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When I started apartment hunting last fall, I fought against living in a studio. I'd never lived in one before and if given the choice, I'd like to keep my living area separate from my sleeping area. At the same time, though, I knew from my apartment research that given the amenities I wanted (walking distance to a Metro station, in a safe area, with a balcony), and not wanting to pay over a certain amount for rent, a studio was pretty much my only option.
So that's what I went with. And as studios go, I really can't complain. The one I live in is a decent size. I've seen plenty of studios online that are 200, 300, or 400 square feet, but mine is 540. Large windows and a mostly-glass door leading to the balcony let in a ton of light. The kitchen is a separate room instead of being part of the main room, and it's big enough that I could fit a small table and chairs in the corner if I wanted to. (I probably won't bother, though. I rarely eat at a table, and there are no windows in there to look out of. Just bare white walls.)
I was actually surprised at how quickly I got used to my living and sleeping area being in the same room. Then again, I haven't entertained a large crowd of people yet. If I were to throw a party with 10+ guests, it might feel a little strange to have people milling around beside the place I sleep every night. (Or maybe I'll be even more used to it by then and it won't bother me one bit. We shall see.)
There are a number of things I like about living in a studio apartment. Since I don't have a lot of space and prefer a minimalist decor, there isn't a lot of upkeep involved. It's pretty easy to keep the area clean and everything in its rightful place. When it's time to go to sleep, I can get up from my couch and walk four or five steps to my bed. It's right there.
The disadvantages are what you would expect. While it's easy to keep things clean, if you don't keep things picked up it's obvious as soon as you walk in the door. In my last apartment, I would often make an effort to straighten the blankets on my bed in the morning...but not always. And if the bed wasn't made or I had a pile of stuff on the floor or on the dresser that I hadn't gotten around to putting away, I'd just close the door. But now I can't do that. I've made my bed every day for the past three weeks. So I suppose you could say living in a studio has forced me to be more conscientious about putting things away, but there's nothing wrong with that.
People who don't live in a high cost of living area are often amazed I would pay what I do to live in a studio. And I don't blame them -- years ago, before I moved to the DC metro area, I would have been right there with them. I'm very much aware that if I moved 100 miles south (most of my immediate family lives in Richmond, Virginia) I could pay less for the same amount of space. I was talking to a girlfriend about this just a few days ago. She lives in a studio apartment in DC and she mentioned that some of her family members have made comments about her choice to live where she does.
However, she and I are in agreement. This is where we want to be right now. Living here makes us happy. If this location ceases to feel like the right place to be, we'll make changes. In the meantime, I'm going to live in my little studio and revel in the fact that it's mine.
Related Reading:
Darling Dexter and her husband recently moved into a studio apartment and they really like it.
Decorology shares photos from a studio apartment she lived in several years ago. She credits that place with starting her love of interior design. When she moved in, she "had no idea how to decorate a studio and finally didn't have any roommates and could decorate how I wanted."
When Lydia lived in a studio apartment with no balcony, she had to get creative
