What Designers Buy in IKEA for Their Projects

Even with a limited budget, you can decorate an interior like it's on the cover of a magazine. Designers recommend not skimping on finishing touches, but choosing furniture and decor from IKEA. Let's see how this looks in practice?

Light Interior in a Typical Khrushchyovka

The area of this 2-room flat is only 43 square meters. The clients — a young married couple — wanted to see a light and cozy apartment that doesn't feel cramped.

Designer Anastasia Kaliostova combined the kitchen with the living room, arranged a wardrobe in the headboard of the bed, and focused on light finishing. Some furniture was custom-made, while most was purchased at IKEA. In the bedroom, this includes all the furniture and textiles; on the kitchen, it's the dining set; in the hallway, it's the shoe cabinet, coat rack, and mirror.

Design: Anastasia Kaliostova. View the full project

Minimalist Interior for a Single Man

In this flat, designers from Flatforfox expanded the area by utilizing balconies, created a separate wardrobe and laundry room, and moved the kitchen near the window to enjoy the view.

Most of the wardrobes were bought at IKEA, and custom niches were made to fit their standard sizes in the living room and bedroom. The desk was assembled from two parts: the countertop was bought at IKEA, while the metal legs were found from another supplier for just 3,000 rubles.

Design: Flatforfox Studio. View the full project

Three-Room Apartment for a Designer's Family

This apartment was designed by designer Julia Fambulova for herself and her family. The minimalist approach was chosen to avoid overloading the apartment with unnecessary furniture. The linear layout turned out quite convenient for setting up two separate bedrooms for parents and a child, as well as creating a separate wardrobe.

Almost all built-in furniture was custom-made according to the designer's sketches. IKEA was also indispensable: in the bedroom, they bought a forged bed and dresser; in the child's room, a sofa, bed, and shelf. For the hallway, they chose a bookcase and console from the LIASTORP collection.

Design: Julia Fambulova. View the full project

Atypical Scandi Interior in a 2-Room Flat

The apartment is located in a panel house, so re-planning was impossible. As a result, a 54 square meter space accommodated a kitchen with a dining area and vibrant cabinet set, a multifunctional children's room, and a living room-bedroom for the client.

Wallpaper and quartz vinyl were used for finishing, while furniture was custom-made and purchased at IKEA. Everything was chosen based on the budget but with a desire for something unusual. In the end, they decided to focus on color combinations.

Design: Anastasia Zarquaa. View the full project

Spacious Flat with a Home Office on the Balcony

The clients of this project dreamed of a large kitchen-living room and a home office. There were no zoning issues for designer Anna Vazhenina, except that the owner’s office had to be placed on the balcony.

Since the budget for renovation was limited, they maximized the use of Russian finishing materials, local furniture production, and, of course, IKEA.

Design: Anna Vazhenina. View the full project

Designer's Apartment in St. Petersburg

Designer Natalia Oreshkova decided to decorate her apartment in a traditional style with a calm and comfortable interior. On 95 square meters, three separate rooms, a kitchen, and an office had to be arranged.

All storage systems were custom-made. The dining table and chairs, bookcases in the living room, and the sofa were moved from the designer's previous apartment. IKEA items were used to decorate the children's room and to complement the living room — a small console and a throw.

Design: Natalia Oreshkova. View the full project

Budget-Friendly but Cozy Studio Apartment

The owners were eager to move into the apartment as soon as possible, so they decided to leave the finishing work done by the developer. Individualizing the interior helped with color, thematic decor, and lighting.

The renovation was done with minimal investment — staying within 500,000 rubles. This was made possible by furniture, lighting, and decor from IKEA. For the kitchen, they selected a white-faced cabinet set and built-in appliances from the Swedish brand; in the bedroom, they used a woven lamp and linen curtains from the same source — the owners love natural materials.

Design: Dasha Savchenko. View the full project

On the Cover: Design Project by 'Burrow' Studio