Before & After: Awkward Studio Turns Into A Comfy One-Bedroom
With just a single room next to an unnecessarily large kitchen, the layout of this Moscow apartment needed an update
This apartment in Moscow, Russia had been rented out for years. When her latest tenant moved out, the owner decided to renovate it. The original plan was to just freshen it up cosmetically, but designer Irina Nosova suggested significant improvements to the layout. Her plan involved turning the studio into a one-bedroom apartment: The sofa bed gave way to a detached bedroom, and the kitchen was repositioned into a recessed space just off the living room for a much more functional layout.
The team stripped the apartment down to a bare shell and decorated the new interior in Scandinavian style, with light-grey walls, a muted wallpaper on the accent wall and wooden textures.
The floor is laminate rather than solid wood, in part due to budget restrictions, and in part because it was a last-minute change: By the time the renovation was nearing completion, the owner had found a new tenant who did not want carpet in the living room.
The floor is laminate rather than solid wood, in part due to budget restrictions, and in part because it was a last-minute change: By the time the renovation was nearing completion, the owner had found a new tenant who did not want carpet in the living room.
Before.
Before. This is what the apartment looked like before the renovation. Clockwise from top left: living room, closet, entrance, bathroom, kitchen
The original layout had a large – though not very convenient – kitchen and a living area with a sofa bed. In order to create a detached bedroom, designer Irina Nosova suggested moving the kitchen. She reclaimed space from the original kitchen and turned it into a kitchen niche connected to the living room. The bedroom now occupies the rest of the original kitchen space.
The original layout had a large – though not very convenient – kitchen and a living area with a sofa bed. In order to create a detached bedroom, designer Irina Nosova suggested moving the kitchen. She reclaimed space from the original kitchen and turned it into a kitchen niche connected to the living room. The bedroom now occupies the rest of the original kitchen space.
After. This is the layout of the apartment after the renovation.
After the renovation, the entrance was incorporated into the open space. Different flooring distinguishes the two zones.
The closet was assembled on-site. The workers painted the clapboard, mounted it onto the wall and added the top shelf.
The closet was assembled on-site. The workers painted the clapboard, mounted it onto the wall and added the top shelf.
Next to the entryway is a small walk-in closet. They went for this option because they didn’t want any free-standing closets in the space. “The walk-in closet is the minimum comfortable size for storing personal belongings, a suitcase and household items,” Nosova says.
One wall in the living room was decorated in a patterned wallpaper. The bay window was retrofitted with a wide sill that doubles as a desk. This space was simply wasted in the original layout.
The owner wanted to use natural finishes wherever possible, but the budget did not allow for it. Therefore, natural textures were introduced in details like the wooden beam that covers the curtain rod in the bay window and the light hanging over the dining table. The woven lampshade is made of a material that resembles banana leaves.
Before.
Before. This is what the kitchen looked like before the renovation.
After. The kitchen’s colourful tile floor and wooden-slat ceiling help mark it off from the rest of the space. The bright blue of the lower cabinets echoes the couch upholstery.
They decided to buy a stand-alone refrigerator, as such a model is cheaper than a built-in one. They built a special niche for it so that it is not visible from the living room (see third photo above), and they also added a shelf in the space above. There is a power socket inside the refrigerator niche.
They decided to buy a stand-alone refrigerator, as such a model is cheaper than a built-in one. They built a special niche for it so that it is not visible from the living room (see third photo above), and they also added a shelf in the space above. There is a power socket inside the refrigerator niche.
A pocket door closes off the bedroom. Due to lack of space, the door is a bit narrower than standard at 25½ inches (65 centimetres), a size usually reserved for bathroom doors.
Floor tiles by Equipe Ceramicas; kitchen by Stilnye Kukhni
Floor tiles by Equipe Ceramicas; kitchen by Stilnye Kukhni
Before. This is what the kitchen and living room looked like before the renovation.
The wall behind the bed is covered in the same wallpaper as the living room: Not only does this draw a connection between the two spaces, but it meant that the owner could save by using leftover sheets of wallpaper. There are blue accents here, too: The headboard, photo frames and pillows echo the sofa in the living room.
Bed: Askona
Bed: Askona
Before.
After.
The vanity was made out of the base of an old sewing machine and wooden planks: A member of their construction team turned them into a vanity with a drawer on-site. “I was lucky to find the legs on Avito [a Russian classifieds site] for 1,500 rubles (about US$22.50). Moreover, the seller was happy that someone was ridding them of this ‘piece of trash,’” Nosova says.
To save budget, they used tiles only in the wet areas – in the shower and over the sink. The rest of the walls are painted.
Towel ladder: Umbra
The vanity was made out of the base of an old sewing machine and wooden planks: A member of their construction team turned them into a vanity with a drawer on-site. “I was lucky to find the legs on Avito [a Russian classifieds site] for 1,500 rubles (about US$22.50). Moreover, the seller was happy that someone was ridding them of this ‘piece of trash,’” Nosova says.
To save budget, they used tiles only in the wet areas – in the shower and over the sink. The rest of the walls are painted.
Towel ladder: Umbra
The shower took the place of the old bathtub. A new niche next to it houses a washing machine and shelves built by a member of their construction team. The louvre doors were also custom made.
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Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
House at a Glance
Location: Moscow, Russia
Size: About 430 square feet (40 square metres)
Who lives here: Tenants
Architect: Irina Nosova