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Studio apartment – this type of housing appeared not so long ago, but the demand for it is stable. Such apartments are bought mainly by young people. There are two reasons. The first is that they do not need many rooms and it is much more convenient when everything is in sight and, sitting at the table in the kitchen, you can watch a movie or control the music center. The second reason is economic: the price per square meter in studio apartments is lower than in standard ones with partitions of the same size. It is understandable: fewer walls, less materials and work. It is also attractive that the design of a studio apartment can be made in the most innovative style: the absence of partitions and doors gives more space for the realization of the most daring ideas and non-standard solutions.
Zoning when designing a studio apartment
A single space is good because it can be divided at your discretion. For comfort, we need three zones: a kitchen-dining room, a recreation area and a work area. Since, in addition to the outer walls, there are still only those that enclose the bathroom, you will have to select them by some other methods. Designers for zoning use:
- furniture,
- light partitions (plasterboard, furniture shelves, openwork, glass, etc.),
- separation by color and texture of walls,
- level and material of the floor and ceiling.
All of these methods can be combined or used separately. It just seems like there is little choice. In fact, it’s huge. For example, light partitions. It could be some kind of drywall construction. It can start at one of the walls and literally separate two zones.
The second option – the partition stands in the middle of the room, also quite clearly hinting at different zones. But in this case it becomes light, translucent, not “loading” the space.
Another version of the partition, standing in the middle of a studio apartment, but at the same time looking harmonious and not at all dividing it into cells. Probably, the whole point is that the sofa fits very well, and the walls are light.
In many cases, the partition is not made up to the ceiling. It is opaque, but it does not completely separate one zone from another, separating them with a wall.
There are many options and variations. Partitions can be openwork, glass, mirror. It can be a shelf from floor to ceiling, on which there are books, some decorative gizmos. Japanese curtains separate the zones very well. They are practically weightless, can move and move apart. They are made of fabric, just at the top and bottom, a rod is placed in a specially stitched drawstring, which stretches the fabric, which makes it look tough.
Probably, when developing the design of a studio apartment on your own, it is wiser to do it first with the help of curtains. This is the most mobile and inexpensive way that will make it easy to change everything if you decide to swap zones or change their area. When everything is finally finalized, and you understand that it is convenient for you, it will be possible to put some more serious partitions in these places, if desired.
Some interesting ideas for dividing a studio apartment into zones are in the following photos.
kitchen area
The equipment and design of the kitchen area in a studio apartment is perhaps the most difficult task. Since there are no partitions, without a powerful hood, all odors and soot will spread without barriers. Therefore, this technique must be of good quality. One more thing: since everything is in plain sight, there should be nothing on the countertops. Everything is laid out in lockers and drawers, of which there should be a lot. To rationally organize the space, it makes sense to use storage systems and modern pull-out shelves that allow you to use corners or cabinets up to the ceiling (corner and drop-down shelves).
The floor in the kitchen area is most often raised. This is an additional factor that allows you to delimit the room. Although, from a practical point of view, it is preferable that the rest of the room be raised – less garbage will be worn. If the interior is designed for one person, this is not so important: in these cases they cook a little and infrequently. But for a young family, this can be an important factor.
Design for small studio apartments
If the room of the studio apartment is small – 20-30 squares – so that it is not crowded, you will have to resort to tricks. The first is to use a table as a zone separator. It can be made in the form of a bar counter, it can be equipped so that there are many drawers from the kitchen side, and chairs from the side of the room. Then, depending on the situation, it can be used both for cooking and as a dining table.
If there are enough surfaces for cooking, you can put a small dining table with a separator. Behind him, if necessary, more people can fit, which is important if relatives and friends periodically visit.
An important point: when choosing appliances for the kitchen in a studio apartment, you will have to think not only about how well it will fit into the interior, which is already important in itself. You will need to choose a silent one, or at least one that produces minimal noise. It is unlikely that you will like to sleep under the growl of the refrigerator. By the way, it can be disguised as a closet or bought built-in.
If the room is long and narrow, you will have to fit all the furniture in a different way. In this case, there will be two cabinets, the back of which will serve as a partition or table, and one of the ends will serve as an entrance.
Kitchens in spacious studios
If the studio apartment has an area of 40 square meters or more, you can fence off the kitchen area with a more solid partition. It should not be massive, but rather airy. Smooth, rounded lines look best in these cases. And if you beat it correctly also on the wall, the effect is very interesting (see photo).
If you wish, you can put a full dining table. This is an option for those who enjoy the process itself …
The main task in the design of any kitchen is to make it not only beautiful, but also comfortable, and when developing the design of a studio apartment, complexity is added to the requirements: kitchen furniture should not “fall out” of the general style. And it’s not easy. Too different purpose and materials, and functionality too. A few examples of successful combinations in the photo.
Rest zone
It is equally important to properly organize a cozy place for relaxation. There are two approaches. The first is to put a modern sofa that transforms into a comfortable sleeping place. In this case, this area is designed as a living room – a coffee table, poufs, armchairs.
The second approach is to highlight the area in which the bed stands. This can be done in different ways. The choice of method depends on the wishes. It’s enough for someone just to put a bed, someone wants at least some privacy and makes a wall, albeit translucent, but for someone else, this is not enough: you also need at least a knitted partition-curtain that will hide the sleeping place and create your own private space.
An interesting solution is to raise the sleeping area to the podium and arrange a storage system in it. If the ceiling height in the apartment is at least 2,7 m, this can be realized.
Another way to hide a bed from prying eyes is to raise it on a closet. This is also possible with sufficient ceiling height.
There are a few more ideas for decorating a bed in the photo.
The design of a studio apartment should combine practicality, convenience and attractiveness. Such a combination is not easy to achieve, but it is possible, all the more so if you use the latest building technologies – such as self-leveling polymer floors., drywall partitions or transforming furniture – a bed that looks like a closet or something similar during the day.