Studios certainly have their advantages when it comes to finding space in premium locations. But you need apartment hacks to make them seem bigger than they really are.

After all, the average size of a studio apartment is now just 504 sq. ft.

That’s not a lot of space when you have quite a lot of stuff.

But if the studio apartment is the best you can afford, don’t worry! These apartment hacks will help make your space seem bigger than it really is.

Read on to find out how!

There are plenty of apartment hacks around decorating.

So think about your color scheme. Lighter colors obviously make spaces look bigger because they’re brighter.

We don’t think you’ll want to rock pastels, but how about a pale gray? You don’t want to use white and have your room look like a doctor’s office.

You might want to avoid using curtains too. Sure, they block out the light, but they make apartments look much smaller.

We’re not sure the lady across the street wants to see you in the altogether. So put up blinds instead.

And if you’re going to have bright walls and blinds, you want lighting to match!

So don’t waste floor space with standing lamps. Hang light fixtures from the ceiling or on the wall.

And while we’re talking about floors, be careful about what you down. Thick pile carpets feel fun underfoot but they make the room look smaller.

Vertical stripes make things look longer. So put a striped rug on the floor to make the room look wider.

And yes, vertical stripes will make you look taller too! See? Some apartment hacks are multi-purpose.

But you’re probably one of the 41.1% of households that rent. So what if your landlord won’t let you paint the walls?

Mirrors aren’t just for vanity posing.

It’s a well-known decorating tip that mirrors make a space look bigger. They reflect both light and the rest of the room to fool the eye.

You have to love optical illusions, right?

But there’s a line of good taste. We’re not talking about turning your living room into a dance studio.

Well, unless your home decor idol is Patrick Bateman.

We mean using smaller mirrors. Hanging them opposite your windows helps reflect daylight.

Or you can make a gallery wall and put mirrors among your art prints or photos. No one will necessarily notice the mirror. But they will get the sense of more space.

No one will necessarily notice the mirror. But they will get the sense of more space.

And don’t worry about your space looking too girly. You can go for sleek minimalism and pair mirrors with chrome frames.

Besides, having huge mirrors wasn’t a problem for Louis XIV at Versailles.

Or just use plenty of chrome everywhere.

Install your own Man Cave! Well, a little one, at least.

You probably don’t have the space in your apartment for a dedicated Man Cave. So banish thoughts of a room filled with your favorite stuff.

But does your apartment have high ceilings? (Can you see where we’re going with this?)

You’re probably too old for bunk beds, but what about a loft bed frame? Put your bed up high and the space underneath becomes your own Man Cave.

Instead of putting things on shelves above your bed, you put your bed above the shelves!

It’s certainly a better space-saving option than a day bed.

You’ll have space for a desk under a loft frame, which is handy if you need a home office. Or you could swap your Mac for a TV and console set up.

It’s one of the less obvious apartment hacks but you’re up for the challenge, aren’t you?

And you won’t have far to go to hit the hay when you’re done playing Call of Duty.

Choose your furniture well to get the most out of these apartment hacks.

It goes without saying that smaller furniture will make your room look bigger.

Or there’s an even better way. Indulge your inner Magneto and go for clear furniture. Glass or lucite do the same thing as metal or wood – and they almost look invisible.

It’s true that your apartment might look more like the lair of a Bond villain. But is that such a bad thing?

And try these extra apartment hacks with your stuff and your awesome new furniture.

You can create “rooms” without needing extra walls. Just put up some open shelving to screen off spaces in your apartment.

They’ll let light through and give you an extra place to store your stuff. It’s a weird illusion but having rooms makes the space look, and feel, larger.

You can also pull chairs or sofas away from the wall to make the room look bigger. And see if you can use furniture for multiple uses.

So a coffee table with storage compartments can hold your DVDs. Or storage boxes can house your gadgets and roll right under your sofa.

It’s amazing what you’ll be able to hide. Well, within reason!

Or how about editing your life?

We’ve all got those boxes that we move from dorm room to first apartment and onwards. They’re battered, and barely held together by tape, but we still take them.

Can we even remember what’s in them anymore?

Chances are, if you can’t, you don’t need the contents. So make more space by ditching what you don’t need or use.

You can sell it, recycle it, or simply give it away. Whatever it takes to reclaim your space.

It’s particularly useful if you’ve got your stuff on display around the room. Do you really want all that junk gathering dust on your shelves?

Having less on display will instantly make your studio look bigger.

And less stuff instantly means more physical space. And you can move to an even smaller apartment and save money!

It might seem difficult to do at first. Parting with stuff you’ve had since college – or before – can seem, well, wrong.

But if Andy from Toy Story can do it, so can you. So find new homes for the things you just don’t need.

And you’re going to want all your friends to see your new castle, so make sure to get them their own access key.

Our duplicate RFID keys come in all shapes and styles and are compatible with most RFID fobs.

And enjoy your new palace of a studio apartment!