Design of a one-room apartment of 40 sq. m. How to divide into two zones?

What is European layout

The European layout includes a small room (up to 40 sq.m.) with a bedroom, a bathroom and a living room area combined with a kitchen. Of course, the owners will not expect a stove standing forlornly in the middle of the room, next to the sofa. In an interior design project, they think through the proper delineation of two areas: for cooking and for relaxation. In fact, a two-room apartment with the prefix “euro” is a more expanded version of a studio apartment, which has a separate, additional room. Of course, the layout in which the premises are divided into a bedroom and a living room with a kitchen is the standard option. Only the owners decide what and where to place it. A separate room can be equipped as a nursery or a living room, and in the combined area there can be a bed and, again, a kitchen. Inexperienced designers will be helped to plan a project for placing zones by professional designers or their advice contained in specialized literature.

Features of small apartments of 45 sq. m.

Small apartments always keep up with the times and the first luxury design projects were built on apartments with an area of ​​30-45 square meters. This is because in such rooms you can think through every detail and make the room, kitchen, and bathroom as convenient as possible for use.

Among the main features of small apartments are the following:

• warm room;
• cozy room;
• convenient apartment layout options;
• low cost of utilities;
• ideal for two people.

Most often, apartments with such an area have high ceilings, since the houses were built in the old days, when a similar approach to architecture was at the height of fashion.

Today it is becoming less and less common to see such residential premises in new buildings, but this does not mean that they do not exist at all. The only thing is that buying such an apartment is much more difficult, since many owners still prefer to keep the cozy premises for themselves.

Small apartments are incredibly warm and heat up very quickly. If there are always people in the room, it takes much longer to cool down. In the cold season, they most often make do with simple electronic equipment to quickly heat the room, and this is a huge plus; you don’t have to wait long for it to get warmer.

Another advantage of such an apartment is the presence of a comfortable room or two, if the first one was designed as a studio. Connoisseurs of minimalism know that if you use space wisely, you can achieve incredible success and why buy large apartments if everything can be harmoniously placed in its place?

A small space creates additional convenience, because it is much easier to get to the kitchen or toilet, which are located almost two steps away from the bed.

As for the layout options, small apartments have much more options than large ones. As a rule, the role of the load-bearing wall is played by the wall that borders the neighboring apartment. This allows you to completely demolish all the walls and create the layout you want! More than once you can come across such options where there is an ordinary weightless partition between the kitchen and the room.

Since the room and kitchen are small, you will have to pay much less for utilities, as mentioned earlier regarding heating. Two people usually live in such rooms, which is also reflected in low water consumption. At the same time, you don’t have to turn on the lights in corridors or other rooms, all energy costs are rational, nothing unnecessary is used.

It is rare to find several people living in such an apartment. As a rule, this is a young couple who have not yet had children. Such a room is also considered the best option for one person who works from home - like an office, everything is always nearby, at hand. But there are also some disadvantages, which we will discuss further.

Although a small apartment has a number of advantages, it also has some disadvantages. For example, in small rooms there is a problem with excessive dryness or, conversely, air humidity. You have to constantly adjust the ventilation to prevent either one or the other. Also, all the garbage is always underfoot, you need to clean it daily. But this can also be a plus, since general cleaning is not carried out in small apartments.

Pros and cons of a “Euro-apartment”

Among the advantages of the Euro-kopeck piece, the following aspects are noted:

• Its cost. Perhaps the most important and undeniable advantage of housing is its price. Euro-bedroom apartments occupy an intermediate position between one-room and two-room apartments. That is, the buyer can purchase housing that is only slightly inferior in functionality to a two-room apartment, and at a price slightly higher than for a one-room apartment. The savings are obvious.
• Opportunity to develop a custom apartment design. For some this aspect will be a plus, but for others it will be another difficulty. In the second case, we are talking about conservatives at heart who do not accept the line of modern styles and fashionable combinations of spaces.
• The best option for young families. Young couples often face the problem of a family budget that is too small and does not meet their needs. It’s good if your parents help you buy an apartment, but it’s a completely different matter when the family is left without support and will have to cope on its own. Previously, there were only two options: the eternal yoke of a mortgage and a good apartment or a cramped room in a communal apartment. Now there is a third option with Euro-kopeck units. Taking into account the regularly increasing popularity of this housing, it becomes clear what young couples prefer.
• Convenient location of rooms. Usually a square-shaped apartment is divided by a conventional straight line almost in half. On one side of this line there is a separate room for a bedroom and part of the hallway, and on the other side there is a living room with a kitchen.

Euro two-room apartments have their own disadvantages. These include:

• Lack of a window in the kitchen, which occurs in 80% of cases. The work area will have to be illuminated with chandeliers and lamps.
• Kitchen odors and small particles of fat settling on decorative textiles and furniture in the living room. A powerful hood will be required to solve this problem.
• Difficulties in choosing furniture. The rooms are still small-sized, so the “stuffing” will have to be purchased accordingly.
• It is impossible to relax peacefully in the living room while the hostess is in the kitchen rattling pots, plates and making noise with a blender. As an option, it is worth purchasing the quietest possible household appliances, the noise curtain from which will not be so annoying.

The number of disadvantages and advantages of Euro two-room apartments is almost the same, so the picture turns out to be neutral. The main thing is to correctly plan the arrangement of furniture, zoning and lighting. In this case, it will be possible to “strangle” the shortcomings as much as possible and emphasize the advantages.

How do Euro apartments differ from traditional ones?

In European apartments, the largest space, about 20-40% of the total area, is given over to the living room - a room for living, that is, a living room combined with a kitchen.
For other rooms in Euro format apartments, smaller space is allocated. In essence, a euro-room apartment is a studio with a separate bedroom. A Euro-three-room apartment is a studio with two bedrooms, or an office and a bedroom, or a bedroom and a dressing room, and so on.

Euro apartments are the “golden mean” in the relationship between price and comfort. For example, if we talk about Euro two-room apartments, they are cheaper than classic two-room apartments and at the same time more functional than one-room apartments. They are slightly smaller than regular apartments. If a classic apartment in an economy-class residential complex occupies 50-52 square meters, then a Euro two-room apartment will fit into 45 square meters, and a small Euro three-room apartment will fit into 56 square meters.

Zoning options

The convenience of staying in it primarily depends on the zoning of the combined room. It is not recommended to install massive furniture or a decorative wall in a small space. Segmenting the room into small areas will make it even smaller. Professionals recommend paying attention to lighter obstacles: furniture (bedside tables, sofas), mobile partitions, or conditional zoning with symmetrical decor. An original, popular option was the arrangement of a bar counter, which will serve as a buffer zone between the living room and the kitchen. Conditional separation is also sometimes used using artificial light, color and various finishing materials. For example, in the currently fashionable loft style, one accent wall is decorated with brickwork, and the rest are plastered. The contrast in the textures of the materials is obvious. In some options, if the ceiling height allows it, the living area is raised onto a podium, into the “step” of which spotlights are built. The symmetrical difference in levels on the ceiling looks organic.

In rare cases, differentiation is made using textile curtains. The method is relevant for combined bedrooms and kitchens. It is not recommended to place audio systems close to the culinary area, without which the hall cannot function. Likewise, you should not decorate the border zone with textiles. It will quickly absorb odors and will have to be washed regularly. In general, the kitchen and living room are incompatible spaces. Their microclimates and functional purposes are polar, that is, they do not coincide at all. The delimitation of zones in this case is pursued not so much by an aesthetic goal, but by the need to isolate the aggressive kitchen, from which the main dirt comes from the calmer living room, where household members should relax.

Most euro-bedrooms have balconies or loggias. This cramped space should not be left to be torn to pieces by boxes, junk and cans of preserved food. It can be equipped as a separate reading area, office or workshop. Usually these platforms are squeezed by the owners into the living room, which is already cramped without them.

Methods for zoning the space of a one-room apartment of 40 square meters. m. Photos of interiors

In the design of a one-room apartment with an area of ​​40 sq. m space zoning is one of the most pressing issues. Studio space is not always the most comfortable and acceptable option. If you need a fenced-off space for quiet rest or activities, you cannot do without special techniques.

Glass sliding doors separating the bedroom from the living room

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To not only zone the room, but also to create a comfortable space in which you can retire, sliding doors made of transparent glass or plastic are suitable. Their installation will not take as much time and effort as installing an additional wall, and the interior of a one-room apartment will become more comfortable.

Partition with shelving between the kitchen and living room

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You can also separate the living room from the kitchen using a shelving unit. Through shelves will allow you to place various objects and books, while maintaining a sense of unity of the studio space.

Kitchen-living room in neoclassical style with Art Deco elements

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You can visually delimit zones using the design of the floor and ceiling. This technique will look impressive in the interior design of the kitchen-living room. The combination of neoclassical style and art deco elements creates a festive and solemn atmosphere, which is ideal for “ceremonial” rooms.

Small living room

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The partition between the kitchen and living room can be made incomplete - instead of a door block, equip a wide opening connecting the two rooms. On the one hand, this arrangement creates a certain intimacy of individual rooms, on the other hand, it resembles studio spaces and gives the environment a modern look.

Bright accents

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Bright accents of blue and red will create an original atmosphere in the interior of a small one-room apartment. White color, taken as the basis of the interior, visually enlarges the space, and accents of rich colors make the room cozy and stylish in its own way.

Furniture arrangement

In the kitchen, you should pay attention to the L-shaped furniture layout. In this case, two areas of the working triangle are located on the same line, and the third covers the adjacent wall. It is better to refuse the popular and beautiful island layout, since it is implemented in large spaces, and this is not our case. The dining area is located here, near the boundaries of the kitchen and living room. By the way, a table and chairs can also act as space zoning. Audio and video equipment is placed on the accent wall, which is opposite the kitchen area. The sofa is turned “to face” her. Its back will “look” at the kitchen, which is also considered a zoning option. If the back side of the furniture does not look very good, then it is complemented with a cabinet of the same height. By the way, it is better to use a corner sofa, which will partially overlap the wall with the only window in the room. A low coffee table is placed in front of it. The wall with the TV can be supplemented with a shelving unit. In some cases, when the area of ​​the apartment allows (about 40 square meters), a wardrobe is placed in the corner. This option is relevant if the bedroom is too small and there is nowhere to store things.

Modern solution

Choosing a modern interior for an apartment of 45 sq.m. - this is a really good solution. Finishing elements are used minimally, and the external design looks quite simple.

However, high quality work and expensive natural materials make the appearance of the room rich and quite luxurious. The interior of the living room should correspond to the interior of an apartment of 45 square meters. m. in general.

As an interior item, it is optimal to purchase a coffee table with two transformable parts made of natural material. It is also better to lay the floors in the living room from high-quality wood that retains its natural color.

White, cream, light colors should be used not only on walls. Curtains, carpets, and furniture of the same shade will contribute to the visual enlargement of the room.

Style selection

Many people's eyes will start to run wild from the stylistic diversity: Italian, Japanese, Baroque, Art Nouveau, classic, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Provence, loft, eclecticism, ethnicity, fusion, retro, minimalism, high-tech, futurism, constructivism. This list can be continued for a very long time. What style is suitable for compact housing? Options from the line of modern trends are considered optimal. High-tech will organically fit into the cramped two-room apartment, placing the technical component at the “head of the table.” Its primary colors (gray, white, black) will maximize the size of the room, visually expanding the spatial framework. If your soul requires “warm” country comfort, then you should pay attention to Provence. A light, airy style that chooses wood as the main material and white color as the basis of the composition. It is ideal for small spaces and will transform them with cute decorative details. Minimalism is considered the optimal solution for owners who value practicality and laconicism. It is also suitable for budget repairs. To furnish the apartment you will only need a minimum of furniture and decor.

You should not choose classic directions that are “on the knife” with cramped spaces. To embody heavy luxury, a spacious area is needed.

Arrangement of the kitchen-living room

A kitchen combined with a living room is considered a fashionable and stylish design move. These premises are united even in situations where there is no vital need for this. Simply because the solution looks fresh and beautiful. When developing a room design, you should consider:

• A small space that needs to be visually enlarged with light shades in the background. For the same reason, it is not recommended to overuse it with colorful decor.
• Lack of natural light in the kitchen area. The problem is solved with the help of good lighting not only of the working area under the apron, but also of the entire site as a whole. Also, do not forget about the dining area, which is located next door. The best option would be to install several ceiling chandeliers above accent areas.

It is not recommended to experiment with styles that are a priori considered a potpourri (eclecticism, fusion). They perfectly reflect the creative chaos in the head of the apartment owner and convey his mood, but they will spoil the perception of a small space.

First about Euro-kopecks

Having read “a new Euro two-room apartment” in a realtor’s ad or on a developer’s billboard, based on our everyday experience, we usually imagine something like “a new two-room apartment.” But actually it is not. It turns out that a European two-room apartment is fundamentally different from our traditional two-room apartment. If only because there are not two separate rooms here, but one. The second room is a large kitchen-living room. It combines a kitchen area and a living room (i.e., in principle, there is no separate kitchen here). But the only separate room in which the bedroom is located is usually made significantly smaller. The figure below is an example of such a layout:

Yes, it's much cooler than a one-room apartment. But a modern two-room apartment in a building under construction, where two full-fledged and separate rooms of 17 square meters each plus a large kitchen, will still seem to many a more interesting option. Below is an example of a good layout of a modern two-room apartment. If only she had a kitchen about twenty meters away, it would be great. But that is another story….

Therefore, let us repeat, a two-room apartment should be compared with a one-room apartment. And here she certainly wins due to her kitchen-living room.

Bedroom arrangement

In the bedroom you will have to be content with little, that is, the maximum furniture that the owners can count on - a bed, a wardrobe and paired bedside tables. In some cases, the wall at the head of the bed is covered with an ultra-narrow shelving unit. The wardrobe is chosen as a “compartment” type, since its doors will not take up extra centimeters in the room. Traditionally it is placed opposite the bed. The bed usually takes up the lion's share of the room, so it might be worth installing a pullout sofa instead. During the day it will free up space to spread out in the room, and at night it will turn into a comfortable sleeping place for two.

Furniture selection

Furniture for a small apartment is purchased to be as functional as possible. It is better to choose a double bed or sofa where you can place all the bedding. The style of furniture should match the interior of the home. Mixing stylistic trends is unacceptable. It is most logical to buy furniture for an apartment in one store from one manufacturer. If the bed and wardrobe are a single monolithic set, it looks stylish and chic. If this is not possible, then you should select new cabinets and tables that match the color and style of the bed and the interior of the room. You need to choose modular cabinets and cabinets that can accommodate all the necessary things. Today there are many manufacturers of furniture for small apartments. The most famous include:

• Ikea;
• Dana;
• Dyatkovo;
• Technical service, etc.