How to Do Affordable Renovation: Tips from Professionals

Tamara Kiseleva decorated a small 22-square-meter apartment for rental. The space needed to be youthful, modern, and appealing to future tenants. Additionally, it had to allow for quick interior updates. The entire renovation, including rough and finish work and furniture, cost 1.3 million rubles. The designer shared which techniques helped her save on the budget.

Tamara Kiseleva - Expert Designer

Simple Layout Solution

The main rule: fewer partitions = fewer doors, less area to paint, fewer rolls of wallpaper, and lower costs. More importantly, more open space. Where possible, combine the kitchen with the living room, dining room, or hallway.

Pro Tip: zone such spaces using color, texture, furniture, lighting, and textiles.

Cheap Wall Finishing

It's commonly believed that wallpapering is cheaper than painting, as it doesn't require good surface leveling. But that's not true. During use, there will inevitably be a need to update some wall sections (for example, your child suddenly shows artistic talent and starts drawing on the walls). If you have wallpaper, you'll have to strip it off the entire room, prime, and apply new wallpaper.

Choose washable standard color paint for walls, and you won't face problems with frequent wallpaper reapplication. Simply wash the stained area or repaint one wall without removing any wallpaper. Another option is to paint just one, "damaged" wall in a contrasting color.

Pro Tip: choose paint with good coverage so that the color looks great even when applied in two coats. Use wallpaper as an accent wall.

Budget Flooring

It's better to use one material throughout the apartment (excluding bathroom and toilet). The larger the volume of one type of material you buy, the easier it is to get a discount and favorable delivery terms.

Pro Tip: in budget renovations, you can use 33rd-class laminate in hallways and kitchens, sealing the joints during installation with special adhesive for laminate. In small apartments, ceramic granite mimicking wood can be used as flooring throughout the apartment. To ensure comfort, you can add a heated floor in kitchen and bedroom zones. A good effect is achieved when ceramic granite is laid in a "tree" pattern, making it look very similar to parquet. Advantages over expensive parquet: low price, long service life, easy maintenance.

Only Two Lighting Scenarios

The more lighting scenarios you have, the more expensive the renovation becomes: more wiring and more switches needed. In a budget solution, plan only two lighting scenarios: "main working illumination" and "relaxation/romantic dinner time"NaN