Ideal Living Room from Instagram Scandi Blogger

"With love for my nest" — that's what Katya (@murzik_home_) writes in her Instagram profile. When we saw this wonderful account, we thought Katya was probably a professional design blogger: her photos are so vivid and her advice is so useful.

But it turned out not exactly like that: Katya and her husband Kostya are hobbyists. They decided to do the renovation themselves, but they approached it so carefully that they calculated everything down to the millimeter. We tell you what, according to the couple, worked well, and what they plan to redo. And we start the review with the living room!

Katerina Funtova Artist, Blogger Loves Scandinavian style and the philosophy of hygge, decorates her own apartment with love and taste, and runs a blog about decor and cozy lifestyle

How they planned storage

Things and shoes you come in from the street are better placed closer to the entrance so you don't spread dirt around the living room. For other items, we made a convenient and spacious wardrobe-cupboard. The niche for it was built from gas concrete blocks during the renovation phase, based on the size of the items that were planned to be stored there:

✔ Right section — for an ironing board, dryer, mops, vacuum cleaner, hookah and similar items.
✔ Adjacent section — for shoes. It was calculated based on the size of IKEA Sockeblocks for shoes. The wardrobe turned out deeper than we calculated, so there's space to hide more items behind the Sockeblocks 😂
✔ Left section — for outerwear, under it there's a section for tools🛠
✔ Free zone on top, mainly for large containers👌

I'll say right away, all dimensions, including the height and width of shelves, were calculated by us based on the content. Of course, a measurer can help you with this, but for more rational space organization, it's better to plan the content and dimensions yourself in advance.

The last detail of our apartment — the wardrobe-cupboard! Finally, we got to it👌⠀ ⠀ The niche for the wardrobe-cupboard was built during the renovation phase from gas concrete blocks. A wooden rail was attached to the ceiling, to which the suspended ceiling was later mounted. Our workers were in charge of this, and as it turned out later, they did everything by eye🤦‍♀️ (Photo 5)⠀ ⠀ We had to cover the corner of the door with a piece of the wardrobe-cupboard, and we're glad it worked out, at first we were afraid about pulling the ceiling😅⠀ ⠀ Inside everything is neat and simple. The dimensions that we based our calculations on were the right niche for an ironing board, dryer, mops, vacuum cleaner, hookah and similar items, and the adjacent section for shoes (in the middle). It was calculated based on the size of IKEA Sockeblocks for shoes. The wardrobe turned out deeper than we calculated, so there's space to hide more items behind the Sockeblocks🤪😂⠀ ⠀ Left section for outerwear, under it there's a section for tools🛠⠀ ⠀ On top, free zone, mainly for large containers👌⠀ ⠀ I'll say right away, all dimensions including the height/width of shelves and so on were calculated by us, first choosing the content, a measurer just confirmed the details☝️ Of course, a measurer can help you choose the content, but for more rational space organization, it's better to plan the content in advance. ⠀ In general, everything turned out as planned, without flaws, which we are extremely happy about! Both the measurer and the master who assembled the wardrobe were very competent and pleasant people, which unfortunately isn't that common🙈⠀ ⠀ After checking on myself, I leave the link to the store where we ordered @skaff_kupe 🥂🍾

Post published by Home•Renovation•Coziness•Decor•Scandi (@murzik_home_) on April 29, 2019 at 12:44 PM PDT

How they laid the floor without seams

Usually, at the entrance door, it's common to make a floor from ceramic granite that transitions into laminate or tile the entire floor.

We laid a single continuous layer of laminate throughout the apartment without seams and gaps, and we didn't regret it — the laminate held up perfectly to several leaks from our dishwasher.

How the lights are turned on and off

We have two light switches in the living room: one two-gang pass-through switch at the entrance, and another in the hallway. According to our plan, the lights can be controlled both at the entrance to the apartment and at the entrance to the room. But in reality, it works a bit differently: in some positions, one of the lamps doesn't light up. We didn't rewire it because we found out about this only after post-renovation cleaning.

Also, I recommend carefully checking reviews of light fixtures. During the renovation, we chose Elvan lights: a large salon with a wide selection is located quite close to my husband's workplace, so it's convenient to see and choose in person.

After six months, the first light fixture in the bathroom burned out and didn't just burn out — it started melting! Good thing my mom was in the bathroom at that time and managed to turn off the lights. A month later, a similar light fixture burned out in the hallway. When we took it off, we found that the power supply had almost completely melted through.

After some time, two more burned out the same way. Since the ceiling is suspended and the holes were cut for these specific light fixtures, we're in for a ceiling reinstallation.

How they made a cat house

The cat's litter box is located right in the living room, as it's the most ventilated place in the apartment. The house was custom-made to our dimensions (a sketch is attached, scroll down!). And the roof of it became a cozy spot for rest😊

Syrnik's cat litter box is ready! ⠀ And you know what, I'm happy about it! Everything was missing in the living room and hallway! I always felt something was missing, wanted to change or add something, but didn't know what exactly😅 It's not even mentioning that Syrnik's litter box was initially planned to be hidden in a cabinet☝️ ⠀ When I ordered the cat litter box, I didn't even suspect how it would transform the entire space! As soon as we received it, I wanted to put a skin and a cushion on it, and add a flower🐱 And Syrnik now has not only a private litter box but also another spot for relaxation😍 (You can read why the cat's litter box is in the living room under a post with a similar photo) ⠀ I ordered the house at @woodcolors furniture workshop, and the master made everything to the highest standard, according to our dimensions, and even added a door with a door closer🔥 The house is made of pine and impregnated with oil, which is better for this structure because oil is more natural and less pungent than paint, for example. And that's very important because the cat might not like the smell and could refuse to use the house for its intended purpose💩 ⠀ But everything went smoothly with us, Syrnik immediately liked the house and no problems arose🙌 ⠀ By the way, there's now much less litter spilled on the floor, and in addition to the litter tray, the house also holds a bag of litter and a scoop👌 ⠀ For everyone who wants to order such a house, I'm attaching the sketch with our dimensions + as a bonus, the sketch of our bathroom shelf🔥 ⠀ You can make all this on order in any color at @woodcolors! ⠀ What do you think about the idea?🐱

Post published by Home•Renovation•Coziness•Decor•Scandi (@murzik_home_) on May 21, 2019 at 11:56 PM PDT

How they selected decor

My husband likes maps, and I like posters. So in our living room, we have Tallinn 🙌 I love this city! And in general, posters for a cozy living room are a must-have 🙌 You can find various versions of them, for example, on Pinterest and print them. Or buy ready-made ones: I have a tag #murzik_home_purchases on my page, where there are many links to handmade decor. Garland, cushions, a mat and plants will completely cozy up your living room 👌

Stopped by for a quick hello and to show off, my husband sent me a photo from home, picked up the mail, and hung the map of our favorite Tallinn in the hallway! I'm so happy with this completed look that I wanted to share it with you!😍 (The map was ordered from @mapposter.ru ) ⠀ But in Bavaria, as always, it's beautiful! Yesterday all evening and half the night we were drinking wine with my @undominel! ❤ Today we're going to Austria, walking and shopping!🤤 And in the evening, again a grill! But this time with just three of us🥰 A great girls' night out!🥂👌

Post published by Home•Renovation•Coziness•Decor•Scandi (@murzik_home_) on May 30, 2019 at 11:56 PM PDT

How they hid the electrical panel

Unfortunately, during the renovation, we didn't think about hiding the electrical panel. Now I regret it🙈 In the end, I had to fix it myself and use makeshift tools to repaint the plastic doors of the panel.

I had at hand:

✔ a nail file,

✔ a four-sided nail file,

✔ nail polish remover,

✔ lint-free cotton pads for manicure,

✔ a sponge for watercolor (can be replaced with a sponge),

✔ interior paint,

✔ a painter's brush (could have done without it).

The process is extremely simple:

✔ Remove the hated black doors;

✔ Cut off the top layer — we need to make a rough surface, otherwise the paint won't stick;

✔ Clean off dust and remove grease with lint-free cotton pads and polish remover;

✔ Apply paint in thin layers with a brush, then go over it with a sponge to avoid brush marks (can be done directly with the sponge and paint);

✔ After full drying (time is written on your paint), apply a second coat with the sponge;

✔ After full drying, reinstall the doors.

Of course, it would have been ideal to buy spray paint for plastic, but I had regular interior paint on hand and no patience😂