The traditional layout of apartments is gradually losing its position in solving the issue of housing design. The studio apartment, which has long been common in the West, is coming to the forefront.
The priority is no planning at all. We will try to discuss what a studio apartment is, what its advantages and disadvantages are in this article.
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What is a studio apartment: what does it look like?
Studio apartments take their origins from the United States of America. It was from there that Russian architects took this idea of apartment design. For the first time, apartments of this design began to be built for the younger generation.
They were budget-funded, and the state put their construction on stream. The construction of apartments of this design was not chosen by chance. Being small in size, studio apartments could accommodate all the necessary things.
This residential design proposal came to America from Japan. This land of the rising sun, small in area and densely populated, was one of the first to understand the need to solve the housing problem through the construction of economically affordable housing.
The first premises, built taking into account economic features, contained a minimum amount of furniture, equipment, a bathroom and communications equipment.
Minimalist studio apartments were intended for residents of small communities working in large cities. They did not have the opportunity to travel constantly, wasting time and energy on the road, work or study. Therefore, during the working week we lived in such apartments.
The decision to build such cost-effective premises turned out to be very correct and timely. Over time, their area and height began to change, their design improved, and certain innovations appeared. Studio apartments gradually gained popularity.
The housing issue in Russia has always been one of the first places. Having borrowed this option for solving this problem, we made the right decision; we only slightly transformed the apartments, taking into account our mentality. Let's look at the design of such housing.
What does "studio apartment" mean?
There is no specific generally accepted definition of what a studio apartment is. There are a lot of options for arranging residential premises of this type. But there are common features that are characteristic of all apartments. First of all, this is the absence of partitions separating rooms from one another and, accordingly, the absence of interior doors.
Modern studio apartments have noticeably changed their format. If previously they were built for budget residents, recently the demand for such apartments has increased among the elite.
There is a change not only among clients for such housing, but also in its design. The form and content change, walls, partitions, screens, columns appear. Furniture designed for studio apartments is being improved.
An important detail that attracts wealthy clients in these types of apartments is their uniqueness and originality. When turning to designers, apartment owners understand that, according to their wishes, it will be original and unlike others.
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Oddly enough, but in the end, economical housing, intended for citizens with limited means, moved into the category of elite housing. People of different ages and income levels are showing interest in studio apartments.
Why has the demand for such housing increased recently? Most likely, people had a desire to be as different from each other as possible, to move away from the standards so characteristic of the socialist era.
The design of a studio apartment allows you to express your individuality and taste preferences. Subsequently, by evaluating an apartment decorated according to the owner’s wishes, one can determine the character of this person.
What appearance does the studio apartment have?
Options for studio apartments differ from each other in the purpose of the space. If in a more economical version the apartment is conventionally divided into two zones: a cooking area and a relaxation area, then in studios zoning involves a place for a kitchen with household appliances, a place for eating (the so-called dining area). The availability of space for receiving guests, relaxation, a workplace and a sleeping area is taken into account.
The solution to separating zones of a living space can be completely different. It is possible to use color schemes, changes in the height of the room, differences in materials in the decor of walls and ceilings.
A good option for zoning a room is furniture, screens, niches. Basically, it all depends on the vision of the apartment owner himself and the proposals of the interior designer.
In the proposed photos you can see examples of the interior of a studio apartment.
The popularity of studio apartments is growing, so owners of many houses and apartments are partially converting them into studios. Designers separately highlight recreation areas, living rooms, and kitchens. At the same time, sleeping quarters and work rooms do not differ from traditional ones. Designer fantasies have no boundaries, as a result, you can find studio apartments with several floors.
Most people prefer modern studio apartments out of love for free space, plenty of light and air. Natural lighting prevents housing from being boring and dull. The presence of dim light areas is welcome.
The solution for indoor lighting requires special design considerations. In this case, the presence of windows and the side they face are taken into account. Only after this is artificial lighting selected.
Often studio apartments have lighting coming from the ceiling or floor. You can find examples of such premises on the Internet. Artificial lighting is achieved using various lamps, floor lamps, and lamps.
Modern know-how in the matter of apartment lighting is lighting located on the floor, creating a certain illumination, coziness, and comfort.
Furnishing a studio apartment is much more complicated than furnishing traditional apartments. Furniture should be selected not only in style and color, but also not violate the zoning of the room. It should create coziness, be comfortable and versatile.
An interesting solution was the use of built-in furniture with mirrors, which allows you to expand the space. Shelves for books and various interior design decorations are often placed on the walls.
Zoning techniques should be taken seriously
1. Podiums are only good if the rise is a multiple of three steps - 45 cm. Two, and especially one step, are not tracked by a person. Bruises, falls, dislocations, and so on will be provided. Suffice it to recall the signs “Caution threshold!”, located at improperly planned entrances to shops, pharmacies, repair shops, etc.
In zoning, you can get by with a combination of different textures or floor materials. Textures can be placed not only along and across the walls, visually expanding or lengthening the room, but also diagonally to add dynamics.
Photo: Depositphotos
2. The differences in ceiling heights at the junction of two functional zones look very interesting and original. Columns are multifunctional and polyvariant delimiters. They can be supplemented with shelves or niches for favorite souvenirs and collected collections.
Arches and decorative sculptures should be brought into the space to a height of more than 1.8-2 meters, so that when moving around the room, none of the guests or household members will touch them with their heads.
3. Light-color differentiation using lamps of different power, brightness, shape.
4. The following items significantly increase the possibilities of zoning - bar counters, lightweight movable wooden or textile partitions (curtains), chests of drawers, TV stands or other interior items. An interesting division could be a furniture body made of chipboard or plasterboard, made in the form of a triumphal arch, arcade, or “pseudo-fireplace.” This element will bring a special mood to your interior.
Photo: Depositphotos
What is a studio apartment: layout
The layout of the studio apartment does not have clear boundaries; the zones smoothly transition into one another. The interior of the apartments is never the same, thanks to individual design solutions. Zoning of the premises goes in four directions: kitchen area, dining room, rest area and workplace.
Location of zones in a studio apartment
How to geometrically approach the studio layout depends on the client. Designers offer several options: rectangular, square. When dividing the area squarely, the emphasis is on a specific area. The placement of the furniture also depends on you, namely on which area of your apartment you want to focus attention on.
Minimalism in the interior design of a studio apartment is always given preference. After all, if we want to get more free space and light, we should not clutter the room with furniture.
Furniture should be functional, but not bulky. To expand the space and create an atmosphere of lightness, it is advisable to furnish the room with white or light-colored furniture.
You should start designing an apartment with a furniture layout plan. Having such a plan, you will easily navigate the arrangement of furniture, zoning of the apartment and its functionality.
How to arrange furniture in an apartment depends on your imagination and the creativity of the designer. You can place furniture along the walls, taking into account that it will not clutter up the entire space. A great solution is to use transformable furniture.
Who is the studio suitable for: 7 signs
Based on a comparison of a studio with a typical apartment and an analysis of its advantages and disadvantages, we can identify several signs by which it is easy to understand that a studio is more suitable for a particular person or couple:
- The buyer does not have much money, he is looking for a budget option.
- A couple of young people live at approximately the same rhythm: both get up early/late, do not interfere with each other during the day, and go to bed almost simultaneously.
- A person loves space very much, and walls and narrow corridors have a depressing effect on him.
- The family consists of no more than 2 people; have no children.
- People are inspired by creative projects, they want to create an original design because they are tired of monotonous classic interiors.
- The family doesn't have many things.
- Residents do not strive to acquire bulky pieces of furniture.
What is a studio apartment: photo
There is practically no single design solution for a studio apartment. How your home will look depends on your designer, but most of all on your personality, desires and preferences. The uniqueness of your home is greatly influenced by the room itself, its size, shape, and natural lighting.
In the design of modern premises, there are several styles, where the most popular are:
- Minimalism;
- Loft;
- High tech.
Minimalism
Decorating a studio apartment in a minimalist style involves creating a light and relaxed atmosphere. This style seduces people who are not impressed by the accumulation of a huge number of different attributes, accessories, and little things in a room.
Apartments decorated in a minimalist style already imply high comfort, where every piece of furniture is located in a convenient place. Minimalism is light colors, the absence of unnecessary objects, and high comfort.
Free, unconstrained layout
We have already mentioned that the legal difference between apartments and apartments is that they are commercial assets. This means that since this is a non-residential premises, its refurbishment is not consistent with housing legislation. Usually there is a completely free layout, you can embody any fantasies of the owners, you just can’t touch the load-bearing walls.
Elite infrastructure is another difference between apartments and apartments. Let's start with the fact that they are designed for wealthy buyers who are very demanding about their surroundings. As a rule, on the ground floors of such complexes there are fitness centers, spa clubs, restaurants, bars, expensive shops, and banks. By purchasing such housing, people receive a high level of service without leaving such a complex.
Convenient location is the main difference between an apartment and an apartment in Moscow. As you know, the distances in the capital are enormous, and therefore, for convenience, housing is purchased five minutes from work. This is due to saving valuable travel time and traffic jams. Such urban complexes are located in very populated areas or on the upper floors of large business centers.
As for suburban buildings, they have their advantages. For example, residents can become members of an elite yacht club.
Advantages and disadvantages
When planning to purchase a studio, it is worth assessing the pros and cons of this option.
Positive aspects of the apartment:
- A lot of space;
- good acoustics, ideal for parties;
- a lot of light;
- there are no problems typical for small rooms - cramped rooms, corners, narrow corridors;
- minimum distances between the kitchen, bedroom, work and rest areas;
- TV, computer, acoustic system can be installed in a single copy, and not have for each room;
- interesting opportunities for design and redevelopment.
However, studio apartments also have disadvantages . If in the West they refer to low-budget housing, then in our country we have to invest in redevelopment and design .
Main disadvantages:
- a maximum of two people can live comfortably, but still it is more suitable for one;
- changes in redevelopment must be legalized; not all apartments are allowed to demolish main walls to create a studio;
- bathrooms in such apartments are small, often you have to limit yourself to only a shower;
- since there is no partition between the room and the kitchen, this contributes to the spread of odors and noise.
Thus, a studio is a comfortable home for one or two people who do not like restrictions and prefer maximum usable space and light.
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Principle of studio organization
Open-plan rooms began to appear en masse in the 1920s in the United States. The demand for cheap housing arose due to the influx of immigrants. Later, the studio was chosen by students, young married couples and people of creative professions. A hundred years have passed, but specific real estate remains at the peak of fashion. In the Russian Federation, a significant part of new buildings include apartments of this type, with the following features:
- There are no internal walls or partitions; Only the bathroom is separated (and not always), sometimes technical rooms are provided. The open plan creates a feeling of freedom and spaciousness.
- Space is not wasted uselessly on narrow corridors, cramped closets and hallway spaces. All the benefits of civilization, including the kitchen, are combined in one room.
Space delimitation Source pinimg.com
- The studio has a limitation in use: It will be truly comfortable for one, maximum two people. Sharing a common space for three people in an apartment where there is no place for privacy is difficult.
Decor, accessories and textiles
A large studio apartment can be easily changed with the help of decor, accessories or textiles - a photo in a frame above the sofa will focus attention on the living room area, a carpet will highlight a children's corner, bedspreads and capes on upholstered furniture will become a single ensemble.
A large studio apartment can be easily changed with decor, accessories or textiles
An original idea for zoning - phyto-decor - a way to delimit space with the help of potted plants (or even entire phyto-walls). A decorative element such as a false fireplace can also combine pieces of furniture into one zone.
Example of phyto-decor
Curtains or blinds can mechanically divide a studio into parts. Depending on their density, they will either completely isolate the area or only partially divide the space without reducing it.
Curtains or blinds can mechanically divide a studio into parts
A large apartment means plenty of room for imagination. Try to organize your creative order in the chaos of a studio apartment, and even in such a diverse space you will feel the peace and comfort of a real home.
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