How They Transformed an 8.5 sqm Kitchen in a Panel House

Decorating a kitchen in a secondary apartment is not an easy task, even if it's not a Khrushchyovka but a panel house. Our heroine Alla did the renovation in a 'killed' apartment 7 years ago, but her ideas remain relevant today.

The kitchen in our heroine's apartment turned out to be cozy, well-thought-out, and functional—everything matches the Scandinavian style that was taken as the basis. We tell how Alla reworked the kitchen on her own—without major re-planning, but with soul.

We added an accent wall made of laminate

All the walls in Alla's apartment are painted and painted in a uniform gray color. But on the kitchen wall, they decided to decorate an accent wall made of laminate—visually this trend may seem outdated now, but from a practical standpoint, the owner is still happy with it.

Besides its accent function, the wall has another advantage: during family gatherings and holidays, decorations or garlands are hung on it to change the mood according to the theme (e.g., Christmas wreaths). The material is completely resistant to tape and doesn't get damaged. This idea can be boldly inspired by for a creative space.

We Found an Alternative to a Sofa

Alla's kitchen is small. Initially, the owner wanted to combine the kitchen and living room: a wall had to be demolished, but it turned out to be load-bearing. A sofa didn't fit into the dining area, but a compact sofa bed did—perfect for having coffee, resting, or even lying down. It's very comfortable and soft.

For small spaces, this idea is worth adopting: our heroine chose a bright yellow sofa bed that also refreshed the space. It's also important not to forget accents here—Alla has a black-and-white decorative pillow with a geometric pattern.

Decorated a Floor Mural

In living rooms, parquet planks are used, but for the kitchen, 30x30 cm ceramic tiles were chosen. In the center of the room, a special floor mural was created: it's located in the dining area with the table and chairs. The solution once again combined two functions.

It added an extra colorful element to the design and made the interior more interesting, but there's also a practical side—thanks to this floor mural, dirt is barely visible (it often appears in the dining area).

Accounted for Real-Life Scenarios When Planning Storage

Alla's kitchen storage consists of lower and upper cabinets. The shelves were very tall—this was inconvenient, but our heroine found a way out of the situation. Things that are used rarely are stored on top—discomfort is minimized.

When planning the rest of the storage, life scenarios were considered. Alla notes that it's very important to plan your day from start to finish: if you know you drink coffee every day, place the capsules close to the coffee machine so you don't have to walk around the kitchen and waste time.

Installed Ventilation Where There Was None

Another problem Alla encountered after buying the apartment was complete lack of ventilation. It didn't work at all: due to this, windows constantly fogged up, and mold appeared on the walls.

The solution was found again: a ventilator was installed that brings fresh air from the street, cleans it, and expels it back. A similar device is also installed in the living room.

Checklist: How Our Heroine Made a Budget-Friendly and Stylish Kitchen for Years to Come

Painted the walls in a muted tone, which looks great when complemented with an accent wall.

Adapted to the available space and made full use of it.

When choosing finishing materials, she played with a bold design that was also practical.

Learnt to turn drawbacks (e.g., tall cabinet shelves) into advantages.

Added decoration and fixed issues that worsened the quality of life.