Design rules for a small apartment

Even at the stage of planning the design of a small-sized apartment, difficulties arise associated with a lack of space. The designer has to find a compromise to create a functional and comfortable space. In this case, it usually becomes necessary to replace the original layout with a more acceptable one..

Free but well-organized space is the basis for the design of a small apartment.

The modest size of the apartment limits the possibilities of its design. You need to approach it realistically and abandon pretentious styles like baroque or rococo, preferring loft, minimalism, fusion.

Happiness is not in square meters, the main thing is that the house is comfortable and cozy.

Expanding the premises

There are special techniques to save space in the apartment, as well as create the visual effect of increasing the area of the room..

If you correctly treat the redevelopment and change the design of small-sized interior apartments correctly, the entire available area can be properly organized..

The most common option for a radical expansion of space is redevelopment. The option of placing the kitchen in the same room as the living room is popular. You can also demolish the wall between the toilet and the bathroom, increase its area by using the corridor, or replace the bath with a shower..

Most owners of small apartments really want to improve their living conditions and make the most of every corner of their apartment.

When planning a house, many people in vain do not take into account the loggia. By connecting it to the living space, you can earn additional square meters, which will definitely not be superfluous in a small apartment.

If you are less determined, then it is better to refuse such drastic measures..

Visual methods will come to your aid, which expand the space only visually..

The first rule of small apartment design is light shades. You need to give them preference both when choosing finishes and when buying furniture. In order for the room not to become impersonal, it is necessary to dilute the light background with bright accents and dark inserts..

Before drawing up a design project for the interior of an apartment, you should analyze everything very carefully..

The wrong proportions of the room can also be corrected. Here, our assistants will be horizontal stripes, with which you can lengthen one of the walls, and vertical stripes that can raise the ceiling..

A win-win trick would be to use mirrors and glossy surfaces..

These elements will not only visually enlarge the room at times, but also make it brighter..

Discard massive furniture. Replace it with light, graceful designs. Use recessed lights instead of ceiling chandeliers. In general, special attention should be paid to lighting. After all, the better the room is lit, the more spacious it seems..

There are many ways to improve and correct almost any situation..

Remember that the blank facades of shelving and cabinets make the space heavier. Therefore, glass doors or open shelves will look better in their place..

The problem of increasing the space in the apartment must be solved in a comprehensive manner by both architectural methods and design.

We use space efficiently

The owners of large houses do not even think about how ineptly they spend their living space. In the design of a small apartment, such extravagance is unacceptable. Therefore, it is necessary to get rid of everything that is not used, but only litters the room..

Be sure to follow the entire process at all its stages, because the end result should be liked by you..

What are we getting rid of?	How to get rid of
Old photo albums	We will digitize all photos and store them on electronic media
Warehouse of unnecessary things on the balcony	We throw away all unnecessary things, insulate the balcony, combine it with the room, organize a workplace or recreation area on it
Cast iron batteries	We replace with radiators, for greater efficiency we install a heat-reflecting foil screen on the wall
Narrow sill	We dismantle, install a metal-plastic analogue, equip under a table, bar counter or recreation area
Kitchen Area	We replace it with folding furniture or a retractable console

We refuse standard furniture

When decorating the interior of a small apartment, one has to think outside the box, replacing the usual furniture with more functional and technological models. To save the occupied space will help:

Transforming tables;
Wardrobes-beds;
Loft beds;
Bunk beds;
Sofa beds.

Without exception, all design projects of small apartments are subordinated to two goals: visual expansion of living space and its functional improvement.

In addition to ready-made ergonomic designs, you can find other solutions for optimizing space..

Instead of floor cabinets and racks, we use suspended modules. They do not take up extra space and bring the walls to life.

For a small apartment, the interior design should be developed according to certain rules..

Let’s give up bedside tables in favor of tall cabinets. The same amount of space is spent on them, but they are more roomy..

The entrance to the room can be beaten by placing shelves on both sides of it, and hanging a shelf on top.

Use only large interior items and bulky furniture in the environment..

Replace chairs and stools with ottomans. They are more convenient, they are easy to push under the table, and they also house boxes for storing things..

If you are faced with a choice between a comfortable bed and a large wardrobe, then you should not look for compromises. The exit will be a podium bed that combines the functions of both of these items..

Give preference to light shades of furniture and finishing materials.

Matching colors

The light interior is really perfect for the design of a small-sized apartment, but you should not paint the walls in a monotonous white color. Several colors need to be added and usually 2 or 3 shades. The pair will fit better into the interior in a classic style, and the three – into a more casual design..

Don’t get carried away with decorative details and small accessories.

One color must be chosen as the base color. It is in it that most of the walls, ceiling, and possibly the floor will be painted. This is usually the lightest color in the combination..

The second one is chosen brighter. It makes the room deeper, more versatile and interesting. It can be used to decorate furniture, a wall or a window..

This color should differ from the base color in saturation, but at the same time it may overlap with it..

The third color is represented only by details: furniture elements, shelves, rugs, pillows and others. It is usually the darkest. Sometimes even black is used as it. These components make the interior of a small apartment more expressive and bright..

The color combination must be chosen very carefully..

Designers recommend decorating the premises of a small apartment in the proportion of 60:30:10. The darkest colors occupy 10% of the space and are located in the back of the room, the light ones cover most of the area and are located outside.

Designers suggest using lightweight curtains for windows.

Consider the most successful color combinations

Base (1 color)	Accents (2 color)	Supplement (3 color)
Lactic	Beige	Bright yellow, scarlet, orange
Light beige	Chocolate	Coral, orange, white
Light beige	Terracotta	Amber, hot pink
Lactic	Peach	Orange, green, terracotta, chocolate
Ashen	Citric	White, light green, brick
Light blue	Light green	White, mother of pearl, blue, emerald
Citric	Turquoise	Dark wood color, light green, orange
Ivory	Cherry	Lilac, yellow, dark wood
Nacre	Amber	Dark blue, snow white, blue-black
Light pink	Pale lilac	Fuchsia, bright purple, pale blue
Ashen	Soft blue	Snow white, blue, ash, terracotta
Peach	Woody	Chocolate, golden, milk
Champagne	Brown	Red, burgundy, eggplant

In the design of small-sized apartments, color experiments can take place, but it is better to refrain from contrasting and monochrome combinations..

How to create the right lighting

In a small apartment, lighting plays a huge role. Both natural and artificial light sources need to be well thought out.

Combine different light sources (and lots of them).

The key to the success of the design of a small apartment is the windows. There should be as many of them as possible, and they themselves should also be as large as possible. Do not weigh them down with heavy canopies and heavy fabrics. Discard bulky curtains. Models of Roman design, blinds or light curtains are perfect here..

Think about lighting so that it spreads to every corner of the room.

Leave no shaded walls and install small spotlights if necessary.

Don’t underestimate the importance of lighting design. The right choice will not only save space and visually expand it, but also support the overall style of your small apartment.

Under no circumstances hang a pendant chandelier in a room with low ceilings, otherwise you risk banging your head against it. And it won’t look as impressive as it might seem..

Choose from compact ceiling lights, neat wall sconces or recessed models.

5 original ideas for a small apartment

Wall rack. Such a design will serve as a partition separating one zone from another, but at the same time it will not waste the space it occupies aimlessly..

The wall rack is very functional, because a huge number of different things will fit on it.
Converted storage room. This part of the house is yet another underrated space that is in vain forgotten. If you remove the doors, it will make a great study..
Drapery over the bed. With the help of this thing, you can separate the bedroom area from the living room without additional spending of free space..
Bar counter as a room divider. This detail will separate the kitchen from any other area, replace the table..

The bar counter will become a stylish element of your interior.
Mirror wall. What is your idea of a ballet class? Most people imagine it as a huge room filled with space and light. In fact, this is usually a standard small room, located in a very ordinary building, often not even designed for such activities. The effect of a giant square is created thanks to mirrored walls, each of which visually enlarges the room by 2 times.

For the design of a small room, you can also use this technique, which fits perfectly here..