Functionality

• When choosing furniture, the most important aspect to consider is functionality. If space is limited, everything that takes up floor area should serve more than one purpose and be completely necessary. On an episode of Oprah, designer Nate Berkus recommended several furniture options that were designed with the specific needs of small living spaces in mind. One such piece was a bed and desk combination from offthewallbeds.com. This innovative piece of furniture is a workspace that can be transformed into a bed without even disturbing the contents of the desk. This is great for people who have one spare bedroom that needs to serve as both a guest bedroom and an office.
  
  

Dual-Purpose Furniture

• A company called Akemi Tanaka makes stylish spare chairs that don't need to be folded up in a closet when not in use. These simple and sleek Japanese coffee tables expand into an upholstered love seat or bench. Having guests over won't have to mean pulling out the ugly metal folding chairs. When your guests leave, simply put them back into their table position and use for extra surface space.
  
  

Storage

• Storage is a key element for apartment living. Most apartments don't come with a storage attic and basement area, so finding a place to stash all of your belongings may requires some creativity. Luckily, there is plenty of furniture available with stylish disguised storage in mind. Choose seating benches that flip open to store spare linens. You also can buy a dining table that has a storage unit in the base for storing extra plates, wine glasses and more. The trick is to keep your items hidden in stylish storage units and containers. Having everything in full view will make a small space just look more cluttered.
  
  

Themes

• If you live in a small space like an apartment, it is best to have one cohesive design theme. If you want to incorporate wood furniture pieces into your décor, choose the same color of wood for all your pieces. This way, if you need to rearrange and repurpose some furniture, nothing will look out of place. It also makes the small rooms flow into one another more smoothly.