Do you remember arguing with your parents/siblings for a room of your own? Now what would you do if I told you that as an adult; your entire living, eating and sleeping areas were in just one large room!

With the space-crunch that is inevitable due to a growing population, it is a given that houses will have to become smaller. Therein enters the world of Studio Apartments. They're an increasing trend and found in most major cities of the world. Tricky to decorate, and often found inadequate, we'll give you tips to ensure your apartment not only looks stunning but also has enough space for everything you need.

1) Separate Sections
One of the first mistakes many people make is not demarcating the apartment into separate areas according to usage. You need not work in a major change in the decor style to demarcate effectively; cues like varying area rugs, or just a large piece of furniture such as a bookcase suffice.

2) Function > Fad
While the idea of getting a short, glass coffee table seems nice enough, it is eating up precious storage space in your home. Go for a console table under which you can tuck ottomans or compact seats so they aren't cluttering the place when not required.

You can also convert an old, flat-topped trunk into a centre table which lets you store a lot inside. Try to get as much use out of each and every piece of furniture you own.

3) The Lighter the Brighter
Unless you're specifically going for a decadent, luxurious style of decor and layering the shadows, the more light you let into the apartment and the better lit it is, the nicer it will look. If you aren't allowed to change the existing light fixings, buy floor and table lamps. If you want to buy curtains, steer clear of very heavy fabrics like velvet or damask that can mute any light coming in from outside.

4) Sizing Right
People commonly assume that small pieces of furniture will help the room look bigger and large pieces will make it look cluttered but that is not really the case. For your home decor to truly look nice and not as if it is missing the cohesiveness, you need to strike a balance between smaller bits and pieces and the larger, main furniture articles.

Christmas is coming up and there is hardly any festival that allows you to have as wide an array of decorations and DIY articles all around the house as this one! From wreaths to candles, stockings over fireplaces to piles and piles of gorgeously wrapped gifts at the base of a beautiful ornamented Christmas tree… the list is endless. It is one of the few times of the year that you can absolutely paint the town red with all sorts of decor ideas and no-one will bat an eyelid.

Here are some decor DIY tips and tricks to ensure your Christmas décor looks just as nice as you imagined it.

1. Candles and Mason Jars
Candles are an instant solution to make any home look cosy and well decorated. You could dip long, solid coloured candlesticks into metallic paints for an added touch of glamour.

Another idea is to use Mason jar lights as decor. You could paint the jars with a translucent paint in a pastel shade and draw cute Christmas doodles onto it. Then, fill the Mason jar with fairy lights or a big candle and watch it light up your room!

The second thing you can do is make a Mason jar snow globe! Use modelling clay to fashion a snowman. Paint snowflakes on the surface of the jar and stick fake snow inside using glue!

2. Cards and Gifts
If you've held on to all the Christmas cards you've gotten over the years, string them together with coloured tape or twine. You can then drape it over the staircase railing, or on the mantelpiece for a more personal touch.

Also, instead of keeping all the gifts grouped around trees only, scatter them all around the living room. Make them look prettier by using different coloured wrappers with a common theme and be sure to use gauzy ribbons to tie a bow!

3. DIY Wreaths
Instead of sticking to traditional Christmas wreaths, this year, try and opt for something slightly more quirky and personalised. One idea is to intertwine flowers like chrysanthemums into a simple wreath, giving it a pop of colour. Another idea is to use the Christmas tree decorations you won't put up on it. Glue together lots and lots of small balls, tiny metallic bells and ribbons for a glitzy wreath all for yourself.

Even with millions of articles advising you on how to do up your house with all the tips, tricks and solutions offered by experts, when faced with an empty pad, your mind is as blank as the walls in front of you! But never fear, this may be just a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth and instead of telling you what you could do with your new house, how about we tell you what to avoid? Here are some décor don'ts that we hope you haven't done!

1. Don't push your furniture flat against the walls.
If your home has a medium sized to large living room, bring the seating arrangements closer to the centre of the room, keeping not more than 4-8 feet between the furthest articles. Not only will this make the room seem more cosy and centralized, it also makes way for easier conversation instead of screaming it from one side of the room to another.

2. Do not compromise on good lighting.
What use is having an expensive painting framed in your hallway if there isn't enough light falling on it? Dim light not only makes the house look uninviting, it irritates the eye. Appropriately scaled, relevant lighting can do wonders to any room, big or small. That being said, if you want to keep a statement piece like a massive chandelier in a small room, let that not be crowded by other, smaller lights that serve no purpose.

3. Don't leave corners empty.
If you have a nook in your house, or there is a place where the roof slants in, do not leave it bare. This will break the flow of the décor and make the room, as a whole, look more dismal. Keep an ottoman, a bookshelf or a simple low chair with a rug throw on it and a small lamp. Or better yet, you can transform it into a small den of sorts to unwind at the end of a day.

4. Ease up on the pillows.
If you have to constantly keep moving cushions out of the way, or piling a few on your lap every time you sit, you're overdoing it. Also, if you have to keep up to 3 cushions on your lap to feel some level of comfort, you're not doing enough. For a strong cushion game, pick ones that aren't too soft or too hard. They should be adequately fluffy but not uncomfortable to use as back-rests.