Aire continues its meetings! Discover Sophia’s interior and her demanding relationship with storage. She lives in a small apartment in Paris. You will discover all her layout tips to make a small space a warm and functional place.
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Sophia and I’m 27 years old. I started with interior design studies. I eventually switched to training as an assembly and wiring agent in electronics. My job is to assemble components on electronic boards. This field has nothing to do with my original aspirations. But design and interior architecture still interest me! Gaining space in our home is really important. We had a real interest in optimizing our space given the size of our home.
I have recently started working on social media where I share topics about fashion, lifestyle, and decoration.
Where do you live?
I live in Paris with my partner in a small apartment. But that doesn’t stop it from being beautiful thanks to several clever layout ideas. I decided to create my YouTube channel to share my small space layout tips and inspire as many people as possible.
How did you feel during your layout process?
Our apartment was empty when we arrived. There was only the sink in the kitchen and a few shelves above. I had to arrange everything from A to Z and create lots of storage. It was a real challenge for me. But I really loved doing it! I think I met the challenge well and the whole apartment is very functional.
How did you find your layout and decoration ideas? How did the process go?
I started by taking every measurement to identify the available spaces. Then, I started looking for furniture that matched the dimensions. Our living room isn’t very big. I divided it into two distinct zones thanks to a bookshelf with a dual function.
One corner is dedicated to meals and TV, and another to a cozy space for sleeping. The bookshelf is multifunctional. On the bedroom side, it serves as a bedside table. On the dining room side, it allows us to store dishes and other practical items. I optimized the storage so that we don’t feel cramped in the apartment.
My decoration and layout ideas came thanks to IKEA. I was very inspired by their worlds. You can easily find furniture and adapt it according to your needs. Besides, IKEA isn’t very expensive !
I love modular furniture. We are approaching custom solutions and yet the price remains affordable. You can easily adapt the furniture to your daily life. For example, I needed a space for dishes and a discreet space for important papers. So I chose a glass solution for the dishes. This allows us to quickly spot items. I wanted to invest in items with good value for money.
In your opinion, where should one start when wanting to rearrange their space?
I visualized what we wanted in our apartment through drawings. I made scale plans to see if the furniture would fit, which helped us visualize. Whenever something didn’t work, I started over. I’m lucky, my partner is handy so he was able to make the modifications as I imagined. They were small jobs. The apartment itself was in good condition.
He made a folding table. It’s super practical. It serves both as a work surface and a dining table.
The kitchen is very small. What I recommend is to put shelves high up and use the available wall spaces; they can serve as storage. The Pegboard is really a perfect solution in this kind of situation. The panels hang directly on the wall. There are plenty of accessories practical for storing kitchen utensils.
I find it easier to start from scratch. It’s more complicated to visualize when the apartment is already furnished. I recommend drawing plans indicating the square meters and delimiting dedicated spaces. I also recommend multifunctional furniture. Sofa beds can be used in the living area but also in a bedroom to save floor space.
How to organize a small space?
My partner and I have storage rules. We have a very large closet near the kitchen, originally it was a walk-in closet. So we divided it into several parts. I use one area for my clothes. The rest is used for kitchen storage. My partner stores his clothes in a dresser that also serves as a TV stand. Each has their own storage space. We optimize the available space as much as possible.
What advice would you give someone to keep their motivation throughout their tidying process?
The advice I would give to a couple is to find an agreement between two people ! Especially when it comes to everyday objects. I usually hang my clothes on hangers. My partner is very different. He folds his clothes and stores his things in drawers. You just have to find solutions that work for each person.
Find the rest of Sophia's interview by Aire in one week!
Statements collected by Imane Charkaoui
0 comments