When you live in an apartment, every square foot counts. When the square footage is low and major alterations are prevented by a lease, it can be hard to design your space in a way that’s both aesthetically pleasing and pragmatic — not to mention possible. Luckily, the internet abounds in creative apartment dwellers and designers, many of them eager to share design tips, inspiration boards, and straight-up design porn. Here are some of the best:
- Tiny Ass Apartment
Irreverent and direct, Tiny Ass Apartment began as a response to “blog after magazine article after catalogue and finding only ideas for those with huge houses and tons of disposable income.” Founder Simone Chavoor’s posts focus on small apartments and studios, and offer creative, cheap guides to making small spaces look great… on a budget. - Apartment Therapy
The aesthetic is clean, the photos are professional, and the posts are structured with an eye toward maximum readability. If you need “5 Design Ideas for a Dated Mirrored Walls” or “50+ Solutions for a Small Space,” Apartment Therapy’s “Renters Solutions” is the blog for you. - In My Own Style
This blog contains concise, compulsively readable, and approachable DIY projects, with plenty of pictures. Many design blogs just display the finished product, but Diane Henkler shows the process, taking readers through each project step by step. - IKEA Hackers
IKEA is great, but what’s the old saying? Shop at IKEA, just make it look like you didn’t? IKEA Hackers is a great resource for the IKEA-devotee who doesn’t want his or her apartment to look like a showroom floor. - From Moon to Moon
This approachable and playful blog curates “eclectic and bohemian interior design from around the web.” The tone is personal and down-to-earth, as well as being budget conscious. - An Indian Summer
Whimsical and playful, with gorgeous photographs, An Indian Summer is useful mostly as a place to gather inspiration. The popular blog is based on the subcontinent and features home designs from across the world — posts range from apartments in Stockholm to bed and breakfasts in Sri Lanka. Check out their instagram, too. - An Afternoon With
Compulsively readable, An Afternoon With is structured as a series of interviews with designers, artists, and other hip media types who all seem to dress in flowy, comfortable fabrics and live in gorgeous, warm-looking lofts. Each interview takes the subject’s living space as the primary subject, and though some of the questions and responses get a little airy, it’s nice to see the person behind a design. - HomeJelly
HomeJelly is geared toward homeowners and renters alike, and it’s definitely focused on the pragmatic: DIY, crafting, and refurbishing. Chances are, you’ll find inspiration for a new improvement here. - Apartment 34
Apartment 34 is about more than apartments — it’s a lifestyle blog that also focuses on travel, food, and drink — but the best part of the site is focused on design. The professional photographs are worth drooling over, and the “Ideas to Steal” section makes it easy to pilfer inspiration from around the globe. - A Lovely Being
This one’s more of a style blog — you’re more likely to see vintage French advertisements than step-by-step guides to refinishing a dining room table — but it also frequently examines impeccable interiors, like Chloe Sevigny’s apartment.
