There can be your advertisement

300x150

Interior Design of Homes and Apartments

Before and After: Super Renovation of a 38 m² Two-Room Apartment in a Brezhnev-era Building for 250 Thousand Rubles

This page is also available in the following languages:🇷🇺🇺🇦🇫🇷🇩🇪🇪🇸🇵🇱🇨🇳

Minimal investment and no designers

This apartment is located in a nine-story Moscow Brezhnev-era building. It is occupied by a blogger and interior experimentator Julia Bobrovskaia along with her husband. Despite the fact that this is rental housing, the couple did a great budget renovation themselves, creating a stunning cozy atmosphere.

Room tour of this apartment (30 minutes)

The apartment in the 'before' version was a dull sight: old outdated wallpapers and crooked furniture gave the rooms a run-down appearance. There was a feeling of neglect in every corner, and the furniture, clearly far from modern standards, did not add to the warmth. The atmosphere here was more oppressive than inviting and needed an update.

The main advantage of this apartment is its location. The metro is nearby, the historic Narышkin estate, a picturesque park, forest, pond, and alley with squirrels. The surrounding nature served as inspiration for the renewal and formed the basis of the interior concept. The apartment has a separate kitchen, bedroom, living room, hallway, and a combined bathroom.

About the Kitchen

Only the appliances, refrigerator, and shelves above it remained from the previous interior. These were updated using roller shutter doors. The walls were covered with new light wallpapers, and the backsplash was tiled with plastic panels resembling tiles — this was a budget-friendly solution. The kitchen cabinet was assembled from ready-made modules in a pleasant natural tone.

Photo: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our websitePhoto: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our websitePhoto: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our website

Instead of upper cabinets, open shelves made by hand were installed. This added lightness and convenience to the space. Another innovative solution was a cornice replacing the railing above the work surface. In the dining area, a garden table and chairs were placed, and the table was beautifully set with a tablecloth and complemented by a teapot. This setup creates an atmosphere of rural warmth and tranquility.

Photo: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our websitePhoto: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our website

About the Living Room

The walls in the living room were decorated using cement plaster, creating an effect of stylish textured surfaces. One wall was adorned with a decorative fireplace, which gave the room the atmosphere of a country house. Above the sofa, interior paintings created by Julia were placed; they were made in harmony with the walls to not distract attention from the fireplace area. The room also includes a working zone for the couple. Guitars above the table add originality and reflect the interests of the inhabitants.

Photo: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our websitePhoto: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our websitePhoto: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our websitePhoto: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our website

About the Bedroom

The bedroom was the first room where renovation was done. The bed with mattress was bought secondhand for 5 thousand rubles and positioned so that it overlooked the window view. Julia fulfilled her long-time dream by adding a shelf above the headboard, where she placed flowers and decor. On both sides of the bed, rattan nightstands were placed — these were made by hand, helping to save significantly.

Photo: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our websitePhoto: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our websitePhoto: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our website

The wardrobe was arranged along the wall and closed with light textile curtains, adding warmth and helping to hide clothes. Another budget-friendly solution was updating the window handles using a gold paint aerosol. The highlight of the bedroom was a lampshade woven by Julia's mother — it gave the room individuality and warmth.

Photo: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our website

About the Hallway

The hallway's interior was completed with wooden strips. For convenient storage, hooks, small shoe racks with curtains, and a shelf were installed where boxes for hats and umbrellas are kept. The niche with meters was closed with a flag made by Julia herself from a carpet. The mirror reflects the shape of the inter-room arches, creating a harmonious connecting element.

Photo: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our website

About the Bathroom

The bathroom is small but functional. Plastic panels imitating tiles were laid on the floor, which is a budget-friendly solution. The tiles that were on the walls were repainted with acrylic paint, and an original lawn was installed above the toilet, adding a touch of freshness. On the shelves, pots with plants were arranged neatly, bringing natural accents to the interior.

A wooden ladder made by hand is used as a towel holder. The sink stands on a regular bedside table, which was slightly updated: a cutout for utilities was made, moldings were glued on, and a curtain was added.

Photo: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our websitePhoto: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our websitePhoto: In the style of, Apartment, Moscow, Repair in Practice, 2 rooms, up to 40 square meters – photo on our website

The interior turned out to be cozy and very comfortable — it perfectly reflects the individuality of the inhabitants. Every detail in the apartment is thought out and contributes to creating an atmosphere of home warmth, care, and harmony.