I think your apt is fantastic. I would buy a daybed if you can afford it, futons and pullouts are not that comfortable after a while.

"Theresas Tiny Treetop Apt" is a recent AP post which I thought was great. It has character thru little bits of art and the rest is super simple. I say take it as inspiration?

Your new studio looks lovely, and has so much potential. I am in a studio myself, one that has the cut out closet from where there was probably a murphy bed at one point. Depending on what size bed you get, my queen sized bed wouldn't fit, but a double would. I think it'd be so cool to put a bed in there, and create a cool head board with painting the wall an accent color or installing nifty lighting in there. If that doesn't work it's always a great place for a desk, which I considered as well, however the outlets were a problem. A cute bookshelf would be great there to show off your collectables and books. That hallway seems pretty large, which is nice because it will create a "bigger" feeling to place.

How exciting, I love a blank canvas!

Wow, the colour of your walls and the floor are identical to the 1 bedroom I just moved into!

It looks as though a bed in the closet would be a major obstruction to the door right beside it... I'm sort of partial to the desk in closet arrangement (with a curtain panel across to hide your workspace from view). I made a super cheap desk out of a long pine board from Home Depot ($25, about 15 inches by 5 feet), and some Ikea $5 Vika desk legs.

I would definitely go for a bed. Partition it off with shelving if you desire, but it is what it is: a studio. There is no hiding that fact. I'd put a gorgeous bed that I love front and center.

great affordable options for shopping in LA for furniture.... many of the shops on La Brea (btw Beverly & Wilshire) have amazing sales weekly. The Rose Bowl flea market every first Sunday of each month. The Sunday swap meet every weekend at Fairfax/Melrose. :) Though...i guess it depends on your taste.

As far as setting up your studio, don't be afraid to really use the space. Also I found the higher I put my picture frames on the wall, and really fill the walls... the taller the room feels, which is nice.

Hope that helps.

Where do the doors in the lounge go to if your front door is in the corridor. And wow - big kitchen!

Other great furniture options in LA are the Out Of The Closet and Goodwill Thrift stores, and you can haggle with some of the shops on Western between Melrose and Beverly. I got a new 79 inch long sofa for $500 incl. tax and delivery a few years ago!

One more place - if you have a big enough car, Homegoods in La Crescenta rocks!

Love the built-in cupboards and drawers in the hallway. Those are so great because they don't take up any space. My aunt has them in her house -- also in Southern California -- and seeing them makes me feel very nostalgic!

Welcome to Los Angeles! Your apartment is darling. Before you start to decorate I would think about what you want out of your home. Do you want it to be a place to entertain? Or do you prefer to have a cozy get-a-way that's just for you? Do you work a lot? Or socialize a lot?

Personally, I would not skimp out on a comfortable bed. Not sleeping well in a tiny bed so that you can fit a couch into the apt. wouldn't make me happy. No matter where I've lived I've always needed an inviting, comfortable bed that I can lie in at the end of the day. Depending on how much closet space you have you could use that cut-out spot as an amazing closet to stack shoes purses etc. I would probably keep it open and organize it creatively but you might want to use a curtain to cover it. You could also make that an office spot - put your desk against the wall and add shelving above.

Make use of your kitchen space! Depending on space add a small kitchen table and maybe few different types of chairs and a cafe table.

I lived in NYC so I know the task of creating a warm small space. It can be fun! Here is where your creativity can take charge. Good luck!

I would put your bed by the window and use some open shelving as a divider. That way the living space can flow in to the kitchen area and you won't constantly have to walk through the sleeping area to get to the kitchen. the closet looks perfect for a little desk space, and AT has featured some amazing closet-to-desk transformations.

Buy just a new air mattress that has been recommended in previous posts by other commenters if furniture other than something to sleep on is unnecessary. That, inevitable unexpected expenses, and needed toiletries, linens, and kitchen supplies may exhaust the settling-in budget. Develop your home frugally.

said it before, sayin' it again: it's a studio, floor dividers won't fool anyone. accept that your bed is out in the open and make it part of the decor.

measurements would help a lot here.

assuming the a/c is coming out of the window now, you could center the bed under the windows and place a loveseat at the foot facing the hallway. put your tv in the open closet. or you could place the bed in the far window corner facing that closet door, with a floor lamp and narrow nightstand in the corner. also, sofabeds are not that uncomfortable. you can buy special mattress pads for them that bulk them up and disguise the springs. futon mattressese are pretty comfy. just don't cheap out on the futon itself. instead of a sofa, you just might like two arm chairs instead.

i'll post links to some ideas tonight. be prepared.

wonderful place.
1. Consider a great, statement bed, on the diagonal on the wall with the windows. I'm not a fan of the room divider -- in a small place you want to borrow as much room -- and view -- as possible. Maybe use a canopy or a mosquito net over the bed to delineate it... but that's what I always say. But check it out:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/fuo/2003898104.html
This one painted black or white would be awesome. Or orange! or red! or grey hmm
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/fuo/2003546925.html
Totally different direction but cool and a great price
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/fuo/2003536392.html
2. Get some inexpensive mirror squares -- the foot square ones should work -- and put them all over the open closet's back wall, with a parson's table in front of them.= to serve as a desk. It will fool the eye into looking like the entrance to another room while reflecting the light from the windows, effectively doubling it. All a room really needs to feel good during the day is an abundance of natural light.
Oh good gravy get this desk: $175 and fabulous
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/fuo/2004210714.html
3. Get a comfortable chair and couch and a credenza for storage and holding the tv.
This fantastic chair - $60
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/fuo/2004193410.html
Maybe this sofa - wonderful
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/fuo/2003507650.html
and this credenza for both clothes and media storage
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/fuo/2004230302.html
and this cool rug under it all
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/fuo/2002406343.html
pam h
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com

I love L.A. - it's where I grew up!!!! Wish I had one of the old places with character where I am now (No Calif).
You lucked out with the hardwood floors and great tile.
Good luck!

start here: also search my photostream for "small apartment"

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=63122153@N00&q=studio+apartment&m=text

Wow...great place! I love how the '50s kitchen, built-ins, and bathroom tile have remained intact. My wife and I have a studio condo (400 SF) at the beach for weekend getaways and we were faced with the same dilemma when we bought it. We ended up getting a loft bed (full size) from IKEA. It's not for everyone, and we won't use it forever, but it's great for now. Our dining table and four chairs fit perfectly underneath, and it allows for a full living room setup to entertain (couch, three chairs, coffee table and TV table). Plus, being up higher creates more privacy if you have overnight guests, and the extra space allows for an air mattress on the floor. In a small space, it's great to have the bed out of the way.

It's hard to tell without measurements. Do you have room for both a bed and some kind of sofa/seating? Is there enough room left over if you have both a bed and an open shelving unit? Only divide the room if doing so will give you two decent size living areas.

If you put a bed in that cut-out area it will block your access to the closet on the left. You could put a desk in there, or you could put a media cabinet with your tv in it.

I also recommend against a pull-out sofa bed, which could be uncomfortable and is also generally a pain to put up and down (you'll end up leaving it as a bed). Instead, opt for a full-size bed and, if there isn't enough room for a sofa or loveseat, go with a couple of comfy chairs for your sitting area.

I'd scour craigslist first for all of this.

My BF and I had a studio with the Murphy closet/dent when we first moved in together. We tried it with the desk in the Murphy closet and then the bed in that space, and the studio worked a lot better with the bed pushed into it. Great way to frame the bed and give the apt. a center.

If you don't want a large bed I would look at the AT post with the twin beds as sofas...you can get twin beds for free off of craigslist all the time. It's definitely a cheap and comfortable alternative to the futon/pull out approach.

I just wanted to say that your new studio is BEAUTIFUL. Love the floors and the wall colour, nice size kitchenette, and built-in wardrobe. You're gonna have a blast decorating this place.

I live in a small studio and I kind of regret the queen size bed and headboard I purchased upon moving in. It takes up too much room. A day bed would have been more appropriate. I came across the perfect layout ages ago on AT, but I can find it.

A Daybed/Chase and appropriately scaled sofa flank a coffee table to creating a super comfortable seating area. This left room for a small dining/seating area within the studio and allows the kitchen nook to be used as an office.

Wow thank you all for your great comments and ideas! I'm really looking forward to this move and setting up/ living in this space!

I really don't know what the measurements of the living room/bedroom are, but I think that it's definitely bigger in real life than it looks in these pictures. I think a full size bed, along with a couch or chairs could pretty easily fit, but I'm definitely not sure what style. The two doors that come off of the living/bed room are both fairly large sized walk-in closets, and the front door is in the middle of the hallway next to the heater.

I will definitely check out craigslist and the flea markets and other places you've all suggested and I will keep you posted!

Thanks again!

It's kind of hard to tell how big the main room is just from the photos, but here's my thinking (if you have enough room)...

From the perspective of the first picture, put the bed in the left corner along the window wall, head against the wall and feet pointing towards that (closet?) door. Place a room divider next to the bed (parallel to the window wall) a couple feet away from the bed. I'm thinking one of those Ikea ones with the open squares so that you could use some of it as a nightstand for the bed side.

Place a sofa on the other side of the divider so that it backs up and sits against the divider (this will block some of the divider, but you'd still have access from the bed side). Put the TV in the closet nook. If you have extra room in the space, a chair next to the couch (on the "hallway" side) or a shallow desk would be great. A small landing strip (even just a shelf) by the door would also be great.

If you have enough room for that layout but want things more open, I would suggest replacing the bookshelf room divider with a sofa table or similar. It would still functional well to seperate the bed from the living area, but it would allow you to see the tv from the bed, allow light to go through the entire room, and still give you a nightstand.

The kitchen looks like it has enough room for either a small table and two chairs or for a long counter height table across the entire wall that would have stools underneith. If you're not big into eating at a table (face it, a lot of us aren't even when we're "adults"...) then I'd suggest the long counter height table since it will allow for additional prep space as well. That can be done fairly cheaply with just about anything as a top and any kind of legs (you could even put two lengths of tabletop side by side).

i can't believe this! i am pretty sure you are moving into the same apt building that i live in. i saw those photos and thought wait, that looks like my apartment. even down to the pink tile bathroom. it is a smallish space but has tons of closet room which is amazing.

Same kind of kitchen and bath that most places have in california, I had the same cabinets and pink and black tiles in my first apartment in California. I have also lived in a studio, since it's a blank slate and you don't have a lot that's great, but everything you buy think storage and dual use for things. A bed with space underneath. The Ikea expedit bookshelfs hold so much and look good. Nice place.

I saw a cool idea on an AT post where someone had put their queen-sized bed half in the closet, the bottom half sticking out, and bought hinged closet doors and cut off the bottom third of the doors (so they could open and close with the bed still underneath). The appearance was so that when the doors were closed, they put big couch pillows against the doors on the bed so it looks like a couch, but when they're open, it's a bed! I saved the picture, but I don't remember the link to the post, so here is the picture:

http://tinypic.com/r/vpwy20/7

Good luck!

cogey.blogspot.com

Omg, reach out to me! I live in LA and would love to help you for free! I moved out of a studio recently. I was able to fit a full sized bed and small sofa. I promise I'm not a weirdo, lol!
Write me at lag123@live.com. I can send you pics of my old set up. I loved it and so did everyone else who visited.

I agree with beansprout on the desk-in-closet arrangement. Also, if you can, you should loft your bed. That will leave a lot more floor space, and then you could use the space underneath for clothing storage. A lot of people use the Expedit shelving from IKEA as a room divider, but I'm partial to using semi-sheer curtains.

Also, if you want to make the room feel bigger you should look for furniture that sits a little taller — big clunky furniture will only make the place feel claustrophobic.

For decorating, go for some light-colored neutrals and then bring in pops of bright color with your art, etc.

That's some great apartment! Congrats.

For inspiration I often go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/lauracattano/
and http://theorderobsessed.blogspot.com/

Key question: Where is the entry door?

If the closet is long enough a twin - maybe a full - might fit if placed sideways (in the daybed position) and wouldn't block off the door.

Considering it's hard to tell where the entry door is it makes the rest of the place hard. A sofa and coffee table would make a great place to both relax and even dine if there's not space for dining elsewhere.

Beyond that it's hard to tell since the floorplan isn't shown.

I lived in a small LA studio like yours, but less adorable when I first moved to LA. Things I learned the hard way:

Don't rush to buy stuff. Spend some time figuring out where the light goes, where the noises come from, etc. Buy maybe a matress at first and spend some time tugging it across the floor to figure out where you like to sleep best. Design the rest of the layout once you know where the bed goes. Outside walls are better in terms of avoiding listening to loud people next door.

Do not put in a loft bed. After your first earthquake you will lie awake wondering if you will be crushed to death beneath it, or violently thrown from it and which would hurt more. Meanwhile climbing in and out will be a pain, and worst of all, if you end up in an intimate situation with a suitor, someone will bash their head. It seems like a space saver, but it's all a lie. Ask me how I know. Anything you put under the loft bed will cease to feel cozy and start feeling claustrophobic, because of the already small space you live in.

Don't try to have everything. You can't reproduce a full home with coffee table, desk, sofa, chair, bed, tv, bookcase, dining table, etc all in your tiny place, no matter how tiny you go. One or two big pieces will ultimately be less crowded than 5 or 6 small things. Be especially suspicious of multitasking furniture- my folding table that seemed like such a score turned out to be the least efficient, because it was hard to sit around and hard to store in a way that I could access the drawers. I was sure I'd use it all the time. I never did. I ended up pretty comfortable with a small sofa and a coffee table that I did all my crafting, and dinnering around, using only a laptop for my entertainment center.

Live like your apartment is a ship on the sea. Everything that moves must have a place it can be stown. Never bring in something small that you don't know where to store or hang. If something stays in storage most of the time, you probably don't need it.

Lastly, live beautifully. While not missing out on being frugal, when you live someplace tiny, you should buy beautiful things that bring you joy. Don't just buy "a bed", buy "the bed" the one that makes you happy to see it all the time. Take the time to hang pictures, curtains, plants, and mirrors. Take time to accquire stuff. You need much less than you think you do. Owning only 2 cups at first seems tough, but then you realize that it means you always keep them washed up, and when you have guests you were going to buy party cups anyway. The Rose Bowl and the Long Beach flea markets are good places to look for unique and beautiful things.

What a great little space...how exciting ! I'm assuming the hall door opposite the kitchen is the entry ? Are the other 2 doors closets ? It would be awkward to have the bed block the closet by putting it in the niche.

Some thoughts: They still make murphy beds, and they're very comfortable, so you could think about a retrofit. My brother and my sister-in-law put a new one in their office and it makes a great guest-room-on-demand. You make the bed up in the morning and then just fold it easily away.

I had an L-shaped banquette built from plywood as my couch, used an extra-long twin and a regular twin mattress (usually available on sale ) covered w/ 1 1/2' memory foam from Target under mattress pads, then fitted covers I made topped w/ sheepskins from Costco. I had angled foam bolsters cut at Lincoln Fabrics in Venice for the back, 6" on top angled to 10" on the bottom, and made covers for them also. You have to have the corner pieces beveled rather than butting up against each other, and 3' is about the right size for each bolster piece. One long piece is unweildy when you take it off the bed. Feather Ralph Lauren bed pillows bought on sale at Macy's that I covered take up any extra depth in front of the bolsters. The ends of the banquette are 8" wide w/ hardwood on the top to act as end tables (have lamps on them and plenty of room for books and drinks), You can make the end pieces bookcases by leaving the side off and adding shelves. The bases under the mattresses are hinged for extra storage. I have a king-sized Royalpedic mattress in my bedroom, but the couch is the comfiest place in the house and I often fall asleep there. I make it up on top of the sheepskins w/ a king-sized sheet folded in 1/2, a bed pillow and down quilts for guests, who love it. There's plenty of lie-down cuddle room for 2 when watching tv or for amorous adventures. You can sleep 2 bundled closely together on a twin if it's not a regular thing, or your friend can move to the other mattress if you need more room to sleep. If you want a lighter or perhaps cheaper mattress so that it's easier to get into the storage, you can use 3 stacked layers of foam rubber of various densities to suit your comfort (regular, extra-firm, then memory?), also available at Lincoln Fabrics. You can paint or stain the wooden base. Sleek, minimal, comfortable multi-duty furniture !

Check out Blik.com for some cool decals to stick on the bathroom wall..bird silhouettes in flight, giant cyclamen, swimming koi etc.

I love the stainless steel "restaurant " prep table w/2 shelves underneath from Ikea. Makes cooking really easy,good storage for decorative things like woks, salad bowls, bottles of sparkling water and wine...looks great and garners lots of compliments, and you can pull up 2 stools and eat at it if you don't need to tuck your legs underneath...side saddle works fine for me.

Everybody gave great suggestions. Have a wonderful time in your new place...Welcome to L.A.

first, e6's advice is fantastic. i bought "the bed" and it has been one lovely experience having it instead of coveting it.

Things we don’t need to talk about: dining (your kitchen is big enough), storage (you have two wic’s plus the linen closet/ drawers), you don’t even need a dresser.

room dividers the problem in your space is that it would block the light from the only window. Small apartments feel much smaller when they are dark. If you go that route: keep it lightweight and light filtering (rattan, shoji, canvas) and maybe keep it to 6 feet wide. You could set your bed by the window facing that closet and place a divider next to the head so that you don’t see the pillows, etc. then the windows wouldn’t be blocked.

on light: add a wall mirror in the hallway near the front door to bounce light btw the studio and kitchen/bath windows, and
another in the studio. Put a floor lamp in that far corner and one table lamp wherever you establish the living area. And a round coffee table to juxtapose against the angular apt.

on furniture: stick to the things you use. If you only need an armchair to slouch in, only get that. If you need a place for guests to sleep, get that. If you’re a tv person, I’d suggest a console table (high leg, thin profile, not a media cabinet) to hold it and double as your landing strip to drop mail and keys on.

on windows: I think you should dress the entire window wall. Sheers (ikea cheap Wilma) in the middle and patterned curtains at the edges of the wall. Anything less will just seem underdressed.

were i you, i'd add a full size bed and a small sofabed. that is what i have now. when i first moved in, it seemed the space was way too small for anything other than my fold up futon. but it got old and I just had to stop sleeping on my couch. well, this space is MUCH better with a bed and sofa. i can host people conveniently, sleep well and sit somewhere other than my bed. actually there are a couple of chairs, too. small pieces of furniture just don't make small spaces better. you're a real person, not a doll. also, i'd make that open closet the office and hang a tension rod with a curtain to block it off.
Potential floor plan: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63122153@N00/5079811051/

my place:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-tours/sarikas-studio-apartment-house-call-123887

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63122153@N00/2434972215/in/set-72157623185972361/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63122153@N00/1161244332/in/set-72157623185972361/

search my flickr stream for "studio apartment" and "small apartment" for different ideas. AND definitely search this site for "studio apartment" and see some of the various reader homes like this one:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-tours/sarikas-studio-apartment-house-call-123887

this one is great, and you can see how too much/heavy furniture makes a place feel cramped. A lucite or glass coffee table and less of those other cabinets would make this space even better!

Thank you all seriously so much for all of your help!

I'm definitely going to consider all of your ideas and try to live both comfortably and beautifully! I completely agree with taking it slowly and only buying things that I need and love.

The first thing on my list is definitely a bed and I think I'm leaning towards a full size. I love the idea of just having that for a while and moving it around until I find a sweet spot for it.

I'm still not sure if I would do a couch or just some comfy chairs, but I guess it depends on what I feel like I'm missing and what I end up finding.

Something I realized that I didn't ever think about before was that the lighting might be an issue. There is actually no overhead light in the main room. I don't know anything about track lighting, but I remember reading before that it was better for small spaces rather than having floor lamps. It that something that I could easily install myself and eventually take down if I move?

Also, is it weird to mix wood colors? Since the floors are fairly light colored is it generally better to stick to light wood with the furniture or would that make the apartment seem washed out? Maybe dark wood would look better or is it that anything goes?

Thanks again!

(p.s. the entry door is in the hallway and the other doors in the main room are walk-in closets!)

My advice would be, think fabulous hotel room. A huge comfy bed, a sitting area, and a table with chairs that can double as a dining table and desk.

that track lighting advice is an opinion. for sure, such would be silly in my studio. the ceiling is nearly 10 feet. if you bring in a floor lamp and two table lamps, you will have a completely different ambience. to be honest i have 17 lamps. but i regularly use three. i can brighten the room to 150w, dim it to 30 before bed, or websurf at 30/70/100. three-way lamps are your best friend. any time someone visits and turns on my overhead fixture i get so pissed. it makes the place look like a warehouse and all the color washes out. - your ceiling is standard height, so don't get torchieres, get a floorlamp with a shade (easily customized).

yes mix woods! dark woods won't make it feel any smaller in there. it's a matter of how much you have and whether or not the pieces are solid. with bookcases, solid sides are often cheaper, but ones with slatted or open sides that allow light to pass and you to see through are much lighter mentally.

again, keep your dining furniture in the kitchen. you have plenty of room in there.