Exclusive design solutions
To increase the space, you can demolish the walls between the kitchen or hallway, making a more spacious studio, or add a balcony or loggia.
But in the second case, insulation of the newfound area will be required, and in any case the redevelopment will have to be legalized.
If you don’t want to deal with complex and tedious coordination, you can use small tricks that will help you find a little extra space:
- A small modular wall will replace the huge cabinets that were in fashion in the late 90s, and a sliding wardrobe will save space for opening hinged doors.
- A folding sofa will replace a bulky bed.
- The window sill will provide additional opportunities; on it you can place a workplace, a dressing table, or create a place to store toys or small items.
- The usual chandelier will be replaced by built-in lamps located along the perimeter of the ceiling. If you choose a multi-key switch for them, you can illuminate only certain areas of the room, leaving all others in relative shadow.
- In a large area, they use division into separate rooms, highlighting a bedroom or office. But instead of solid walls, light partitions made of curtains, folding screens, and plasterboard are installed. In this case, the area of the resulting premises must be more than 10 square meters.
Lighting secrets
With the help of proper lighting, even geometric errors in the room can be corrected. If you need to visually expand the space, then it is better to use devices with bright lamps in the design. If you direct the light of lamps, including spotlights, upward, they will “raise” the ceiling, it will seem higher.
Don’t forget about lighting, which should be not just a lot, but a lot.
Lighting by zones must necessarily combine the main light source (chandelier) and spotlights. General lighting can be a little muted, secondary lighting should be brighter, as they are intended to illuminate work areas.
In the sleeping area, the lighting can be dim and soft. If you like to read, you can hang a brighter light source on the bedside table or above your head.
It is advisable not to limit yourself to one lamp, but to purchase several lamps that will need to be placed in different functional areas.
In the bathroom, the main light is provided by halogen lamps, and the dressing mirror can be additionally illuminated.
In the hallway, the lighting should be general and bright, so that it is convenient to undress and dress, and fix your makeup before going out. If the room is small and narrow, you can add spotlights.
When there is a lot of bright light, the room visually appears larger.
See also: Methods of decorating a staircase in a private house
Color scheme for a modern apartment
In a one-room apartment, it is better to use calm colors that do not cause irritation and optically enlarge the space.
The best solutions remain:
- All tones related to the white range (silver, milky, pearl, creamy, light sand, champagne, ivory);
- Light gray shades give the room additional elegance;
- Cream tones that fill the room with coziness;
- Beige shades, although they are gradually going out of fashion.
An unusual design will be created by:
- Soft lilac;
- Exquisite lilac;
- Delicate light green and blue tones.
At the same time, the color of the finish should be in harmony with the furniture, creating a feeling of thoughtfulness and integrity.
The use of brighter colors is intended to attract attention to a certain area or highlight functional areas.
Details
This small apartment in a new building is temporary housing for a family of 4 people. Therefore, the task for the designers was not easy: to organize on 45 square meters not only a comfortable kitchen and bathroom, but also a sufficient number of sleeping places.
To increase the usable area, the authors of the project reduced the hallway and dismantled part of the wall between the kitchen and the room. The parents' bedroom was placed closer to the window and isolated using a partition: on one side there is a built-in wardrobe, on the other there is a wall for the TV.
Along one of the walls there was a sofa bed for children. The living room turned out to be a walk-through, but at the same time comfortable.
Practical, wear-resistant materials were used in the finishing: high-quality laminate and porcelain stoneware were chosen for the floor, and mostly paint and decorative plaster were used on the walls. It was its bright turquoise color and wave-like pattern that became the accent and central element in the interior.
The bulk of things are stored in closets in the hallway and bedroom. A shelf was provided for books - it also serves as the basis for a desktop. What definitely won’t be a problem is the placement of dishes and household supplies - the kitchen set is large and roomy.
“Most of the furniture was made according to our drawings, with the exception of a dining table and an IKEA chair. Since we already had a turquoise accent in the wall design, the upholstery and paint for the furniture were neutral gray and beige colors,” say the designers.
The marine theme was supported by decor. A composition with fish and water lily leaves was placed at the head of the bed. For the kitchen, we selected a lamp with shell-like details. The finishing touch is textiles that are pleasant to the touch; it immediately makes you feel more comfortable.
Apartment interior styles
In a one-room apartment, it is worth using styles that allow you to make the most of the available space.
The best options would be:
- Cozy minimalism;
- Light Scandinavian;
- Practical high-tech;
- Solemn neoclassicism.
An original industrial loft or elegant Provence will create an unusual atmosphere, but they require a fairly large area.
For those who do not want to delve into the intricacies of design, you can use a modern style that does not require special knowledge.
Design project for a one-room apartment
If you plan to complete the design project on your own, you will have to stock up on sheets of paper, colored pencils or pens. Different colors will help identify rigidly fixed objects (sink, stove, bathtub or shower stall) and things that can be moved to another place.
And things that do not fit into the allotted space will have to be discarded or replaced with transformable objects.
At this stage, it is important to write down everything you will need for life, from bulky refrigerators and cabinets to light chairs and ottomans. All this stuff is planned in strict accordance with the size of the room and furniture.
When the furniture arrangement is completed, you can begin choosing finishing materials.
What can you do with the bathroom?
The toilet and bathroom in Khrushchev-era buildings are also not large in size. But space can be used sparingly:
- You can place a cabinet for household chemicals or towels above a horizontal-loading washing machine.
- Instead of a regular radiator, install a heated towel rail: it takes up less space and you can dry more things at the same time.
- Instead of a mirror above the sink, hang a cabinet with mirrored doors.
- Instead of a bathtub, install a shower stall.
- Combine the bathroom and toilet into one room (provided that no more than two people live in the apartment).
Floor finishing
Laminate is still considered the best floor finish. It is different:
- Cute appearance;
- Quite low cost;
- Easy to install and maintain.
The material is quite environmentally friendly and durable.
Expensive materials include luxurious parquet flooring and surprisingly useful cork.
It is better not to use synthetic linoleum or vinyl flooring in a room, as non-ecological materials will have a negative impact on the health of its inhabitants.
In damp places (entrance area, kitchen, bathroom), it is better to use materials that are more water-resistant: floor tiles or porcelain stoneware. This requirement is especially relevant for the bathroom.
Wall decoration
There are practically no restrictions here. Can be used:
- Wallpaper;
- Paint;
- Decorative and simple plaster.
In difficult places where walls are subject to increased load (hallway, work area, kitchens, bathroom), the most durable materials are used:
- Tile;
- Fiberglass.
To create an original design, accent walls from:
- Laminate;
- Natural or decorative stone;
- Wooden panels;
- Brick;
- Photo wallpaper.
But these methods of attracting attention must be used very carefully; sometimes they make the room too heavy.
Features of one-room apartments
Regardless of the layout and area of the room, several basic requirements must be met:
- Make the top of the room lighter than the rest of the surfaces. The ceiling should always be white.
- Use built-in or folding furniture; custom-made furniture is possible.
- When purchasing a studio or after demolishing walls, use functional partitions (shelves or cabinets) for zoning.
It is imperative to take into account the shape of the room when choosing furniture: elongated and long furniture must remain light.
Ceiling finishing
A suspended ceiling is best suited for finishing a ceiling slab. He:
- Creates a perfectly flat surface;
- Characterized by durability and strength;
- Quickly installed;
- Suitable for any design;
- Combines well with other types of finishes.
More common materials are used:
- Wallpaper;
- Dye;
- Whitewash;
- Plaster.
You shouldn’t heavily load the ceiling with drawings; the best option is a clean canvas without images. In a large room, you can use a two-level design to highlight a relaxation area or living room.
Kitchen decoration
If the apartment is in a new building, then redevelopment can be done without any problems. The most suitable option is a studio. Here, the element dividing the space can be a bar counter. Also serves as a dining table. Or additionally install a transforming table in the kitchen. It can serve as an element for eating or, when folded, as a coffee table.
The apartment should contain furniture that you really need.
The kitchen set can be placed either along one wall, if the size of the room allows, or along 2 walls. The window sill will be a great addition to the tabletop; it can be made of the same material. The oven is placed at eye level, the microwave oven is slightly higher, and a “dishwasher” or washing machine fits perfectly below.
You can make several narrow drawers for small items under the window sill, or use it as a tabletop.
See alsoBleached oak in the interior: color solutions, photos
Furniture for a one-room apartment
For a one-room apartment, transformable, built-in or folding furniture would be an ideal option:
- Sofa bed with linen box;
- Mobile console for laptop;
- Folding tables in the kitchen and in the room:
- Modular walls and sofa.
If you have a large number of things and kitchen utensils, use the highest possible cabinets. A good option for placing rarely used items would be mezzanines above the front door, pencil cases behind the doors, and furniture frames near the window.
Storage system
Competent interior design of a one-room apartment implies a multifunctional storage system. In new houses, the balcony is no longer relevant; it is connected to a common room. In old houses this is more difficult, so all that remains is to insulate it and store common items there.
A balcony is not suitable for storing clothes, as foreign odors and dampness can penetrate.
A significant advantage of older houses is the presence of a storage room. There you can equip a spacious closet for clothes and shoes.
If there is no pantry, then when planning renovation work you need to determine exactly where the dressing room will be.
Hinged doors are undesirable, it is better in the form of a coupe. To make the space look visually larger, doors or partitions can be glass. Corner furniture elements take up less space than standard ones, so they are preferable.
In a small room, floating or translucent furniture will look lighter than full-fledged and massive furniture.
If the width of the hallway is more than 300-350 cm, then a storage system can be built there. It is better to make a cabinet to order so that it fits perfectly into the interior and has the most convenient height and width.
It is advisable to give preference to options for cabinets with mirrors.
See alsoDoors in the interior: choice of color, shape and type of construction
Electrical wiring
Once all the furnishings have found their place on the room plan, you can begin creating the appropriate electrical wiring.
It is important to provide large household appliances with their own sources of electricity: TV, home computer, refrigerator, microwave oven, kettle.
Additional sockets will be needed near the sofa or chair in the seating area.
Some tips
And finally, three important tips. Not worth it:
- Rely on your memory and keep in mind diagrams of finishing materials, furniture placement, sockets and switches. There's paper for that.
- Strongly trust furniture and finishing materials catalogs. In real life, objects may appear to have a completely different color and texture.
- Believe that the repairs will cost the amount calculated at the initial stage. Additionally, it is better to set aside 15-20% for unforeseen expenses.
