Before and After: 6 Great Renovations of 'Stale' Apartments

In this collection, we gathered interesting transformations of apartments—from Khrushchyovkas to panel buildings.

2-room flat in a Khrushchyovka 53 m² for a designer's mom

Designer Lana Alexandrovna decorated a two-room apartment in a Khrushchyovka for her mother. The goal was to expand the existing space and make the ceilings visually higher. The windows face northwest and are blocked by trees, so a light color palette was chosen. Individuality to the interior was added with accents and vintage items left by the designer's grandmother.

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Kitchen before renovation

Kitchen after renovation

Living room before renovation

Living room after renovation

Budget renovation in a 1-room flat 31 m²

Designer Olga Kaposova updated the interior of a 31 m² flat in a panel house built in 1971 according to the improved layout project 1LГ-606. The flat had long needed renovation. The redesign cost 950 thousand rubles.

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Kitchen before renovation

Kitchen after renovation

Room before renovation

Room after renovation

Entry hall before renovation

Entry hall after renovation

1-room flat 38 m² in a panel building

Nadja Yashchenko decorated a 1-room flat in a typical panel building from the 1960s for rental. The client expected that one person or a couple would live there, so the layout had to account for this and include a wardrobe and living area in the kitchen. The budget for renovation was small, and the time frame was tight. But everything was successfully implemented within three months.

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Kitchen before renovation

Kitchen after renovation

Entry zone before renovation

Entry zone after renovation

2-room flat 60 m² in a brick house

Designer Petr Grigorash decorated a 2-room flat for rental in a brick house built in the 1990s. The client asked to do the renovation with a minimal budget—meaning, preserve everything that is in good condition. Also, interesting decorative techniques were wanted to make the flat stand out among other listings.

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Living room before renovation

Living room after renovation

Bathroom before renovation

Bathroom after renovation

Budget renovation of a 3-room flat 56 m²

Designer Ema Tsukalo moved to Vietnam with her husband and three children and renovated a compact 3-room flat of 56 m² for her large family without capital repairs.

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Kitchen before renovation

Kitchen after renovation

Room before renovation

Room after renovation