How They Designed a Cozy 30 m² Riverside Cottage (Before and After Photos)

Svetlana Belova purchased a small cottage on the riverside to rent out in the future to families with one or two children and anyone interested in countryside retreats in a picturesque location near the river. The main task was to accommodate all necessary functionality on a small area so that the interior looks spacious. Svetlana chose Scandinavian style with minimalism elements as a basis.

Location: Moscow Region, Village Burmakino
House Type: Frame-built House
Area: 30 m²
Ceiling Height: 2.7 m
Number of Rooms: 1
Bathroom: 1
Budget: 2 million rubles
Design: Svetlana Belova

Originally, the house had a combined kitchen-living room, two small bedrooms, a narrow bathroom, and a utility room. The basic layout was kept unchanged, only the wall between two bedrooms was removed and the bathroom was expanded by taking space from the utility room.

Layout BeforeLayout After

To avoid the standard yellow color of the paneling, walls in the kitchen-living room and bedroom were painted white — this instantly refreshed the space, making it look wider. The floor features high-end laminate. Since the floor bears the main load, we wanted to preserve it in excellent condition for as long as possible.

The kitchen is small and lacks upper cabinets, as it's expected that little cooking will be done here. The kitchen unit is comfortably placed along the wall, including everything necessary: a small refrigerator, microwave, and a two-burner cooktop.

A semi-bar table was chosen for the dining area — its height is designed to make it comfortable to observe the view of the opposite riverbank from the window. The compact sofa easily transforms into a sleeping place — it can comfortably accommodate two people.

Despite the small area, the storage system was successfully organized. At the entrance, there is a large cabinet with doors and drawers; in the bedroom, there is a separate clothing rack and bedside table; in the bathroom, there's a wall-mounted cabinet.

After removing the wall, the two bedrooms were merged into one room. The bedroom is intended for sleeping and relaxation, so it contains only a bed dressed in pristine white bedding. The white color fills the room with light, reflecting it off surfaces and making the space appear more voluminous and airy. Bright accents — blue decorative pillows and a blue duvet. Blue brings freshness and alleviates tension, promoting comfortable rest.

The bedroom was deliberately decorated in a minimalist style to allow periodic changes through home staging — updating posters, bed linen, and plants.

The cottage is located on a high riverbank, so during the initial construction phase, windows were replaced with the largest possible ones that fit the structure. This visually increased the space and allowed enjoying beautiful views without getting out of bed.

The bathroom was unusually designed for a wooden house — it is completely tiled. The water heater, hydroaccumulator, and other utilities were hidden in a separate technical room.

Photo Before RenovationBrands Featured in the Project

Kitchen-Living Room
Finishing: Paint, Tikkurila
Flooring: Laminate, My Step
Furniture: Cabinet, STENDMEBEL; Table, Woodville
Appliances: Cooktop, Hansa

Bathroom
Finishing: Tiles, Laparet West
Flooring: Ceramic Stone, Laparet West
Furniture: Cabinet, Vincea Chiara; Mirror, Cersanit
Plumbing: Sink, Vincea
Faucet: Jacob Delafon