Evaluate the initial data of the room
Understand what potential the apartment has in order to choose the least expensive finishing option.
If you got an apartment in a new building with a rough finish, then why not take a closer look at the loft style, because it is characterized by untreated brick and concrete walls.
Svetlana Valuyskaya, practicing architect
The expert advises owners of secondary cars to think about country and Scandinavian style. Such interiors turn out to be bright, cozy, and you can do a lot with your own hands.
Budget renovation rules
Before deciding to carry out a budget apartment renovation yourself, you should familiarize yourself with the upcoming difficulties that are sure to arise at many stages of the work. What are they:
- Apartment owners must have enough time to carry out budget renovations. Especially if you have no experience in laying communication lines, plastering, or installing plumbing. Repair work is timed to coincide with vacations or special days are allocated for this. Spontaneity harms the final result and delays the process. If you hurry, you will make people laugh!
- It is important to correctly assess the situation of the apartment before renovation. Budget painting will not solve problems with the floor and walls if the screed or plaster is in poor condition. The same applies to communication wiring. You shouldn’t count on costing a pretty penny for budget repairs in an apartment with your own hands. Inexpensive decorative materials will become a rational purchase if the rough finishing is done with high quality.
- It is necessary to monitor the prices and assortment of nearby construction stores. The latter is important, since the cost of delivery sometimes amounts to an impressive amount. You should not get carried away with a very cheap product - a construction field, an unplowed field for counterfeits.
- your estimate carefully . This will save you from overuse of material and waste, respectively.
- And lastly, you cannot skimp on generally dangerous communications. Gas and electrical equipment is installed exclusively by city service specialists. Otherwise, the lesser evil is non-working devices, the greater is the misfortunes associated with this.
Develop a project
It is not necessary to involve a designer in this work if your budget is limited. If you are not aiming for something outstanding, you can figure out the peculiarities of a particular style on your own. But you will need a project with furniture placement and electrical plans.
This is an indispensable thing before starting repairs. It is easier for a team of craftsmen to work according to technical drawings, so their services will cost less, and it will be easier to control the work.
Valeria Kuznetsova, chief architect of projects of the apartment overhaul service "Made"
This is where the help of a designer may be needed. Layouts must be competent, taking into account the needs of your family and design standards. At the same time, be sure to discuss your budget with the designer so that you are not offered expensive solutions.
If funds are very limited, remember that you can get professional help for free.
In chain hypermarkets, for example, they can make you a design project for a bathroom using tiles presented in the store. This service can be obtained for a symbolic 250–500 rubles, and this money will be returned to you if you buy materials selected by the designer.
Tatyana Chabrova, expert at the hypermarket chain for repairs and summer cottages OBI
Design options for different rooms in a two-room apartment
It is better that the arrangement of the entire apartment is harmonious, and if not in the same style, then at least in related styles. For example, if your living room is in a high-tech style, then you should not decorate the kitchen in Provence or Country, there will be an imbalance and generally a little strange. Yes, the main thing is not the rules, but your personal taste, but in an apartment where the decoration is done thoughtlessly and chaotically, you will feel uncomfortable living.
Living room
All known styles are suitable for the living room, from rustic to super-technological high-tech. Choose so that you don’t have to redo it later: decide which style you definitely won’t get tired of after a while, and in which space you will be comfortable. It depends on the purpose for which the living room is allocated.
Often the living room is the most spacious and largest room in the apartment.
If you are going to welcome guests here and hold feasts and get-togethers, then you can decorate the room in a neoclassical or classic style, with luxury and comfort. If you are going to work here more on the computer or do creative work, then your style is English, or its related trends, restrained and calm. And if you are relaxing here with a book or watching TV, then give the room more comfort, choose Country, Eco or Scandinavia.
Kitchen
It doesn’t matter what kind of house you have - modern or old, panel or brick, the same laws reign in the kitchen of all houses. And the names: it should always be clean, cozy and comfortable. The housewife spends a lot of time in the kitchen, so everything should be at hand. Here you will often have to put things in order, so it’s worth taking this point into account when choosing a style.
It is necessary to take into account the required number of sockets so as not to spoil the interior in the future with the presence of extension cords.
The best choice for a small kitchen is Provence or Country. And for a large open kitchen - more modern High-Tech or Minimalism.
Bedroom
This space is only yours. So, when you make a plan for how to arrange your bedroom and arrange the furniture in it, be guided only by your personal tastes. Do you want luxury? Choose neoclassicism or baroque, and if you like simplicity and freedom, then bet on loft. There are no restrictions here!
Many experts advise using materials with soundproofing properties, which are so necessary for a quiet and secluded room.
Bathroom
In the layout of a two-room apartment, the bathroom occupies an important place. The main thing here is comfort, cleanliness and practicality. You should not place much emphasis on the design of the bathroom; it is better to choose for it the same style direction that dominates the entire apartment. Example: if you have a kitchen in the Provence style, make the bathroom also soft and light, it will be harmonious and beautiful.
The interior of the bath and toilet will depend on their size.
Hallway
Your project for a future apartment must take into account the hallway. It should be in the same style as the living room, and ideally also match the style of the kitchen. It is better to use muted, neutral colors for the hallway, and not clutter it with decor, but make it as comfortable as possible.
The larger the hallway area, the more different stylistic options you can implement in it.
Corridor
The same applies to the corridor. Real practicality and neutral design are important here, so that it is convenient to dress or undress, put on and take off your shoes, look in the mirror and hang up your coat, umbrella and handbag. Think about family members and guests when planning the placement of furniture in the hallway.
Other possible rooms
If you decide to make a work area in the living room, then think through its design solution down to the smallest detail. If you zone a room into two parts, decorate the interior harmoniously so that the two parts do not contrast with each other, but they may differ in lighting and color.
Many owners of two-room apartments want to decorate the entire area in one color scheme.
It is better to decorate the workspace in a restrained style, for example, English. If you have a creative area, Loft or Minimalism will be ideal for it. And for the relaxation area, choose something luxurious and cozy!
Make an estimate
Before you go to the store, decide on the materials for finishing the floors, walls and ceilings. You don’t have to immediately choose the exact shade and texture, but at least decide where you will have tiles, laminate, wallpaper, and paint or wall panels. You can also immediately include in the estimate the costs of furniture and additional decor: curtains, chandeliers, mirrors, carpets, and so on.
After that, estimate the scale of the upcoming costs. For each room, write down all the materials indicating the quantities required: from plaster and tile grout to switches and baseboards. Competent and accurate calculation of all costs for repair work will avoid unnecessary overpayments.
There are several life hacks that will help you save money.
Lay tiles only in wet areas
The bathroom does not have to be tiled from floor to ceiling, as everyone is used to.
Use tiles only where water gets in. Paint the remaining walls with special paint for wet rooms.
Irina Krapivina, interior designer, founder of the ArtiDomo design workshop
Consider the wear resistance of materials
Durability is one of the factors influencing the price of a product. Therefore, analyze where to use which material. For example, for a bedroom, where there is not so much traffic, you can take an affordable laminate of the 31st wear resistance class, and in the corridor, where the load on the floor is much greater and the area is smaller, a more durable one - 32 or 33rd class.
Choose domestic manufacturers
If you buy Russian-made tiles, you can save money. According to architect Svetlana Valuyskaya, most large factories use Italian equipment, so the tiles have a clear geometry and high quality. The same applies to plumbing and many other materials.
Keep an eye out for sales
This is where a preliminary estimate comes in especially handy, as you won't have to buy materials at the last minute, and you'll be able to look around and find great deals.
Don't be afraid to take extra
To save money in the end, it is better to take an additional roll of wallpaper and a pack of tiles. Shades in different batches may not match. And, if at the end of the repair it turns out that a couple of packages of porcelain stoneware are missing, you may simply not find the batch you need.
It is better to buy material with a reserve, and then hand over the excess. Construction hypermarkets provide this opportunity.
Look for budget analogues
Valeria Kuznetsova advises using laminate instead of parquet, cork or polyurethane skirting boards instead of MDF, suspended ceilings and simple wallpaper instead of leveling the surface for painting for budget repairs.
Choose plain materials
Tiles and wallpaper with patterns will have to be adjusted to match the design. This increases material consumption.
Don't skimp on strategically important things
First of all, this is rough finishing and utilities. If you flood your neighbors because of a pipe on which you decided to save a couple of thousand, or a huge crack decorates the wall due to low-quality but very cheap plaster, this will result in much greater expenses. It is also worth paying attention to more expensive wall paint.
The colors of English, Japanese, and American paints are bright and durable. Even after many years, you can accurately reproduce the desired shade - each has a unique tinting code.
Nailya Rumyantseva, interior designer, executive of the online service of household services YouDo.сom
Redevelopment
To start selecting suitable options for renovating a 2-room apartment and decide to redevelop an old apartment, you need to carefully study all the technical data:
- which walls are load-bearing and which can be demolished or moved;
- which side the windows face, the size of the windows and even the view from them;
- the age of the building and, accordingly, all communications;
- where important engineering communications are located;
- does the ceiling height allow for a “second floor”;
- Is it worth combining a bathroom and a bathroom;
- where the necessary wires go and whether it is worth additionally equipping sockets and wiring for lighting.
First of all, you need to choose the style of the room, and then draw up a design project for the redevelopment of the Khrushchev building. It is also important at the initial stage to think about where to place sockets and switches to make electrical wiring.
It is important to immediately understand where each zone will be located, which means data on family composition is needed:
- number of people at the moment;
- the age of each of them;
- gender and age of children;
- planning to expand your family in the future.
Only a designer or architect familiar with such apartments can advise on how to remodel an old Stalin or Khrushchev building. As we have already said, each type of apartment in old houses is different from each other. But we can still give general advice.
Combining rooms
Quite often, when renovating a two-room apartment, owners decide to combine two small rooms, which allows them to visually push the boundaries and expand the space without creating a feeling of enclosure. However, it is worth remembering that when combining two rooms for different purposes, you need to clearly zone the room.
An excellent solution is to place the bed under the podium
Illuminating the ceiling will visually raise it
Kitchen-living room
A fairly common solution, since kitchens in old houses are quite cramped. Dividing one room into a kitchen and living area allows you to expand the workspace for cooking without interfering with each other. One cooks, the second eats, the third relaxes on the sofa. A perfectly suitable space for a family of three who can spend more time together.
Living room-bedroom
This option is acceptable for a family of two, for example, a young married couple who likes to throw parties and invite guests. In order to somehow increase the area of the living room (hall), they combine it with the bedroom. But at the same time, you need to clearly understand that clear zoning should be used for the sleeping area, since it is better to hide the place to relax from prying eyes.
Living room-office
This solution is suitable for a family where one or more members work from home. Setting up a workspace in the living room is not difficult. Again, the main thing is to zone it correctly. For example, for this you can use a multi-level floor - place a workplace on a podium, in which you can arrange additional storage spaces. You can separate the work desk from the seating area with a shelving unit or screen.
Combining a bathroom
Of course, a separate bathroom is the best solution, albeit small, but a separate toilet. Place a compact sink in it - and a modern solution is ready! Few people understand this, especially those owners who started renovations for the first time. But it also happens that you can’t do without combining a bathroom, for example, if both the bathroom and the toilet are very cramped, and one or all of the residents have impressive dimensions. And you can allocate space for a washing machine in such a room.
Find a crew
Architect, co-founder of the architectural bureau HEADS Group Arsen Khairov proposes to organize a kind of tender and consider several proposals.
The more experienced the team, the more detailed the estimate for the work it will provide. If builders only tell you the cost per square meter, immediately refuse.
Arsen Khairov
At a minimum, all wet processes, painting work and decorative finishing should be delegated to specialists. In this matter, qualifications have a very serious impact on quality and aesthetics. There are hardly any people who want to admire the crooked ceiling or walls.
Additionally, you need an experienced plumber and electrician. Saving here is fraught with incidents with unpleasant consequences.
Take on some of the work yourself
Surely you can dismantle the old renovation yourself or with friends, prepare the walls, if the unevenness is not critical, paint something or hang wallpaper. You will also accurately cope with the installation of skirting boards and faucets.
You can take on the installation of waterproofing or soundproofing before screeding the floor.
Working with roll materials sold for these purposes does not require special knowledge and skills at all.
Leonid Novgorodov, head of educational in St. Petersburg
Follow the correct work order
Often repairs have to be updated or redone simply because the actions were performed in the wrong sequence, notes Valeria Kuznetsova.
During the roughing stage, workers dismantle the walls, if you are planning a redevelopment, ditch, lay electrical wiring routes, connect communications, plaster surfaces, and screed floors. Then comes the final finishing stage: laying flooring, painting walls or wallpapering, installing sockets and plumbing fixtures, assembling furniture.
Leave doors until the very end of the work, and, on the contrary, replace windows as early as possible.
