How to Fix a Poor Apartment Layout?

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

A 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 1953 Stalin-era apartment.

The designer removed all partitions and only separated the 'dirty' zone in the hallway — 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 main bathroom and storage area to fit everything needed.

View the full projectA small two-room apartment with a walk-in closet

In a two-room apartment, there was initially a narrow corridor where even a wardrobe wouldn't fit, and an inconvenient small kitchen. These spaces were merged, and space was immediately 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 allows natural light to pass through.

View the full projectStandard three-room flat in a block building

Designers were 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 corridor was isolated with a partition — now it serves as the son's bedroom. Additionally, niches were created in the hallway for wardrobes to avoid having a separate walk-in closet.

View the full projectApartment with a small living-dining room

Designer Ksenia Konovalova immediately suggested knocking down the wall between the living-dining room and hallway, replacing it with a ventilated partition made of vertical veneered panels — this added space and air.

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

View the full projectStudio with functional zones

To add more light to the long seven-meter room with just 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.

View the full projectStudio with a bedroom instead of storage

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

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

View the full projectStudio with a dining area on the balcony

Designer Julia Telnova 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 were changed to panoramic sliding partitions.

A part of the living room was isolated with a partition and decorated as a small bedroom. The partition was partially glazed to keep the room well-lit at all times.

View the full project