With more and more of us relocating to cities, we’re living closer together and in smaller spaces than ever before. To help your square footage stretch further, we've rounded up the best home ideas for apartment living, from genius products and gadgets to clever storage hacks that will make life easier.

Let’s talk about the age-old problem with apartment living: you desperately want a large, comfy sofa to curl up on but how will you get it up the many flights of stairs? There's now a range of brands that offer snug modular sofas delivered in boxes, making them easy to manoeuvre around those tight corners.

Bikes can quickly add clutter to your living space, especially when you’re living in a small apartment. By hanging your bike up out of the way using a bike stand like this one, you can maximise your available floor space and squeeze in even more furnishings. Plus, it can make an interesting and quirky wall feature!

Efficient apartment living depends on being able to transform your space for different uses at a moment’s notice – that’s why we love transforming furniture. This chic shelving unit folds down effortlessly into a dining table with chunky industrial-style legs, perfect for those apartments where a dedicated dining space just isn’t viable.

Apartment kitchens often don’t have much cupboard space. This shelving and hook unit allows you to free up countertops and storage cabinetry by displaying kitchen items like pans, jugs, mugs and glasses. Not only is it an extremely efficient use of space, but it will also give your kitchen a quirky feel and make everything easy to reach while you’re cooking.

Chunky furniture can run the risk of making a small apartment feel even smaller. However, a glass dining room table will create a feeling of continuity across your space, making it feel brighter and bigger. On top of that, glass is a versatile material that works with every colour scheme.

Most apartments don’t have a utility room, so it’s easy to let your living space get cluttered with freestanding clothes airers. Instead, consider a wall-mounted clothes airer instead. This one is made from pine and it’s a brilliant space-saver, putting a vacant wall to use and freeing up valuable floor space.

Balconies are an under-used commodity in many apartments. But if you set yours up well, it could give you a whole extra living space. Investing in an outdoor rug is a great way to create a stylish balcony that feels like part of the home. Outdoor cushions and blankets wouldn’t go amiss too!

Don’t have any outdoor space? Don’t let that stop you. By introducing a few hardy houseplants into your apartment, you can create a relaxing and calming atmosphere. Try placing them at different heights to create a green oasis that brings the outdoors in. Incorporating greenery in your decor will also help to purify the air in your apartment – particularly helpful if you live in a large city.

In a small space, it’s essential to let in as much natural light as possible. By placing mirrors in strategic positions, you can bounce light around a room, making it feel bigger and brighter. Not only that, but natural light has a host of benefits, including improving your day-to-day mood.

Often in an apartment, you’ll have one room with many uses. To prevent the onset of cabin fever, it can be a good idea to designate different areas of a room for different uses, like eating, reading or cooking. Rugs make it easy to mark out separate spaces and can add a cosy feel to relaxing lounge zones.

Versatile and space-efficient, we’re big fans of nesting tables. Pull them all out when you have guests around and you need extra surfaces for drinks and snacks. Then, when the party’s over, simply tuck the small ones away beneath the biggest, keeping your living area feeling spacious and clutter-free.

Storing things under your bed makes valuable use of space that would otherwise be wasted. We love the sheer volume of room that an ottoman bed offers. Or, if a new bed isn’t on the cards, consider getting some under-bed storage boxes instead. That way, you can keep your items organised and easily accessible too.

Drawing the eye up will make a room feel bigger, and what better way to do this than by creating a fun and colourful gallery wall? To ensure the focal point feels curated, choose what kind of wall art you want and follow that theme. You could opt for photography, renaissance prints or modern artwork. You can also mix and match frames for a more quirky feel.

With other people living above and below you, apartment living can be noisy. Soft surfaces absorb sound, so consider carpeting your apartment and introducing soft furnishings like cushions, blankets and wall hangings. This way, things are sure to be a little easier on your ears and you’ll get a cosy, inviting environment to boot.

Recycling can be tricky in a small apartment – the last thing you want is multiple bins taking up half your floor space. Placing bins in under-used kitchen units will help you to be thorough with your recycling while keeping it out of sight. This recycling unit fits under a kitchen sink and you can also get bins that fit cupboards and pan drawers too. The possibilities are endless!

Pale colours help to reflect light and create a feeling of space so consider opting for white walls and think about choosing pale-coloured furniture when you’re next out shopping. If you want to add a splash of colour, plants and soft furnishings are a great way to do so without ruining the effect.

When you have limited floor space, it makes sense to store things up high. That’s why shelves are your best friend when it comes to effortless apartment living. Plus, statement shelves like these hanging ones can inject some easy style into your decor. To avoid clutter, consider getting some small storage boxes to place on them, that way you don't need to worry too much about what’s on display.

If you’re looking for a way to make a room feel bigger, consider choosing blinds instead of curtains when it comes to window dressings. While curtains can make a space feel smaller and darker with reams of fabric, blinds keep a space feeling crisp and streamlined. We particularly love Venetian blinds because they give you that added option of a bit more privacy while still letting the light flood in.

Who says there’s no room for a dog? You just need to get a little creative and opt for multitasking furnishings. Cleverly, this dog crate doubles up as a side table, so your canine friend gets a comfy spot to sleep in while you get somewhere to rest your glass of tequila.

Felines enjoy a bit of vegetation in their diets, so growing cat grass for your indoor cat will provide them with a healthy snack and prevent them from munching on your prized indoor plants. You can grow it yourself or buy it ready-grown. Either way, we love it hung up out of the way in a sleek station like this one.

In a small bathroom, radiators can take up valuable room. On the other hand, you can find heated towel rails to fit into the narrowest of spaces, keeping your bathroom toasty while providing an organised spot for towels to dry. And they look fabulous too!

Mounted to the wall, this vertical herb planter is a great way to keep your kitchen surfaces clear. It offers three pouches to display your favourite herbs. For keen cooks who can’t pick just three, we’d suggest purchasing a few planters to create a whole living wall. What a feature that would be!

It goes without saying that ironing boards take up a lot of space, both when it comes to using and storing them. However, a petite tabletop ironing board is small enough to hide away in a cupboard when not in use. It can also be used anywhere, from your dining table to your kitchen counter – ideal for when space is at a premium!

Sometimes, it pays to be able to tuck your bed away – particularly if you live in a studio flat. Enter: the bed in a box, now offered by a range of brands. By night, it’s a stylish single bed with a sleek headboard. By day, it folds down into a small box, saving you space and providing an extra seat for visitors.

Finding room for a home office in an apartment can often be challenging. Instead, why not opt for a floating desk like this one? Ideally proportioned, it’s got enough space for your laptop and a coffee when you’re in work mode. Then when the night draws in, just tuck everything away in the drawers and use it as a feature shelf or side table – now that's how to do tiny living in style!