Do you want to say goodbye to the frankly boring interior from the last century and make your Khrushchev “kopeck piece” truly modern? This is quite possible if you completely review the apartment plan and carry out a whole range of work to optimize the usable space.
With the right approach, even a very modest square footage will not become an insurmountable obstacle to creating comfortable housing that fully meets all modern interior standards. And the best way to get inspired to create a successful layout for a 2-room Khrushchev apartment is to study ready-made projects and photos of apartments, the owners of which have already successfully coped with all the hardships of renovation and are quietly reaping the fruits of their labors.
Design Tips
A number of rules that are followed when decorating a room:
- Using reflective shiny coatings you can visually expand the space, make the room larger and taller. A similar effect can be achieved with a glossy stretch ceiling, mirror surfaces and decorative elements with a smooth texture.
- To enlarge the living room, pastel cool colors are suitable. Refreshing blue, blue, green or pink shades will fill the atmosphere with airiness. Stripes in the design of the floor in the form of a simple laminate, dark-colored parquet or carpet will help expand the space.
- You can decorate the room, as well as create the illusion of a spacious room in it, by using correctly selected photo wallpaper with a perspective image or ordinary wallpaper with graphic designs in the form of horizontal or vertical lines.
- To prevent the room from looking too cluttered, the living room in a Khrushchev-era building should be furnished only with the necessary furniture of a compact size.
- As a style solution, it is better to choose discreet directions. For example, neat Scandinavian design, laconic minimalism or futuristic hi-tech are ideal.
The photo shows the design of a living room in a Khrushchev building in the high-tech style.
Changing a three-room apartment
In Khrushchev there are not only one-room and two-room apartments, but also three-room apartments. In such areas, the layout of the rooms is very inconvenient.
This is especially true for the toilet and bathroom.
- Many residents are trying to combine them, as well as add space from the corridor.
- It is better to decorate the resulting combined bathroom in light colors, and also install a shower instead of a bathtub.
- These methods can visually enlarge the room.
It cannot be used to expand the bathroom and bathroom, the area from the room or kitchen.
Layout options
A small living room in a Khrushchev-era apartment remains a walk-through without redevelopment. The arrangement of furniture in such a room should be carried out in such a way that objects do not interfere with free movement and do not block the passage. For a walk-through hall, an excellent solution would be to choose a more restrained style direction and install transformable furniture elements.
In a square room, designers recommend determining in advance where the furniture and decor will be located. It is better if all objects are placed at an equal distance from each other. In a square-shaped living room, there is no need to choose a special place for a furniture set, since its location will not affect the size of the room in any way. The main advantage of this layout is the saving of free space in the center of the room.
In order not to make the rectangular room even more disproportionate and not to lengthen the space, it is not advisable to place furniture near one oblong wall. The interior will look more visually balanced if you use combinations and horizontal divisions in the decoration of the walls. For example, the upper part of the plane is painted, and the lower part is covered with wallpaper with patterns. A warm color palette will help expand the rectangular long hall.
In a one-room panel Khrushchev house, the layout of a studio apartment is also appropriate. In this case, all partitions are demolished and the room is combined with a hallway or kitchen. For those who do not accept radical methods of remodeling the room, you can only partially dismantle the partitions or replace the doors with arches.
The photo shows a remodeled living room in a Khrushchev-era building, combined with a kitchen.
Documents for redevelopment
Many residents, not only in Khrushchev-era buildings, try to remodel their apartments on their own. To do this, you need to prepare the necessary documents so that everything is in accordance with the law, and no problems arise in the future during the sale.
Therefore, you need to think through all this in advance and prepare documents such as:
- Technical passport;
- BTI floor plan;
- Consent from all registered residents in the apartment;
- Property document;
- Application with a detailed description of the redevelopment of the premises;
- A project in which it will be written that everything is safe after the redevelopment.
After you have prepared all the necessary documents, they will be checked by the inspection within 45 days. After which the result will be known.
If it is negative, the client will be able to challenge it in court.
If the answer is positive, then the residents of the apartment must invite a commission to their place after the redevelopment has been carried out to sign the act. The apartment is also measured and officially entered into the technical passport.
In the future, there will be no complaints against you if you plan to sell it.
Hall zoning
Due to the successful zonal delimitation of the living room in the Khrushchev, the design of a room with a modest area becomes functional, comfortable and aesthetically attractive.
Rest zone
This segment includes elements in the form of a comfortable sofa and armchairs, a small coffee or coffee table and a TV. You can highlight and mark the boundaries of the recreation area using finishing materials or decorative details.
In the photo there is a recreation area in a Khrushchev-era apartment, highlighted with patterned gray wallpaper.
Office in the living room of Khrushchev
A work area with a desk, computer desk, chair or armchair is usually equipped near a window. An ergonomic solution would be to choose a corner design with storage systems in the form of hanging shelves and drawers. The window opening in the living room with an office is decorated with transparent curtains and the work area is equipped with additional lighting fixtures. It is appropriate to install a partition, screen or shelving as a zoning element.
Sleeping place in the living room of Khrushchev
It is better to place the place with the bed away from the doorway and separate this segment with a screen, curtains, shelving or plasterboard partition. Another successful zoning option would be the use of different floor coverings or the construction of a podium. Installing sliding systems will help to isolate the sleeping area as much as possible.
Children's area in the Khrushchev hall
It is appropriate to use not too noticeable zoning, for example, lighting, color or furniture items. In a one-room apartment in Khrushchev, the children's area can be separated by a screen, curtains, or divided by a sliding partition. In this way, it will be possible to create a comfortable individual space for both the child and the parents.
The photo shows the interior of a room in a Khrushchev-era building divided into a hall and a children's area.
Dinner Zone
In the interior of a living room in Khrushchev, a dining area with a table and chairs is placed near the window or taken out onto the attached balcony. In order to highlight the dining area, you can choose lighting, contrasting finishes or a multi-level ceiling.
A stylish, effective and modern solution for a small room is a bar counter, which will perfectly replace a dining table and save space in the room.
Zoning the living room in Khrushchev
To make a small living room truly comfortable and functional, you cannot do without zoning. But the choice of solutions for Khrushchev is not so great, because partitions, massive cabinets, voluminous curtains and even sliding screens take up space.
— The simplest way of zoning is island arrangement of furniture. A sofa corner with a TV and bookshelves is separate, a work area is separate, a green corner is separate.
— Local illumination is the tool just for you. Make independent lighting of individual zones, and it will itself indicate their boundaries.
— Combine different colors and use accents: a rug near the sofa, one bright wall on a neutral background, textile decoration.
— A radical solution is to demolish walls or partitions. Most often, living rooms in Khrushchev are combined with a balcony or kitchen. Just keep in mind that in the first case you will need high-quality thermal insulation, and in the second - exhaust hood and ventilation.
— If you want to leave a plasterboard partition or podium, use them for business. You can build niches, drawers, drawers or entire modern storage systems there.
Living room colors
A color palette, which has its own aesthetic and physical qualities, can radically affect the visual perception of space.
Gray living room in Khrushchev
For some, a design in gray tones may seem boring, faceless and even gloomy. However, such an achromatic range is most suitable for creating a laconic interior in a small room in a Khrushchev-era building. Bright decorative objects such as curtains, sofa cushions or paintings look advantageous against a gray background.
The photo shows a living room in a Khrushchev-era building, made in gray tones with the addition of white and beige.
Brown living room in Khrushchev
Versatile, practical natural light wood tones will harmoniously fit into small spaces, both in classic and modern styles. It is better to use coffee, terracotta and chocolate palettes in doses as accent inclusions.
Beige tones in the living room interior
A fairly common color scheme that makes the interior of the room incredibly comfortable and homely. Beige tones help relax the nervous system, set the mood for relaxation and fill the atmosphere with warmth.
The photo shows a beige and white design of a modern living room in a Khrushchev apartment.
White color in the hall
The most advantageous option for the design of a small living room in Khrushchev. White shades allow you to visually enlarge the room, add freshness and additional radiance to the interior. For a harmonious combination with this color, any tones are suitable. It would be appropriate to brighten up a white room with accents in green, yellow, pink or other colorful colors.
Finishes and materials
Finishing solutions for the living room in a Khrushchev apartment.
Floor
A calm and cozy design of a living room in a Khrushchev-era building can be achieved through flooring in the form of parquet boards, laminate or carpet. A reliable board made of natural wood will not only decorate the interior of the room, but will also last for quite a long time.
The photo shows a light parquet board on the floor in the interior of a living room in Khrushchev.
Walls
A monochromatic wall design will help achieve a visual unification of space and lighten the interior. For this, textured plaster or ordinary light paint can be used.
The traditional way of finishing is wallpaper. The surface of the walls in the hall is covered with a wide variety of paper, modern non-woven, washable linens, glass wallpaper or liquid wallpaper.
Using wall cladding, it is possible to zone a room, as well as achieve a visual change in its configuration. For example, one accent plane, decorated with brickwork, wood panels or photo wallpaper, will help make a narrow and elongated living room in a Khrushchev-era building more even and spacious.
The photo shows a living room in a Khrushchev-era building with walls covered with plain and patterned pink wallpaper.
Ceiling
In the interior of the hall, the use of plaster, painting, and installation of hanging or tension fabric is popular. For a small room in a Khrushchev-era building with a low ceiling, a complex multi-level structure is not suitable. A coating in the form of a glossy film that reflects light and visually expands the space will look best on the ceiling in the living room.
The ceiling plane must be equipped with spotlights around the perimeter or in a chaotic manner.
The photo shows the interior of a living room in a Khrushchev building with a two-level suspended ceiling structure.
Prohibited methods of redevelopment
Not all layouts are allowed to be done by law, so in this article we’ll talk about that. Prohibiting redevelopments include the following options:
- You cannot remodel buildings that will soon be demolished;
- It is prohibited to expand the kitchen area at the expense of the bathroom or toilet;
- You cannot increase the square footage of the bathroom at the expense of the living room;
- It is prohibited to demolish load-bearing walls;
- You cannot connect heated floors to general heating.
If you are planning to make repairs or remodel your apartment, be sure not to do everything that was listed earlier.
Furniture selection and location
For the interior of a living room in Khrushchev, a classic straight sofa of a simple geometric shape with laconic textile upholstery is suitable. A folding corner model with an extra bed makes efficient use of real space. This assembled design does not take up much space and provides a convenient place to store bedding and things.
In the hall, the entire wall from floor to ceiling can be equipped with shelves, racks, or a wardrobe can be installed. This product is highly functional and can accommodate a large number of clothes and other necessary items. Open hanging shelves will look light, will not overload the room and will allow you to place various decorative accessories, books and other elements.
The photo shows an option for arranging a small living room in a Khrushchev-type apartment.
For an elongated space, choose a linear arrangement of furniture. There is a sofa near one long wall, and the parallel plane is complemented by modular cabinets and a TV.
In a small room, you can use a place near the window. In this case, it is appropriate to equip the space next to the window opening with a low stand with a TV device. In order to make the room more spacious, you should place armchairs near the window or place a sleeping area.
Furniture for a Khrushchev apartment
Furniture items can also serve as a good zoning element:
- a dining table or bar counter will separate the kitchen from the living room;
- chests of drawers and cabinets will highlight the seating area;
- An open shelving unit or a regular closet will separate a child's room or bedroom.
To prevent the back of the closet wall from causing boredom and depression with its plywood appearance, you can stick chalk wallpaper on it and use it as an unusual decoration.
Note!
- Apartment design in a panel house: 100 photos of an ideal layout and a successful combination of interior elements
- 10 free programs for interior design and planning an apartment or private house: a review of the best online resources for design
- Design of small rooms (200 photos): examples of ideal design, choice of color and style, layout and zoning
Curtains, decor and textiles
The main rule in decorating a hall in a Khrushchev-era building is the complete absence of elaborate decor and complex draperies. It is appropriate to decorate the window in the room with light tulle and light porters, Roman or Japanese curtains.
Textile accessories made of velvet and velor will visually weigh down the interior of the living room, so it is advisable to choose elements from more airy fabrics, such as satin, silk, cotton or satin.
The photo shows a hall in a Khrushchev-era building with a window draped in tulle with patterns and light brown curtains.
A floor vase will fit perfectly into the corner of the living room; you can hang several small paintings or one large canvas on the wall.
An electric fireplace or an aquarium integrated into a wall, cabinet or chest of drawers will become a real interior decoration. The built-in container will give the atmosphere a special mood and save useful square meters in the hall in the Khrushchev-era building.
The photo shows a decorative false fireplace in the interior of the living room in a Khrushchev apartment.
Equipment for a loggia in an apartment
A loggia or balcony can provide additional square meters. With minimal glazing costs, you can create summer ones here:
- dining room;
- spare bedroom;
- small living room.
If you approach the task with feeling and supplement the room with waterproofing and insulation, install radiators or install heated floors, then the balcony can be used year-round, as a separate room or made part of an adjacent room.
Note!
- Stretch ceiling with lighting (around the perimeter, from the inside): photo of modern design, color choice, materials, sizes, price
- Children's room for a girl: TOP-200 photos of modern design, layout, zoning, selection and placement of furniture for the nursery
- Unpretentious indoor plants - review of the best options for apartments and private houses (photos and names)
Lighting Features
In a living room with a distinct rectangular shape, it would be appropriate to install two identical lamps instead of one central chandelier. For a very small room, a compact flat model with bright LED lamps is suitable.
A room in a Khrushchev-era building is equipped with spotlights, table lamps and bulky floor lamps are replaced with wall sconces.
In order to give the room lightness, it is advisable to choose lamps with glass or mirror shades.
Cabinets, shelves, racks, niches and plasterboard structures can be supplemented with LED lighting or built-in light bulbs. It is better to decorate the TV area with soft and subdued lighting.
Furniture for Khrushchev
When developing a project for transforming a Khrushchev building, preference is given to:
- built-in wardrobes in the living room and bedroom, often occupying the entire wall and merging with it in color;
- tall kitchen cabinets that touch the ceiling:
- transformable tables, beds, chairs;
- bunk beds in the children's room.
Glossy and mirror surfaces will add light and space, L-shaped sofas and cabinets will fill usually empty corners, freeing up some of the usable space. Smooth lines of furniture also contribute to the visual expansion of space.
For the bedroom, choose a bed with a low headboard and try to place it against the wall, freeing up the center of the room. And bedside tables are replaced with wall shelves or an entire furniture arch. The presence of built-in drawers in adult and children's beds will help solve the problem of cleaning temporarily unnecessary blankets, pillows, and linen sets.
In the kitchen, you can organize a dining or work surface on the windowsill, and the use of transparent furniture will make it as invisible as possible.
In the bathroom, the usual bathtub is replaced with a shower cabin, and a washing machine is moved to the vacant space.
Design examples in various styles
Scandinavian style is characterized by incredible warmth, comfort, beauty and laconicism. The design uses light shades, wooden objects, natural textiles, and also welcomes the presence of rough, unprocessed textures. Various decorative items in the form of a checkered blanket and sofa cushions, live potted plants or cute handmade items are especially suitable for a Scandi interior.
Decorative simplicity, muted color palette and light provincial charm are the main characteristic features of French Provence. This style involves natural materials, a lot of light and visual space. The room is furnished with light wooden furniture with an antique touch and decorated with linen or cotton textiles. To complete the design, a few small trinkets are added.
The photo shows the design of a rectangular living room in a Khrushchev-era building in a classic style.
In a loft-style living room, it would be appropriate to arrange modular furniture pieces with simple geometric shapes. A leather sofa and armchairs in combination with a coffee table made of wood or metal are perfect for the living room. The room can be decorated with unique decorative elements, posters, figurines or art objects.
The photo shows interior design in Provence style in the living room of a Khrushchev-type apartment.
Colors and prints
It is better to decorate small rooms with light shades. This mainly applies to walls and ceilings. The floors can also be designed in a darker color. Photos of apartment design in Khrushchev will allow you to evaluate projects that have already been created and implemented and find interesting ideas.
To give the rooms more depth, one wall is decorated with contrasting textures. It can be:
- wallpaper that differs in color or pattern;
- brickwork;
- laminate slats or solid boards,
- fake diamond.
But even when creating such a unique arrangement, you should not get carried away with too bright or dark colors.
Wallpaper designs and patterns depend on the design style, but preference is given to plain canvases or surfaces with a calm pattern:
- a vertical narrow strip will help make the room taller;
- a horizontal strip will push the walls apart a little;
- geometric shapes will give the room more life and dynamism.
A glossy finish is perfect for the ceiling, increasing the volume of the room. But this solution may not be to the taste of all apartment owners.
