Houzz Tour: An Awkward Studio is Turned into a Comfy One-bed Flat
With a single reception room next to an unnecessarily large kitchen, the layout of this flat had exciting potential…
This flat in Moscow had been rented out for years. When her latest tenant moved out, the owner decided to renovate it. The original plan was to just freshen it up cosmetically, but interior designer Irina Nosova suggested significant improvements to the layout.
Irina’s plan involved turning the studio into a one-bedroom apartment: the sofa-bed gave way to a separate bedroom, while the kitchen was repositioned into a recessed space just off the living room for a much more functional layout.
Irina’s plan involved turning the studio into a one-bedroom apartment: the sofa-bed gave way to a separate bedroom, while the kitchen was repositioned into a recessed space just off the living room for a much more functional layout.
The team stripped the apartment down to a bare shell and decorated the new interior in Scandinavian style, with pale grey walls, a muted wallpaper on one wall and wood accents.
The floor is laminate rather than solid wood, in part due to budget restrictions, and in part because it was a last-minute change: by the time the renovation was nearing completion, the owner had found a new tenant who didn’t want carpet in the living room.
The floor is laminate rather than solid wood, in part due to budget restrictions, and in part because it was a last-minute change: by the time the renovation was nearing completion, the owner had found a new tenant who didn’t want carpet in the living room.
The living room before the rejig.
Find local home renovation experts to help transform your home in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Find local home renovation experts to help transform your home in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
The floorplan from before the renovation shows, clockwise from top left: living room, cupboard, entrance, bathroom, kitchen.
The original layout had a large – though not very convenient – kitchen and a living area with a sofa-bed. In order to create a separate bedroom, Irina suggested moving the kitchen.
She borrowed space from the original one and turned it into a kitchen niche connected to the living room. The bedroom now occupies the rest of the former kitchen space.
The original layout had a large – though not very convenient – kitchen and a living area with a sofa-bed. In order to create a separate bedroom, Irina suggested moving the kitchen.
She borrowed space from the original one and turned it into a kitchen niche connected to the living room. The bedroom now occupies the rest of the former kitchen space.
The floorplan of the renovated flat shows the much cleverer use of space to create a separate bedroom while still having a walk-in wardrobe (top right) and a good-sized bathroom.
After the renovation, the entrance was incorporated into the open space. Different flooring distinguishes the two zones.
Next to the entrance is a small walk-in wardrobe. The owner chose this option because she didn’t want any freestanding wardrobes in the main space.
“The walk-in wardrobe is the minimum comfortable size for storing personal belongings, a suitcase and household items,” Irina says.
“The walk-in wardrobe is the minimum comfortable size for storing personal belongings, a suitcase and household items,” Irina says.
One wall in the living room was decorated in a patterned wallpaper. The bay window was retrofitted with a wide sill that doubles as a desk. This space was simply wasted in the original layout.
The owner wanted to use natural finishes wherever possible, but the budget didn’t allow for it. So natural textures were introduced in details such as the wooden pelmet in the bay window and the pendant light over the dining table. The woven lampshade is made of a material that resembles banana leaves.
This is what the kitchen looked like before the renovation.
Now, the colourful floor tiles and slatted timber ceiling help to zone the kitchen. The bright blue of the lower cabinets echoes the sofa upholstery.
The owner decided to buy a freestanding fridge, as it was a cheaper option than an integrated one. The team built a special niche for it so it’s not visible from the sofa, and they also added a shelf in the space above. There’s a power socket inside the niche.
A pocket door closes off the bedroom. Due to lack of space, the door is a bit narrower than standard at 65cm, a size usually reserved for bathroom doors.
Floor tiles by Equipe Ceramicas; kitchen by Stilnye Kukhni
Floor tiles by Equipe Ceramicas; kitchen by Stilnye Kukhni
This is what the kitchen looked like before the renovation as seen from the living room. The far section is now a bedroom.
The wall behind the bed is covered in the same wallpaper as the living room. Not only does this draw a connection between the two spaces, it also meant the owner could save by using leftover sheets of wallpaper. There are blue accents here, too: the headboard, photo frames and cushions echo the sofa in the living room.
The former bathroom.
For the new bathroom, a member of the construction team turned an old sewing machine base into a vanity unit.
“I was lucky to find the legs on Avito [a Russian classifieds site] for 1,500 rubles (about £18.45). Moreover, the seller was happy that someone was ridding them of this ‘piece of rubbish,’” Irina says.
To save money, they used tiles only in the wet areas – in the shower and over the basin. The rest of the walls are painted.
Towel ladder, Umbra.
“I was lucky to find the legs on Avito [a Russian classifieds site] for 1,500 rubles (about £18.45). Moreover, the seller was happy that someone was ridding them of this ‘piece of rubbish,’” Irina says.
To save money, they used tiles only in the wet areas – in the shower and over the basin. The rest of the walls are painted.
Towel ladder, Umbra.
A shower took the place of the old bath. A new niche next to it houses a washing machine and shelves built by a member of the construction team. The louvred doors were also custom-made.
Tell us…
What do you think of this rearranged and revamped apartment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you think of this rearranged and revamped apartment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? A tenant
Location Moscow, Russia
Size One bedroom and one bathroom; about 430 sq ft (40 sq m)
Interior designer Irina Nosova
Photos by Olga Shangina