When my Dad first stepped into my studio apartment, he exclaimed: “Oohhhh! So you go from working, to napping, to making pancakes in the morning!” All the while making the motions moving from each “distinct zone” in my studio.

Of course this had me laughing!

But the reality is, my dad never had to consider living in a studio apartment. In fact, my dad could sell the first home he purchased for 5x what he originally bought it for now…. *Sigh*

While I could’ve chose to move into a 1 bedroom apartment, I was just more interested in saving money than spending that money on rent. With the prices of rent in Southern California…. It wasn’t the worst decision. But the idea of living in a studio apartment took a little getting use to.

Let me preface this by saying that I lived in an amazing apartment complex in Mission Valley, San Diego for almost 8 years. The unit I lived in was literally like a Penthouse! I know, I know… *eye roll* But going from THAT, to a studio was a bit of a SHOCK.

While most people would be thrilled to finally live alone, I actually have never really cared to have my own place. I enjoyed roommates and if I wanted time to myself, I would just retreat to my huge bedroom with 2 sinks, a massive soaking tub, shower, and a large walk-in closet. The life!

All this to say, if for whatever reason you find yourself considering a studio apartment, here are a few things you should consider before taking the leap.

Keep in mind, that these are the thoughts I had when moving into a studio apartment for a 6-month lease (transitioning to a new city for the first time since college) being mindful to keep my costs down and not spend too much on decorating (clearly, haha!). Most of my furniture I already had, or was lightly used before given to me for the free.

Privacy:

The hallway to peace. Obviously everyone should have privacy. But - privacy is harder to come by in a studio. The entire world is just beyond your four walls! It’s just one big room with windows that gaze in at every angle.

When I first chose my studio, I liked that it was a large open space with amazing natural lighting. But the way the apartment community was set up, there really was no privacy. Everyone could see in and hear everything going on. You either have to be OK with that and go on living your life, or, shut the windows and blast the AC to drown out the world. One of my neighbors particularly enjoyed having the same exact argument with his girlfriend every Monday. This definitely wasn’t at the top of my list of weekly consumption. At one point, I seriously considered giving them the recorded version so they could just play it back instead of wasting their energy each week.

So, when viewing studio’s, consider it’s placement within the complex to see if you can come home and really feel alone in your home.

A few things that helped me gain more privacy:

Bath Tub - a major escape. Light your favorite candles, turn Insecure on your iPad, and hop in.
Balcony - essentially another room to decompress. IF - it doesn’t face the whole apartment community. Otherwise, it’s just another portal to the outside world.
Closet Inlet - many studios have at least a small space where you can change your clothes out of the openness of the floorplan. If you can find a studio with this, major plus.
Blackout Curtains - Add this simple curtain rod bracket to the window to easily hang blackout curtains! I made the mistake of first investing in Redi Shades, but they became too ugly to look at everyday and mess with. The bracket was easier than I imagined.

AC Unit - Shut all your windows, turn on the AC unit / fan, and blast it!! It will help drown out any noise outside.

2. Create Distinct Zones

I found that by creating distinct zones or “mini rooms” within the studio made me feel like there were different areas for living, even though it was just one large space. I used the open floorplan of my studio to my advantage. There are so many creative ways to layout a studio and create “zones”. I considered getting a see-through bookshelf to define my bedroom from my living area, but ultimately decided I enjoyed an open floorplan and buying another piece of furniture wasn’t necessary for me.

3. Space!

As I mentioned before, space was a big deal to me. You are already sacrificing so many things with a studio. However, it is possible to find a good sized studio. I managed to find one with a kitchen placement that was catercorner to where my bed and office is. That was important to me, because I really did not want to feel like I was cooking in bed.

These articles really helped inspire me and help me figure out my life in my studio. Hopefully they can help you too!

Lastly, a few things I invested in: