Do you want to say goodbye to the frankly boring interior from the last century and make your Khrushchev “kopeck piece” truly modern? This is quite possible if you completely review the apartment plan and carry out a whole range of work to optimize the usable space.
With the right approach, even a very modest square footage will not become an insurmountable obstacle to creating comfortable housing that fully meets all modern interior standards. And the best way to get inspired to create a successful layout for a 2-room Khrushchev apartment is to study ready-made projects and photos of apartments, the owners of which have already successfully coped with all the hardships of renovation and are quietly reaping the fruits of their labors.
Differences between the Khrushchev two-room apartment and other apartments
Khrushchevkas were the first multi-storey buildings of mass construction. During the Soviet era, apartments in them were distributed almost free of charge, which solved the problem of an acute housing shortage. A small area, walk-through rooms, and inconvenient placement of doors distinguishes them from “Stalin” and other houses. There are other, no less significant drawbacks: low sound insulation, low ceilings, small hallway and kitchen, lack of a balcony on the ground floor. In the current market, such real estate is of little value.
Despite the obvious disadvantages, there are also advantages here. Each dwelling from the time of N.S. Khrushchev has storage rooms. The bathroom is usually combined, which saves space. And the design options for such rooms are endless. Why buy standard furniture and sacrifice a large bathroom, if even in a Soviet two-room apartment you can implement any ideas?
Pros of redevelopment
- transitions between rooms become much more convenient;
- there is a visual increase in usable area;
- there is an opportunity for modern interior decoration and giving the “home” an individual look.
Finishing
Any designer will call the use of light shades an effective way to visually increase space. But this statement cannot be taken literally, otherwise the renovation in a 2-room Khrushchev house from the photo will resemble a hospital ward. The same applies to 1 and 3 room apartments. A successful combination of colors will lead to a successful renovation of the interior.
Floors
The only strict requirement for choosing flooring is the taboo on dark shades. In small homes, the floor is a background for other objects and should not attract attention. The best colors: gray, beige, milky. It is also appropriate to imitate the texture of wood or the natural material itself. Laminate, parquet boards, linoleum, carpet, tiles - any coating will effectively complement the design if the color requirements are taken into account.
Ceilings
The brighter the lighting in a small room, the better. In addition to the chandelier, spotlights located around the perimeter are recommended. The tension version will help hide all the unevenness and defects on the ceiling. A multi-level top looks no less advantageous.
Walls
Before you start finishing the walls, in 9 cases out of 10 they will have to be leveled. In panel houses, like brick houses, the difference in height or slope of different walls reaches 2-3 cm. Even if the curvature is not noticeable, it will create big problems during repair work. The surface is leveled with putty or drywall. Upon completion of preparation, the room is decorated with wallpaper, for example:
- non-woven, vinyl, acrylic with a vertical pattern;
- photo wallpaper with a city landscape or nature;
- liquid seamless wallpaper.
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The color of the walls should be in harmony with the intended design of the Khrushchev building, consisting of 2 rooms. The rule “the higher the price, the better” does not always work. Even the most expensive silk-screen printing is not suitable for every interior.
Types of original layout with improvement options
The basic layout of a 2-room Khrushchev apartment is determined not only by the size of the free space, but also by the nature of the arrangement of living rooms. There are several options in this regard, and we will go over the most popular of them - with a very specific proposal for radical transformations for each.
"Vest"
Living rooms of approximately the same area (16-17 square meters) are located on the left and right sides of the hallway and are isolated from each other. Between them there is a bathroom and a small kitchen of about 5 square meters. meters.
What can be done:
The weakest link in this scheme is the modest kitchen, and it can be expanded at the expense of one of the rooms.
The layout of a vest for a 2-room Khrushchev apartment looks like one of the most successful solutions, as it allows you to get by with a minimum of effort spent to give the apartment space a more modern look.
"Book"
The two living rooms are adjacent - they are separated by one long wall. A kitchen of 4-5 square meters and a bathroom are located on the left-right side of the corridor.
What can be done:
- enlarge the kitchen by combining it with the adjacent room;
- extend the corridor and make the entrance space freer.
Mini-improvement
2 living rooms are isolated from each other. The entrance to each is through the hallway. There is a living room with an adjacent balcony - approximately 20 square meters. meters. The second room is smaller, 10-11 square meters: behind it there is a very small kitchen. This layout of a 2-room Khrushchev house occupies a total of 45 square meters. meters and is recognized as one of the best among Soviet-type apartments.
What can be done:
- make the kitchen more spacious by combining it with a small room or hallway;
- remove the partition between the living room and the balcony;
- combine toilet and bathroom.
Tram
The hallway in Khrushchev-era apartment buildings of this type is crowned by the entrance to a large living room, which is adjoined by a second adjacent room of similar size. To the right of the hallway there is a separate toilet and bathtub.
This is a very advantageous layout, since the kitchen with this layout has quite comfortable dimensions.
What can be done?
You can extend a fairly small hallway - due to the living room adjacent to it.
Where to provide storage systems
Khrushchev must be equipped with furniture for storing all kinds of things. It is possible to make a full-fledged dressing room from a closet, even if its size is only 1 by 2 m. All free space is used - below and above. Cabinet furniture would be inappropriate here; it is better to install several open shelves, hangers, and hooks.
Leaving the space under the bed empty is irrational, as is using a deep closet without pull-out rods and a pantograph. Multifunctional furniture is the optimal solution for a small two-room apartment with an unsuccessful layout.
Lighting planning
Massive chandeliers in small rooms with low ceilings are completely out of place. As basic lighting, it is better to use soffits, sconces, and floor lamps with warm, diffused light. Auxiliary light is necessary in the work area in the kitchen, bathroom, nursery, office. Table lamps and pendant lamps can handle this task. Decorative light is not necessary, but in some interiors it serves as an effective addition.
Properly organized lighting hides flaws and highlights the advantages of a home.
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Which laminate to choose?
How to use the balcony area
There is a balcony in all apartments from the Khrushchev era, except the first floor. Rarely used items or all sorts of rubbish are stored there. Practical housewives dry food and hang out laundry. But additional square meters can bring much more benefits: a 2-room apartment with an area of 44 square meters. m will easily become a 3-room apartment. The balcony will make an excellent office or relaxation area. The main thing is not to spare effort and money on good insulation.
Saving room layouts
If you want to save two isolated rooms by increasing their area, simply move the walls. So you can make a kitchen with an area of up to fifteen square meters.
The existing wall will need to be demolished and then a new wall installed, moving it as far as you need.
Color accents and decor
To make a room seem larger, you don’t need to use exclusively light shades. The main thing is that they are a priority. Color accents will not only “revive” and decorate the room, but will also help make it more voluminous. The brightest element must be placed in the most visible place, but as far as possible from the front door. It will attract attention, creating the effect of increased space. This could be: photo wallpaper, a stylish sofa, a decorated wardrobe, etc.
Room zoning
A spacious room often needs to be divided into zones. It is convenient to separate the kitchen from the room with a table or bar counter. In order to hide the bed in the living room, glass or slatted partitions are erected, screens are placed, and curtains are hung. It is important that the structure does not “eat up” the space.
gable roofs of private houses photo
In the photo, a small kitchen is separated by a multifunctional bar counter.
It is useful to separate zones with an open shelving: it will not only act as a partition, but will also become a place to store things.
In the photo there is a partition rack that separates the sofa and the bed. To avoid cluttering the room, some things are put away in boxes.
Techniques for visually enlarging a bathroom
Unlike the kitchen, living room and bedroom, only light shades are welcome in the bathroom. For contrast, dotted color decor is allowed, but in very limited quantities. To improve the ergonomics of a room, a non-standard approach to organizing a storage system is required. Shelves above the sink, toilet and even above the door will allow you to place all the necessary little things.
Examples
Take a look at stylish ideas that can be implemented in a small home:
Photo of a stylish interior
Open plan
Eclectic style
Stylish bedroom in pastel design
An example of a one-room apartment layout: a living room with a workplace
Design of a one-room apartment in Khrushchev
Accents are placed using a contrasting wall and bright details
Modern style
Connecting the living room with the dining room
Bright project with wooden elements
Cozy bedroom
Stylish living-dining room project
Selecting furniture
Furniture of standard sizes, designed for standard apartments, is a relic of the past. Modern design of a two-room apartment of 44 sq. m requires original, stylish and bold solutions. Compactness and multifunctionality are the key qualities that wardrobes, beds, and furniture should have. Other equally important recommendations:
- put the largest objects in the farthest, dimly lit corner;
- use glossy, light, glass facades for cabinets, chests of drawers and bright rich colors for upholstered furniture;
- choose sleeping places with internal compartments for linen;
- give preference to open shelves on furniture walls and free-standing shelving.
Transformable furniture is considered the most practical. A wardrobe combined with a bed or a sofa with a desk is not inferior in functionality to its simpler counterparts, and at the same time takes up a minimum of space.
Due to limited space, Baroque, Rococo or Empire styles are rarely found in Khrushchev-era buildings.
Most Popular Ideas
Of course, it is quite difficult to immediately list all the possible ideas for planning a 2-room Khrushchev house, which in one way or another will help you make its design much more interesting and attractive. However, it is quite possible to dwell on the key ones.
Studio apartment
Removing all (or even most) partitions in an apartment is a bold decision that will definitely require coordination with special services. However, the advantages of this decision significantly outweigh all possible documentary hassles: the apartment will acquire a bright, modern look, and due to the placement of two windows in a single room space, it will also be noticeably lighter.
In such a studio you can let your design imagination run free and even try to decorate a real loft.
Separation of adjacent rooms
There are two completely working and full-fledged options:
- reduce the area of the second room by moving the partition deeper - works well if the rooms are located one after another;
- completely demolish the partitions and replace them with columns, screens or any other camouflage option - relevant for Khrushchev-era buildings, where the rooms are located lengthwise.
The most popular material for the construction of new partitions is gypsum plasterboard sheets. If desired, additional sound insulation can be provided to make the environment in each functional area more comfortable.
Combined bathroom
To place all the necessary items in the bathroom and use them comfortably, you cannot do without creating a single bathroom in a Khrushchev-era building. This is a solution that suggests itself, especially since the wall separating these functional rooms is not load-bearing.
This will free your hands when choosing a bathtub for installation: you may prefer more convenient rectangular options.
However, it is still optimal to focus on shower cabins. Not even full-fledged boxes - an ordinary corner without a tray will be enough, and the water drain can be arranged through a floor drain.
Combining a living room with a kitchen
This type of layout is relevant in the case when a small kitchen is adjacent to one of two living rooms and persistently requires expansion. The load-bearing wall is not affected, so no difficulties should arise with the approval of such repairs.
An example of a real project.
And its direct embodiment.
Combining a kitchen with a balcony
And this method is good for those apartments where the kitchen has access to the balcony. The idea of destroying the partition and uniting the two zones suggests itself. Moreover, such a move significantly expands the cramped kitchen space and allows you to use some tricks to increase the free space.
For example, you can move the refrigerator to the balcony. Or decorate the dining area. Of course, first you need to think about insulating the balcony using modern materials that do not put an increased load on the supporting structure.
Niche and wardrobes in the bedroom
Due to the specific layout, it is often possible to equip a quite spacious niche in Khrushchev-era buildings for storing various things. It does not seem practical to use traditional hinged doors when space is limited. But stylish sliding compartment doors are fine. In addition, they simply look perfect in a room intended for relaxation.
Frequent mistakes in repairing a two-room Khrushchev house
When performing repairs in a two-room Khrushchev house, mistakes are inevitable. Before starting work, it is worth considering the most common ones to avoid wasting time and money.
Complex suspended ceilings
The height of ceilings in old houses usually does not exceed 2.5 m. A pile of parts in the upper part of the room will visually make them even lower. It is not recommended to make complex, multi-stage designs. “Grandma’s” large chandeliers have the same negative effect. The best alternative is a flat lampshade or built-in soffits.
Small number of sockets
In order not to make a mistake with the location of outlets, you need to think in advance where household appliances and lighting fixtures will be installed. It is better to make 1-2 points more than to face a shortage. Electrical extension cords will save the situation, but will instantly ruin the situation.
Combining the kitchen and living room in gasified houses
Combining a kitchen and a living room is one of the most popular remodeling methods. But if the house is gasified, this cannot be done. The ban is due to the minimization of human and property losses in the event of an explosion. It is prescribed at the legislative level, so it is impossible to obtain permission to demolish the wall.
How many apartments are there in a 5-storey building?
My mother is 82 years old and lives alone in a three-room, 51 m/2 apartment in a 5-story building. How much should she pay for cap. repair.
Dear Andrey!
The standard formula for calculating the monthly fee is simple: the area of the premises is multiplied by the minimum payment amount accepted in a particular region.
In accordance with clause 8.1 of Article 169 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, the minimum amount of the contribution for major repairs is established by a regulatory legal act of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation in accordance with methodological recommendations approved by the federal executive body authorized by the Government of the Russian Federation, in the manner established by the law of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation, based on the occupied total area of the premises in an apartment building, owned by the owner of such premises, and can be differentiated depending on the municipality in which the apartment building is located, taking into account its type and number of floors, the cost of major repairs of individual elements of building structures and engineering systems of the apartment building, standard periods of their effective operation before the next major overhaul (normative time between repairs), as well as taking into account the list of works for overhaul of common property in an apartment building established by this Code and the regulatory legal act of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation.
8.2. Owners of premises in an apartment building may decide to establish a contribution for major repairs in an amount exceeding the minimum amount of such contribution established by a regulatory legal act of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation.
By order of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation dated June 27, 2016 N 454/pr,
GUIDELINES
ON ESTABLISHING THE MINIMUM SIZE OF CONTRIBUTION
FOR OVERHAUL REPAIR
When determining the minimum payment, regional officials must take into account:
type and age of the apartment building (pre-revolutionary building, buildings of Stalin and Khrushchev times, modern building);
absence or presence of elevator equipment.
