Renting in cities is expensive. Most of us get around this fact by sharing houses and flats with other people, but what if you really want to live on your own?
One way people are dealing with huge rent prices is by living in studio flats. Now, don't get me wrong, the price of a one-room studio flat in London is still likely to be a Very Serious Amount Of Money, but it is likely to be a darn sight cheaper than renting a whole one-bedroom flat to yourself. Turns out, a lot of being a millennial is learning to look on the bright side of pretty crappy situations.
Luckily, plenty of people are in the same boat, which means that plenty of people, both in retail and the DIY industry, have come up with ways to make studio flats feel less like one small room where you sleep, cook and watch Netflix, and more like a full flat for a grown-up person – by using room-dividing techniques.
To help you out we've decided to bring you a few of our favourite examples, and instructions for how you can get the same effect in your studio flat.
The Kallax Way
Probably the easiest and the most popular way to create a room divider is to use IKEA's Kallax system. Make sure you fill it with things that look good from both sides of the room – either fancy boxes, or two rows of books, each facing outwards. Or a plant. Beware though, the Kallax is rather deep so this probably isn't the best solution for a smaller studio.
Get various iterations of the Kallax system here. Or if you fancy something a little more upmarket, check out these cubed shelves from Made.
Beaded Curtain
Curtains are a great way to get a little privacy but drilling holes for a curtain rail is not often a popular idea with landlords, and considering how much you're probably paying every month, you're going to want that security deposit back.
There are two options, then; first, check out this great video on how to make a hanging curtain rail (requires only two tiny ceiling holes and next to no DIY skills). The other option is to get an extendable curtain pole, which uses the tension between two walls to keep itself up. This will only work if you have a door frame or narrower area of the room in which to fit the pole.
Curtain rod sorted, look for curtain options that create the illusion of a dividing tool to avoid making the room feel smaller. Beaded curtains are a good option (and are very "in" right now thanks to Frida Kahlo mania).
Bed Curtain
If you do have a little more leeway with doing DIY projects, this curtain system from (again) IKEA will seal your bed off from the rest of the room nicely.
Folding Screen
Another example of the power behind creating just the illusion of room division. Putting a great big wall between your bed and your sofa would make your already small room seem even smaller. Plus – do you know how to build a wall? Because I certainly don't.
Folding screens allow light from the other side of the room both through and over the top, giving the area you're blocking off a less claustrophobic feel but still creating a mental space between the place you go to sleep, and the place you use to relax or work.
This screen from Urban Outfitters is a great find.
Wardrobe Plants
The popularity of indoor plants has led to many people harnessing the power of greenery to get a dividing space in their studio flat.
There are two options here: the first is to suspend planters from a clothes rail – use as many different types of planters as you can (Trouva has a great selection) and tie them at different lengths for more effective coverage.
Vine Plants
The next option is to get yourself some vine plants and make sure you have a clothes rail with a bottom, like this one. Stack books on the base and pop your vine plants on top. As the vines grow (give them something to hold onto at the top – like hangers or bamboo sticks), reduce the number of books the plant pot is stood on.
Wire Room Divider
Another option is to take the wire notice board trend and make it big. Like, really big – room divider big.
How you decorate your wire board is up to you – grow vines up it, bulldog clip prints onto it, thread fairy lights through it. Just make sure it looks equally delicious on both sides. Get your board here.
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