"Khrushchevs" are high-rise buildings built from the fifties to the eighties of the last century. There are many of them on the territory of the former Soviet Union, and it is they who make up the majority of affordable housing. Living rooms in Khrushchevs are far from being as cozy and stylish as in modern new buildings. But nothing prevents you from making repairs, redevelopment and equipping everything in your own way.
Features of the layout
In the middle of the last century, when building apartments, it was important to complete the project as soon as possible, creating conditions for the lives of as many workers as possible. The beauty of the interior and its convenience were not particularly concerned at that time.
The main disadvantages of Khrushchevs include too thin walls that deprive you of your privacy, cramped rooms and low ceilings. And the layout of the rooms itself is not very successful. In Soviet times, even the interior of the apartments almost always looked identical. The walls were decorated with light wallpaper, under which there was a wall, a sideboard, a chest of drawers with a TV and an uncomfortable spring sofa. And in order to isolate the room from extraneous sounds and at least slightly insulate, they used colored carpets on the walls.
But now the design of the living room in Khrushchev, despite the small size of the apartment, can be made more interesting and modern. True, when redeveloping a narrow small-sized room, you will have to either sacrifice some interesting ideas, or destroy one of the walls.
Choosing a project for the area
Depending on the area of your apartment, it is worth choosing the appropriate project.
Walk-through hall
If you have a two- or three-room Khrushchev with a narrow living room, then in this room you can equip a walk-through hall. In this case, the room will serve not so much as a living room, but as a storage space or a corridor leading from one room to another. In such a living room there is a place for a wardrobe with clothes, shelves with books or a small sofa.
Room with balcony
If the exit to the balcony is in your living room, then you can use it to expand the space. Even a small balcony can still be a great addition to the main room. You can place a dining or work area on it, for example.
True, before you take out furniture there, you will need to not only glaze the balcony, but also insulate it.
Partition with a corridor
Additional square meters can be won by attaching a corridor to the living room. In this case, you will have to make a full repair and remove the door, replacing it with a low partition. Behind it can hide a nursery, a play area or a place where you can fully devote yourself to creativity.
Arch decoration
If you follow a similar principle, then you get a stylish studio. Connect the main room to the kitchen by replacing the doors with an archway for a trendy layout and a lot more free space. Such repairs are convenient to do both in a one-room apartment and in a 2-room apartment.
If you have an ordinary apartment with a living room of 15, 17 sq. m or 18 square meters, then you can simply zone the space using different colors, materials or shelving. Such a living room will fit not only a sofa with a TV, but also a table with a computer or, for example, a mini-nursery.
What colors should I use?
It is also important what colors you choose for your living room. If you are at least a little versed in color, then you know that colors can simultaneously influence our state and mood, and change the surrounding space.
White
Since living rooms in Khrushchevs are notorious for their overly compact size, designers are doing their best to increase the space in the hall. Various tricks are used for this. But the easiest way, as you know, is to opt for light-colored wallpapers and ceilings. Exactly light shades make the room more spaciousand the interior is fresh.
Pure white looks the most advantageous. But you can safely choose other related shades. For example, beige, light blue or gold.
The light background in the living room is like a blank sheet. Make the walls white, and then you can go in any direction, decorating the room with either vintage furniture or laconic modern sofas.
Grey
Gray color has similar properties. Do not ignore it, calling it boring and expressionless. In fact, it is a very rich color, and each of its shades brings something different to the interior.
It is gray that is best suited for decorating modern high-tech or minimalist apartments. It goes well with achromatic tones, and with something brighter and more expressive.
Beige
Of the neutral shades, beige is also worth highlighting. It, in contrast to monochrome gray and white, seems warmer. A room decorated in beige looks cozier than rooms in cold colors. Beige goes well with warm woody tones.
Blue
Blue color will revive the interior. It is often used to decorate a recreation area, because it has been proven that it is the different shades of blue that contribute to complete relaxation and tranquility. In the living room with blue wallpaper, you will rest faster after a hard day at work.
Green
Green has similar properties. In the city, we often lack a piece of nature. And the use of the desired shades in the interior will help to fill the lack of green colors. Choose any of the shades of green that you like: olive, herbal, light green, emerald green, and so on. They are all equally good for a small living room.
Red
Even if you really like rich red, experts do not recommend using it in the living room of a small Khrushchev. The fact is that this color is too active. It is better to apply red in fragments, as accents, choosing different details of a burgundy, wine, berry or scarlet shade.
Sunny tones
To make the interior more cheerful, to fill the living room with light, you can choose colors such as yellow and orange for the background. It can be either faded pastel colors or more saturated and bright ones. Golden, orange and sandy shades look especially good in the living room interior.
Actual styles
Determining the style is also not so difficult, despite the fact that there are a lot of different directions. Of all the possible directions, it is worth paying attention to the most demanded ones.
Minimalism
Since the rooms in the Khrushchev are small, there is not enough space - I really don't want to clutter up the space. Here, designers come to the aid of one of the main styles of our time - minimalism. It is characterized by the use of a minimum amount of furniture and decor. The main colors are taken from a monochrome palette, complemented by brown and diluted with bright accents.
The minimalism style looks restrained and is liked by young people. After you decorate the room in this way, you simply do not recognize your old small living room.
Provence
A less obvious choice is a Provence style living room. This direction is not at all typical for our country, because it came to us from France. However, a room decorated in the Provence style will look charming and delight you not only with its well-groomed appearance, but also with a cozy atmosphere.
To decorate a room in this style, you will need light wallpaper in pastel shades. For example, pale purple, blue, pink or pistachio. A light base can be decorated with delicate floral patterns or abstract subtle prints. Furniture for such a living room must be selected appropriate: wooden, decorated with soft textiles.
Classical
If you miss the understated classics, then you can choose this beloved style for decorating your living room. The classics will immediately make the living room in a simple Khrushchev many times more luxurious.
The best way to decorate such a room is to fill it with nice dark wood furniture, decorated with all kinds of patterns and upholstered with textiles.
You can also choose such stylistic directions as hi-tech, modernism or loft. They all look good in their own way and add personality to the room. Everyone can find something for themselves that will allow them to create the interior of their dreams and reflect their individuality in the surrounding space.
Fashionable finishing ideas
Earlier, when decorating rooms in Khrushchev, simple paper wallpaper was used. This was done not out of great love for this material, but because of the availability of the material and its low price. But now there are no special problems with the search for materials. Therefore, it is quite possible to decorate the walls with almost any coating.
The room can be decorated, for example, with stone or brickwork. Stone looks great in a loft-style interior, and white brick in a classic one. As for the fabric wall coverings, they remind us of luxurious palaces and ancient estates, so they are useful for those who want to style a room like vintage.
Lighting
Despite the fact that most living rooms in Khrushchevs are small, you should not ignore the issue of lighting. As well as using one central lamp to illuminate the entire room.
As a rule, the room is divided into several main zones, each of which is illuminated separately.
The main light source is almost always a ceiling chandelier. Since the ceilings in Khrushchevs are low, you need to choose a neat lamp, and not a massive chandelier on chains. Or completely limit yourself to spotlights around the entire perimeter of the ceiling. Diode lighting can also be located under shelves, in niches or next to the TV.
Provide a work area or hobby area with a bright light source, such as a floor lamp or sconce. This is very important, as otherwise you will quickly spoil your eyesight.
For evening gatherings, you can install a night light that will project the starry sky onto the ceiling or illuminate the room with colored lights.
Expert advice
Finally, some interesting ideas for redeveloping the living room, which will help to increase the living room space without much harm.
The simplest thing - the use of light colors - has already been said. Besides him, there are others.
The more natural light in the room, the more visually it appears. Therefore, if you have the opportunity, replace small windows with large and spacious ones. If this is not possible, use mirror surfaces. Due to the fact that they reflect the whole room, there seems to be much more space in it. You can choose not only wide mirrors, but also mirrored doors or glossy stretch ceilings.
The second no less obvious option is to expand the space due to the demolition of walls and partitions. Bearing walls must not be touched under any circumstances. Therefore, before such a radical redevelopment, it is worth consulting with professionals, and most importantly, getting all the necessary permits.
But when you translate your idea into reality, the room will really increase due to the space of the kitchen or balcony. It will be possible to arrange the continuation of the main room or a separate zone in it.
Beautiful examples in the interior
The best proof that a living room in a tiny Khrushchev can also be cozy is real examples of how you can furnish a room.
9 pictures
Living room with work area
The first room will appeal to those who spend a lot of time at home at work. In this room, the living room is combined with the work area. At the same time, there is enough free space in both parts of the room.
The living room looks more comfortable, because in addition to a gray sofa with soft upholstery, this area also contains a fluffy carpet several shades darker. The working area is conveniently located between the two windows. This means that you will always have enough natural light. It takes up little space as most of the items are prudently stacked on the shelves. The table on which the equipment is located is very small.
A new look at old ideas
In Soviet Khrushchevs, the living room was decorated with a wall with a TV and a sofa. This room contains the same elements familiar to the eye, but they look more modern. The stylish wall is made of quality white wood, and the sofa is soft and decorated with pillows. Opposite it, in a niche, there is a large TV set and a small electric fireplace under it.
Bachelor's room
This living room is a combination of all modern trends. The light background contrasts sharply with the dark furniture, the chandeliers look original and unusual. The room is divided into three main areas. The bedroom is just a bed separated by a translucent partition. Work desk - a table with a desk lamp and a laptop. Most of the space is occupied by the living room - a sofa with a low coffee table and beautiful paintings against the wall.
Such a room is suitable for one person and for a young married couple. If desired, then in the room it will be possible to set aside a place for the nursery.
Modern classic
The last beautiful example is a room that combines modern trends with classic ones. The background here is monochromatic - light walls and ceilings, dark floors and furniture in neutral shades. And curtains, pillows and lampshades are decorated with classic patterns. They go well with lamps and sconces with curls. Fresh flowers and books are used as decorative elements. There is not much space in this room, but it will be enough for family gatherings or tea drinking with friends.
As you can see, the living room in the old Khrushchev can provide a "new life". Replace the door with an arch or partition, re-paste the wallpaper, pick up new stylish furniture and appliances, and the appearance of the room will change immediately.
For an overview of the design of a 2-room Khrushchev, see the next video.