Budget Renovation of a 39 m² Studio Apartment

In a well-designed small apartment, comfort should be ensured not only in summer but also in winter. This is exactly the setup that the client gave to designer Elena Zinger — the owner planned to live in the apartment only during the cold season. Among special requests, she wanted storage for belongings and a modest budget.

We tell the story and show how Elena managed to meet this challenge.

Redesign

The small apartment of the owner had a trapezoid shape, two bathrooms, and a living room. The designer's reconfiguration dramatically transformed the space.

The storage room was converted into a wardrobe — access to it is possible from the bathroom. The bedroom was placed in a separate niche, the center of the apartment and the area near the balcony were designated for the living room, and the remaining corner was used as a kitchen.

Most of the furniture was purchased at IKEA, and the kitchen cabinet was custom-made. Despite the limited budget, the interior was successfully realized in a neoclassical style — with a natural wood floor and gypsum moldings.

Entrance Hall

The majority of belongings can be stored in a P-shaped wardrobe, which has an entrance in the center. It consists of two IKEA dressers, with a rod for hanging clothes installed above them.

A white IKEA wardrobe was also placed in the hallway. To make it look more interesting in the interior, it was built-in under a cornice and fitted with gold pull-out handles.

Bathroom

Both bathrooms were tiled with marble-like ceramic granite. The most expensive part of the bathroom is the sink from a premium Italian brand.

To avoid exceeding the budget, shelves were also purchased from IKEA for this part of the apartment — two units were bought and painted black. One of the cabinets was equipped with a sink, while the other was filled with leftover ceramic granite.

Bedroom

The sleeping area was organized in the style of fashionable houses like Dior and Chanel. A large bed was custom-made — it is adorned with a ruffled duvet and complemented by chairs upholstered in "goose foot" fabric.

Nightstands measuring 20x30 cm were also made according to designer sketches: they were crafted from metal in a brass finish.