If you've been looking in to buying an apartment in Malaysia, you'll undoubtedly run into the sheer number of small apartments out there in the market right now.

For our larger towns (think spaces in Selangor or Kuala Lumpur), small apartments are booming in their popularity among home buyers, especially young first-time buyer who are looking for their first proper place to call it their own home!

Just take a look at the bustling skyline of Petaling Jaya and you'll see the waves of apartments that fill our city. However, with many apartments that are made for small families, there are plenty of naysayers out there who would rule out buying a smaller apartment purely because of its size.

This would typically be studio apartments where the living spaces are all fused together, or they would be small one-bedroom apartments that's meant for singles or a pair of dwellers at most. These apartments would usually benefit from the likes of foldable or pull-out sofa beds Malaysia that can make full use of this space!

Of course, the choice of small apartments is clear for many - it's due to their competitive prices in a highly expensive housing market! It would be far less financially stressful for many young couples to own a small apartment.

Small spaces, however, isn't the end of your dreams about having a spacious yet cozy place to come home to every day.

Here are 6 tips on how you can make your tiny living space look and feel bigger!

When it comes to small spaces, most people would start decorating with small but numerous pieces of furniture to make full use of every corner of space.

While the intention is understandable, this often leads to clutter and having way too many pieces of furniture than necessary. This is why one of the best ways to decorate a small apartment is to pick quality statement pieces that will be the main highlight of each space or room instead of an array of small furniture.

Another handy way of making your space look and feel larger is to have furniture that sits higher up from the floor as compared to those that fully lays itself on the floor. For example, a sofa that is elevated with tapered legs will impart a feel of spaciousness and roominess compared to the usual plush sofa that covers the bottom space.

As small apartments need to make full use of every inch of space, there are often fewer dividers among different sections of your home. This is a common feature in one-bedroom apartments, and can be said to be the standard practice for studio apartments.

However, there's still a great space-saving method to separate the different zones of your home with a smart placement of furniture instead of building up bulky walls.

For example, the back of a sofa is a great indicator of the tail end of your living room against your dining space. Another common trick of the trade is to use a bookcase or shelf as a useful divider between the bedroom and the living room that serves as an excellent storage space as well!

While small apartments are often limited by the area in square foot, there is another valuable space that you can make full use of conjuring the image of a larger and roomier home - the vertical space!

As mentioned above, a strategically placed bookshelf or cupboard can extend the eyeline from the floor to the ceiling. Another creative way of utilising unused vertical spaces is to swap out your bedside table with a vertical shelf - this can not only save you from another piece of furniture, it allows you to store extra items in your bedroom! 

If you find your apartment a little cramped to fit in a full-sized bed, it can be a smart option to use a foldable or retractable bed that allows you to adjust your needs as when you see fit!

For example, a retractable bed under a wooden platform allows you to utilise the platform in the daytime while your bed isn't in use! On the other hand, a foldable sofa bed that fits into the wall can clear up valuable walking and working space or as an important point of interest where you entertain guests!

Remember, in a small apartment, every square foot counts!

A favourite tip amongst small apartment interior designers is to implement full-length curtains that go all the way up to ceiling versus shorter curtains. It is a tried-and-tested method of elevating your interior's space without taking too much precious square feet!

However, another nifty way of crafting the illusion of a bigger space is utilising curtains in place of doors and walls. While some rooms such as the kitchen or the toilet will require actual doors and walls, you can make use of a hanging curtain to separate the space between your study area and your living room, for example.

You should also choose lighter colored or even see-through fabric that lets light stream through it to allow better lighting in your home. It also doesn't cast a heavy shadow in spaces that require good lighting!

While this might be common knowledge among experienced homeowners, the colour of the interior of your home such as the walls, ceiling and floor will make or break your living space in terms of roominess and spacious feel.

Dark paint colours, such as charcoal, dark brown or deep greens are great for making a space feel cozy and intimate, especially for bedrooms!

However, if your aim is to brighten and open up your apartment for a roomier and spacious feel, light coloured or white walls and ceilings can do wonders for ensuring your small apartment looks bigger than it actually is.

Interior design that opens up a small apartment to make it appear larger is a challenging task, and it often needs the eye of a professional interior designer!

However, with the right resources and the best choices of furniture from Ruma Home, such as Scandinavian furniture, or a handy foldable sofa bed Malaysia, it can make your small apartment a much more spacious and enjoyable living experience!

Browse our wide range of furniture on our website and enjoy our 14-day satisfaction guarantee policy!