How to Fix a Poor Apartment Layout?

Want to find space for a living room, dining area, and bedroom in a studio? See how designers solve this problem in their projects. Even with the most unfortunate layout, you can still work with it.

Small Stalin-era apartment with a kitchen-living room

Small rooms and low ceilings were the starting point for Irina Krivtsova when she began decorating a Stalin-era apartment built in 1953.

The designer removed all partitions and only separated the 'dirty' zone of the entrance hall — this added air to the cramped space. Glass sliding doors were installed between the living room and kitchen. The small bathroom was combined with the shower room and storage to fit everything needed.

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Small two-room apartment with a walk-in closet

In a two-bedroom apartment, there was originally a narrow corridor where even a wardrobe wouldn't fit, and an inconveniently small kitchen. These spaces were combined, and immediately space was found for a small living room.

The second room was adapted into a bedroom with a full-size bed and walk-in closet. The living room and bedroom were separated by a solid glass partition that lets in natural light.

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Typical three-room flat in a block building

The designer was asked to make the rooms more functional and increase door openings. Ludmila Danilovich proposed combining the kitchen with the living room. The gas stove issue was solved using sliding doors.

The hallway was isolated with a partition — now it's the son’s bedroom. Also, niches were created in the entrance hall for wardrobes to avoid having a separate walk-in closet.

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Apartment with a small living-dining room

Designer Ksenia Konovalova immediately suggested knocking down the wall between the living-dining room and entrance hall and replacing it with a light partition made of vertical laminated panels — this added space and air.

But they didn’t stop there: they enlarged the opening to the kitchen, and replaced the kitchen window block with a sliding glass door to the balcony.

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Studio with functional zones

To add more light to the long seven-meter room with one window, designer Andrey Rybakov closed one of the doorways and supplemented the other with pockets for sliding doors.

The bedroom zone was isolated using vertical slats — they allow enough natural light and provide privacy.

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Studio with a bedroom instead of a storage room

As in most cases, the partition between the small kitchen and living room had to be removed. Where a storage room was originally intended, a bedroom zone was created. The storage problem was solved using built-in wardrobes.

Also, the bathroom was combined in the apartment to accommodate a washing machine and wardrobe.

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Studio with a dining area on the balcony

Designer Julia Tel'nova joined the kitchen and living room into one space, separating them with an open shelf. The balcony was attached, insulated, and the dining area was moved there. Radiators were replaced with vertical ones, and windows — with panoramic sliding partitions.

A part of the living room was isolated by a partition and decorated as a small bedroom. The partition was partially glazed to keep the room always bright.

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