who’s feeling this way. The rent in Nigerian cities has become very high. So high that most people of the age between 25 and 40 have found themselves living in one-bedroom apartments. Sharing a two-bedroom apartment with another person. You have as much space as you have, but how it fills is up to you.

The secret is “taking aim” at design, intentional design.

Clear the Clutter

But before any design tip comes into play, there is a mess to deal with, a mess like dredging up all the clutter in the room that won’t be helped by mirrors or light-colored paint. It’s the extra little bucket in the corner, the plastic bins that lack lids, the three empty chairs, and the box of clothes that’s from 2019. These are taking up space from you.

Skim through your apartment with ferocity. Keep the things you are still in need of. Donate or sell what you don’t and place neat, labeled items under the bed, on high shelves and in storage boxes. Once you move out of the way of the furniture, you’ll be amazed at how big the room now appears! The king of enemies of space is clutter, and it’s free to fix.

Paint the Walls Light

Black walls create the impression of rooms being oppressive and claustrophobic. Use light colors to bounce the light back into the room to make it feel open and airy (whites, creams, beiges, and light grey). For those who want to paint their apartment, these are your best picks for making rooms appear larger.

This doesn’t imply that the house needs to be very dull or sterile. Colorful cushions, artwork, or curtains are still excellent ways to add a customized touch. Simply stick to a light and neutral color palette, letting the walls do their job, not work against them. For instance, a cream wall and burnt orange throw pillows add warmth and style and don’t take up the space.

Use Mirrors: They Do More Than You Think!

In the small space design, mirrors are among the most effective, and yet they are not maximally utilized in the majority of the homes in Nigeria. The effect that a mirror has is to bounce light off it and to give the sense of space that makes any room appear larger than it is.

The ideal spots to place the mirror are behind the sofa in the living room. A space opposite a window to reflect natural light throughout the room, on wardrobe doors, or at the end of a hallway. Mirrors in dark corners will make the room feel like a bigger room and will brighten up that dark corner. Also, mirror wall panels can be used instead of larger pieces of art.

Select furniture that is more functional than fashionable

This is one of the mistake that many young Nigerians are making. Furniture is purchased when it looks nice in the showroom; it’s taken home, and then your living room becomes a labyrinth! It’s not the size of the furniture; it’s that the furniture does only one job.

There’s no room for the superfluous in a little apartment. Check out one of those ottomans with stuffing inside rather than the normal ottoman. An alternative to a separate bed and wardrobe is a storage bed that has drawers underneath. A foldable dining table attached to the wall, a TV stand with drawers, and a floating shelf desk. These add double to the functionality without doubling the space.

Try glass-topped tables and acrylic chairs as well. You can see through them, and they are much less intrusive than those that are upholstered or made of wood. The room is a lot more open just because you don’t have solid mass everywhere your eye turns to.

Stop Decorating the Floor and Start Using Your Walls

The majority of people fill up their floors first and then run out of space. You must be looking up. Your walls are a blank canvas!

Floating wall shelves, as opposed to floor cabinets, instantly free up space and give a room a more open structure. Tall bookshelves that reach gives the appearance of height. This is because hanging curtains as near to the ceiling as possible, as opposed to just above the window frame, will really make the room appear much taller. A small change brings about a great difference.

Check your room layout

Sometimes the room isn’t that small as it seem; it’s just because the furniture is arranged wrong. Pushing a bed up against the incorrect wall can end the whole bedroom. The furniture used in the living room is arranged in a way that it doesn’t open up the room but instead creates a separation. Energy is blocked the instant you enter a room when there is a TV stand in front of a doorway.

Simply use larger furniture to clear floor space by pushing it against the walls. Maintain open and clear walking paths. Avoid using tall furniture in front of windows , you lose natural light and the room becomes smaller and darker. You can rearrange the layout, and for many rooms it’s all they need.

Switch on all the lights

One of the most prevalent issues in Nigerian apartments is inadequate lighting, particularly those with limited window areas or odd orientations. The smallness is always in a dark room.

Maintain clear and uncluttered windows. Instead of fabric curtains that absorb light, use sheer or light-diffusing curtains. Introduce cozy LED floor lamps or wall lamps in shadier areas. Use a combination of lights: ceiling lights for general lighting, table lamps for soft light, and accent lighting for texture. A light-filled apartment exudes openness, life and welcoming. A dark light makes your room look like a cave no matter the size.

It’s not a space you need; you need attention

When you hear that people have “spacious” apartments, it is not necessarily a statement of size. It is just that they feel that way, as every design decision has been thoughtfully made in them. Light walls, clear floors, smart furniture, good lighting and mirrors play together to provide an environment where the eye can move freely and the body is comfortable.

It can be the apartment you desire! Pick one room, put these ideas in place, and watch them change your viewpoint.