17 sq. m room: subtleties of design, choice of color and style

Photo: teplodom24.ru If the hallway is the business card, and the kitchen is the main work area, then the living room is the heart of any apartment. Here you can fully express your imagination and design skills. Don’t worry: even if you have no experience at all, we will help you figure out suitable materials and current design solutions specifically for your 17 sq.m.!

Features of planning and design

Proper planning solves several problems at once:

• things necessary for life are placed in a limited area;
• there is a place for sleeping or any activity;
• The room looks as cozy as possible.

When the apartment was originally an ordinary one-room apartment, remodeling it into a full-fledged studio will require the signing of some “permitting” documents. In rare cases, it will not be possible to completely rebuild a room - demolishing partially or completely load-bearing walls is dangerous, as this threatens the collapse of the entire building. In a separate room there will be only a bathroom - shared or separate. Sometimes it can be “squeezed out”, freeing up to two meters of square territory.

The studio looks more spacious, brighter, in a very limited area there will be no temptation to store all sorts of unused rubbish - it simply won’t fit here. The disadvantage is that no more than two people can live comfortably in a cramped apartment. It is advisable to make all household appliances built-in, choosing the most compact and, if possible, silent ones. Be sure to use the window sill, balcony space, and ceiling height.

Since the apartment is very small, its high-quality improvement will require very little time and money.

How to properly zone space

Proper zoning of the room will allow you to compactly place all your things without cluttering the space too much.

The main zones are distinguished:

• for sleep, relaxation;
• for food;
• for work.

They are made as separate as possible from each other, especially if the apartment is intended for two. Professional designers advise sticking to a single color scheme, complemented by individual accents in different logical zones.

Zoning is done using:

• sliding screens;
• openwork screens;
• curtains;
• podiums;
• furniture items;
• differences in ceiling height;
• different shades of floors and walls;
• arches;
• bar counter.

A screen separates the child’s crib and sleeping place, the study will be located behind a high shelving unit, the kitchen will be separated from the living room by a bar counter, the sitting area on the loggia will be separated by an arch, the hallway will be separated by a closet with a full-length mirror. Zoning an apartment with a square or rectangular shape usually does not cause difficulties, but successful design of rooms of complex shape is also possible.

Living room decoration

Another studio option is a living room with a small kitchenette.

In this case there will be no bed. And the sleeping place is a folding sofa that can be transformed into a double bed.

Features of the studio interior in the form of a living room

Multifunctionality is the main feature of such a room. Combined here:

• Work zone.
• Relaxation and reception area.
• Bedrooms. Only the cooking area is separated from the general area.

What design elements play an important role in creating a unified interior style?

• Room layout.
• Furniture furnishings.
• Color of furniture (see How to choose furniture for a studio apartment), textiles, wall decoration.
• Lighting.
• The combination of materials for finishing walls, floors, and ceilings according to texture.
• Window and door decoration.

The layout of the space depends on the lifestyle of the apartment’s inhabitants, their habits and preferences.

Furnishing options

Furniture is often arranged in the center, and space around it is freed up for movement around the room.

Others, on the contrary, place furniture along the walls, leaving space to move in the middle of the room.

So:

• Transformable pieces of furniture are used in the setting. The work table can be turned into a dining area for guests due to the sliding tabletop.
• The armchairs together with the sofa form a soft corner.
• A sliding wardrobe can combine a wardrobe, dish shelves and a home theater.

Note. Such folding furniture modules save space.

Color scheme and style

Pretentious styles are not suitable for design development:

• It is better to choose high-tech or minimalism.
• A color scheme can help visually enlarge a space.
• For example, on one wall there may well be a photo panel with a landscape or part of a street in a perspective image.

But its tones should not dominate the general background of the apartment. If you stick wallpaper with vertical stripes, the ceiling will become higher. If the stripes are longitudinal, the walls will “move apart” a little.

• But the color scheme of the interior should contain bright spots that will enliven the atmosphere. This can be wall decor in the form of three-dimensional paintings, or mirror panels.

By using mirrors in the interior of a small apartment, you can deceive the spatial perception of the room. The walls form another reflected room.

Suitable stylistic directions

In conditions of extremely limited space, it is not possible to recreate every style in full. Therefore, basic elements are used that hint at a particular style:

• minimalism - excludes everything unnecessary, clothes, dishes, any other items, neatly stored behind any closed doors, there is practically no decor;
• Japanese - a sleeping place is organized on one podium, a kitchen set is on another, meals are eaten at a low table, in the center of the room there is a reed mat;
• classic - wooden furniture and floors, light finishes, a small amount of plastic stucco on the ceiling, long curtains on the windows, elegant shelves on the walls;
• ecological - natural finishing materials, textiles in natural shades, potted plants on the windowsill, light floral patterns;
• loft - brick walls, brick-like photo wallpaper, large windows without curtains, a loft bed above the office, animal skin instead of a bedspread or carpet;
• high-tech - an abundance of glass and metal surfaces, chrome parts, silver blinds on the windows, the latest household appliances.

Studio apartment kitchen

Decorating the kitchen

In the kitchen of a small apartment, everything is small:

• Headset
• Cooktop or panel with 2 burners.
• Narrow cabinets on the walls and a dining area.

Since such apartments are designed to accommodate 1-2 people, the storage areas for dishes and food will also be compact.

You can put a microwave or bread bin on a small refrigerator. In general, every centimeter of horizontal surface in such a tiny kitchen is used wisely. Install a hood in the cabinet above the stove. In a cramped apartment it is simply necessary.

Finishing methods

There are many design options for interior decoration, each using different finishing materials. But not everyone is acceptable for a tiny 17-meter apartment. Stone, with the exception of sheet stone, is not suitable - it is very voluminous, taking up up to several tens of square centimeters. Two or three-tier suspended ceilings made of plasterboard can be used as a zoning element, but very carefully and only if the height of the room allows it.

The flooring is made uniform throughout the entire apartment - this makes it look more spacious. Natural wood, laminate, ceramic tiles laid diagonally, thick linoleum, self-leveling flooring are suitable. If desired, only the kitchen space and bathroom are tiled.

The walls are made in approximately the same color scheme - the sleeping area is covered with wallpaper, wooden panels, the kitchen area is decorated with tiles or plastic. The color gradient looks original - each place has its own main color, gradually turning into another in the next zone.

The ceiling is preferred to be light - stretched, painted, decorated with foam panels. Small differences in height are allowed to highlight different areas, for example, a hallway. In the bathroom, all coatings are chosen to be waterproof and have reliable protection against mold and mildew.

Subtleties of arranging a room of 17 square meters. m

The main recommendation is that there should be maximum free space in the room. It is better to place furniture around the perimeter of the room. We leave the central part unloaded.

It is better to finish the walls in light colors. This can be wallpaper with a small pattern or vertical stripes, paint or plaster. It is not advisable to overload the walls with decor.

For paintings and photos, it is better to choose light frames. The light color of the walls will perfectly set off the set of darker tones. If you prefer rich shades in the interior, decorate one of the walls in whole or in part in this palette.

Do not forget that all the details of the furnishings must be in harmony with each other in color.

The photo shows a room measuring 17 square meters. It can be seen that using wallpaper with a photo print depicting a forest path, sea or endless field stretching into the distance, you can add space and fresh air to the room. The same result will be achieved by an image of snow-white clouds floating across a blue sky that extends to the ceiling.

The room is 17 sq. m cast iron radiator looks very bulky. It is advisable to replace it with a modern model - it is less noticeable.

The optimal design of the ceiling is to bring maximum light and space into the interior. The ideal option would be a stretch ceiling with a glossy surface.

Properly selected and placed lighting fixtures will effectively complement its appearance. The tension structure looks most advantageous in a room with a low ceiling.

As for the color, it is not necessarily white. Today, consumers can purchase a stretch ceiling of any shade.

Speaking of flooring, it must meet the following requirements:

• High quality.
• Strength.
• Environmental Safety.

When zoning a room, it is allowed to combine different types of coverage. For example, carpet will look good with laminate.

Color solutions for a small apartment

The lighter and warmer the colors are used, the more spacious the room appears. For apartments with large windows facing south, it is permissible to use cooler, richer tones.

Popular combinations:

• snow-white with sky blue;
• pink with violet;
• sunny yellow with spring green;
• pear with melon;
• antique azure with light brown;
• golden with rich sand;
• periwinkle with cornflower blue;
• apricot with slate blue;
• milk with light coffee;
• purple with beaver;
• swamp with bottle green;
• dahlia with mustard;
• pearl gray with khaki;
• tea green with red chestnut.

The main color is taken to be the one that is lighter - it accounts for up to 65% of the space being designed, the auxiliary color will take up approximately 30%, the rest are small color accents.

Selection and arrangement of furniture

In the kitchen area, the most important thing is a powerful hood. It will prevent food odors from spreading throughout the room. There is also a kitchenette here, which includes everything you need:

• washing;
• gas stove - preferably a two-burner or hob;
• small refrigerator - vertical or horizontal;
• hanging cabinets - they are made up to the ceiling;
• working plane.

Hanging cabinets are chosen with open shelves or decorated with glass - they are made up to the ceiling. The compact dining area is a folding bar counter or an extended window sill. If there is a loggia, a heated balcony combined with a room, it is taken out there, decorated with a small table, a kitchen sofa with storage sections.

In another option, a work office is placed on the balcony - this will allow you to significantly save on lighting, especially in the summer. It is decorated with a computer desk with many drawers and a comfortable chair. For women, there is also a dressing table here - applying cosmetics in daylight is much more convenient.

Upholstered furniture is represented by a folding sofa, on which people sleep at night and use it for sitting during the day. A good option is a wardrobe-bed, which leans against the wall during the day and lowers at night, forming a full-fledged place for one or two people to sleep. If necessary, a crib for a baby is placed in the room, and next to it there is a changing table-chest of drawers that can accommodate some of the baby’s linen and baby care items. If there is a bed on the podium, various things are also stored in it. A sofa chest is an equally useful acquisition; it is often complemented by armchairs, soft poufs, and folding chairs.

In the dressing area there is a straight or corner wardrobe, with the help of which the hallway is separated from the living room. If possible, they store not only clothes and shoes, but also some household appliances, sports accessories, etc. The bathroom here is very cramped, so they make do with several wall cabinets, shelves under the bathtub, a wall-hung toilet, a corner sink, and a shower. If you have a child, furniture for him is selected in a suitable size or height-adjustable.

When an adult and a child, two people, live together, the sleeping area is decorated with a bunk bed.

Zoning of the bedroom-living room 17 sq. meters

For a comfortable sleep, the bed must somehow be separated from the main living room space.

Since it is difficult to arrange two full rooms on 17 square meters, it is worth considering the least cumbersome methods of zoning.

• If the bed is in a niche, it is enough to separate it with a curtain . This can be a thick curtain that covers the light well so that it does not interfere with sleep, or a fairly light curtain - solely for the visual separation of the bedroom.

• The interior of a room with equal sides will have to be planned differently: here you will need partitions or a canopy covering the entire bed . Between the sofa and the bed, you can install a partition slightly higher than the sofa - just to hide the bed from view. Such a design can be quite wide and accommodate shelves, closed cabinets (it is better to make the facades sliding so that they do not interfere with adjacent furniture), a workplace, a rack for decor, books, and table sconces.
• Above the low partition you can install mezzanines on which to hang lamps, suitable for decorating the living room.
• A glass partition with a pattern will also decorate the interior , but it may seem bulky if you choose a model for the entire height of the room. The design, which occupies part of the plane between the living room and the bedroom, will fit into any style; you just need to choose a harmonious pattern.

• You can zone a room into a bedroom and a living room using a non-standard arrangement of furniture . The sofa can be placed with its back to the bed. To do this, you should choose a model with a shelf on which you can put flowers, lamps, photographs, etc. This space layout will eliminate bulky cabinets or shelving. Although these can come in handy, because it’s simply not possible to organize full-fledged storage space in a small room.

Together with any of the listed methods, a multi-level ceiling with spotlights along the contour of any of the zones will look organic.

Creating a second tier as a way to increase space

If there is a high ceiling, a kind of second floor is created in the room, on which the sleeping area is located, and if the room is more than four meters high, there is an office. A staircase leads there, located along one of the walls; it is fenced with handrails, like the floor itself. Below there is an entrance hall, a kitchen, a place for receiving guests or a children's room. It is convenient to organize many sections for storage in the steps - books, toys, accessories, shoes, etc.

A children's room on the second floor is also sometimes created, but only if the child is already big enough. Security issues are carefully considered here.

Secrets of choosing the right style

The choice of stylistic direction primarily depends on the taste preferences of the residents, as well as the general interior style of the entire apartment. Do not forget about fashion trends in interior design for decorating a living room of 17 square meters. m.

Living room interior design Source happymodern.ru

It is worth taking into account the wishes of all family members, because the living room is a common room where people communicate, welcome guests, and relax. The interior style should create a cozy and comfortable environment.

For small rooms, a simple design with a minimum amount of furniture and decor is suitable.

Modern living room 17 sq. m. Source dizajn-gostinoj.com

Large rooms allow you to realize the most daring ideas; luxurious styles such as baroque or classical style will be well revealed here.

Lighting

In addition to the main overhead light, local lighting of each zone and decorative lighting are provided. The main ceiling chandelier is chosen to be as flat as possible - a large, multi-tiered one obscures the view. The study area is illuminated with a table lamp, the sleeping area with a sconce, the dining area with a pendant lamp with adjustable height, and the food preparation area with a lamp on a special rail.

In the hallway, the light is mounted directly above the mirror, which is sometimes decorated with LEDs around the perimeter. In a bathroom with an area of ​​less than three meters square, one lamp, well protected from moisture, is enough; in larger ones, every plumbing fixture is illuminated. Decorative lighting is mounted along the bottom and top of the kitchen unit, creating a “floating” effect; glazed cabinets are illuminated from the inside.

If there is a second floor, it is illuminated separately.

Decor, textiles

There shouldn’t be a lot of decor - a few trinkets on the shelf under the TV, a couple of framed photographs, a homemade embroidered panel. Indoor plants are acceptable, but there should not be too many of them.

Textiles are preferred to be plain, light or with a discreet pattern. A large carpet that combines most pieces of furniture, bedspreads that match the window curtains, and chair covers that match the sofa cushions are appropriate here. Sometimes a rug is placed in each separate area, dividing the space with a fabric, crumbling curtain.

Design nuances

For a better understanding of where to start and in which direction to move when creating the design of a room of 17 squares, it is worth familiarizing yourself with its features.

Important! The main rule is to arrange the furniture in the room along the walls to free up space in the middle of the room.

Decoration of wall surfaces

To decorate the walls in such a small room, you should choose only light shades of wallpaper, plaster or paint. Canvases with a small, unobtrusive pattern or ornament located in a vertical plane may be suitable for such a room. With all this, the walls should not be occupied by a mass of unnecessary accessories that overload the space. To ensure that paintings and photographs do not overload the room, they are framed in light colors, as shown in the photo. The light shade of the walls is ideally supported by dark pieces of furniture.

Photo wallpapers made in the form of a landscape that goes into the distance, as if expanding the boundaries of the room’s space, will look great. A similar effect will be achieved by decorating the wall with a pattern in the form of a blue sky with clouds, which will smoothly transition to the ceiling.

In such a medium-sized room, the cast-iron version of the central heating radiators will not look aesthetically pleasing at all, so it is better to replace it with more modern radiators.

Ceiling and floor decor

It is best if the ceiling in the room gives a feeling of spaciousness and light. The ideal option would be a tension structure made of glossy material, as in the photo. If you choose the right lighting for it, the appearance of the room will greatly benefit.

It is not necessary to choose exactly a white shade for the ceiling; you can combine several colors at once, but only in a light range, so as not to overload the space.

Particular attention is paid to the design of the floor. Its coating must be selected as high as possible, since the load in a small room can be high. To do this, you can choose parquet or laminate, which, if desired, can be combined with carpet if the room is divided into functional zones.

Room zoning

Since a room of seventeen square meters is not considered too small, it can be divided into zones in accordance with the wishes of the owner and his needs. This can be done using color or texture, as well as using decorative partitions, columns or furniture. The partition in the room can be made of plasterboard and equipped with glass shelves or niches, which will play an important role as additional places for placing books, accessories and other small items.

If the room has a square geometry, then the furniture can be placed in the center, which will visually make the room larger and allow you to create a separate functional area. The main thing is the correct choice of the item or set of items that will be in the center of the room and make up the functional area.

The entire interior of the room is built from the selected item. Typically this item is a television, with sofas, armchairs and tables forming the rest of the furnishings.

Room styles of 17 square meters

A room with any functional load can be designed in one of the currently available styles. Typically, for small rooms, design options are used that contain a minimum of furniture and a maximum of free space. These styles include high-tech, minimalism and Japanese. These three well-known trends combine simplicity, conciseness, lightness of furnishings, spaciousness, the absence of pretentious details and room overload, and a large amount of natural light.

For adherents of modern urban life, we can recommend a functional high-tech style for this room. The materials used for this style solution, which are plastic, glass and metal, look great in a small room and visually enlarge it. Spotlights are ideal for lighting such a room, they will help illuminate any corner of the room.

Basic colors for high-tech are calm shades of beige, gray and white, which are diluted with brighter ones, such as orange, yellow, black, orange or silver. In such a room, each item should have its own functional purpose and be as useful as possible. You should not overload the space of the room with a large number of unnecessary details; a few accents will be enough. This design is shown in the photo.

The minimalism style is a laconic design where there is nothing superfluous. The room is furnished only with those items that are necessary for life; there are no parts that will not be used. This interior is done in calm pastel colors, without pretentiousness or pomp. Often mirrored facades are added to the design of a room or mirrors are simply hung on the walls. No massive furniture, carpets on the walls or textile draperies - only minimalism is welcome in everything. Japanese style is minimalist, but has a national orientation with a special oriental flavor.

Choosing furniture for a room of 17 square meters

A large number of furniture pieces in such a room will make it cramped and boring. It's best to get by with only the essentials. Furniture should not be massive; the furniture chosen is strictly one that is distinguished by its elegance of form.

The optimal solution would be to furnish the room with narrow cabinets, open shelves, bedside tables with glass or mirrored fronts. The presence of horizontal partitions in the room will help to extend the room in height and visually raise the ceilings. If the room has high ceilings, then full-height cabinets will fit perfectly into it; they will be as functional as possible, since those items that are not used in everyday life can be placed on the upper shelves.

Sofas for such a room are chosen small in size so as not to clutter up the space. Massive corner sofa compositions will not be appropriate in such conditions.

Advice! A practical solution for this room would be sofas-windowsills, which will save space, and thanks to the presence of storage space in them, they can act as a chest of drawers.

Lighting

A room of 17 square meters must be bright, without complex curtain configurations. It is best to hang thin transparent curtains on the windows, which will let in as much sunlight as possible. Blinds and roller blinds are also suitable. The ideal shape of a window opening in such a room is arched.

Important! The window sill space should not be cluttered with flowers in pots.

Lighting in such a room is done using spotlights and built-in lighting. There is no need to hang a massive chandelier on the ceiling, which will only be appropriate in some cases. This is, for example, the design of a room in a minimalist style, when such a lighting fixture is the main accent of the room, as in the photo.