Interior Design ideas for an Apartment
There are those who do not imagine living in an apartment and there are those who do not even consider the option of moving to a house. Each housing unit has its advantages and disadvantages and the choice essentially depends on people’s personal, professional and budgetary circumstances and preferences.
The apartments undoubtedly bring together a wealth of benefits and, in Portugal, in an economy still recovering; they end up being the most viable option.
However, before making your choice, we want to expose you some advantages and disadvantages that are inherent to the floors, explore the types of apartments that exist and, of course, we are sure of one thing: inspiration will not be lacking.
What are the advantages of living in an apartment?
Before considering the type of house we want to buy or rent, it is worth making a list of pros and cons. As we have already explained, this is a personal choice, but there are some advantages that are undeniable. See what they are:
Space: because they are smaller, they are easier to decorate and to clean, which simplifies our lives. In addition, smaller spaces provide more comfort.
Location: if you do not have a car or do not want to spend too much time commuting between your home and work, then the apartment should be the most viable option since the buildings are generally in the center or close to the cities. In addition, there are likely to be several types of public transport in the vicinity.
Security: the human being needs to feel protected and safe and the apartments transmit this security. The houses are independent units, but the floors are integrated into buildings, many of them private condominiums, which guarantees additional layers of security (command to open gates, code to enter the building, security cameras at the entrance, doorman, among others) .
Costs: the expenses related to water, electricity or gas is lower in an apartment and structural problems are solved by the condominium or landlord. In a home, this responsibility is yours. In addition, renting or buying an apartment is almost always cheaper than renting or buying a house.
Facilities: Some luxury apartment complexes include a gym, swimming pool, tennis court, spa and gardens. In a private home, to enjoy these facilities, you have to build and maintain them.
Adaptation and commitment: just moved to a big city? Then, it will be better to rent an apartment. You will feel less alone and be close to everything. In addition, it is not difficult to obtain short-term lease contracts that allow you greater flexibility.
What are the disadvantages of living in an apartment?
And after the arguments in favor, we could not fail to contemplate some of the disadvantages. Ponder them:
Space: yes, we started with space again. If, on the one hand, a smaller area brings the aforementioned advantages, it is also no less true that some constraints associated with storage are associated with it. When we settle in a house, we accumulate objects and it is likely that we will reach the point where we no longer have where to put them. This problem can be particularly annoying for a large family.
Style restrictions: there are landlords who are more permissive than others, so you should know for sure what you can and cannot do on a floor before renting it. Can the kitchen be replaced? Paint the walls? Change some finishes? Clean everything up. If the apartment is yours, you don’t have these constraints, but there are always limits to what you can do in a building.
Lack of space outside: everything depends on the floor or the housing complex you live in, but most apartments do not have a terrace or garden, which can be painful for those who like to have daily contact with nature and plant their own garden.
Troubled neighbors: how many stories of troubled neighbors do you know? We bet many. In a building, there is always one or the other neighbor who is not particularly concerned if he puts on loud music or starts hammering at 7 am on a Saturday.
Domestic animals: in Portugal, it is no longer forbidden to have domestic animals on a floor. However, the fact that it is a smaller space that often has only a small balcony, can postpone your dream of having a dog or other animal.
In the end, it is really about relating these advantages and disadvantages to your lifestyle and personality and doing the best for you and your family.
What types of apartments are there?
Despite the advantages and disadvantages, it can also be useful to know what types of apartments exist. After all, an apartment for one person does not need to have the same conditions as an apartment for a household of four or five members. Among the most popular types of apartments, we highlight the following:
Studio: the studios are one-room apartments that include a kitchen and a complete bathroom. They are about 30 m².
Loft : this concept came to us from the United States in the ’60s and’ 70s. The lofts also usually have a room – with an independent bathroom – and are characterized by high ceilings and large windows. This type of floor arises from the adaptation of industrial warehouses for residential purposes and as it has a high ceiling it allows the incorporation of a mezzanine. The lofts have a strong industrial aesthetic and areas of around 50 m².
Standard apartment: as its name indicates, it is the one that is most familiar to us, with well-defined rooms and two or three bedrooms in addition to the bathroom, kitchen and living room. It is undoubtedly the most popular and traditional and can be inhabited by single people, couples, and couples with children, etc.
Duplex or triplex apartment: the duplex or triplex apartment resembles the standard apartment in terms of style and configuration, but has one or two floors available, respectively. The upper floors are traditionally used for the bedrooms, although they can be adapted for other purposes. In the triplex, the third floor is commonly used for terrace. Duplexes or triplexes are luxury apartments usually purchased by people with greater economic power.
Apartment with terrace
The great luxury in a city is living in an apartment with a terrace. Having that portion of private outdoor space at a time when cities are so densely populated improves the quality of life for anyone, especially because it allows an escape from the hectic life of the city and, therefore, a better rest.
To this is added the fact that the social nucleus of the house gains a new dimension as it opens up and integrates with the outside. The owners of an apartment with a terrace can have a more active and fun social life, receive people and create a barbecue and / or lounge area outside the doors.
For lovers of gardening, the terrace is good news. It is not a garden, to be sure, but it has enough space to gather some plants and even to start the aromatic herb garden itself.
Find out more about how to make the most of this space.
How to enjoy, equip and decorate a terrace?
If you are lucky enough to have a terrace, then make the most of it. Like? We share some ideas:
We can even start with plants. Plants, with their color and freshness, give life to any space. Choose species that adapt to the climate of the region where you live and whose maintenance adapts to the time you have available. You can get advice from a gardener or landscape architect.
With Portugal’s mild climate, it would be a waste not to have a dining area on your terrace. Invest in a table with the appropriate proportions so as not to overload the space.
If the terrace has a generous area, create an outdoor living room with sofas, ottomans and comfortable chairs. Remember to light this area well to ensure its functionality and comfort. The garlands of light and candles create a particularly charming atmosphere.
To enjoy the area throughout the year, purchase your own outdoor fireplace and arrange the sofas around it. It may be pertinent to install a pergola to protect this space, but do nothing without inquiring about the licenses. If you cannot lift a pergola, buy at least one parasol or suspend a canvas awning.
The finishing touch to a luxury apartment with a terrace is the installation of a swimming pool on a terrace. Again, you will need the help of a professional. Even if the pool is small, moisture can damage the building’s structure and weight can cause problems.
Interior Design ideas for room
As it is not a common area, the bedroom is the space in the house that best allows us to explore our decorative personality. Today, with the power of social networks and the profusion of specialty magazines, there is no shortage of decoration ideas to give this division. Here at, for example, we have gathered hundreds of bedroom designs that cover different styles. Today, for example, we bring you a selection of eight rooms that will point your creativity in the right direction. There are eight spaces where there is no lack of distinctive and bold details. It is in projects like this that you can see the difference between decorating the house alone or using professionals for that purpose.
The modern and elegant room covers delicate and serene tones that invite you to rest. On the bed, the designers were able to skillfully mix textiles with uneven colors, patterns and textures. The result is comfortable and calls for a good night’s sleep.
The use of yellow lends freshness to the space. The color, which is among the trends, harmonizes with the light blue that covers the walls and the beige and gold of the other decorative elements.
Next to the bed, two French design lamps were placed. To one side, a floor lamp was chosen, creating an asymmetry with the small lamp on the bedside table. Note that, despite differing in size, the lamps have the same design, so this contrast does not clash. In decoration, it doesn’t have to be everything to match, on the contrary, but it is convenient to have some kind of connection between the pieces that make up a space.
It is also worth mentioning that the bed, with an eared headboard, was designed and produced by the cabinet.
Until recently, it was neutral tones that dominated interior trends. However, this predilection has been changing and more and more spaces are incorporating cheerful and expressive colors.
The theme of this room was the air element, with the room inserted in an apartment where the decoration of the remaining rooms was inspired by the elements of fire, water and earth. Choosing a theme is, without a doubt, a good starting point for developing a project.
Like the bed in the previous suite, this room also had the headboard designed and produced by the cabinet.
The room is bright, cozy and has a relaxed decor, but with character. The colors of the pillows are repeated on the headboard and on the carpet, which makes the set more cohesive. It is, moreover, the chromatic palette that best defines the decorative approach of the room. The yellow of the carpet creates a focal point within it and appears as a statement piece.
White curtains ensure privacy, but allow sunlight to enter the space slightly.
Room transformed into room
The third project concerns the conversion of an old room into a double room. The decoration, according to the clients’ briefing, should drink chic style inspiration.
As can be seen from the images from before, the room was heavy and anachronistic. The dark, bulky cabinets overloaded the space and made it very uninviting. The floor tiles cool to the touch and color, did not help to make the area more comfortable.
But, that was before.
The linen headboard contributed largely to the harmony of the space, having been created by the studio. A different headboard really has a lot of impact in a room and it does not have to be elaborated to attract attention. Less is more. Remember this.
The old furniture was replaced by light and clean pieces, which make the environment more comfortable and completely change the spatial perception that one has of it.
The bookcase works as a sector zing element – separates the closet from the sleeping area – and, of course, storage.
Two rough stools work as bedside tables and meet the natural inspiration that was intended for the bedroom. On one side of the bed, we see a painting with pastel pink and, on the other, a painting that frames black. The pictures probably symbolize the side of the bed assigned to each member of the couple. It is a very funny idea!
Double room
The room in the images above is part of an apartment, which was completely renovated. If you have a room on this platform, don’t forget that it will be among thousands of other rooms. It is, therefore, important to make the space as appealing as possible, so that it stands out and makes people want to book a stay.
The motto for this room was based on the use of vibrant and cheerful colors, but in a serene environment. The team had the creative idea of placing a composition of paper garlands on the headboard. The original detail will certainly be unforgettable for guests.
Except for this bold detail and the cushions and carpet, which accompany the expressiveness of the colors, the decoration follows the Scandinavian aesthetic in which light woods, gray and white are often used.
Youth double room
The fifth bedroom is part of a holiday apartment in Porto. The decoration was inspired by the fire element; hence the warm colors of the bed textiles and the listed fabric, which lines the headboard.
The two beds, very close to each other, share the same headboard, thus avoiding a break between them. The rug is nothing more than a traditional Portuguese blanket, which serves another purpose here and gives a typical touch to the room.
The wooden hanger flanking a full-length mirror was designed by the team . With a thick branch and some nails to serve as a hook, a very original and practical piece was created. Here is an idea for a DIY !
Guest room
Guest rooms tend to be more neutral and contain fewer personal effects, which does not mean they have no personality. Proof of this is this charming and spring room, which has been serviced by the team since the construction phase.
The space has several interesting pieces such as, for example, the traditional Portuguese chest, in pine and metal, which fills the empty space adjacent to the window or the triptych with vintage labels created by the atelier.
The curtains were made to measure and the carpet, in sisal, is perfectly related to the wood found in the room.
The lighting was very well thought out. As the bedside tables are small, we chose lamps that are attached to the headboard by a spring. In addition to these two lamps, there is a third floor lamp, industrial style, which emits a pleasant amber light, making the atmosphere even cozier.
The round mirror crowns the bed, finishing off the decor and offering depth to this cramped room.
Double room
Decorating a double room requires some commitment. The space must, after all, please both elements.
This room, as you can see in the previous image, was obsolete. The dark bed and satin textiles are no longer in line with the idea of comfort and the aesthetic ideals that are in force today. However, the professionals managed to take advantage of some structural elements, which were given a new image. This is the headboard, now upholstered in white leather, with a tufted finish, and the stool.
Behind the headboard, modern wallpaper with a sophisticated geometric pattern stands out. In a room, the surface behind the bed is the one that stands out the most, so you can always enhance it with a contrasting color or with the placement of wallpaper.
Pink and pastel blue interrupt the prevalence of white, being present in the linen curtain, stool, blanket and cushions.
We ended up with a suite that belongs to a somatosensory apartment. The professionals had the opportunity to meddle in the project since the construction phase, so it was possible for them to select the finishes.
In this suite, the cupboard area has been completely reconfigured. A closet has been created which can be accessed from the bed area and the entrance to the bedroom. For the space, neutral and serene tones were privileged. The elegant stool was designed by the studio.