NWR: Moving into a studio apartment

Make a main wall have a large or lot of mirror. It will make the apartment seem double in size.

Get fabric in the colors you want and use it to make curtains, table runners, even wall decor, whimsical wall draping, etc.

Look for things you wouldn't normally use as decor. Fun storage bins come in loads of different colors. You can use wrapping paper, wallpaper, and scrapbook paper to cover things like the storage boxes, or cardboard to make your own wall art.

Get creative!!

I had a smallish apartment before and the one thing I wished I had was a room divider. That would give the feel of seperate areas when needed and you could push it up agianst the walls since you can't paint and it would add a little bit more color and personal touch.

Look into Ikea (Ikea-USA.com) they specialize in storage and decor for small spaces. They're really affordable and very modern as well. I would look into either a curtain, some tall bookcases, or some rice paper screens to divide off the living room from the rest of the space. It may make it look smaller, but it'll give you some privacy and may make you think you have more space since you have two "rooms" - the curtain and screens don't require much space and they can be moved, but bookcases offer a bunch more storage.

*push it up against the wall when not in use since.....

I have a flip-up bed on hydraulics from a store called "The Door Store" and it helped with storage space in my tiny, tiny 500 sq. ft. NYC apartment. I keep my "off season" clothes, shoes, etc. in there.

Its really nice leather, very sturdy -- and wasn't all that expensive. $899 I think.

Best find when I moved in!

http://www.doorstorefurniture.com/bedroom/beds/best-sellers/bolero-leather-storage-bed.html

Try again.

Ikea makes a couch bed that is a normal couch with a lounge. that pushes in and has storage like that.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20126094

I like it. It was pretty comfortable too.

All great ideas...any good diy decoration ideas?

Http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/how-to/how-to-build-your-own-headboard-003559

I have glass vases all around our apartment from Goodwill, they were like $2 a piece depending on the size.

If you can find cheap canvases, buy some acrylic paint and create your own art pieces to hang on the walls! If you use the same colors in a few different pieces on one wall, it will give the illusion of a LOT of color. If you're not allowed to make holes in the walls, use Command Strips...they're awesome. People already mentioned room dividers, but I'll second that as a great idea, as well as curtains and pillows for color. Have you considered a canopy bed? I know it sounds bizarre but it could be REALLY cool and give you a neat way to use fabrics to bring in color. You can use bright area rugs to bring in color and define the separate spaces. Maybe get some plants to place around the room? Little ones on coffee tables or big planters filled with taller plants. Mirrors are supposed to give the illusion of more space. My FAVORITE: There are tons of sites now that sell vinyl wall decals as an alternative to painting, and I LOVE them! (like here: http://dalidecals.com)

Ugh that's annoying...that link didn't work because of the parentheses, but it's http://dalidecals.com

That all sounds cool.any cheap places for fabric and diy project stuff? other than michaels and joanns?

I had a super small apt too, I found the best way to make it seem bigger is make different "rooms" like create a living room space, bedroom space, you can get rugs and put them in the new room and center the furniture for that space around it. You can get rugs anywhere, Walmart, Target, garage sales,I got a beautiful one from a garage sale for $10 it was awesome! Space is going to be tight so try taking storage off the floor, you can get some shelves for $15 and put dvds, pictures ect. For the bedroom area I'd say get create a completely different space, maybe get some room dividers, those shouldn't be too expensive either, and some are really nice. For your kitchen area, because it's a small space I would say don't leave a lot of appliances on the counter make sure most things have a place to go out of sight, the less clutter the more open it will seem. I would suggest getting some nice pictures up on the walls to make it more homey. If you have room you can create a small dining room

You can find these really cheap at moving sales and some can be really cute, I bought mine for $30. ( I had just graduated HS when I moved out haha so I had no money) and for curtains, get curtains that will go from the top of the window to the floor it will make the walls seem longer. Hope these help and congrats on moving in together!

Get a spacesaver for your bathroom - they are like 20 bucks at walmart and it's our best apartment investment. Our bathroom is tiny and has a single sink with a cabinet underneath and a wall cabinet, but nowhere for towels except one rack on the back of the door.

PS: we got one of the ones that go over your toilet.

I recommend checking out Houzz, Apartment Therapy, and Pinterest for inspiration and tips. Perhaps look at some tiny house boards as well, because people living in tiny homes are really savvy with decorating small spaces and using space efficiently. We have a small home and I've found some really good ideas through those sites.

I would definitely consider getting a lofted bed - you can find some that look pretty nice. This gives you much more space.