Interior and layout of the studio apartment

Studio apartment is a special kind of living space that is preferred by creative people or young people. The spacious, empty space, devoid of partitions and walls, is an excellent field of activity for the use of creative and innovative ideas in the design and decor.

Studio apartment is a concept that came to us from the USA at the beginning of the last century. During this period, the country was faced with a huge flow of immigrants from European and Asian countries. Emigrants in dire need of affordable and comfortable housing. Therefore, soon appeared a small, low-cost apartments, which later became known as studios.

The apartment was a small room with a kitchen, bathroom and living space. A cheap type of housing for immigrants gradually turned into an elite living space for bohemians thanks to unusual and original design projects that were ideally suited to be realized in such apartments.

Today, apartments with this layout are quite common. And they can be in the categories of housing with a diametrically opposite price category. Budget options are built on the basis of 1-2-room apartments of a small area. Prestigious studio apartments are distinguished by a huge area, modern design, original zoning of space.

The advantages of such premises include:

1. The size.Free, spacious living space, not limited by walls and partitions, can be turned into a modern functional living area with the help of properly selected and arranged furniture and zoning.
2. Ideal for non-family people. This apartment is suitable for meeting with friends, work, leisure.
3. Free space can be arranged in a single stylistic direction or in a combination of several styles at once.
4. Freedom of movement, which is not given by standard apartments with their partitions and walls.
5. Ideal acoustics in the room (an important fact for musicians).

Thanks to these advantages, today many people are thinking about redevelopment of their own apartments in the studio. However, this requires solving certain issues:

• panel buildings exclude the possibility of demolition of bearing partitions;
• old buildings are not subject to redevelopment;
• dismantling of walls, laying of new systems of heat and water supply, sewage, wiring will require significant financial injections;
• this apartment is not suitable for families with children or a large number of residents;
• special attention should be paid to the ventilation system due to the combination of kitchen and living space.

Among the disadvantages of housing can be noted only all the same open space. The slightest mess (unwashed dishes, scattered things, books, toys) will be instantly noticeable to a stranger who has come to visit. In addition, the presence of guests or relatives does not allow privacy, as it allows an apartment with a normal layout.

Before creating a design project for a studio apartment, it is necessary to learn its basic principles: free space and a minimum of objects. It is possible that part of the items and furniture will have to be broken up, since they will not fit into the new interior.

• The first stage of work is related to redevelopment. You must obtain official permission for the reconstruction of a building or apartment in advance.
• Then you can proceed directly to the work on the design project. All living space, even the smallest, should be maximally involved in the project.
• Planning options depend on many parameters, including the configuration, size, functional purpose of the room, the financial capabilities of the owner. The premises may have a square, rectangular or tunnel shape.

It is desirable that the interior was sustained in bright, dull colors. Furniture should be chosen fairly compact and mobile, for example, transformers. The room should be bright. If natural lighting is not enough for this, it is necessary to consider the placement of different sources of artificial light.

Pretentious decoration should be avoided. Enough of the most necessary parts for decoration. Heavy classic curtains or curtains "eat up" the space, so it is best to use blinds or light curtains.

For the bedroom, it is better to choose a place away from the front door and the bathroom. It is good if it is fenced off by a closet, a screen or a small partition. This creates a feeling of a small separate room.

The kitchen zone can be located in any convenient place. Most often, with a rectangular layout, it is placed opposite the wall of the windows. If the floor space allows, then in this way you can create several functionally different zones (working, living room, playroom).

Square apartment or studio house has a number of advantages over rectangular rooms:

• despite even a small area, the room still turns out to be bright and spacious due to the correct geometric shape;
• the layout can always be changed (with a rectangular shape, this is more difficult to do);
• Functional areas in a square room are more mobile, as is furniture, which can be used as partitions;
• the absence of “long” and “short” walls makes all zones equidistant from each other.

Selection of building and finishing materials. For floor designers recommend linoleum or tile. These are very practical, wear-resistant and durable materials.

When finishing windows, you can use wide window sills as a table top, bar counter or computer desk. This will save the useful space of the room and organize another functional area.

For the decoration of the walls should not choose wallpaper or paint of the same color. The principle of zoning involves a combination of several colors and shades in the same room. For example, the kitchen area can be finished with a material that imitates brickwork, the living room with photo wallpapers, the bedroom with decorative plaster or textiles. A mandatory element of the interior should be a mirror.

For example, for the hallway LED lighting located along / around the perimeter of the room or 1-2 sconces placed near the entrance can be used. For the main room, you can use the system of spotlights located around the ceiling or chandelier.For the kitchen fit and built-in and suspended light sources. To illuminate the bedroom will be enough compact floor lamp.

Do not clutter the space with a large number of pieces of furniture. Each element must carry a certain load. It is recommended to pay attention to the multifunctional furniture, for example, a sofa bed. It is compact, comfortable and looks good in any interior. Furniture modules can be made to order. They will not only make life easier, will leave the room more spacious, but also give their own “flavor” to the interior. You can consider the option of a bed that hides behind the closet and unfolds when it is opened.

The bar counter will help to separate the kitchen from the main space. To place kitchen utensils, an open rack is useful, the sink can be placed in a free corner of the room. For a more competent and ergonomic solution of free space, it is better to choose a built-in plate-panel. Be sure to have a powerful hood. Do not forget that the kitchen space is practically not closed by the living room, so the smells will spread throughout the apartment.

To accommodate the kitchen is usually used the corner of the room. Therefore, the furniture set (if such is envisaged by the plan) is better to choose angular. The space should be used as efficiently as possible by selecting compact dishwashers, washing machines and other gadgets.

A small cozy living room should definitely be envisaged even in the smallest studio apartment. Most often for this will be enough a small sofa, located opposite the TV. To save space, it is better to place the TV not on a separate pedestal, but inside a wall or closet.

The living area can simultaneously perform the function of a bedroom, so a sofa bed or a chair-bed are optimally suited for arranging the room. Furniture should be compact, not clutter up the space and quickly move from one state to another.

For the storage of books, dishes, clothing, household appliances, accessories, bed linen and other things you should definitely buy a wardrobe. It can be built-in or stand-alone.This is the most practical, compact, convenient and beautiful option for placing and storing household items.

If you plan to noisy parties and gatherings with friends, then it makes sense to buy a compact folding table and the same chairs. They will help to accommodate guests with sufficient comfort and do not take up much space when folded.

Among other furniture options that can be used to decorate the living room: a coffee table, footstools, armchairs, pillows. As for household appliances, it is best to choose the most compact things. For example, plasma TVs can be placed not only on the table, but also on the wall.

Since it is assumed that a studio apartment is a dwelling for 1-2 people, there should not be a large amount of furniture in the hallway either. A small partition that separates the hallway from the rest of the apartment, can be an excellent base to create a compact wardrobe.It can accommodate several hooks for outerwear and shelves for shoes and hats.

The most rational premises of the toilet and bathroom combine. Moreover, so that the room does not take up much space, instead of a bath, it is best to consider the option of a shower cabin.

The choice of stylistic direction largely depends on the degree of natural light in the room. If the apartment is located on the sunny side, then for registration you can use both light, gentle, and saturated, heavy tones. However, the first option is preferable. Pastel colors (milky, white, sandy, creamy and other colors) do not irritate the eyes, fill the room with light, make it more airy and light.

Do not choose wallpaper with too motley, bright pattern. Best of all, the print was low-key, small. An even more interesting option is a bright accent on one of the walls. For example, using photo wallpapers. Bright decorative cushions, an unusual blanket or chair covers will help to make an unobtrusive interior more spectacular and expressive.

Classic style. The room is decorated in fresh, light colors. Furniture: wardrobe or wall, sofa bed, coffee table and a couple of chairs. Functional zones are separated from each other by a bar, a small partition, furniture.

Scandinavian style interior is great for small or dark rooms. Its distinctive feature is the use of white. White walls, floor, ceiling, furniture - such a cold, snowy interior visually makes the room spacious enough and very bright. As contrasting details, the use of colored carpets, chandeliers, curtains, textiles is allowed.Their number should be minimal.

The combination of several styles in one room looks even more interesting and unexpected. For example, a study can be designed in the style of minimalism, a classic for the living room. For lovers of more eccentric styles, we can recommend the direction of pop art with bright, catchy paintings, panels, carpets, furniture and decorative elements.

For those who prefer completely different interior design from pop art, we can recommend to pay attention to the loft style. It is especially suitable for the apartment of a young bachelor. Concrete walls, brickwork, rough lines, lack of decor create a feeling of unfinished repairs. Doors or furniture can be used as dark accents.

A very fresh, original and stylish design option is the combination of black and white in one interior. Most often white color is chosen for facing wall and ceiling coverings. The floor can be decorated with black and white chess. The furniture is also aged in these contrasting colors. This option always looks interesting, despite the traditional combination of classic colors.Silver-colored lamps and decorative elements will add a touch of elegance and expressiveness to the interior.

For lovers of a more romantic setting style Provence is perfect. Warm colors (sand, lavender, pale blue, olive color), fresh flowers and bouquets of dried plants, elegant metal shelves, decorative pads, low tables, calico curtains on the windows - all these details give the interior a feeling of homely warmth and comfort.

A feature of studio apartment design projects is the maximum possible use of each square centimeter of usable space. The room should not only be spacious, it should be comfortable. All human needs for eating, sleeping, meeting guests should be taken into account.

The second tier, as a rule, does not occupy a solid space above the main living area, but a small section, to which a staircase leads from the “first floor”. The staircase can be permanent, folding or side mounted so as not to take up much space. Of course, the last two options are not suitable for children or the elderly.

Depending on the configuration and size of the second tier, you can actually increase the living space by 5-7 or even 10 square meters. The most common use of the second floor is the bedroom. Cozy, quiet, almost hidden from prying eyes corner, as well as possible suitable for a good rest.

Now the ground floor can be fully used as a kitchen / dining area / living room. Depending on the design of the stairway, it can also be used in different ways. For example, place drawers for laundry in it or use the space under the stairs as a small corner for rest.

To understand how interesting, original and multi-functional a studio apartment can be used, it is necessary to look at various examples of furnishings.

Even a very small apartment can accommodate several functional rooms at once, like a full-fledged 2 or even 3-room apartment. The living room, kitchen, dining area and bedroom are very compactly placed in a small space, thanks to a competent layout. Light walls, good natural lighting and an additional light source in the form of a wide, voluminous chandelier make the room very bright. No extra furniture: the TV is located on the wall, a large suitcase is used as a stand for the DVD player. The wooden decor gives the interior a finished and modern look.

Studio apartment in the classic version. A bar counter and different flooring options help to separate the seating area from the kitchen. The interior of the room is designed in a combination of different shades of brown and milky.Particular attention is paid to lighting: placed around the perimeter of the living room and kitchen spotlights, as well as several hanging lamps above the bar counter allow you to properly zone the space and place accents where necessary.

A small studio apartment can be made cozy and comfortable. An open rack separates the small work area from the bed, and the podium allows you to select the dining area from the common space. Unusual decorative trifles (carpet imitating a lawn, modern finishing materials for wall cladding, an original picture) give the interior a stylish and creative look.