I once lived in a studio apartment where the dining table doubled as my nightstand. Every morning, I would stack the plates on the counter, fold the tablecloth, and slide the whole setup under the window just to have room to roll out my yoga mat. The biggest headache, though, was where to put the bedding when guests came over. My inflatable mattress took up half the living area when inflated, and storing it meant shoving it into a closet that also held my winter coats and a forgotten vacuum cleaner. That experience taught me more about interior design than any magazine spread ever could. You learn fast that every square centimeter has to earn its keep, and the furniture you choose must support two or three different functions without looking like a Transformer toy.

The first real upgrade I made was swapping my bulky sofa for a pull-out sofa with a proper slatted frame.