6 Designer Tricks for Making a 2-Bedroom Rental Feel Like a Spacious Loft

Interior designer Susan Galvani knows her way around a small space—a skill sharpened during her years living in New York City. To make the most of her two-bedroom apartment in Charleston, SC, she drew inspiration from near and far—the apartment's river views and the lofts of Manhattan. The former led Susan to keep the decor understated so the view is primary, while the latter prompted her to channel downtown style. Perhaps most appealing to the design pro: The apartment was a blank canvas—and the rental building would let her wallpaper.

“I wanted to be able to make my mark on it,” she says. Susan hoped to maintain the loftlike feeling she was first drawn to in the 1,100-square-foot apartment, so she tapped some of her decorator’s tricks to maximize the space without sacrificing the airy ambience. With her designer’s eye, Susan turned a clean-slate rental into a comfortable, layered home that lives much larger than its size. Here are her top tips for maximizing space and flow.

1. Wield a Cohesive Palette

One tactic Susan employed was to limit the color palette in the main living space to light, bright hues. “To keep it from feeling monotone and boring, the key was to include different textures and vary scale and pattern in subtle ways,” she says. Warm wood, rattan, linen, and leather accents draw the eye around the living room and enliven it with layers.

She was also strategic about furniture choices, opting for fewer but larger upholstered pieces to streamline the furnishings, a low-slung coffee table and storage unit to keep focus on the views, and round tables to promote flow—all are white or neutral in tone.

Dashes of bolder color appear in artwork and accessories, while the gallery wall creates a dynamic focal point (and conveniently pulls attention away from the television).

2. Define Zones

The main living area and kitchen are open to one another, but Susan subtly defined living and dining “rooms” through the furniture plan. “You want to delineate the space into different zones but also make sure that the space can be multipurpose,” she says.

For example, the dining area is distinct, but Susan can work at the table as well. She chose an angled, open bookcase because it didn’t project into the space as much as a typical one. Likewise, the round table is easier to navigate around in an alcove than a square one, and the rounded profile of the chairs echoes the curve of the table. Susan personalized the rental’s light fixture with a rattan shade.

3. Hide in Plain Sight

The kitchen island separates the cooking zone from the living area, but its open, table-style design keeps the look light. White cabinets, pale gray tile on the backsplash, and glass pendant lights all visually blend into the background. If you don’t want an open-concept kitchen to dominate your living space, make similarly understated choices.

4. Use Every Square Foot

In the hallway leading to the bedrooms, Susan placed a photograph of the Pantheon in Rome because its lines speak to the angles of the adjacent bookcase. A narrow bench, which can stow baskets underneath, turns dead space into storage. "In a small space, it’s really important to consider how the space can work as hard as possible and fulfill various uses," she says.

5. Create an Escape

The apartment is not all pale and airy. Susan indulged her love of patterns and rich color in her son’s room, where the walls are covered in an enveloping forest-theme wallpaper. “It transports you,” she says—and that feeling of escape and contrast can make a space feel more expansive.

To maintain as much play space as possible in her son’s room, Susan opted for a daybed that could sit parallel to the wall. Sconces and floating shelves also leave more floor area free. Follow her lead and choose whimsical wallpaper to spark imagination. Just be sure to wrap all the walls to keep the sense of flow, as wallpapering just an accent wall can have the opposite effect.

6. Less Is More

A tall headboard in the main bedroom matches the proportions of the high ceilings. Clever lighting choices free up narrow bedside tables for books, and the floor lamp doubles as a piece of sculpture. Furniture with built-in storage, like a bed with drawers or a storage ottoman, is a great way to store more without taking up added space or creating visual clutter. Less is more when you want your bedroom to feel like a sanctuary.

Styling by Lili Diallo