Before and After: Cool Renovations of Old Apartments

We've collected a collection of inspiring renovations in old buildings. All these apartments share one thing — they were given a new, beautiful life. Take notes of the ideas!

Two-room apartments in a historic house in the center of St. Petersburg

Designer Alla Senichyeva needed to create a stylish and welcoming interior that one would want to return to. At the same time, it was important to preserve the historical character of the house — to combine original brick, moldings, and modern materials, and emphasize the view from the windows.

The previous owner's finishing was removed, revealing beautiful brick. The floor was covered with oak parquet. The window sills were also custom-made from oak — since the windows were emphasized in the design, the designer wanted to decorate them with a quality material.

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Studio 11 m² from a communal room

This room was long unused, and the owner decided to turn it into a cozy flat for her daughter's relaxation between classes — she studies nearby. Designer Polina Andreeva maximized the available space: she 'grew' a second floor, set up a small kitchen, designed a workspace and storage systems.

The room is documented as non-residential, plus the kitchen is located behind a wall, so connecting the necessary utilities for setting up a bathroom was not too difficult. The staircase leading to the second floor is also a cabinet with hidden storage: all doors open, inside there are rods, shelves, and sliding drawers.

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Redesigning a 55 m² panel house by yourself

In this 55 m² flat, interior blogger Alena Zhirnova lives with her family. The apartment is located in a typical panel house, but it was possible to make the necessary reconfiguration without touching load-bearing partitions. The owner combined the loft, Scandinavian, and eco styles in the interior.

As a result of reconfiguration, the entrance was moved into the larger room — now one can enter from the kitchen through sliding partitions. This way, the living space was zoned and a kitchen-living room and a private bedroom with a full-size bed were created.

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Amazing transformation of a 75 m² Stalin-era flat

A few years ago, the kitchen, living room, and bathroom in this apartment were reconfigured. The kitchen and living room are now combined. The corner cabinet was made in a now-fashionable combination of gray color and natural wood, with a colorful backsplash from several types of tiles.

The clients invited designer Alexandra Yakushenko to update the interior of this three-room flat in an old building, bring modern touches and vibrant colors into the design. There was no specific stylistic preference — the designer worked from the existing art and the clients' wishes.

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Cozy 57 m² flat in a Khrushchev-era building

The designer Polina Andreeva’s task was to make the apartment cozy within a limited budget, with a subtle hint of 'bygone times', incorporating existing doors, parquet, and tiles. One of the client’s important wishes was to keep the existing ceiling and avoid top-down spotlights.

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