Photo: zhishi.fang.com Creating an interior design for a studio apartment is a complex and creative task at the same time. Here you can implement any interesting solutions, experiment with space, zoning and functionality, and combine incompatible things. At the same time, you need to think through everything down to the smallest detail in order to get a truly beautiful, comfortable and cozy home. We will help you figure it out and outline a plan for further action!
Interior design features
A few design nuances:
- To ensure that this studio apartment does not look cluttered, you should not use too many small details when decorating it.
- It is not recommended to use large furniture elements in dark colors, as this can contribute to the creation of an uncomfortable and oppressive atmosphere.
- There should be enough free space between furniture to provide an open and accessible passage.
- When zoning a room, the design of the partitions should correspond to the overall interior style.
Living room with amenities and comfortable bedroom
As a rule, the living room occupies the largest area in the apartment. When choosing furniture, it is better to give preference to practical and multifunctional furniture, because the size of a studio apartment is only 26 square meters. m, and this is clearly visible in the presented photos.
To save space, you can use a sofa for sleeping or buy a bed that reclines vertically. For your child's sleep, you can order a separate bed that can be converted into a closet. To avoid taking up a lot of space with your desk, a great space-saving option would be to use a window sill instead - just like in the kitchen.
Layout examples
When arranging a studio apartment, first of all you need to take into account its size and general layout. For example, a square-shaped room has more possibilities and is an ideal option for renovation. In this space, the kitchen area occupies a smaller part, and the guest and sleeping area takes up almost half of the studio.
Selections of layouts of different sizes:
- 18 sq. m.
- 20 sq. m.
- 22 sq. m.
- 25 sq. m.
- 29 sq. m.
- 30 sq. m.
The photo shows a top view of a studio apartment with a square layout.
A rectangular apartment has some difficulties in arrangement, which can be easily solved with the help of a variety of partitions and color schemes. You can visually expand an elongated room and bring it as close as possible to a square shape using mirror surfaces, light-colored wall decoration or photo wallpaper; all kinds of screens, thread curtains and high-quality lighting will help give the room a lightness.
The photo shows the design of a studio apartment with high ceilings, equipped with a second tier.
In a two-level studio, the second floor is most often allocated for a sleeping area, a workplace, a dressing room or various storage systems in the form of bedside tables, chests of drawers and other things. Such a design can not only have a corner location with additional supports in the form of walls, but also be placed in the center of the living space.
A room with an irregular shape or an apartment with a bay window has a lot of possibilities, which adds additional space to the room and gives it more light. A bay window can be a wonderful sitting area, workspace or play space for a child.
The photo shows a small studio with a niche equipped for a greasy place.
Furniture arrangement
When arranging furniture in a studio, there are two main options:
— Place all cabinets, sofas and tables along the walls as much as possible. This will free up space in the center of the apartment. For example, if you need a place to train or meet guests.
— Use an island layout. This scheme is suitable for zoned premises. Select a separate soft corner, sleeping area, work area, etc.
Examples of interiors with windows
In a studio apartment with one window, near the opening, there is most often a sleeping area, and behind it a kitchen. Due to the minimal amount of natural light, the kitchen space is equipped with intense and high-quality lighting.
The photo shows windows with panoramic glazing in the interior of a studio apartment.
A room with two or three windows, due to greater penetration of sunlight, visually looks much more spacious. In a room with large windows, furniture should be placed along the remaining walls so as not to block the window openings.
The photo shows the design of a studio apartment with one window, made in eco-style.
Design techniques
To create comfort, space, and practicality in a studio apartment, you need to remember some techniques that designers use in their work:
1Color palette. Pastel colors are used to visually enlarge the space. They give the room weightlessness and airiness. To demolish the boundaries, to make the room larger in all respects, use colors of cold shades, combining them with warm ones.
Pastel colors to visually increase space
2Lighting. Light is one of the main correctors of a room, therefore, the more lighting devices, the better. You can fill your studio apartment with light and expand the space with the help of chandeliers, floor lamps, various spotlights, wall sconces, and small lamps.
3A small amount of decor. A large number of accessories can overwhelm a room, no matter what size they are. Therefore, in the studio it is preferable to focus on one interesting subject.
A large number of decorative items can clutter the space
4Installation of mirrors. Depending on the placement of the mirror, you can achieve one or another result.
For example:
- a mirror ceiling can visually lift it;
- mirror wall – increases the volume of the room;
- a mirror opposite the windows - adds light, visually expands the walls;
- installing mirrors behind lighting fixtures will give the room additional depth;
- To distract the attention of guests from the small dimensions of a studio apartment, you can hang a mirror opposite the brightest object in the interior, then its reflection will catch the eye.
A mirror opposite the window visually expands the walls
- Using multifunctional items. In order to compactly place all the necessary furniture and other interior items, you can only purchase multifunctional items. For example, built-in interior items, cabinets, other things with a mirror, glossy or transparent surface, and, of course, transformable furniture.
- Correct zoning of the studio. You can divide the studio into zones in various ways. These are various mirror and glass screens, partitions, textiles, podiums, multi-level floors, ceilings, pieces of furniture, and various finishing materials. Everything is selected individually.
Separating zones using curtains
Using such techniques, you can intelligently use all the space in a studio apartment, fill it with freshness, lightness, and sufficient light.
How to arrange an apartment?
With proper arrangement of a studio apartment, you can create a truly cozy and comfortable design.
How to furnish the furniture?
Furniture elements should be highly functional and located in appropriate areas. Furniture must be installed so that it does not block passages or impede movement around the room.
The most optimal solution for a studio is transformable structures or, for example, a folding corner sofa and a folding bed. When choosing these models, you should take into account their disassembled size.
It is better to use built-in cabinets as storage systems, which help to significantly save space.
An excellent design move would be to separate the kitchen space from the rest of the room using a bar counter. This piece of furniture not only has a very stylish look, but also represents a comfortable dining area, which can also be equipped with various drawers for utensils and other things.
The photo shows the arrangement of furniture with a bar counter in the interior of a modern studio apartment.
Color spectrum
The studio design looks most harmonious in a light design using calm white, beige, milky, cream and other pastel shades. This way it turns out to visually enlarge the room and give it greater comfort.
For those who prefer decoration in catchy and rich yellow, green colors or choose contrasting black-and-white or red-white combinations, the best solution would be to complement the decor with furniture pieces in discreet colors so that the overall ensemble does not look too colorful.
The photo shows the design of a studio apartment, made in black and white colors.
A design made in a darker color, for example, gray, dark blue, black or brown, is considered quite advantageous. Such an interior has a modern and even slightly futuristic look, but requires addition with warm lighting.
Curtains and other textiles
Curtains from textiles in a studio apartment are often used to delimit the room or decorate the windows. Curtains are a very elegant interior detail that allows you to visually increase the area of your living space and give it a special lightness. For example, the maximum effect can be achieved with the help of light flowing curtains, in the form of weightless tulle or organza.
To add extra height to a room, it is better to use canvases that extend from the ceiling to the floor. Conventional curtains are also replaced with roller blinds, Roman blinds or blinds. When choosing a curtain ensemble, it is important that it be harmoniously combined with other interior items, decoration and furniture.
The photo shows white tulle curtains on the windows in the design of a studio apartment.
Studio kitchen and bathroom: features
Kitchen
. When arranging this area, you should take into account not only the location features, but also the arrangement of the cooking area.
- Only the essentials
. For two people or one person living in a metropolis, the kitchen is more likely a place for cooking in the evening or on weekends. Therefore, think about what you really need from equipment in the house and purchase the most necessary and compact ones. A tile with 2 elements instead of 4, an elegiac kettle, a microwave, a food processor (it contains a meat grinder, a blender, a vegetable cutter, and so on), a universal frying pan, an electric grill or other equipment. - No bulky furniture
. Instead of cabinet fronts, consider installing open modular shelves. And if some furniture is placed on its end (for example, a high table), then it will become both a functional partition and a bar counter.
As for the bathroom, you cannot do without physical partitions for the sake of hygiene and aesthetics. In this case it will be enough:
- shower cabin instead of bathtub;
- tray for a small top-loading washing machine. By the way, a machine with horizontal loading can be placed in a niche under the sink - this way you can save even more space.
Lighting ideas
Light plays almost the most important role in studio design. Thanks to lighting and backlighting, it is possible to visually adjust the space and increase its area. Based on the location of lamps and lamps, lower, middle and upper lighting are distinguished.
The photo shows a lighting option in a small oriental-style studio.
For small films, the lower level of lighting is used extremely rarely. Basically, this design is used only for visual delimitation of the room. It is desirable that the lamps have a design that matches the overall style of the surrounding interior.
Chandeliers most often have a traditional design and are interesting spotlights or halogen spotlights.
The photo shows the design of a studio apartment for a young man with an upper level of lighting.
Advantages of a studio apartment
A studio is, first of all, about the layout, and not about the size of the area, as many people think. The main advantage, for which sometimes the whole adventure is started, is the ability to make the space as functional as possible and not overloaded. Now nothing will take away from you this feeling of freedom and spaciousness, which cannot be felt in an apartment with oppressive nooks and crannies.
When there is only one large room, rather than many small ones, it is much easier to decide on the interior style. If monotony is your worst enemy, nothing prevents you from experimenting with the design of functional areas (a place to sleep, a workplace, etc.). In general, the studio design has much fewer restrictions that owners of apartments with a standard layout often face. Here you can remake it to suit yourself and express yourself to your heart’s content.
The studio apartment is ideal for young people or families without children. Everything in it is literally at arm's length. Now, to get from the kitchen to the bedroom, you don’t have to go through other rooms, opening and closing doors, it will be limited to a couple of steps. The studios also have good acoustics, so setting up a home theater or placing audio equipment here is the sweetest thing.
Interior design in the studio
Design options for a studio apartment.
Kitchen area in the interior
Unlike the design of an ordinary apartment, a kitchen in a studio should be as harmoniously combined as possible with the rest of the living space. For a neater interior, you can install built-in household appliances, such as an oven and hob, or hide a refrigerator and dishwasher behind the facade of the kitchen unit. For zoning purposes, sometimes a podium is constructed under which all communications are removed.
The photo shows a kitchen area with a white corner set in the design of a studio apartment in the attic.
Studio with bedroom
When designing a studio, it is first of all recommended to decide on the placement of the bed and the method of zoning. An excellent option would be to install a bed in a separate niche, which can be separated by a sliding partition in the form of compartment doors, a light or heavier and thicker curtain.
The photo shows a studio apartment with a sleeping area with a bed located in a niche.
It is also advisable to equip the sleeping area with a high-quality storage system. For example, built-in linen drawers, shelves, a cabinet or a compact chest of drawers.
Corridor design
Basically, the hallway in a studio apartment is quite small in size. In the design of the corridor, built-in furniture, wall hangers and hooks that occupy a minimum area are most appropriate. If this room is made in darker shades, it is not advisable to overload it with large quantities of furniture elements.
With a balcony
Due to the balcony space, there is an excellent opportunity to expand the studio. The combined insulated loggia can easily accommodate a kitchen-dining room with a window sill integrated into the countertop, a study, a sleeping place or a relaxation area.
The photo shows the design of a modern studio with a large loggia with panoramic glazing.
Study
A fairly convenient option for locating the work area is considered to be a corner space, a place near a window or on a combined balcony. This area is sometimes highlighted with a different color trim or fenced off with a shelving unit. In small rooms, it is better to install retractable structures or folding tables for an office; it is also possible to install an isolated workplace in a closet.
From a nursery to a family with a child
A small studio is an excellent solution for a family with a child. With the help of competent organization of space, it is possible to arrange a cozy children's corner with a specific design and separate it from the rest of the room through various partitions.
Bathroom
The bathroom in a studio apartment is a fairly small room. The ideal option here would be to install a shower stall, a compact toilet and a narrow sink along the walls. In case of a more spacious room, it is possible to place a horizontal bath.
Space planning
Before you start designing and decorating, set all your priorities:
— An important question: was the studio originally like this, or is it an ordinary modified one-room apartment. This affects the area of the space, its configuration, and the location of windows.
— Design the room taking into account its shape. In ordinary rectangular and square studios, classic interiors look interesting. And in new non-standard layouts with rounded shapes and beveled corners, modern trends play more interestingly.
— Be sure to consider how many people will live in the apartment, because the needs of an individual, a couple or a family with a child are very different. If you have a baby, first of all focus on the safety and practicality of the design.
— Depending on your lifestyle, your needs change. Some people need a living area, others need an office, a workshop or a small dressing room in the corner. All this directly affects the design of the apartment.
Recommendations for studio decoration
Basic cladding tips:
- For walls in a small apartment, it is advisable to select cladding that has minimal shine. This way the design will not tire or irritate the eye.
- An excellent solution would be wallpaper with a small print, which will also help to visually increase the area.
- For the ceiling, it is most appropriate to use plasterboard or plaster. From gypsum board it is possible to construct an attractive multi-level ceiling structure with built-in lamps for zoning the space.
- No less popular is the installation of suspended ceilings with a matte or glossy texture, which gives the room visual volume.
- In the living room and recreation area, the floor can be decorated with carpet, laminate or parquet, and for the kitchen it will be more practical to finish with stone or ceramic tiles.
We develop a design project
If you have some skills and an understanding of what exactly you want to do, you can develop an interior project for a 23-meter studio yourself, but it is better to turn to professional designers. The living area in such an apartment is allocated 13-18 meters, the rest is a bathroom, hallway, and food preparation area.
The undoubted advantages of a small apartment:
- organizing a complete renovation will require much less time, effort, and building materials than landscaping a more spacious room;
- expenses for “extra” things, objects, accessories will be significantly reduced - there will simply be nowhere to store them;
- utility bills will also be relatively low.
To visually expand the space, use a large wall mirror, a minimum of furniture, and light wallpaper. It is very good if the apartment has an insulated balcony or loggia. When combined with the main room, they will provide an additional two to four meters, which are used to organize a resting place and a mini-working office. To expand the kitchen, they “take away” a piece of the hallway, the living room is combined with the bedroom, separated from the kitchen by a narrow folding table and a bar counter.
If a family living in a small apartment owns a garage or an additional small room in the basement, then everything unnecessary is stored there - a table-book, in case of a large-scale reception of guests, a bicycle, a suitcase on wheels, etc.
Zoning and partitions
The most optimal zoning option is partitions, which can have a separating function, represent a storage system or simply a decorative element. Such structures may have a sliding or rotating mechanism; glass, plastic, metal, wood and other materials are used in their manufacture,
The photo shows a partition made of glass in the interior of a studio apartment.
For small apartments in Khrushchev, it is very popular to install transparent glass, combined decorative partitions, through structures or multifunctional shelving to the ceiling.
Be sure to look at the options for combining tiles with laminate.
Modern finishing materials
The materials used are classic and modern. The economy option involves paper wallpaper on the walls, linoleum on the floor, whitewash or PVC tiles on the ceiling, paint on the walls, floor, and ceiling of the bathroom. For a premium class or simply a more expensive finish, parquet, boards on the floor, decorative plaster for walls, suspended ceilings, ceramic tiles in the bathroom and toilet are suitable. Less commonly used are natural and artificial stone, brick, and designer 3D wallpaper. Wallpaper with vertical stripes visually pulls the wall up, with horizontal stripes - to the sides.
Choice of colors
Before you start the renovation, choose a design - a project from a photo or create an individual one. This will help determine the costs of upcoming work and help avoid alterations to sockets, partitions, and walls.
The design of the studio should be chosen in light colors. For example, white color, taken as a basis, visually expands the space. Bright accent details will add uniqueness. A contrasting pattern and the same color of curtains on the windows will help give additional height to the ceilings. Examples of successful combinations can be seen in the photos of apartments where renovations have already been done.
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