10 Design Hacks from September Projects

Expand space using paint, mirrors, or parquet? Easy — in September we published many projects with interesting solutions. Take note!

Kitchen and living room as separate rooms

A modestly sized apartment seems larger because Natalia Mitrakova didn't combine the kitchen and living room, as is often done to create a shared space. The designer opted for an open-plan layout — all rooms are arranged in a line but separated from each other.

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Storage System in Wall Color

For a small living room, designer Natalia Krasnoborodko chose the Besto IKEA storage system — it almost merges with the wall and dissolves into the interior.

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Backsplash + Mosaic

What to do if monochromatic white backsplash tiles are boring? Ilya and Eugenia Emelyanovs found a solution — they diversified it with small mosaic tiles.

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Wide Window Sills — Additional Seating

Alexander Arnholdt installed soft seating on the window sills — a convenient solution for designers who often have guests.

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Identical Finish in All Rooms

This approach helped expand the space in a 33-square-meter apartment. The designers at Ricco Interno laid light oak planks on the floor, and painted the walls.

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Large Parquet Plank

Anna Erman chose a larger-than-usual parquet plank for this studio — it draws attention away from the small room size and even makes the ceiling appear higher.

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Wall-Mounted Dish Drying Rack

In their project, Studio Bazi found a solution for a small kitchen — they made the furniture and accessories custom. Since there was no space left for shelves, they mounted a compact dish drying rack above the sink.

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Full-Wall Mirrors

Olga Zaretskikh placed large, vertically oriented mirrors on the living room wall. They visually stretch the space and make it brighter and more spacious — thanks to reflected light from the window.

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Wide Floor Molding

Firstly, it looks beautiful. Secondly, it's an excellent solution if you have low ceilings. A wide molding in a small apartment helps 'scale down' the space — visually making it appear larger and ceilings higher.

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Dark Ceiling + Mirrored Walls

Designers at Mikhail Novinsky's studio expanded the small entryway with dark graphite paint on the ceiling. The effect of a larger space was enhanced by mirrored panels used for the wardrobe frame.

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