A Beautiful 600-Square-Foot Studio Was Furnished on a Small Budget (2024)

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Adrienne Breaux

Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director

Adrienne loves architecture, design, cats, science fiction, and watching "Star Trek." In the past 10 years she's called home: a van, a former downtown store in small town Texas, and a studio apartment rumored to have once been owned by Willie Nelson. She currently lives in her colorful, maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with her partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.

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updated Oct 23, 2020

Adrienne Breaux

Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director

Adrienne loves architecture, design, cats, science fiction, and watching "Star Trek." In the past 10 years she's called home: a van, a former downtown store in small town Texas, and a studio apartment rumored to have once been owned by Willie Nelson. She currently lives in her colorful, maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with her partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.

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updated Oct 23, 2020

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A Beautiful 600-Square-Foot Studio Was Furnished on a Small Budget (1)

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Name: Erin Miles and my boyfriend Alex
Location: Hartford, Connecticut
Size: 600 square feet
Years Lived In: 1 year, renting

Photographer and stylist Erin Miles shared a peek of her Hartford rental home with Apartment Therapy earlier this year in a house call, but it wasn’t a long enough look. Although the before photos are empty rooms—and therefore, any furnished after photo would be an improvement—this transformation is worthy of highlighting simply for how she was able to design an elegant, beautiful small home… all on a very low budget. Along with taking cues from Scandinavian design (lots of bright white, natural textures), she also stuck to a simple color palette throughout the small space, which helps make it feel bigger than it is. And she didn’t splurge on new, store-bought stuff when it came to furnishing the space. Instead, she went shopping on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and other discount spots, as well as literally finding some items for free. The whole home is full of inspiration for what to look for when you’re thrifting, how to design a functional layout for a small space, and how to pull a look together beautifully when you don’t have a ton of money.

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“I share my studio apartment with my boyfriend Alex, and for such a small space we share it really well together!” explains Erin. “All of the furniture in our space was found on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or just found. I am inspired by Scandinavian design and the American West so I worked to have those two inspirations flow together. I’ve always loved finding my furniture and decor in thrift stores, estate sales, or Craigslist. It started out as a way to save money and to enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Now it has turned into a hobby of repurposing items that also have a history instead of purchasing everything new, which is better for our environment. Our building was the first payphone factory! It has recently been renovated and built apartments which we were lucky enough to be the first tenants for our unit. I actually was able to pick out tile, cabinets, and the kitchen countertop, too!”

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Unfortunately, Erin and Alex’s time in this small studio has come to an end, as they’re starting a new chapter in Denver, Colorado. I look forward to seeing what their new home looks like—I bet it’ll be another beautiful space done on a budget!

My Style: Maximalist gone minimalist, earthy, modern vintage.

Inspiration: Scandinavian design and nature.

Favorite Element: The big windows and antique floors. I am so inspired by how the light changes in the apartment at different times of the day; it’s always so bright. The floors also have such a beautiful patina from being 100+ years old.

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Biggest Challenge:The limited storage. I add shelves to all the closets to maximize the space and really Tetris in boxes.

Proudest DIY: I sourced driftwood to make our kitchen table, shelves, coffee table, and found a driftwood stump on the side of a river that is now my favorite side table. I also made the black and white 8 foot tall painting to fit the high ceilings. My art school background really came into play so I could custom fit pieces for this small space.

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Biggest Indulgence:Hans Wegner wood and rope style chair.

Best Advice: When it comes to buying furniture, if it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no.

What’s your best home secret? I go shopping many times a week! I go thrifting, antiquing, and search Facebook marketplace all the time. By constantly looking I find the really special pieces. It started as a habit to work around my budget, but now I also look at it as an environmentally friendly way to furnish my home.

Resources:

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ENTRY

  • Bookshelf — ​TJMaxx
  • Bookshelf Decor — Thrifted
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LIVING ROOM

  • Sofa — Ashley Furniture purchased on Craigslist
  • Dresser — Vintage Dixie Furniture
  • Burlwood Dresser — Craigslist, previous owner shared that her grandfather won it in a bowling tournament
  • 8 foot tall painting — DIY
  • Rug — Online Auction
  • Lamp — Urban Outfitters
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KITCHEN

  • Kitchen table — ​DIY (wood sourced along Farmington river)
  • Shelves — DIY (wood sourced along Farmington river)
  • Shelf decor — Thrifted
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BEDROOM

  • Burlwood tallboy dresser — Craigslist
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BATHROOM

  • Towel Basket — Thrifted
  • Shelf — DIY

Thanks (Insert Name Here)!

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A Beautiful 600-Square-Foot Studio Was Furnished on a Small Budget (2024)

FAQs

How to furnish a 600 sq ft studio apartment? ›

In small spaces, less is more — especially with decor. Too many small objects turn into clutter. Limit small decor items, and select a few of your most loved pieces when personalizing your space. In addition to cutting back on decor, limit throw pillows and blankets in both the living room and bedroom.

What does a 600 sq ft room look like? ›

In terms of dimensions, it's approximately 24 feet by 25 feet. This size can comfortably accommodate a living area, kitchenette, bedroom, and a small bathroom, offering enough space for a cozy and functional living environment. It can look in the shape of a square if it's dimensions are 24.495 feet.

Is 600 square feet small for an apartment? ›

“Small” (the largest category, space-wise) is anything between 800 and 1,000 square feet. The smallest division is “Teeny-Tiny,” for anything 400 square feet and under.

How much space is 600 square feet? ›

If you can't quite visualize how big 600 square feet is yet, no worries. Six hundred square feet is about the size of a standard three-car garage that has enough space to park the cars and walk around comfortably. When searching for a 600 square-foot apartment you will sometimes come across a studio of that size.

How many people can fit in 600 sq ft? ›

Six square feet per person is a good rule of thumb for a standing crowd. If you are planning a co*cktail hour for 100 people who will all be standing, you will multiply 100 by 6 to determine you need a venue with 600 square feet of available and workable space for the event.

What is the budget for 600 square-foot house plan? ›

Additionally, plan for around Rs 50,000 for miscellaneous expenses. Hence, the total construction cost of a 600-sqft house plan amounts to Rs 829,300 (approx.).

What does a 500 square feet apartment look like? ›

An easier visual might be to imagine your standard high school classroom. That's about equal to 500 square feet. Even without all the desks crammed in, that's not a huge space. It's actually only slightly larger than a hotel room, which is typically between 400 to 450 square feet when you add in the bathroom.

What is a good size for a studio apartment? ›

While the size of the typical studio apartment varies from city to city, renters can usually expect to find a place that's between 400 and 600 square feet. Due to their small size, studios are usually well-suited to a solo occupant; though larger studios and those with an L-shaped floor plan could work for a couple.

Is 600 sq ft considered a tiny house? ›

Compact Living

Living in a 600 sq ft tiny house is about simplicity, efficiency, and cost estimates. It means having less space but also fewer chores, expenses, and cost. This lifestyle encourages people to declutter their lives, focusing on what truly matters.

How many square feet is too small for an apartment? ›

1 Bedroom Apartment

1 bedroom apartments between 550 and 1,000 square feet would be perfect for a single person who wants to keep their living space separate from their bedroom. A lot of people like to keep the bedroom a place for sleeping and recuperating, and not meshing it with where they entertain, watch TV, etc.

How much square footage is enough for one person? ›

On average, the ideal square footage is about 600 – 700 square feet per person. That means a family of three will want a house that's at least 1,800 square feet. A family of four will want a home that's around 2,400 square feet.

How big is a 650 sq ft apartment? ›

It would form a square 25.5 by 25.5 feet in length.

What does 700 square feet look like? ›

Seven hundred square feet covers one-fourth of a standard tennis court. If it were a single room, it would measure about 26 by 27 feet.

Is 500 square feet small for a studio apartment? ›

500 square feet is about the size of an average studio apartment or one-bedroom apartment. The average bedroom square footage is around 120-200 square feet, so a 500 sq ft apartment is roughly two to four times the size of the average square footage of a bedroom.

What is a good size for studio apartment? ›

While the size of the typical studio apartment varies from city to city, renters can usually expect to find a place that's between 400 and 600 square feet. Due to their small size, studios are usually well-suited to a solo occupant; though larger studios and those with an L-shaped floor plan could work for a couple.

Is a studio apartment big enough for 2 people? ›

In most cases, you can have a roommate in a studio apartment. Most occupancy standards state that two people per bedroom is acceptable, and a studio apartment is considered to be a self-contained unit with a bedroom.

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