How to furnish a small room: design ideas, furniture, interior photos

Closet

The further it is from the window, the better.
For a small room, it is important that natural light enters it unhindered. For the same reason, it is worth abandoning heavy curtains in favor of weightless curtains or Roman blinds. The more light there is in a room, the more spacious it looks. Cabinet fronts with mirror or glossy surfaces will optically increase the modest footage due to the reflective effect. It is recommended to place the cabinet closer to the entrance: ideal if there is a niche in the room that needs to be filled. When choosing between ready-made structures and custom-made furniture, you should give preference to the second option. A closet that occupies the entire wall from floor to ceiling will hold much more things than a standard one, will blend in with the surrounding space and will look unobtrusive. It is optimal if the facades are painted the same color as the walls.

Bed

If the width of the room is more than 2.5 meters, the sleeping structure can be placed across the room. Otherwise, there will be too little space left for passage. This arrangement will provide convenient access to the bed for both spouses and approach from any side, and hot radiators will not cause discomfort during the heating season.

In a narrow bedroom, the bed can be placed along one wall: thanks to the wide passage, the room will seem more spacious. Of the minuses: it will become uncomfortable for one of the spouses to sleep, and the adjacent wall will get dirty faster.

Placing the bed across the room near the window is also suitable. With this arrangement of furniture in a small room, its proportions are adjusted. A possible problem is hot batteries.

A bed with a low headboard makes the room visually taller. This principle applies to any low furniture, but before buying a non-standard item, you should try it out and understand how comfortable it is.

Other examples of rational furniture arrangement in the interior of a one-room apartment

Speaking about how to arrange furniture in a one-room apartment, special attention should be paid to the sleeping area. Beds belong to the bedroom and children's room and are inappropriate in the common room. Therefore, for a one-room apartment it is advisable to purchase a folding sofa. You can put such a sofa in the bedroom - there will be more free space. But in this case, it is better to refuse bedside tables, replacing them with a closet, a large linen cabinet or a chest of drawers.

If you still have to place the bed in a common room, it is advisable to separate it with a screen, shelving, curtain, or install it in a niche, if available.

As you can see in the photo, there are not so many options for arranging furniture in a one-room apartment, but they still exist:

A desk or computer desk is necessary for a young family only if one of the spouses has to regularly work at home: on the computer, doing paperwork, processing correspondence, and so on. Writing desks can be single- or double-pedestal. The cabinets are equipped with small shelves in which it is very convenient to store various writing instruments, photo albums, notebooks, books, and magazines. Desks are usually installed in the work area of a one-room apartment, in a children's room for a school-age child, or in a work office, if the number of rooms in the apartment allows such a room to be equipped in it.

This plan shows the rational arrangement of furniture in the apartment:

Tables and cabinets that serve as stands for TVs and other household equipment can be purchased ready-made. However, if you want to save money, you can involve your husband in making them. To do this, you can use some old unnecessary furniture, scraps of boards, or simply modernize an old bedside table.

In the design of an apartment, when arranging furniture for the TV, you should choose a well-lit place, but so that the screen is not exposed to direct sunlight or the flow of light from a lamp or floor lamp.

It is best for him to stand on a dark or calm neutral background, without bright or colorful patterns or designs. Then watching TV shows will not tire your eyesight, distract or scatter the attention of the person sitting in front of the screen.

A TV mounted too high or too low can not only cause discomfort when watching TV, but also cause visual impairment. The center of the screen should be at a height of 80-110 cm from the floor. The most favorable for vision when watching TV is a sector with a width of 60 or 90 degrees.

The dimensions of the stand should be slightly larger than the area of the equipment installed on it. The furniture wall usually has a niche for the TV.

Here are some more visual examples of furniture arrangement in the apartment:

Chest of drawers and TV stand

When choosing a storage system for the living room or bedroom, you should pay attention to visually light and light furniture. “Airiness” is provided by glossy facades and objects on legs. A dark, bulky chest of drawers or a wall immediately catches the eye and hides a lot of space. You should place furniture as close to the wall as possible - this will save space, and thin legs will help deceive the eye: thanks to the empty floor, this part of the room will seem empty.

To avoid cluttering the room with furniture, the TV can be mounted on the wall using a swivel bracket.

Shelves

In a small room, it is worth using the space above your head. In narrow corridors, walls above the door and corners, you can hang several shelves and even cabinets. Wall-mounted storage systems create cozy niches for beds and sofas. The main thing is that the wall is solid and the fasteners are reliable.

In the first photo, the cabinets are suspended directly from the ceiling and connected to the wardrobe. Thanks to the mirror facades, the design looks light and does not overload the interior.

Ways to arrange a pair of sofas

The overall appearance of the living room largely depends on the arrangement of the two sofas. There are several possible ways to arrange such furniture.

The sofa is opposite the sofa - with this arrangement, all guests will be able to see each other, and if there is a large table between the sofas, you can also drink tea or play exciting board games.

Perpendicular arrangement in the shape of an “L” - with this arrangement, guests will be placed sideways, but it is convenient and comfortable to watch TV.

Longitudinal - with this placement, furniture is placed side by side along the wall surface or in the middle of the room. This frees up more usable space.

With a well-thought-out design of the living room with a couple of sofas, the interior will be very comfortable and cozy.

Workplace

Any recess that can accommodate a table and chair is suitable for it: owners of small apartments set up an office in the pantry, on the balcony and even in the kitchen. With the help of a shelving unit and a table, you can zone the room by separating the sleeping area. It is worth hanging comfortable shelves above the table, and equipping the structure itself with drawers - this way the usable space will be used to the maximum.

Another popular way to create an ergonomic workplace is to turn a window sill into a tabletop. This design corrects the rectangular shape of the room and saves space.

Often, arranging furniture in a small room requires unconventional ideas. If the area of the room allows you to install a wardrobe, one of the compartments can be reserved for a mini-office. It camouflages behind a sliding door in one movement, so hidden office supplies, books and a computer do not clutter up the decor. This option requires a well-thought-out wiring system.

We decide on the type, suitable shape and color of sofas

In order to choose sofas that fit into the residential concept in terms of color, external shape and type, you should first decide on the style of this very interior.

It is unrealistic to adjust the style of the design to a ready-made furniture group, wallpaper and floor coverings that have already been purchased.

Otherwise, trying to combine all the ready-made things and style into a single interior, you can end up with an awkward design, which will cost a huge amount of effort, time and money.

When purchasing furniture to design a living room with two sofas, you should first decide on the appropriate size of the furniture. To do this, you need to use the advice of designers:

the seating area in a stylish living room occupies from one sixth to a third of the entire area of the room. Therefore, before purchasing oversized sofas, you should correlate their proportions with the overall dimensions of the room;
You should think in advance about the number of guests coming to the house and calculate the size of the furniture so that there is enough space for everyone;
the selected sofa models must fit freely in the space allocated for them. If there are no such options in the store, then it is possible to place an order for the production of models according to the specific required parameters.

As for the type of sofas and their shape, you should rely on a general idea of the finished design.

Dinner table

In a living room combined with a small kitchen, a table is an excellent way of zoning. Usually it is located at the junction of two areas - kitchen and living. In order to soften the geometry of the room, round tables are often used in combination with chairs with thin legs.

An excellent solution for a cramped room is a functional transforming table. If necessary, it folds up to act as a console, and during a family feast it serves as the main assistant and allows you to comfortably accommodate several people.

Rules for choosing sofas in a pair

Traditionally, sofas of the same color and upholstery material are selected, or a set of two sofas for the living room, which are absolutely identical models. Such furniture allows you to create classic interiors, and with the help of various additional accessories (capes, pillows, etc.), you can change their color and style if desired.
The color of the sofas is selected either to match the overall color range of the interior, or in contrasting shades. The first option is a classic, the second is suitable for daredevil experimenters.
The most interesting and most difficult thing is choosing two different sofas for one room. This move can only be done by professional designers or those with a well-developed sense of style. If you are not sure of your choice, then it is better to leave such bold decisions, otherwise you will end up in your living room not with creativity, but with interior nonsense.

Loft bed

For a small children's room shared by two people, a bunk bed is considered the optimal solution. It is right when each child has his own personal space and place to study. But even if the child lives alone in the nursery, a loft bed will save a lot of space. Under the upper tier you can equip a work area with a table, shelves and a chair - this arrangement guarantees privacy for the child and helps organize the learning process. It is rational to use the freed up space by installing a sports corner or arranging a place for games and reading.

Also, a bunk bed can help out owners of a studio or one-room apartment: this is especially convenient if the apartment has high ceilings.

Multifunctional furniture

Some items in a small room can play several roles at once. For example, an elegant stool or an original chair can serve as a table for flowers or a bedside table. A chest is a storage space, a coffee table, and a bench. The bar counter often acts as a dining table and work surface.

Today, tables that nest inside each other, taking up minimal space, are very popular. Ottomans are appropriate in the hallway, where you can put your shoes away and use them as seating. Also in demand are folding chairs that hang on the wall, podium beds and wardrobes that hide a full-fledged sleeping area behind the facades.

Sofa

A small sofa will save precious meters, but if apartment owners need more storage space, it is worth purchasing a model with internal drawers. A corner sofa is considered the prerogative of spacious rooms, but you can also choose a suitable model for a small room. In small living rooms, to save space, a corner sofa is placed against the shortest wall, since the massive structure is located in the free space.

If you do not often receive guests, it is worth considering whether a sofa is necessary in the apartment. Perhaps a more suitable option would be soft armchairs and a coffee table, which would look more appropriate in a tiny room.

In a room with a regular square shape, furniture should be arranged symmetrically - this is a simple and effective way to create a harmonious interior. Typically, the sofa serves as the central element around which the entire layout is built.

How to correctly arrange furniture in a one-room apartment with and without a child

So, what is the minimum set of furniture for a one-room apartment? As an example, two options for equipping an apartment are considered: for a family with two spouses, and for a family that already has a preschool child.

For a common room in a family without children, you need: a sofa or sofa bed, one or two armchairs, a folding dining table, sectional furniture (wall, shelving, combined wardrobe), a TV stand (if there is no space for a TV in the sectional furniture).

For a common room in a family with children you will need: a sofa or sofa bed, a folding dining table, a shelving unit dividing the room into two zones; 3-5 chairs, a cabinet or narrow sectional cabinet (if necessary), children's furniture - a table and a chair, a cabinet or cabinet for toys and books.

Before arranging furniture in a one-room apartment with a child, remember that for preschool children it is desirable to have special interior items that will correspond to his height and physical capabilities: after all, the child can freely move small and light tables and chairs while playing. Furniture sets are completed depending on the size of the room and the age of the child.

For the hallway: a combined wardrobe for outerwear, shoes, brushes, household supplies (if there is no built-in furniture). In a very small hallway you can put a cabinet for storing shoes and household items and hang a large mirror.

To arrange furniture in a small apartment as conveniently and compactly as possible, you will have to try, because this is not an easy task. Especially a lot of skill and patience will be required if it is necessary to allocate two or more functional areas: in one room for relaxation, for work, for children's games, a dining area. In addition, each zone must have areas free of furniture.

First, you should make a small calculation: in the common room, free space should be at least 60-70% of the entire area, in the bedroom it is 50-60% of the area, and in the children's room - 70-80%; children prefer to play on the floor, and they just need freedom of movement).

Based on the illumination, the room can be divided into two sections: light and less illuminated. In the bright half (from the window to the middle of the room) it is best to equip areas for studying, work, children's games, relaxation, and watching TV shows. In the darker half, you can put furniture for storing household items, books, and equip sleeping places and a dining area.

You can highlight functional areas in a room by grouping and arranging furniture in the apartment - these photos show some good options:

In addition, you can divide the room into zones using partitions (opaque and translucent screens, curtains made of thick drapery fabrics, hanging curtains made of bamboo and plastic), a rack with gaps, reaching the height of the middle of the room or slightly higher, a solid built-in transverse partition or a certain arrangement of large furniture.

A relaxation area in a one-room apartment can be equipped with a traditional set of upholstered furniture (a sofa and two armchairs) and a coffee table. If the room is very small, then one of the options for arranging furniture in such an apartment is a coffee table, a sofa bed and two ottomans or banquettes. For a living room in a two-room apartment with a bedroom, a set of a soft corner and a coffee table is very convenient.

When arranging furniture in a small apartment, you can place household video and audio equipment in the recreation area, but in such a way that the most suitable conditions are created: to watch TV, the screen should be no closer than one and a half meters from the audience. You can put a soft carpet on the floor, which will not only decorate the room, but will also insulate the floor in winter and at the same time be a good sound insulator.

The work area is arranged in the most illuminated part of the room - closer to the window. All its furnishings should be purely businesslike and comfortable for writing, reading, and sewing. From here you need to remove all unnecessary things that interfere with maintaining constant order in the workplace. First of all, when arranging furniture in the interior of a small apartment, you need a desk (preferably a single-pedestal one), a chair with a soft seat or a work chair, a small sectional cabinet or bookshelves.

These photos show how you can arrange furniture in a one-room apartment:

To save space in a small room, you can install a cabinet table or secretary desk. These types of furniture can be transformed either into a desk or into compact storage for papers, books and writing instruments. The light from the window should fall on the desktop from the left side or front.

If you have a small living room, a good idea for arranging furniture in an apartment is to create a dining area in the kitchen, where dishes, kitchen and cutlery are also stored. If the size of the common room allows you to place dining furniture here, which is mainly used for receiving guests, it is important to choose the right place for the dining table. It must be accessible from all sides or, in extreme cases, it can touch the wall with one side. The last option for the rational arrangement of furniture in the interior of an apartment is more economical. The dining area can be independent or combined with a recreation area.

What is the best way to arrange furniture in a one-room apartment if there is no space for a dining table? In this case, you can use a serving table - it can be easily placed even in the corner of a small room.

Rack

The best place for an open shelving unit where books, flowers and souvenirs are placed is on a short wall. Pass-through shelving cabinets can also be used for zoning: the space will be divided, but, unlike a solid partition, the design will not deprive the room of light and will make good use of the area. From an ergonomic point of view, when arranging furniture in a small room, it is important to use “dead” zones: the partitions between the wall and the window and the space around doorways.

A light and narrow shelf can be placed in an unused corner and filled with indoor flowers - such a composition will attract attention, make it easier to care for house plants and free up overloaded window sills.

Arranging furniture in a room with small square footage is a complex and creative process that requires not only experience, but also imagination.

Accommodation Tips

There are several tricks that will help you use a small space more efficiently:

It is better to choose narrow but tall cabinets - they not only take up less space, but also visually elongate the ceilings and push the boundaries;
it is important to maintain space for movement - there should be a distance of at least 60 cm between furniture;
Hanging shelves are an excellent place to store things - the main thing is to correctly calculate the weight;
The table should also be narrow;
wide window sills will become an additional workplace, recreation or storage area;
if you replace the swing interior door with a sliding door, the room will become much more spacious;
You shouldn’t leave the center empty - visually it brings the whole composition together.

If you replace the bed with a folding sofa, you can significantly save space. At the same time, a significant disadvantage of such a decision will be a decrease in the quality of rest, which can negatively affect the health of the back.

In small rooms, you really want to use every useful meter, but it is better to leave the space next to the heating devices free; it is a mistake to place furniture close to them. Large pieces of furniture in general do not look very appropriate, but especially if they are placed in the center. It is important, first of all, to remember who will use the room and for what tasks, and based on this, develop the available space, and not vice versa.

Advantages of individual furniture design, stages of work

A window sill can replace a desktop

Wall shelves provide additional storage space

It's important to leave room to move

It is better to choose a narrow table

A tall and narrow cabinet will take up less space

Depending on the room

The living room can be a place for joint relaxation, receiving guests, work, meals:

childless couples can get by with a minimum number of items, and for get-togethers with friends it is better to install a bar counter;
for crowded companies or families with children, the central element of the room becomes a table, around which chairs, armchairs, and a sofa are placed;
if there will be a large number of people in the living room at the same time, it is worth considering built-in or transformable furniture;
when you can’t do without a voluminous closet, mirrored facades will help to visually make the room larger.

In the bedroom, the main emphasis is on comfort, coziness, the ability to relax and recuperate. In small rooms, it is better to use light furniture and warm colors for furnishing. Regarding the bed and its location:

in small rooms, models with a low headboard look better;
in a long narrow room we place the bed along the end wall;
A product with a lifting mechanism and a niche for bedding saves as much space as possible.

It is better to make a wardrobe in the bedroom built-in. If you need to arrange a work area, you should give it a place near the window.

In a nursery, even a modest area should not affect the implementation of three basic principles - functionality, environmental friendliness, safety:

transformable beds can be moved apart as the child grows;
Many children like a loft bed and it allows you to save space - there is a sleeping place at the top, and a work or play area under it;
It is better to choose a table with drawers and shelves for stationery items;
The working area is usually located closer to the window, the sleeping area further away.

Functionality is very important for the kitchen, as well as a feeling of spaciousness and convenience. This is also feasible in a small room:

in narrow rooms, the work area is placed along one of the longitudinal walls - this leaves enough space for passage;
corner set saves space as much as possible;
a bar counter is perfect instead of a table - it is narrow, high, and visually pushes the boundaries (another option is a folding table);
wall cabinets help solve the problem of storing kitchen utensils;
The window sill can be used for storage or as an additional work surface.

Making upholstered furniture with your own hands, tips for beginners

In a small bathroom, tiles help create the illusion of space - the combination of the floor diagonal with straight lines on the wall makes the room visually wider and taller. Contrasting transitions also add height. Another technique is to use wall sconces and LED lighting. When planning, it is important to make maximum use of the space under the sink - you can put a washing machine there or install a cabinet for storing things.

In a small bedroom it is better to put light furniture

The centerpiece of the living room can be a small coffee table

Corner set saves space in the kitchen

Depending on the shape

For narrow or polygonal rooms, an asymmetrical method of arranging furniture is usually chosen. However, it is the most difficult - you have to combine objects through colors, details and accessories. You can, for example, arrange photos in an original way and use them to connect all the objects together. If it is not possible to contact a designer, it is worth using samples - there are many interesting options for decorating small rooms on thematic information resources.

For rectangular and square rooms, it is better to choose a symmetrical or concentric method. Much of the decision depends on what serves as the focal point. If we are talking about a bedroom, and this is a bed, they often stop at symmetrical - very rarely they arrange the rest of the furniture around this item. And in the living room it is quite possible to assemble a concentric composition around the table.

The absence of bulky furniture makes it possible to experiment and try different options. If the first time you don’t manage to arrange everything so that the space seems functional and comfortable, rearranging the items again will not cause unnecessary difficulties.

Asymmetrical furniture arrangement is suitable for a narrow room

Rectangular and square rooms are best furnished in a symmetrical or concentric way

Depending on the style

There are several styles that are best avoided when decorating a small space. These are Empire, Baroque, Rococo, Gothic and other options in which not just luxury is important, but pomp and excess. These design trends require space and create pressure and cramping in small areas.

It is best to opt for modern styles, such as minimalism, modernism, hi-tech . In the first case, restrained colors, strict shapes, mirrors and other reflective surfaces are important. The direction assumes the presence of only the most necessary furniture, an almost complete absence of decor. The same features are inherent in high-tech, but here the decor is much more welcome, and the emphasis is on metal surfaces and technology. The design is done in white, which in combination with metal “expands” the space.

If you want smoothness, ornaments, wood and calm colors, it is better to choose modern. He welcomes warm colors, fancy furniture shapes, and functionality. You can add brightness with the help of a couple of accessories - the main thing is not to overdo it with textiles, the excess of which is inappropriate in this direction.

The nuances of assembling cabinet furniture, useful tips for beginners

Minimalism

Modern

High tech