How to survive in an apartment with a tiny or non-existent hallway

General rules

Strictly according to the standards.

It would seem that an open-plan apartment allows you to create the home of your dreams. But in reality this is not entirely true. Any changes affecting the floor plan of the BTI (up to the installation of sockets) require approval. When designing a corridor, it is necessary to take into account the basic requirements for residential premises set out in SNiP 31-01-2003 and SanPiN 2.1.2.2645-10, otherwise the project will not be approved.

The lack of light in the corridor can be compensated for by additional lamps, doors with glass inserts or interior windows (for example, between the living room and the corridor or between the living room and the kitchen). Some of the walls can be made of glass blocks.

In the photo: TRANSPARENT PICT® glass block from FRED & FRED.

Don't make a corridor with a window.

Otherwise, you will deprive one of the living rooms of natural light, which is prohibited by SanPiN 2.2.1/2.1.1.1278-03.

Much depends on the bathroom and kitchen.

In apartment buildings, the locations of the kitchen and bathroom are strictly defined, and no one will radically allow you to move them. Therefore, the location of the corridor will have to be “adjusted” to suit them.

Furniture and furnishings

It’s not easy to choose furniture for the hallway, and if it’s also tiny, then this becomes a real problem. In such a place you feel uncomfortable and uncomfortable, especially if someone else stands next to you. Let's see what furniture options are suitable for a small room.

Open storage systems

Open storage systems without doors are called open storage systems. Not everyone thinks this is beautiful, although probably not everyone knows how to use such shelves correctly.

In open structures, it is appropriate to store small items in boxes or baskets, which take on the function of drawers, but are more decorative.

There may be several shelves, but for some, one, but spacious one, is enough. A more thoughtful storage system includes several shelves with drawers

The hanger also belongs to the open type of storage. The design of this item can be so amazing that it will become the highlight of the corridor.

Hats are traditionally stored at the top, shoes at the bottom, and it’s good when the shelves are from the same furniture ensemble

Wardrobes

A practical approach to business gave rise to sliding wardrobes: due to a moving door rather than a hinged one, such furniture does not interfere with the room and looks great.

A sliding wardrobe can occupy the entire wall, being part of a set. Unfortunately, not all hallways allow you to accommodate such comfortable pieces of furniture.

For small-sized storage systems, shelves are often placed at an angle, which significantly saves space

A separate small wardrobe will serve its purpose well if there is space inside for shoes and hats

Dimensions

The width is at least 1 meter.

This standard is related to fire safety and is specified in clause 4.3.4. SP 1.13130.2009. However, there are still a number of nuances that need to be taken into account:

  • If the doors are located on one side of the corridor or on both sides in a checkerboard pattern and at the same time open into the corridor, then its minimum width should be equal to the width of the freely opening door plus 50–80 cm.
  • If the doors are opposite each other and at the same time open into the corridor, then its width should be such that when opening they do not touch and free passage is ensured even with the doors open.
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On the picture:

Sliding interior doors will help save on the width of the corridor and will not “eat up” extra meters in the room.

Percentage.

Previously, a layout in which the area of ​​living rooms accounted for about 60% of the total was considered normal for typical housing. For example, in a one-room apartment with an area of ​​40 square meters. m room should have occupied about 22 square meters. m. But today this idea of ​​housing is outdated. The quality of housing is largely determined by the area of ​​auxiliary premises - they create a feeling of spaciousness. In a modern one-room business class apartment with an area of ​​more than 60 sq. m only the kitchen occupies 15 sq. m. m. Even more is in the hall, corridors, and bathrooms. And an open-plan apartment with an area of ​​100 sq. m can have a living room area of ​​only 45-48 sq.m, and this will be quite enough.

The maximum width is determined arbitrarily.

The main thing is not to the detriment of the living rooms and kitchen. According to clause 5.7. SNiP 01/31/2003, in a one-room apartment the minimum room area is 14 sq.m., in a two-room apartment - 16 and 8 sq.m. m., kitchen - 8 sq. m., kitchen area in the kitchen-dining room - 6 sq.m.

Corridor functions

The border between private and public areas.

Their clear separation is one of the requirements of “competent” design. The corridor can just serve as a border.

Border between rooms.

If all the rooms in the apartment are isolated, one of the common layout options is to place a corridor along a blank wall, and the exits from the rooms are on the opposite side.

Leads to the “wet zone”.

One of the typical layouts is when the corridor leads towards the kitchen and bathroom and/or towards the sleeping area.

Let's do without corridors

Hall instead of corridor.

With this layout, the hallway smoothly transitions into a hall, from which several doors lead to different rooms. This technique will allow you to abandon the corridor and at the same time have rooms isolated from each other.

Studio apartment.

In fact, this is an apartment without a corridor. Refusal of partitions has an undeniable advantage - an increase in living space. However, the corridor function will not go away. It will be carried out by so-called movement zones. The space required to pass from the door to the window and walk around the bed, even in such an apartment, should be left free.

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Even if you demolished all the walls and turned the apartment into a studio, do not block the passage from the hallway to other areas of the apartment with furniture.

How to survive in an apartment with a tiny or non-existent hallway

Let's be realistic. To think that in our climate you can do without a specially organized hallway is a utopia. If the space in the hallway is negligible or it simply doesn’t exist, and the front door opens directly into the living room or kitchen or bathroom, it is necessary to allocate and arrange a place where you can remove, hang, put, put...

The hallway is a room of strategic importance. The cleanliness of the apartment and the duration of our preparations before going out depend on its layout. And it is in the hallway that our home begins; this is where guests get their first impression of it. How to make this little area overloaded with things comfortable, neat and pleasant in all respects?

Minimum Required

The only way to maintain order is to find convenient places for at least the basic types of things. Regardless of the layout and area at the entrance to the apartment, it is advisable to place: • a hanger for outerwear, where you can simultaneously attach two or three things for each family member; • a shoe shoe and a corner where you can leave dirty wet shoes; • a shelf, drawer or storage basket scarves, hats, gloves;• a shelf for keys and other small items; • a table or console for packages and bags, because people rarely come into the house empty-handed;

• pouf, chair or bench where it is convenient to put on or take off shoes.

Set boundaries

A door carpet with coarse bristles on a rubber base (pictured) is an indispensable thing in the interior of a hallway, especially in the autumn-winter period.

Almost every apartment has a similar rug, but most often it is too small. A guest comes in and stands rooted to the spot, afraid of getting the floor dirty. To make it more comfortable for both visitors and household members, lay out a larger carpet so that it is enough for three to four steps.

In apartments where, in principle, there is no hallway, a rug is doubly needed. Not only to retain dirt and moisture, but also to mark the boundaries of the entrance area. You can even lay two carpets: a mat separating the hallway from the studio, and on top a beautiful rubberized rug (as in the photo).

If you are going to make cosmetic repairs (or you are about to have a so-called European-quality renovation), the hallway can be highlighted in other ways, for example, finishing the floor with tiles that are easy to clean.

For clothes

Many people believe that a large closed closet in which they can hide all their things is a real salvation from the clutter in the hallway, and they are sad if there is not enough space for it. Meanwhile, this is far from an ideal option for small spaces: you cannot hang wet clothes in such a closet, which means you will need another hanger. Or a two-in-one design - a combination of an open hanger and a closed wardrobe (example - in the photo).

Much more convenient are small monolithic structures, the design of which combines open and closed sections. This solution uses the entire space from floor to ceiling for storage, which is a huge plus.

Many “finished” hallways provide seating. True, if the down jackets and jackets of all family members are collected on the hanger, there may simply be no place left to sit. You can only put a heavy bag here, which, however, won’t hurt either.

If a monolithic hallway seems too cumbersome, think over the design of the storage system yourself and assemble it from shoe stands, hooks and shelves that are convenient for you.

In apartments where there is no hallway, and you immediately find yourself in the living room combined with the bedroom, a “leg” hanger will help mark the entrance area. True, she is unlikely to cope with the full load alone. Surely you will need additional “power”: several hooks on the wall, a wall hanger or even a small cabinet-column.

For shoes

The boots and shoes we wear from the street can be so dirty that you can’t hide them in a shoebox or a closet. So they remain standing on the mat. If a large family lives in the apartment, the floor near the front door is often covered with shoes of different sizes. And this only adds fuel to the fire - the hallway seems even smaller and cluttered.

It is useless to fight the natural course of things, but we can try to correct the situation. A cluster of leaking shoes will look neater if you place them in trays with low sides (they come in different sizes and shapes). By the way, washing such pallets is not at all difficult. To prevent your shoes from standing in a muddy puddle, we suggest filling the tray with pebbles brought from the sea.

Another option is to introduce multi-tiered shoe stands; perhaps they will take root in your apartment.

Pushing the limits

Consider whether you can leave shoes outside the door. In houses with closed vestibules, residents often make use of the common space: they not only store bicycles there, but also install bulky cabinets. If this is customary in your home, then why not get a shoe rack and take off your shoes before entering the apartment? The hallway will become a little freer, and the home will be noticeably cleaner.

For accessories

Scarves, hats, gloves, mittens, umbrellas and other accessories take up much more space than we think and terribly clutter up scarce space. It is necessary to find a convenient way to store these things in the hallway - do not go to the dressing room or bedroom for a hat. Hanging pockets, an extra row of hooks, special hangers for scarves - look for a convenient option.

Each family member should have, for example, a personal basket for accessories. At a certain point, it will help narrow down the search for the right thing.

Provide a place to store bags. In addition to the door handle, which is always occupied by some kind of burden, you can make additional hooks (as in this picture). Manufacturers understand that owners feel sorry for drilling the door leaf, and offer gentle options - “hooks on a hook”, which are simply hung on the top of the door, self-adhesive holders, etc.

Seat place

Some people believe that there is no need to provide seating in a small hallway. But it is precisely this “excess” that can make the interior of the entrance area truly comfortable.

To kill two birds with one stone, choose seats that can store various things inside. Poufs with a hinged lid, good old chests and even benches are suitable - it’s convenient to put shoes under them.

For little things

If there are no suitable surfaces in the hallway, hang at least a narrow shelf that will take up minimal space. Otherwise, keys, receipts, discount coupons will remain in bags, pockets and will constantly get lost.

The entrance area in an apartment without a hallway can be fenced off with a shelving unit, a chest of drawers or a closet - at the same time, the necessary storage space will appear here.

Unloading

While owners of spacious hallways may well carry out an inspection once a season, owners of mini-versions are forced to review the contents of their hangers much more often, as they fill up. Try to leave on the hanger only those things that you wear every day, put the rest in the dressing room, closet or on the mezzanine.

If you are expecting guests, clear the hanger of your belongings as much as possible. In our apartment, in such cases, a “hallway branch” on the balcony begins to work. For this purpose, we specially keep a “leg” hanger there.

Elena the contemplator

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Elena the contemplator

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