How to Decorate an Interior That Won't Go Out of Style?

Beginning designer and interior decorator Julia Gorbunova told us how she decorated an apartment for her mother-in-law. In a 63-square-meter flat, there was enough space for everything necessary — even a small storage room. The interior turned out stylish, cozy, and convenient — it will remain relevant for many years to come. We are sharing the details.

Paint the Walls

Wallpaper occasionally goes out of style, quickly becomes annoying, and is impractical to maintain, but paint will always be relevant. For this interior, a neutral gray tone was chosen — if desired, the walls can always be repainted in another color.

Moreover, if the surface gets stained, it can be cleaned. To prevent stains from remaining on the paint after wet cleaning, follow two rules. When painting, try to create as high humidity as possible in the room — the longer the paint dries, the better. Also, wait about a year after renovation before starting to wash the walls.

Pro tip: How to check if the walls were painted properly? Take a flashlight and shine it sideways on the painted surface. This way, you will immediately see all imperfections.

Create an Accent Wall

If you want to create an unusual accent wall, choose gypsum brick (bought at OBI) — a budget-friendly yet eye-catching option.

It's better to paint it with a brush rather than a roller — to avoid streaks between the bricks. Choose the paint color carefully — red brick will give a yellowish tone.

Pro tip: Check what pigments are in the paint you used for other walls. Choose a light shade for the accent wall that contains the same pigments. That way, the walls will blend well together.

Save Money on Kitchen Decoration

For a comfortable life for one person, lower cabinets alone are enough — you can leave the walls open and decorate them with glossy tiles. Such a backsplash looks great and is practical.

Don't be afraid to choose budget options. If you carefully select all the details, an IKEA cabinet will look quite harmonious (and not cheap at all). Moreover, even a cheap Chinese mixer in black-gold tones fit perfectly into this interior. The chrome tap was repainted in the same golden tone to make it blend with the composition.

Pro tip: Next to the sink on a brick wall is a hidden access panel. Several bricks can be removed: they are glued to a gypsum board, which is held in place by magnets.

Plan Different Lighting Scenarios

Don't stop at ceiling lights — to make the interior cozy, add more interesting lighting scenarios. Cabinet lighting will add volume to the space, emphasize ceiling height, and help create the right atmosphere.

Wall sconces will add warmth and help illuminate specific areas of the room. For example, when you want to read before bedtime.

Pro tip: In this interior, sconces were used not only above the bed but also over the dresser. This is convenient when in the dark you need to find something in a drawer without turning on the main light.

Use Every Centimeter in the Bathroom

If one person lives in the apartment or a young family resides there, a combined bathroom is an excellent option. Carefully plan every square centimeter. For example, a niche can be made for the sink — in this interior, it was placed between the toilet installation and the shower cabin.

The optimal size for a storage unit is 100 cm — especially if you don’t have the option to install a full cabinet.

Pro tip: Install a hinged door in the shower cabin that opens in both directions — this is convenient when space is limited.

Designate Space for Storage

For example, use a niche in the hallway or repurpose the second bathroom as done in this project. Here you can place a washing machine, dryer, ironing board, and even extra chairs for guests.

Pro tip: To keep order in the storage area, place storage boxes on the shelves (you can buy them from us).

Plan Storage in the Entrance Hall

If the entrance hall is small, all items can be tucked away into one cabinet. Choose a color as close as possible to the wall tone so it doesn't look too bulky and blends into the space.

If there's not enough room for a deep cabinet, you can ask a craftsman to cut the cabinet down in depth along with all internal elements.

Pro tip: If the cabinet doors seem too plain, enhance them with interesting hardware. For example, in this case, the IKEA PAX cabinet was enhanced with gold handles from Zara Home.

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