I’ve lived in small apartments and then even smaller apartments. I believe they are such an underrated way of living, even for a family.

When we were a family of four, I loved it. When another child arrived, I won’t lie, things became a little more… spatially challenging. But coming back recently from Paris and Milan, which I will continue referencing in every conversation until people actively beg me to stop, I was reminded how normal apartment living is there.

People aren’t treating apartments as some temporary compromise before ‘real life’ begins in a detached house with a butler’s pantry. Apartments are the lifestyle.

And personally, I love them. I feel safe in apartments. There’s a quiet sense of community that comes from living near people.

But apartment living does have rules. And if you break them, the apartment punishes you immediately.

Below are seven mistakes you might be making in your apartment styling, and how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Painting the walls white… on white

When you paint each space a different colour it is like you’re expanding the apartment. When rooms has their own colour, atmosphere and personality, an apartment will expand psychologically. It’s like tricking your brain into believing there are more dimensions available to you.

Paint is honestly life-changing in a small space. And if you rent, I still think you should paint. Get permission. Paint it back later. Live a little.

If you’re nervous, start with the bedroom — it’s the one room entirely for you. Why not make it restful and beautiful instead of rental-property white, which is somehow both cold and exhausted at the same time?

Mistake #2: Ignoring the entry

Many apartments skip the entry area entirely so that when you step in suddenly you’re in the middle of the kitchen or living room.

It is possible and important to carve out an ‘entry’ space — even where there is none.

Mount wall shelves and hooks on the wall (if you’re renting in Victoria, you are generally allowed to do this as long as your home isn’t listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. In other states, you’ll need to check with your landlord first). Shoe storage is useful here too.

These simple changes ensure each time you walk in, you put your keys, bag, sunglasses and the seventeenth reusable tote bag in the same place.

This is also a great place to hang smaller artworks and photos in a gallery hang to create that welcoming feeling too. Remember, the entry defines the rest of the apartment.

Mistake #3: Choosing small pieces

The biggest mistake people make is thinking that because your apartment is small, the furniture needs to be small too. Too many tiny pieces makes the room feel bitsy and cluttered, rather than larger.

Instead of squeezing in a sad little two-seater and an armchair nobody actually wants to sit on into the living room, go for one generous sofa where space allows. Larger pieces can actually make a room feel calmer and more expansive.

But obviously there’s a limit. If the sofa blocks circulation or traps someone behind a door, you’ve gone too far.

The key to scale is not intuition, it’s a measuring tape, which sounds obvious and yet apparently remains shocking information to many adults.

Measure the room. Measure the lift. Measure the corners.

The same rule applies to art. Oversized art in a small apartment is transformative. One large piece can make the entire room sing.

Mistake #4: Relying on downlights

Sunlight, task lights and ambient lights: a space is only as good as the lighting.

When it comes to illumination, we want control. And unfortunately, downlights leave us totally out of control. They give zero atmosphere because they only light up the floor.

A floor lamp next to the sofa, a portable table lamp on the coffee table, and a wall light are all achievable and life-changing.

My favourite wall lights are the Mantis by DCW Editions and the Lampe de Marseille by Le Corbusier because they instantly add an architectural element to any room — and so easy to just plug in. No electrician required!

Mistake #5: Choosing single-purpose furniture items

In more compact spaces it helps for furniture items to serve more than one purpose.

An extendable dining table is a gift to the apartment dweller. Keep it tiny for family Taco Tuesday and slide it out for the Sunday roast so that all can gather round.

Modular sofas are also incredible because apartment living requires adaptability and these designs can separated into different pieces or be added onto.

A stool can be a side table or extra seating. We need furniture that can shape-shift slightly alongside our lives.

Mistake #6: Skimping on the window dressings

Nothing makes an apartment feel more like a real home than sheer curtains, or any well-thought-out window dressings for that matter.

Apartments often receive light from one direction only, two if you’re lucky, so managing that light becomes incredibly important — especially if neighbours are at eye-level.

That’s where curtains come in. Sheers soften all the hard surfaces in an apartment. They add movement, privacy, and still let the light in when they’re drawn. For temperature control at night and in winter, layer your sheers with a blind or block-out lining behind on a separate track.

In rooms with smaller windows that don’t lend themselves to full-length curtains, turn instead to blinds, which offer the same amount of warmth, texture and insulation.

Honeycomb blinds, are low-maintenance and energy efficient; Roman blinds give a ‘curtain-like’ look, without the amount of fabric; and bamboo and timber blinds lend warmth and texture. Find the ones that suit your space the best, and don’t be afraid to try out different colours and patterns.

Mistake #7: Forgetting about storage

I had a rule when we lived in apartments: One thing in, one thing out.

The paradox of apartment living is that compact homes require more organisation while simultaneously offering less storage. You usually get either a pantry or a broom cupboard. Never both. The apartment makes you choose.

Built-in joinery is the dream because every inch can work harder. A whole wall of joinery, floor to ceiling with shelving and drawers is the goal.

And yes, custom joinery is expensive. But, thankfully, even wall-mounting store-bought pieces such as an entertainment unit and shelves can completely change how spacious an apartment feels.

Want to learn about other design mistakes you might be making (and how to avoid them)? Check out Lauren’s stories on kitchen design, bathroom design, and living room styling.