Broken line: non-standard apartment layout 72 m²
Architects from the Shkaf Architects studio built a 72 m² labyrinth of curved walls, mirrors and partitions, which housed a living room, a kitchen, a bedroom, an office, a dressing room and two whole bathrooms
Type of property: apartment in a modern multi-storey building
Footage: 72.3 m²
Place: Moscow
Style: modern
The main idea of the project: “to create a spacious apartment with many functional areas”
Color range: dark blue + white
Authors of the project: Shkaf Architects bureau, www.shkaf-architects.com
A few words about the apartment and its owners
This apartment in the city of Sochi had a truly non-standard polygonal layout with two internal corners: one acute and one obtuse, fitting into a total area of 64 square meters. A professional designer, Anastasia Danilyuk, took on the task of making the complex configuration functional and attractive. She was not afraid of long and painstaking work; as a result, she added a new successful project to her portfolio.
The owners of the apartment are a married couple with adult children who previously lived abroad: the daughter worked for a long time in China and the UAE (Dubai), the son recently graduated from school in Russia and, following in his sister’s footsteps, also went to China to get an education. Now the relatives are reunited under one roof, the coziness and comfort of which was given by design innovations manifested in the eclectic interior with Scandinavian and Provencal echoes. People have been living in such an interior for a year now, and they still thank the designer of their apartment with pleasant reviews. For clarity, you can compare this design project to the one that was created for a family with four children, where wood and white color also predominate.
Design project for an apartment with a total area of 64 square meters with a non-standard polygonal layout with acute and obtuse angles
What do owners of irregularly shaped premises face?
1.
This is always a loss of precious meters.
It seems like you paid for them, but you can’t really use them. 2.
An asymmetrical room means difficulties in finding furniture. Arranging standard furniture in such a room is problematic. If the room is irregular in shape and not very large (within 20 sq.m.), any volumetric object with right angles will emphasize its irregular configuration.
3.
Compare, for example, the option with a wardrobe in the bedroom in this and the next photo: if you are a perfectionist, an extra emphasis on the irregularity of the room will only be an eyesore. Premises of irregular shape, and even poorly furnished, can negatively affect a person’s psychological state.
4.
Designing an irregularly shaped room is always a choice of “lesser evils.” If there are almost no right angles in the room, then large furniture can be placed only in the center along one of the walls (for example, a bed in the bedroom or a sofa in the living room). This greatly limits the choice of ergonomic planning solutions.
5.
You will have to order furniture with individual parameters, and it costs at least 30 percent more than standard furniture.
Fact: some irregularities are not a drawback at all, but, on the contrary, a finding of room. Agree, you could fall in love with the apartment and buy it, for example, because of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the bay window area. When the irregularity is desired and you know how to work with it (you have a couple of planning solutions in your head for such a situation) - there are no problems. In this article, we will deal more with unwanted irregularities and how to fix them.
Main color nuances: shades of binary black and white plus delicate “wooden” notes
The palette of the apartment with a corner was chosen to be much more soft, sophisticated and truly homely. The basic colors were classic shades of black and white, appearing in one version or another, sometimes turning into a gray scale, as well as soft, almost pastel nuances of natural wood of different species with warm and cold undertones. Another noble representatives were chosen as auxiliary colors: sky blue in combination with bright blue, as well as a complex but multifaceted yellow-mustard color.
Black plus white
, as well as their derivative mixes - classics, base, we can say that this is a win-win option in any of its richness, which does not require support at all. Gray shades love gold very much, as in the “GRAY & GOLD” design project.
Wood shades
They give exquisite visual perception: it depends, first of all, on the light flux falling on it, which, when absorbed, acquires a different spectral composition.
Interior design of an apartment using a basic black and white palette: corridor in gray and snow-white tones
Apartment interior using wood shades as a hallmark of the Scandinavian direction
Nuances of blue
- always change the atmosphere in the interior, filling it with calm, cleanliness and expressiveness. Blue and bright indigo tones show the nobility of the owners and their refined taste
A bright blue sofa in the interior of a city apartment looks expensive, interesting and very stylish.
Mustard palette
- a rich, deep range with an admixture of yellow and having a somewhat earthy undertone always attracts attention with its complex component. Colors like these are unique, energetic and stimulating.
A mustard ottoman in the bedroom “works perfectly” paired with ikebana, wood and blue in an eclectic interior
“Try on” the layout before purchasing an apartment
If you are just looking at your future apartment, carefully study its layout. At first glance, it may seem that there is no problem at all. The details on a plan are usually not visible to a non-specialist. But then the discomfort in the new bedroom with rounded walls, in the living room with oblique corners and in the small kitchen, half of which is occupied by a ventilation shaft, will become acutely noticeable only after purchasing an apartment, renovating and moving.
Advice:
Study the developer’s standard layouts - they are often posted on websites, not only plans, but even interior renderings. A good developer always gives you the opportunity to dream about what your apartment will be like. So dream, just approach it from a practical point of view.
“Winged” lighting and amazingly selected decor
“Singing” chandeliers and sconces leave a lasting impression. Looking at the lighting fixtures, decorated with winged beauties, you get the feeling that somewhere overhead, birds are about to sing, having landed somewhere on the roof of a country house, and not at all in an urban dwelling.
Decor in Provence style: a sconce on the wall with a sophisticated white bird, a delicate flower on the bedside table and a wicker basket
The interior of an apartment with Provence style decor: yellow ikebana in a glass vase, kissing porcelain deer in white and a portrait image of a girl at sea
In general, the apartment is masterfully decorated with French paraphernalia in the Provence style. These are not only lamps with white birds, which are considered the highlight of a design project. There are also photographs in laconic frames, present in several places in the housing; live plants in every room, “including” dried ikebana. And also a painting of a still life in muted colors hanging in the living-dining room; a cockerel on the bar counter and cozy porcelain jars in the kitchen, wicker baskets and figurines of cute white fawns in the bedroom next to a drawing of a girl at the sea enjoying nature. You can note the beautiful yellow-mustard pillows on the blue sofa and paired with them in approximately the same shade, an ottoman-banquette tied with a rope rope.
Living-dining room with decor in Provence style: still life in desaturated colors, a chandelier with three white birds and a twig in a vase on the table
Protrusions, ventilation, ducts and pylons in residential premises
The apartment may have additional protruding corners (straight angles), which were caused by pylons or ventilation ducts. They tend to break the symmetry of the room. They will have to be beaten, which will greatly complicate the search for the right planning solution. If they are not used in any way, they will definitely create a feeling of discomfort. In addition, the joints of materials on protrusions are often sloppy, and the wear of materials is greater than on flat planes or on internal corners.
Furniture as an important element of the interior
The photo immediately shows the extraordinary lightness and freshness that was achieved in the apartment thanks to Scandinavian furniture. If you look closely, you will notice: all the exhibits belong to the northern direction with their own distinctive features - ergonomics and extreme ease of use: a light gray kitchen set of a simple shape with glass cabinets on top, a small rectangular table with chairs on thin legs, a simple bright blue sofa , a strict bed with a high square back and other objects in their rectilinear geometry without smooth winding lines. The apartment has a sense of space thanks to the furniture palette, which contains many shades of wood mixed with gray and beige, and, of course, the favorite color white, which is the hallmark of the Scandinavian style.
A bed and bedside tables in a simple Scandinavian style perfectly complement an apartment with a complex polygonal layout
Approaches and design techniques when planning irregularly shaped rooms
1. Redesign the space
It’s better to have a crooked corridor than to try to arrange the furniture in the bedroom “in a twisted way.” You can redraw the interior space by moving, installing/dismantling, and even building up walls. Irregularities are straightened out due to transition zones: the rooms become more regular, and the corridor, hall or dressing room takes on an awkward shape (as in the previous photo).
2. Combine rooms
Another constructive way is to combine rooms. The larger the room ends up being, the less obvious the imperfections in its shape will be. Uneven walls in a large room attract attention differently than in a small one. It is better to think through the zoning of space in such a way as to “tear off” the furniture from the walls and group it according to functional zones.
3. Try to smooth out the corners
Umbrellas can be smoothed out using chamfers. “Extra” walls, of course, will remain, but neat decor will reduce the degree of tension, and the aggressiveness of the inner corner will go away. Notice how the columns in the corner are designed in the photo of this asymmetrical room.
4. Create an island of symmetry
If it is not possible to “move” the walls, you can hide the problem by strategically placing furniture. For example, how to arrange an irregularly shaped bedroom? Create an “island of symmetry” around the main piece of furniture. At the same time, it is advisable to make other items in pairs, as in the example in the photo: you are unlikely to have noticed the bevel in the area of the door.
5. Exaggerate asymmetry
The main thing can be either the largest item or the most interesting. It may not be furniture at all, but a piece of art, a musical instrument, or an architectural element, such as a window or niche. As in the previous example, we build a composition around them, symmetrical or not. In the example in the photo, the recessed window opening acts as a “frame” for the composition with an armchair and a floor lamp.
6. Organize built-in storage
This advice especially applies to irregularly shaped bathrooms. You can fit a built-in wardrobe or washing machine into the existing niche. Organizing a built-in storage system or “technical corner” is another way to visually align the space.
7. Use custom furniture
You can take the curvature of the room as a given and arrange “spatial features” in an original way. The design of round rooms is especially complex in terms of configuration. Standard furniture in a room with a radius or triangular plan will not fit along the walls: most often you will have to make furniture to order.
Important:
The lion's share of success depends on the quality of the measurements: whether the pipes and radiators were taken into account, whether there was a mistake of a couple of millimeters when measuring the dimensions of the room. Have you taken into account the thickness of the walls, the rise of the floor and the height of the room after finishing? If not, the item ordered “to measure” may simply not be included.
8. Paint the walls and ceiling the same tone
An uneven wall in the attic cannot be corrected structurally. In this case, the best strategy is to combine surfaces that form an unpleasant angle with the help of color or pattern.
There are plenty of solutions on how to fix a bad layout. The interior of irregularly shaped rooms can be made very interesting. But the main thing is your personal perception of space. Make a conscious choice to go for or against an irregular shape. Weigh the pros and cons - both aesthetically and financially. And only then look for planning solutions that are suitable specifically for you.
Zoning and interior design of a living room-bedroom in one room
Not every family can boast of an apartment or house with three or more rooms, where almost every family member has their own living space.
Often young families are forced to purchase a one- or two-room apartment in order to start an independent life.
In a small apartment, one of the rooms has to combine several functions at once, using every centimeter of space. This combination is often a small living room-bedroom.
How to combine two completely different functions in one space?
After all, the living room is a public place, and the bedroom is quite intimate and individual. Let's consider several options for zoning the living room and bedroom in one space.
Dividing a room into a living room and a bedroom using a partition
If the area of the hall exceeds 20 sq.m., then the room can be divided into zones using a partition.
A structure made of plasterboard, wood and other materials with various niches, shelves, and lighting will serve as a partition. A partition can “split” the space into two independent rooms, or only partially hide one zone from another, acting as a screen.
It is better to place an impromptu bedroom in the far part of the room, so that the area is a passageway. Whether the sleeping area will have natural light or artificial light depends on the layout of the living room: is it stretched along the window, or is the window located in the far narrow part; where is the door located and does the room have a niche.
Rooms with niches, popularly called semi-detached rooms, are ideal for placing a bedroom in it. As a rule, its width is enough to install a bed, and you can isolate the area from the living room in various ways.
The glass partition will provide the “bedroom” with natural light, and at the same time isolates it from prying eyes.
As a dividing partition, you can use ordinary textiles in the form of curtains. When extended, the room does not lose its original size; if necessary, the sleeping area can be hidden behind a curtain.
A cabinet installed across the room can serve as a partition. Many people probably remember similar zoning from their childhood, when a closet divided the bedroom into children’s and parent’s areas.
Sleeping area (polygon - asymmetrical trapezoid)
On the left side of the lower part of the apartment (see the layout drawing), where there was an obtuse angle, it was decided to create an office combined with a guest area. Thus, the room turned out to be in the form of a “house falling on its side.” Its advantages: three right angles and two internal obtuse ones, which do not in any way worsen the appearance of the area, but even add an interesting derivative to the space.
A sharp corner remains at the top of the complex polygonal apartment. The designer dealt with this problem more than adequately, erecting just one additional wall at a right angle to level out the load on the future arrangement of furniture inside the triangular room from which the dressing room was made. After installing a full-wall cabinet, the sharp corner became less noticeable and is now practically invisible.
This created a master bedroom with a polygonal configuration, which looks like two rooms connected at an angle of 90 degrees. As a result, the room became the owner of four right angles, as in the classic layout, and two more obtuse ones: internal and external.
Part of a polygonal bedroom in an apartment: a flat, elongated mirror always increases the area and makes the room more spacious
Vertical zoning
The interior of the bedroom-living room can be done in a completely unexpected way, using vertical zoning of space: placing a sleeping place under the ceiling, arranging a comfortable and wide bed, a kind of chill-out.
Here you can relax not only at night, but also lie down during the day with an interesting book or listen to your favorite music, wearing headphones, without creating discomfort for the rest of the family. True, this option is only suitable for rooms with high ceilings.
Using an elevator mechanism, designers, in collaboration with constructors, came up with a bed that is located right under the ceiling during the daytime, and at the right time is lowered “from heaven to earth.” This is just a godsend for small apartments with a living room of 16 square meters. m.
“Under the bed” is a perfect place for a workplace or relaxation area. Thus, you can save every centimeter of usable area and use the space one hundred percent. You can control the lifting and lowering mechanism using the remote control, which you will agree is very convenient.
A backlight is often installed at the bottom of the bed, which illuminates the space under the structure when it is raised up. The disadvantage of this system is the high price. But sometimes it is much easier to buy an expensive mechanism than a new, more spacious apartment.
Eclectic style: comfortable Scandinavian + sophisticated French Provence
In an apartment with such a complex layout, when one of the rooms has an acute angle, it was necessary to choose the right not only the location of the partitions, but also make the right calculations on the style. It was in order to smooth out the harshness that the designer chose an eclectic option that combines two skillful trends at the same time: French Provence and balanced Scandinavian. The interior turned out to be bright, cozy and sophisticated, but at the same time quite simple.
Scandinavian
(
main direction, base)
- a universal and light interior style, suitable for any type of housing. It is quite classic, simple and laconic. One of its main features is functionality and love for a light palette. In this apartment with a complex polygonal layout with acute and obtuse angles, the prevalence of the Scandinavian direction came in handy.
Provence (auxiliary direction, detailing)
- a cozy, elegant and at the same time very homely style that came from the French provinces; you can call it country-style, only more romantic and charming. If you look at the finished design project of the apartment, you will immediately feel spirituality and notes of rustic freedom: as if there is silence, birds and a bright, clear sky all around.
Scandinavian style in the kitchen with a bar counter and panoramic glazing is always appropriate for urban housing
Provence in the kitchen from the other side: cockerels, bouquets of dried flowers and several chalk notes add coziness
