How to Fix a Poor Apartment Layout: 6 Examples

If your apartment has a poor layout, read our article — designers' ideas will help fix the situation.

Apartment with Dining Room on Balcony

Before designer Galina Mikulik stood the task: to create a comfortable space and figure out what to do with the winter garden — it occupied a quarter of the apartment, and the inconvenient balcony was shifted inward along with the load-bearing columns. As a result, the balcony became a bright dining room, instead of a garden there is now a bedroom, and in its place — a wardrobe and bathroom.

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Design: Galina Mikulik

Small Apartment with Narrow Bedroom

The bedroom in the apartment was disproportionately narrow and elongated, with load-bearing walls. To adjust the space, designer Olga Ivanova installed a passage built-in wardrobe. Also, by using the corridor, the designer expanded one of the bathrooms — now there is a cabinet for storing household chemicals and a washing machine.

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Design: Olga Ivanova

Studio with Functional Zones

An unusual feature of this apartment is a long 7-meter room with one window. Two door openings led into it: one designer Andrey Rybakov closed, the other he supplemented with pockets for sliding doors. Fully isolating the bedroom zone was impossible, as natural light was still needed there. The solution came quickly — vertical strips were used for zoning.

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Design: Andrey Rybakov

Small Living Room-Dining Room

To increase the area of a small living room-dining room, designer Ksenia Konovalova removed the wall between the room and the hallway. She also installed a ventilated partition made of vertical laminated posts. To add more air, the opening to the kitchen was enlarged, and the kitchen window block with a door to the balcony was replaced with a glass sliding door.

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Design: Ksenia Konovalova

Studio Without Partitions

Designer Marina Svetlova started the project with re-planning: she removed a wall between the living room and kitchen, designed a bedroom in the place of the storeroom, and merged the bathrooms — it turned out convenient. The balcony was not left out either — here a space for relaxation and solitude was created.

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Design: Marina Svetlova

Small Stalin-era Apartment with Kitchen-Living Room

In a 1953 Stalin-era apartment, the rooms were originally small with low ceilings. Designer Irina Krivtsova decided to add air — she removed all partitions, separating only the “dirty zone” in the hallway, and installed sliding doors between the kitchen-living room. To slightly increase the bathroom space, she merged it with the bathroom and storage room.

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Design: Irina Krivtsova