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We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

A trip to Ikea and some DIYs later, we transformed this studio apartment into a Pinterest-inspired dream.

Living in a studio apartment can seem daunting from a design perspective — you’ve just got one open room to sleep, live and eat in. So how do you make it a functional small space on a budget? In this episode of The Home Primp, Chatelaine Home Editor Alexandra Gater sets out to make over a studio apartment — using only Ikea furniture.

The challenge:

This small studio apartment is tiny — as in around 400 sq.ft. tiny. The tenant didn't want to sacrifice comfort (who would!) but having a queen-sized bed meant that a couch wouldn't fit. And, because the apartment was completely open, there was no designated space for an entryway or dining area.

Small studio apartment

The small space makeover:

Gater took a trip to Ikea for some small-space ideas and left with lots of furniture to hack. Watch as she turns a mirror into a wall light (inspired by this genius light hack!), jazzes up a stool (that doubles as a side table) with chalk paint and makes an entryway organizer out of a spice rack. One perfect trick for small spaces is to style the bed like a couch when you're not sleeping in it — Gater takes you through how. Plus, a single Ikea shelf is the perfect way to divide the living space and even creates a little space for an entryway.

Studio apartment ideas
 How much we spent:
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$498

Watch the full transformation, above.

Products featured:

Home Primp Studio Apartment

Get the look

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Pendant lamp

Ikea

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We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Curtains

Ikea.

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Bed frame

Ikea

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

String lights

Ikea

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Bench

Ikea

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We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Sheepskin

Ikea

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Table lamp

Ikea

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Cushion cover

H&M Home

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Shelf unit

Ikea

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We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Stool

Ikea

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Butterfly chair

HomeSense

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Mirror

Ikea

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Clamp light

Ikea

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We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Spice rack

Ikea

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Chair

Ikea

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Wall/ceiling lamp

Ikea

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Rust-Oleum spray paint

Amazon

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We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Chalk paint

Colour “Antoinette”, Annie Sloan

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Chalk paint

In colour “Lem Lem”, Annie Sloan

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Heart wall decal

Urban Walls

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Table

Structube

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We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Downloadable art print

$5, Etsy

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

Copper string lights

Indigo

We Spent $500 At Ikea And Turned A Cramped Studio Apartment Into A Cute, Well-Organized Home

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Chatelaine celebrates, inspires, informs and empowers. We know that Canadian women contain multitudes, and we cover all of the issues—big and small—that matter to them, from climate change to caregiving, Canadian fashion and what to cook now.

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The cover of Chatelaine magazine's spring 2025 issue, reading "weekend prep made easy"; "five delicious weeknight meals", "plus, why you'll never regret buying an air fryer"; "save money, stay stylish how to build a capsule wardrobe" and "home organization special" along with photos of burritos, chicken and rice and white bean soup, quick paella in a dutch oven, almost-instant Thai chicken curry and chicken broccoli casserole in an enamelled cast-iron skillet

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Want to streamline your life? In our Spring 2025 issue, we’ll show you how—whether it’s paring down your wardrobe, decluttering your messiest spaces or spending way less time cooking thanks to an easy, mostly make-ahead meal plan for busy weeknights. Plus, our first annual Pantry Awards.