How to Decorate an Apartment in a Stalin-era Building: 10 Ideas

If you are about to become a happy owner of an apartment in a "Stalin-era" building or are ready to start renovation, read this post: we have collected the best design ideas from well-known designers

1. Put Your Bet on Color

Pumpkin-orange hallway, kitchen in maroon color, and bright blue bedroom – the owners fully trusted their redesign to designer Nade Zhotova, agreed to color experiments and didn't guess wrong: as a result of the renovation in a short time, they managed to change the boring beige interior and avoid major reconfiguration.

Continue readingDesign: Enjoy Home

2. Find a Good Alternative to Beige Color

The owner of this two-room apartment dreamed of an interior in beige and brown tones, but designer Elena Simkina offered a more interesting solution: soft blue for the walls, white for the carpentry, and modern furniture and decor items as accents. The idea of decorating the apartment in a classic style with a French vibe pleased the client – interior work began!

Continue readinghttps://www.inmyroom.ru/posts/13417-interer-nedeli-ne-bezhevaya-dvushka-v-stalinskom-dome

3. Get Rid of Communal Corridors

Owners of this apartment in an old building wanted to design an interior that preserved the spirit of Soviet times, its atmosphere, and stylistically matched the architecture of the building. Before starting finishing and furnishing, designers from Studio 3.14 transformed former communal corridors into more functional spaces. For example, a corridor near the bathroom was turned into a storage room and the wardrobe in the bedroom was enlarged.

Continue readingDesign: Studio 3.14

4. Visually Increase Apartment Area

In a standard two-room apartment of nearly 50 square meters, architect Natalia Medvedeva made a full reconfiguration. Several walls were demolished, load-bearing beams were reinforced with support columns skillfully integrated into the interior. As a result, a spacious kitchen-dining room, living room, separate bedroom, and spacious wardrobe were created – a bright and convenient apartment, about which you can only dream.

Continue readingDesign: Natalia Medvedeva

5. Create a Loft Style

A loft can be created not only in a former factory hall. Thanks to wall finishing with brick and wooden floors, Stalin-era buildings have become an excellent space for implementing this style.

However, to set up a new modern apartment in a Stalin-era building, professionals from Art B.O.S. studio had to conduct a serious capital renovation. The floors in the building were wooden, and the old floor was laid on joists. These had to be replaced and solid boards were laid over sheets of plywood. Old windows were removed and double-glazed windows with wooden frames were installed. As for the walls, they decided to leave the original ones (brick from the 1950s). These were simply cleaned and coated with lacquer to enrich their color and protect from dust and external influences. The wall coating looks like real concrete typical for lofts.

Continue readingDesign: Art B.O.S.

6. Decorate a Minimalist Interior

Architect Antonina Sinchugova decided to abandon whimsical decorative solutions and unnecessary items in the interior and create a sense of harmony and peace. Simplicity was initially set: clients requested that the apartment be minimalist.

Thanks to hidden storage systems, minimalist color solutions, and unity in design of all rooms, the modest two-room apartment looks cozy and spacious.

Continue readingDesign: Antonina Sinchugova

7. Create a Stylish Interior and Save Money

Anastasia and her husband were considering the apartment in a Stalin-era building as temporary housing: the family was soon moving to a country house. Therefore, they decided not to spend much money on apartment decoration but also not to compromise quality for savings. The interior was built on contrasts: simple solutions next to complex ones, mass-produced items alongside handmade work.

Continue readingDesign: Anastasia Kamen-skikh

8. Stay True to Classic Style

The house on Tverskaya Street, where this two-room flat is located, was built in 1939 according to the project of the famous architect Arkadiy Mordvinov. Long-time Muscovites call this building a "house under a skirt" based on old memories: until 1958, it was decorated with a huge statue of a ballerina (sculptor Georgy Motovilov). Citizens believed it was casted in the likeness of Olga Lepeshinskaya, the prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre. This story inspired designer Maria Rubleva to create a bright interior in classical style with cornices and ceiling coffers, intricate patterns on doors, and large mirrors.

Continue readingDesign: Maria Rubleva

9. Create a Traditional Moscow Atmosphere in the Interior

This apartment is located in the University metro station area, an excellent Stalin-era building of the faculty staff of Moscow State University, full of light and air, large windows, panoramic views of MSU and the entire Southwest. The owner wanted the interior to convey both the spirit of old Moscow apartments and a "light breath." See how designer Inna Zoltmann brought the client’s dream to life.

Continue readingDesign: Inna Zoltmann

10. Decorate the Interior in the Best European Traditions

In a small flat in central Moscow, decorator Zhenya Zhdanova had to create a comfortable interior in the best European traditions. The task was solved with reconfiguration – the decorator got rid of a tiny kitchen, combining its space with the living room, made a combined bathroom, and adjusted the volumes of the hallway and bedroom. As for decoration, it was built on three main principles: light shades, natural materials, and original or author-designed furniture items.

Continue readingDesign: Zhenya Zhdanova

Also read:

What You Need to Know About Decorating an Apartment in a Stalin-era Building?

Can You Break Walls in a Stalin-era Building: Expert Opinion