Remodeling a built-in closet in a Khrushchev building
Many of us still live in Soviet apartments, also called Khrushchevkas. The disadvantage of such housing is the inconvenient layout and small space. This also applies to the hallway. Not only is it small, but a significant area of it is occupied by an old built-in wardrobe.
And it’s not always clear what to do with him? Many people get rid of it as soon as they move to a new place of residence. Thus, the entrance hall of the Khrushchev house becomes more spacious, there is room for arranging more useful furniture. But still, let’s not discount the fact that the closet in the hallway is not such a useless thing. It is the place where clothes and shoes and various household items are hidden. Therefore, it is not at all necessary to “demolish” it; you can try to remake it. How about we try to figure it out?
Option one: decorate
If you have no desire to do something more serious, then try remodeling the built-in closet in a Khrushchev-era building with some unique decor. You can refresh it by painting and then varnishing it. Moreover, you can choose the color of the paint itself depending on the interior of the hallway or simply according to your mood. Some do it differently: they simply cover it with the same wallpaper that is used to cover the online casino and the walls. As a result, it merges with the latter, but still continues to perform its function. You can also ennoble it with the help of some kind of painting, family photos, modern stickers, which are made specifically for decorating various interiors. In general, show a little of your creativity: in this case, you won’t have to spend a lot, but the hallway will become more interesting and unusual.
Option two: install a wardrobe (examples in the photo)
Independent decor is undoubtedly good. But it's not always appropriate. And if your apartment is decorated in the best modern traditions, then it is better to demolish the old one and install a new built-in wardrobe. Moreover, preference should be given to the built-in one rather than the cabinet one, since in this case it will be more spacious due to the absence of side and rear walls. Agree, it doesn’t matter at all what’s hiding behind the door, the main thing is that it itself is stylish and fits into the overall decor of the hallway.
Well, there won’t be any problems at all with choosing a built-in wardrobe. It is enough to contact a specialized company that will create a model taking into account your wishes. You can choose doors with or without mirrors, the number of shelves, colors, etc. In the photos provided you can see some interesting ideas. By the way, you don’t have to limit yourself to just one large closet. For example, you can make it slightly smaller and place a mirror next to it, without which you can’t do it in the hallway.
As you can see, it is not difficult to remodel a built-in wardrobe in a Khrushchev-era building. How you do this depends on personal preferences and financial capabilities. The rest is a matter of technique.
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The balcony threshold was demolished
It is impossible to dismantle the balcony threshold in panel and brick houses. The fact is that it is a load-bearing structure, the dismantling of which will violate the safety of the entire building.
Owners of apartments in monolithic buildings are luckier: in such houses, the balcony threshold often serves a decorative rather than constructive function. Therefore, it is possible to coordinate such redevelopment more often.
The approval mechanism is standard. The only thing is that, along with the technical report, you also need to provide a thermal engineering calculation. The cost of such a service in Moscow, for example, is about 15 thousand rubles.
Design of Khrushchev 55 photos
Khrushchev-era apartments have become the subject of many jokes and a problem for most modern residents. Such apartments, on the one hand, are distinguished by their affordability, because at one time a large number of them were built, but on the other hand, they have a lot of problems.
Owners of Khrushchev apartments are faced with several problems at once - cramped rooms with low ceilings, a shared bathroom, bulky storage rooms and poor sound insulation. Fortunately, the field of design and architecture has moved forward and now it is possible to turn a small apartment into a convenient, comfortable and attractive home. How to create a Khrushchev building design? Let's get a look.
Secrets of redevelopment
The main task of the owner of a Khrushchev building is to try to effectively use every meter of usable space. It is important to clarify here - not to clutter, but to use it functionally.
Demolishing partitions is the first thing that comes to every resident’s mind. This method will add space to you and increase usable space. In this case, you need to familiarize yourself with the apartment plan, find out which wall is load-bearing (so as not to accidentally demolish it) and develop a detailed redevelopment plan.
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For one-room apartments, the solution may be to create a studio apartment - when all the partitions are demolished and the room is combined with a kitchen and hallway.
The studio apartment option is suitable for creative individuals or single people, but for families with small children it is better to leave the walls so that the space is divided into zones.
If you are not a fan of radical wall demolitions, replace partitions with arches or move doorways. Then you will get separate rooms and a more comfortable apartment.
A combined bathroom can be connected to part of the corridor - in the end you will get a large space where a washing machine or boiler can fit. The remaining space in the corridor can be used for a wardrobe. In this case, you will free up space in the room and you will have somewhere to store seasonal items.
Use mobile and multifunctional furniture. Especially if you have a one-room Khrushchev house, such furniture will become indispensable. Take a closer look at compact chests of drawers, wall-folding beds and cabinets.
If you have a storage closet , you can safely demolish it or attach it to an adjacent area - a corridor, a room. Owners of a two-room Khrushchev house, where one room does not have its own entrance, can add a new partition. There will be less living space, but you will have another personal space.
Cabinets that reach up to the ceiling will help save space in the kitchen. The main thing is not to make them too deep.
No matter how many rooms there are in your apartment, try to make them as bright as possible. The lighter the walls and ceiling, the wider the space appears. The ideal solution is to use shades of the same color for all rooms. In this case, regardless of the style, you can create a cozy atmosphere.
Also avoid saturated and bright colors in the decoration; it is better to add bright accents in the form of paintings, decor, pillows and souvenirs than to paint or paste over the Khrushchev in red or green colors.
Methods for zoning space
After demolishing unnecessary partitions, you must first consider the location of the functional areas. To zone a large rectangle, you can use any of the existing methods, but it is better to choose an option that takes up minimal space. More often, the division of space occurs as follows:
- Selecting areas using finishing. Floor and wall coverings that will differ in color or texture will help achieve the desired effect;
- Play of light. An original, beautiful method not only perfectly copes with the task, but also expands the space;
- Mobile screens. Thanks to portable partitions, you can privacy anywhere. They can be stored folded behind a cabinet or placed along the wall;
- Textile curtains. Great for separating a bed. At a certain border, it is enough to simply install a cornice and hang beautiful tulle;
- With the help of furniture. The simplest, but also the largest option. If there is no other way out, it is better to use tall objects to divide the space, for example, a closet that does not reach the ceiling only a few centimeters.
Bedrooms in Khrushchev.
If you have a two-room apartment, it is best to separate the bedroom as a separate room and not connect it to the corridor. Here it is also worth using light shades of decoration, and the most daring residents can try using a mirrored ceiling, which will visually expand the area.
As for the light in the bedroom, it needs to be given a special place - there may be several lamps. They can be placed on the bedside table, on the side walls, on the wall next to the bed or on the floor.
Choosing an interior style
When choosing an interior design for a three-room Khrushchev apartment, functionality comes to the fore. After all, the territory is small, which means it needs to be managed wisely. Therefore, lush styles that involve abundant decoration are inappropriate here.
The best solution would be an economical, spectacular modern minimalist style. It not only looks chic, but allows you to use your home with the greatest efficiency.
Main features of minimalism:
- the general background is made in light shades;
- simple sealed design;
- mirror, glass elements that add air;
- dividing the territory into functional zones;
- instead of voluminous cabinets, compact vertical structures under the ceiling are used;
- multifunctional transformable furniture: sliding tables, wall cabinets, neat bedside tables;
- furniture is placed in the corners, freeing up the center of the room;
- lighting fixtures are camouflaged whenever possible;
- as much natural light as possible.
By looking at photos of design projects in the minimalist style, you can get a lot of useful ideas, while at the same time making sure that this style looks great.
Hallway design.
The smallest room in the Khrushchev building is the hallway. Increase its area, perhaps making wider doorways to adjacent rooms or reconstructing them into arches. You will receive not only a visual, but also a practical increase in area - due to the fact that more natural light will come in, a small room will find a second wind.
If the hallway is narrow in width and long, you can divide it into two zones - the first will have a standard hallway with linoleum, and the second will become a transition to the room. As for furniture, a wardrobe or shallow horizontal shelves covering the entire wall would be perfect here.
Space zoning
What else will help save space in a Khrushchev-era apartment building and make it more comfortable? Ideas from experienced designers, successful design. After remodeling and moving the wall, you can apply design methods to create a functional interior in such living spaces. One of the ways to achieve comfort is the correct zoning of space using furniture, decoration, and decor.
First of all, you need to carefully select furniture for the Khrushchev house that would fit into the overall design. It is better to prefer built-in models of cabinets, wardrobes, sofa beds. Such items are at the same time highly functional, do not take up much space, are attractive in their aesthetics and decorate the interior.
Kitchen design in Khrushchev
Kitchen sets with the popular L-layout are best suited. In this case, one side of the set will rest against a window or wall, and the other will end with a refrigerator. It would be logical to place a sink at the junction of the two sides.
An excellent option for a small kitchen would be a folding table and folding work surfaces. If you decide to connect the kitchen with the living room or other room, it is worth highlighting it with a different finishing color and choosing a different decorative material. When it comes to color schemes, it is best to choose warm colors - milky, white, sky blue.
Try to think through the design of the Khrushchev building in advance, draw on paper the ideal version of what you want to see. If you have a loggia in your apartment, use it as an additional room - run a cable there, put a table, a computer - and you have a work office ready.
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Source
How you can modernize furniture: methods and options with photos
You can redo it completely. Replace components, sort out shelves, install new doors, replace fittings. If the cabinet functions normally, then you can limit yourself to decorating the facades only.
Remodeling and updating doors
How to update the furniture built into the hallway in a Khrushchev-era building?
Khrushchev buildings have an inconvenient layout. The closet in the hallway is bulky and takes up most of the space. It's built in to everything, so you can't get rid of it that easily. But it can be remade. For example, decorate the doors using one of the described methods. Or take a radical approach - remodel the built-in wardrobe into a compartment. Here, too, there are options: simply redo the doors or replace the “insides” of the cabinet, remove extra shelves or add missing ones.
Closet
These have been the most popular cabinets for the last 10 years. They are comfortable, roomy, beautiful, but also periodically need updating, repair and restoration. The most common problems encountered are:
To fix these problems yourself, you will need a set of tools and parts.
Repairing a wardrobe is not a very difficult task. First, the body is installed under the level, then the doors: using screws on the rollers, their location is adjusted. Sometimes you need to completely renew your doors.
Before installing new doors, you need to fix everything else . If you just want to freshen up the look of your furniture a little, then just paint it or decorate the doors by choosing a restoration technique.
Angular
Roomy, takes up little space. Depending on the condition, you can completely overhaul the structure, replacing components, shelves, or simply change the doors. You can even convert a corner wardrobe into an open one. It's all a matter of taste.
Kitchen
A shabby kitchen cabinet can be spruced up in several ways.
About. How to update kitchen cabinets is explained in the video:
Old Soviet
Transforming an old Soviet cabinet into a new one consists of two stages:
For repairs you will need the following materials and tools:
The video shows the process of updating an old Soviet cabinet:
How to make from a pantry?
How to make a spacious closet from a pantry:
What you need to know
The so-called pantry is a niche that is formed in Khrushchev-era buildings at the junctions of rooms. As a rule, it occupies an area of no more than 3 square meters (usually less) and, if properly arranged, allows you to store a large number of things and various necessary accessories.
Is it possible to make a full-fledged dressing room from each such niche? Hardly. Rooms with dimensions of at least one meter by one and a half meters are suitable for arrangement, since with smaller dimensions it will not be possible to mount rods and provide comfortable access to clothing and storage items.
True, there are no hopeless situations: if the pantry is very small, then instead of a full-fledged dressing room, you can design a beautiful and convenient built-in wardrobe: for this you will need racks with shelves of the required size and a couple of rods for outerwear.
If you want to decorate a dressing room in a Khrushchev-era building instead of a closed storage room, then think about installing a ventilation system in this niche. This is just a recommendation, but its implementation will allow you to prevent the appearance of unpleasant odors in the space you create.
Replaced the bath with a shower
Changing the type of plumbing fixture in itself is not considered a redevelopment; it is a refurbishment. But since we are talking about replacing the type of equipment, approval is required. Moreover, it does not matter whether you bought an apartment on the secondary market or in a new building. If a bathtub is indicated on the apartment plan, and you installed a shower in its place, then by law you must make changes to the technical plan.
The procedure will be standard, it is of a notification nature. At the same time, there are cases when the applicant may be refused to reconstruct the bathtub. For example, if he decided to make a shower tray from cement, which will create an increased load on the floors.
If you want to install or demolish a partition between the toilet and the bathroom, then this will already be considered a redevelopment, which must be legalized.
Selecting a layout
The location of the niche in the apartment directly influences how the design of a dressing room from a storage room in your Khrushchev-era apartment will look. The space of options here is narrowed to the limit: most often it is either placed in a passage room and adjacent to the neighboring apartment, or is formed at the very end of the corridor. Which location is more convenient is up to you to decide, because you can get the maximum benefit from both cases. If, of course, you choose the optimal layout according to the shape.
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If a linear layout is most often chosen forcedly due to the very small dimensions of the pantry, then the U-shaped and parallel ones are actualized mainly in cases where you have at least 3 square meters of usable area at your disposal.
Types of storage systems
Even the most practical configuration can be ruined if you choose a wardrobe storage system that is not quite suitable for it. Which one to choose?
Hull
Made according to an individual project in full accordance with your dimensions. It is also quite easy to assemble it yourself by ordering a cut (as we showed in the example with a homemade screen for a battery) - this will significantly save money. A cabinet storage system is best suited for use if there is enough space, as it consists of fairly massive compartments with a large number of drawers and shelves.
Mesh
A much more compact and generally lightweight and versatile design that fits perfectly into very modest dressing rooms. Unlike other types of storage systems, it is made of metal. The base is fixed to the wall, and all elements included in the system are fixed to it with hooks and brackets.
Look how well this system saves space. In the photo the room is 1.35 by 1.55 meters with a depth of 40 to 60 cm in the center.
The big advantage of this particular option is the possibility of modification. At any time, you can rehang the shelves with baskets, add more elements and expand the capacity, or, conversely, remove unnecessary ones.
Frame
A system similar to a mesh system: here, metal racks are also first fixed. They are connected to each other by horizontal rods, and all the necessary racks are mounted on them. The space is not cluttered with unnecessary shelves, and if in practice it turns out that many sectors are not used, then they can be dismantled in no time.
The photo shows an option for a cozy frame dressing room instead of a storage room in a room 1.40 by 1.15 meters.
Useful tips for arrangement
In every dressing room, even the smallest one, you can distinguish active and passive zones. Of course, access to the area where frequently used items are stored should be made easier. It is optimal when the shelves and linen drawers are at a height of about a meter from the floor level, and the bar for outerwear is up to 2 meters.
If the width of the dressing room is more than 1 meter, it is advisable to arrange the filling along two adjacent walls, and in its very depth, install a bar for outerwear on the entire wall. Option for a very small room 0.87 by 1.1 meters.
The project on which the model of the future storage system is assembled must reflect all the elements and mark the dimensions. An example of a real project on paper.
And his living embodiment.
Since there are no windows in the pantry by default, take care of quality lighting. The brightness should be enough to illuminate all elements of the dressing room without exception. If you can’t organize such light, then you can use spot lighting.
The photo clearly shows that even one bright lamp is enough to uniformly illuminate a room of 2.4×1.16 meters.
If your budget allows, then you can style your dressing room as such a huge pencil case. It's comfortable and looks very modern.
Or design a classic swing-type door like this.
Instead of boxes, you can use these spacious bags to save space. It turns out not only to increase the area of the room, but also to decorate it beautifully.
A concept can be created from scratch. It is enough just to maintain the design in a single key and observe the laws of symmetry.
Cozy dressing room built into the bedroom. Would you think that behind the mirror there is a “secret room”?
Everything ingenious is simple. The owners of this Khrushchev-era building abandoned the doors, opting for thick, luxurious curtains. The result is not just a comfortable dressing room, where everything is neatly laid out on shelves, but an ideal continuation of the bedroom.
The mezzanines were dismantled
Mezzanine cabinets, which are often found in standard series houses of the 70s, can be installed and dismantled without permits. They are not displayed on the floor plans of the Bureau of Technical Inventory (BTI, it keeps records of the technical condition of real estate).
But if we are talking about mezzanines, which add an additional floor to the apartment, or rather even a “half-floor,” then we cannot do without approvals. Such horizontal partitions are usually thought out in small apartments with high ceilings. For example, to organize a sleeping area under the ceiling.
According to Moscow legislation, the mezzanine should not occupy more than 40% of the area of the room in which it is being built. If you do not violate this condition, you can submit documents for approval.
