It’s not an easy task to decorate the interior of Khrushchev. A small area and low ceilings do not leave room for designer fantasies, but to make the rooms visually more voluminous, fill them with light, furnish them with comfortable furniture and give their homes their own stylish character is available to everyone.
What is apartment Khrushchev
Khrushchevs are called residential buildings built in the USSR from the 50s to the 70s of the last century. This type of housing is one of the most common in the cities of the post-Soviet period and, despite obvious shortcomings, remains very popular. The main advantages of such housing are the relatively low price and the absence of load-bearing walls inside the apartment. Thanks to these characteristics, redevelopment is not difficult, and the number of possible design solutions is almost unlimited. However, making out the interior of the Khrushchev, it is necessary to remember the disadvantages:
- low ceilings, usually 2.5 m;
- living area is relatively small;
- connecting rooms and narrow corridors;
- poor ventilation
- poor condition of engineering systems.
To equip the beautiful interior of Khrushchev, it is necessary to take into account the architectural features of the apartment and competently carry out preparatory work: if possible, re-plan the corridor and rooms, replace pipes and wiring, organize high-quality ventilation in the kitchen and bathrooms. After that, you can proceed to the more pleasant stage of interior design: finishing work, arranging furniture, choosing chandeliers and lamps.
General recommendations for interior decoration
One of the main drawbacks of Khrushchev, to which close attention should be paid, is the low ceilings. The designer should create visual effects that visually increase the height of the rooms so that the rooms are perceived more spacious. It is necessary to abandon multi-level ceilings, as they will further reduce the available space. If it is necessary to level the surface, instead of massive gypsum plasterboard structures, use lighter stretch ceilings with a glossy surface.
For wall decoration, use wallpaper with a vertical pattern, it can be stripes, floral or geometric ornament. The pattern should be light, non-contrast, dim and not too small. The curtains in the rooms should be long, up to the floor, and they should be hung only on the ceiling cornice. Strongly not recommended lambrequins and other similar designs, in a small apartment they look completely ridiculous. Choose furniture of laconic form on thin graceful legs. Use decorative elements to a minimum.
Interior style in a small apartment
Scandinavian style will transform the interior of a small Khrushchev. The peoples of the north have created this practical and creative style to fill their homes with light, warmth and comfort. For surface finishes, use white and its shades, light woods and neat graphic ornaments. To make the decor look comfortable and comfortable, add decor in the form of bright, colorful accents: paintings, rugs, bedspreads and pillows. The Scandinavian style is characterized by the use of a large amount of artificial light: ceiling chandeliers, floor lamps, sconces, table lamps.
Neoclassic is a sophisticated and beautiful style that is perfect for small apartments with a low ceiling. It involves the use of additional light sources around the perimeter of the room, so the interior looks voluminous and airy. Neoclassical furniture is characterized by a simple and elegant silhouette, an abundance of smooth lines and a minimal amount of decor. The minimalistic stucco molding along the ceiling and near the chandelier does not overload the interior, but gives it a unique character.
Some stylistic directions require spaciousness and a large amount of sunlight, so it is strongly discouraged to use them in Soviet buildings. This category includes classic style, Art Deco, glamor, grunge, eclecticism, Provence and the style of French city apartments.
Hallway Design
The interior of the entrance hall in Khrushchev causes a lot of difficulties due to its small area and complex configuration: as a rule, it has a long and narrow shape. On a limited area, you need to arrange the necessary pieces of furniture and visually expand the space with the help of competent visual effects. Although open hangers in this case are the easiest solution, this is not the best way to store clothes: hanging things give a cluttered look and the hallway seems crowded. No matter how small the room should be, you should find a place for a compact, but roomy wardrobe with a rectangular or angular shape.
To visually increase the area, the interior of the hallway in Khrushchev must be decorated with mirrors. A horizontal mirror along a long wall will expand the room to the sides, and a high one will help solve another problem: it visually raises the low ceiling. However, it is important not to overdo it, since too large a mirror will cause disorientation, especially for guests who first visited the house.
The ideal interior style in Khrushchev is minimalism. For the decoration of small rooms, light colors with a cold undertone are ideal: gray-steel, pearl, blue, lime. Choose wallpapers with wide horizontal stripes or a small, infrequent pattern. Large drawings should not be used, as this will emphasize the modest scale of the hallway.
Bathroom interior
The bathroom in the interior of Khrushchev is usually a combined bathroom with an area of about 4 m. To make the space look larger, use such cool tones as the finish of the floor, such as dark blue, dark blue, gray: they give saturation and depth. Use pastel colors on the surface of walls to visually expand the boundaries. Bright accessories will add coziness and warmth to the atmosphere: lay a soft creative rug, use towels of juicy colors. Avoid chocolate and red colors: with them, the small bathroom seems even smaller.
Kitchen interier
The interior of the kitchen in Khrushchev, decorated in the Scandinavian style, makes the room visually more spacious than it actually is. This design direction is similar to minimalism due to its simple and clear forms, but has a more comfortable and practical character. In the decoration of walls, floors and kitchen facades, use a combination of light shades: white, creamy, vanilla, cream, beige. Use laconic furniture, lacking decor, and decorate the decor with interesting designer lamps. This technique will save the room from unnecessary details, and high-quality lighting will make it more voluminous. A tabletop made of natural wood will make the interior of the kitchen in Khrushchev more warm, cozy and welcoming.
Living room interior
To create a beautiful interior of the living room in Khrushchev, it is worth paying attention to mixed styles. Scandinavian style will expand the room thanks to light colors and laconic pieces of furniture, and interesting decor and innovative solutions will make the design unique. It is generally accepted that dark colors cannot be used in small apartments, however, this is not entirely true. Dark tones give the living room depth, make it more refined and elegant. A dark or even black sofa, delightful table lamps, an original coffee table - these are objects that emphasize the good taste of the owners and do not steal precious square centimeters.
Bedroom interior
The bedroom in the Khrushchev’s interior is compact in size, so a minimal amount of furniture should be used here. Set the bed to the head of the window or slide parallel to one of the walls. Plus bedside tables and a small chest of drawers - that's all the furniture that is needed in the bedroom. Put creative lamps on the nightstands - they will set the tone for the room’s atmosphere. To visually expand the walls, use decorative materials with vertical patterns, hang several paintings with light, promising images. Curtains choose light, translucent, so as not to overload the space.
How to redevelop
The interior design of Khrushchev is very diverse due to the possible redevelopment of the room. In apartments of this period there are no load-bearing structures inside the rooms, so moving the walls or removing them is quite simple. The most common and convenient redevelopment option is the combination of the kitchen and the living room. Both rooms serve one purpose: to bring family and friends together, so such a merger is logical and convenient. The combined space will contain a full range of household appliances and kitchen utensils, a large dining table and a comfortable sofa group. It is also necessary to provide for a good hood over the stove.
Making out the interior of a living room in Khrushchev, a bedroom, a nursery or another room, it must be remembered that comfort, and not external beauty, plays a key role. It is important to pay attention not only to the visual perception of the situation, but also to take care of the maximum functionality of each element in the apartment.