Do-it-yourself modern apartment renovation

In detail: do-it-yourself modern apartment renovation from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Many people panic at the word repair. First of all, because this phenomenon is directly associated with high costs. Yes, after the renovation, many feel as if they had been robbed. It is impossible to exclude expenses, but it is in your power to reduce them, not to the detriment of the quality of the repair. So, how can you make your apartment stylish with a minimum of savings?

The most important thing in the repair is a high-quality base. This means that the floors must be even, the walls must be smooth and even, and the corners must be strictly 90 degrees. What is the threat of such disproportion? Everything is learned in little things. So, if you have uneven walls, this means that the baseboards will not adjoin them completely, there will be ugly gaps that will definitely spoil the appearance. Further, problems with uneven corners will appear when you install cabinet corner furniture. Well, on the crooked floor, the lockers will stand wobbly. In general, if you decide to rely on independent forces for repairs, your work should be perfect. Pouring floors, leveling and plastering walls, decorating walls, installing stretch ceilings - all this should be done by professionals. Believe me, by saving on the base, you run the risk of spending a much larger amount later on correcting errors. Do not forget that it is very important to correctly lay the wires through the apartment, pipes in the bathroom. A lot also depends on the quality of the finish, namely its practicality and appearance. Even the most expensive ceramic tiles, laid out crookedly or cut off, will spoil the entire interior of the room.

Video (click to play).

For some reason, we mistakenly believe that expensive building and finishing materials look better, and as a result of which they are a 100% guarantee of successful repairs. Unfortunately, this is not so. Of course, we do not put before you a choice between the cheapest and the most expensive material. This is not entirely true, because first of all it should be about quality and reliability, be it a building mixture, finishing material or an interior item. Quality is above all, the rest is a matter of your choice. And he must fall for the most profitable options for the wallet. Renovation is a serious business, so take it seriously. Compare different options, read reviews on finishing materials on the Internet.

We will not go into details about which building material is better to choose, because as mentioned above - the main quality. Consider the interior elements that form the basis of the design.

Let's start with the design itself. It's not worth spending money, I hire a designer to tell you which corner to put the sofa in and which TV. Today, a lot of interesting options for the design of apartments of various sizes and designs can be found freely available on the Internet. It's easy to do, you just need time to choose one or another design option. It is not necessary to repeat it exactly, you just can see what color variations are combined, what is more suitable for a particular type of finish, and finally, how the upholstered furniture looks in the interior of the room.

The main components of the interior are wall decoration materials, furniture, decor items and the floor.

Let's start with the floor. Many cover it with linoleum, which is quite justified. This material is cheap, relatively practical, but if we are talking about a stylish apartment, this is definitely not linoleum that should decorate. Options: laminate, self-leveling floors.Laminate is cheaper than self-leveling floors and looks very nice. This is a versatile material that can be matched in style to any interior.

Wall decoration - there can be a lot of variations on this theme. Cheap options are wallpaper. But you have to really work hard to find cheap wallpapers of decent quality and with a pattern not like “I'm visiting my grandmother”. Did you know that many designers offer their clients not to cover the walls with anything at all, leaving the brick for everyone to see. The idea is very interesting, but requires a style specification (combine this with a fireplace - it will be perfect). Expensive decorative plaster can be replaced with a regular one applied with a relief roller, all this splendor can then be painted in any color, but just choose the paint carefully.

Interior items - it is on them that a huge part of the funds goes. Minimalism style to help you. Buying cabinet furniture is not cheap. However, as practice shows, it is much cheaper and more practical to buy interior items separately.

Pay attention to the old stuff that remains from the old furnishings. Now it is called vintage, and if you skillfully play with this style in the interior (including wallpaper, buy a couple of antiques, hang up black and white photographs), then you won't have to buy anything. A rocking chair will perfectly complement the interior; as a rule, they are cheaper than ordinary soft chairs.

1. A good mine with a bad game.

Silk made from 100% polyester. Tiles “like stone”, linoleum “like parquet”, laminate “like onyx”, “Trekhgorka” like Ralph Lauren. Porcelain stoneware "python". There is something "artificially aged" ... It's embarrassing to even think about it. Alas, the number will not work. Flip through good interior magazines. There, everywhere, stone is stone, tiles are nothing more than tiles, and wood is just that tree. If you don't have the money for parquet and plain laminate is beneath your dignity, look for a good engineered plank. The result is a floor that looks much more expensive than the money spent on it. Cement tiles are a good alternative to porcelain stoneware for kitchens, bathrooms and hallways. The result will look a hundredfold more expensive.

2. Leave the ceiling alone.

Everyone has become obsessed with ceilings! If you think sensibly, riveting attention to the ceiling, you only remind everyone of its existence. And according to its height. Ceilings two-sixty high will not turn, even if they crack, into majestic vaults melting somewhere in the unthinkable heights. This cannot be, no matter what "decorator's tricks" promise you. Just accept it. Tall doorways can do much more for your home than a ridiculous five-layer neon-lit ceiling. Let the interior doors be two, say, twenty high. And lower the door handles a little, by five to seven centimeters. By taking a non-standard approach, you will be pleasantly surprised by the result.

3. When choosing paint for walls, think about the movement of color around the house.

Adjacent spaces should contrast. If you have a bright living room, paint the hallway a deep, relatively dark color. The cost of the paint will be the same anyway, and the result can look really expensive.

4. Buy modular laminate cabinets from a store, and order the doors for them in a good carpentry workshop.

This will give you significant savings that, however, no one will ever notice. The same is true for kitchen furnishings.

5. If you do purchase ready-made cabinet furniture, let the veneering of the facades be dark and the panels of the doors simple (rectangular).

Remember, light wood always looks cheaper. Avoid yellowish and reddish veneers. And, saving on the furniture itself, spend on good handles!

6. If you don't have the money for a good carpet, look for a viscose carpet or mixed fibers, imitating a silk or wool pile carpet.

Choose the color and texture that suits you and order a piece of the size you need. For additional little money, its edges are swept with braid.

7. Place the curtains on a thick lining.

Even an inexpensive curtain fabric will greatly benefit from this. Look for fabrics that are 3 meters wide. This provides significant savings. If you are not ready to spend a lot, give up printed textiles (fabrics with a pattern). When cutting fabrics with a pattern, due to the need to properly dock the canvases, a lot of scraps remain. The more rapport, the more waste. Do not use curtain tapes for curtains. Have the seamstress fold in the "hand" folds. It's not that expensive, and the lace-up pleats look very cheap.

8. Set-headset-kit. Identical things in the interior are permissible only in one case: if they are paired things that form a symmetrical composition. Leave chandeliers, table lamps and sconces from one set to those to whom God did not give imagination. They also get sets of upholstered furniture "sofa-two armchairs" and similar tender sadness. For details, see the next paragraph.

9. Ready-made solutions.

Bad news: none. At least for us. The shower room is erected in a building way because it is a room. If you don't run a student hostel or an underground striptease massage parlor, a shower cubicle (it's a sad structure of yellow acrylic and skewed doors) won't work for you. Don't splurge on designer plumbing. Let the appearance of the bathroom fittings (kitchen, bathroom) be dictated by the function. Buy washbasins and faucets with simple shapes, without inappropriate decor. The toilet should be invisible and do its job. Nobody will admire him, right?

10. Paintings, prints, prints, photographs and posters frame in simple but deep frames with glass and always in mat.

Even a picture printed on a home inkjet printer (or a naive child's drawing) looks very significant in such a frame. Play with the dimensions of the mat. Small work in a very wide mat looks very "designer". And by the way, cardboard for a mat can be of almost any color.

11. Comfort. Another collective fetish.

According to my observations, what is called “comfort” in our Palestinians is, in 99 percent of cases, poetic tightness. In many ways, this is a bodily memory of a bygone childhood, of a warm and affectionate meager Soviet life with carpets teeming with saprophytes, a kind grandmother, Czechoslovakian crystal and an unreadable Dreiser in the polished Polish wall "Hanka". Coziness will not be added by the expensive devilry such as a round bed with music and a minibar, a bar counter with a built-in aquarium, etc. The same is true of such rich things as a lambrequin, a garland and a swag. Do not worry: in a good, thoughtful interior, comfort inevitably comes naturally. So…

12.… Goodbye, Sera the gypsy!

Duvet covers made of coarse calico in fine Nefertiti, towels in scarlet roses, "ripped-eyed" shades of pillow cases, nylon blankets with Shanghai leopards. All these are attributes of collective farm chic, forgive me for being straightforward. They will not add comfort. Coloring is often necessary for these items solely to hide their extremely lousy quality. Keep linens and bath towels just white (options: ivory, ecru). But from the finest Egyptian cotton.

13. However, with ivory it is also important not to overdo it.

Peach, beige, sand ... The average nuance range is good for chain hotels. Because their stenciled interiors are bound to please everyone. You should like your interior. After all, he is a manifestation of your essence, right? Take in your hand the palette fan of any paint manufacturer.Do you feel a pleasant weight? These are your opportunities. Don't miss them!

Old furniture, boring colors, uncomfortable zoning, scattered things because there is nowhere to store them ... All this can really interfere with life. At some point, it becomes completely unbearable, and the person makes a volitional decision: changes are needed. We will help you! We will fill you with inspiration, put together a collection of ingenious solutions, impressive interior changes and photos of great ideas for apartment renovation.

Photos "before and after" clearly show how good, constructive ideas and a couple of interesting techniques can transform any room. Colors, materials, new flooring and functional furnishings will change the apartment in ways you don't recognize. Narrow spaces will appear wider, gloomy ones will become pleasant, and in the same square there is room for all things. Magic? Not at all! Only skilful room planning and the right furniture.

Design project from All Design

Do you want a minimalist apartment decoration? Great idea! Stylish, functional, nothing more. Minimalist white is a great choice for small rooms requiring optical magnification.

After opting for minimalism and white, look for furniture with simple shapes and clean lines. To avoid the feeling that you are in the operating room, set accents with wood elements - parquet or laminate flooring, wooden furniture. Live plants will perfectly fit into the environment and add coziness.

In narrow rooms, light is of great importance. White walls and reflective surfaces keep the sun out of the way. Our tip: Avoid vertical placement of dark colors, and only place dark surfaces horizontally.

Design project Dziurdzia Projekt

The attic floor is often neglected, not used at all. But attic rooms have their own charm, their own individuality. From a technical point of view, waterproofing and window openings should be carefully considered if none are available.

Design project Superpozycja Architekci

Every housewife dreams of a large, beautiful kitchen with everything you need. When considering the design of your stylish new kitchen, consider the architectural features of the room and take into account the location of drainage and ventilation.

Design project Kliff design

The layout of the rooms in our apartments often leaves much to be desired. There is only one way out - imagination and creativity. Light pastel colors gave the room a fresh and relaxed mood. Our tip for narrow spaces: Avoid tall furniture like wall cabinets and bookcases as they visually take up too much floor space.

In the Scandinavian style, light is at the forefront. In no case should dark furniture be allowed to take away at least a piece of the available lighting. The dominant color is white. Several accents of gray and greenery of plants diversify the interior and make it cozy.

Minimalism is the perfect solution for the interior of a small room. The same color of walls and ceilings, painted white parquet and gray textiles create a single image. Tip: replace the handles on the cabinets with the push mechanism for opening the doors, as shown in the photo. The laconic facades have almost merged with the wall, making the room seem larger.

Most often, in the nursery, we need to find a place for the bed, and for the table, and for the closet ... And it often happens that, having placed the bed, we can no longer find a place for everything else. Our advice: don't buy ready-made furniture. Order furniture made for a specific room.

When making custom-made furniture, you will proceed from the individual characteristics of the room and the needs of the person living in it. You will be able to make optimal use of every centimeter of space.In the photo above, you can see a built-in wardrobe and custom-made shelves at the head of the bed.

Design project Czysta Forma

At a certain point in life, all children come to the stage when a person has his own view of what his room should be. The child has constant and serious hobbies, interesting topics for him. And in adolescence, when the time for wallpaper with bears passes, the child wants to participate in equipping his own room. A good solution for the decor of a teenager's room is functional furniture with a simple but practical design and color accents, set with the help of individual pieces of furniture and textiles.

In the design of a nursery, it makes sense to abandon themed wallpapers and furniture, which in a few years will no longer be interesting for the child. Our tip: bean bags and ottomans perfectly fulfill the role of multifunctional furniture, which will definitely please the little family members.

With the help of accents in the design of the nursery, you can play up the child's hobbies. At the same time, it is necessary to think over how these accents can be changed in the event of a change in the interests of the owner of the room.

Read also: DIY turbo lighter repair

Design project Tutaj Concept

This toilet used to be a pitiful sight - small, narrow and dirty. The designers extended the room and managed to find a stylish combination of all kinds of techniques: gray-blue colors, the floor is decorated with ornamented tiles, one wall is painted in a calm gray tone, the other two are covered with photo wallpapers that create a feeling of endless perspective.

A narrow bathroom with an awkward layout and a protruding water pipe is not the most attractive sight. Randomly scattered things do not add beauty to her. Our tip: combine two matching colors.

In this project, the designers combined white and wood, placing them on all surfaces. Glossy options were chosen for white tiles and furniture. Together with the mirror, reflecting light, they make the room brighter and visually enlarge it.

Design project Bluecat studio

A design project designed to renovate a small bathroom on a limited budget. The blue and white interior looks fresh and modern, and the bathroom is cozy and beautiful.

Design project Studio monocco

The idea of indirect lighting is very popular and works wonders, especially in small spaces. Create glowing "ribbons" on long bathroom elements - on the bathtub itself, washbasin or cabinet. Glossy surfaces enhance the aesthetics of the effect by reflecting soft light.

A safe bet is the bathroom interior in black and white. This design project is interesting for its extravagant black floor and brick-like wall texture, unusual for a bathroom.

Design project Dziurdzia Projekt

You have a very small bathroom, but you wouldn't want to give up a bathtub. A small bathtub designed for seating can be a way out. Our advice: choose narrow furniture and light colors.

Even the smallest bathroom needs storage space. A stone stand for small items and compact built-in cabinets with glass facades will come in handy and will present a narrow room from the advantageous side.

Of course, if you also need to place a washing machine in a small bathroom, the room will become even smaller. In this case, you need to find a very clever solution. Designers fit the washing machine into a series of built-in wardrobes, combining the entire lower level under one worktop. A wall cabinet with mirrored facades was placed at the top. The entire interior is designed in gray and white colors, which could have looked rather boring if it were not for the bright green accents, placed with the help of textiles and trifles.

The builders have come up with several "chips" that will help to update and modernize your nest at a very reasonable price Photo: Anastasia OSIPOVA

Repairs are certainly costly. After all, you need to decide on the palette of the walls, then choose the floor for them, I would like to hang beautiful ceilings, lamps for them. And plumbing, an electrician is generally a guard. How to inexpensively make repairs in an apartment? Calmly! Don't panic! The builders have come up with several "chips" that will help you update and modernize your nest at a very reasonable price.

1. Instead of wallpaper - decorative plaster.

It is especially suitable for those who have small children or animals in their home. On this surface, you can draw, smear plasticine, you can scratch it. Everything from it can be really washed and torn off without prejudice to its appearance.

- But mainly, plaster is durable, - says the builder Oleg Zyabnev. - Mineral, for example, can last up to 30 years, silicone up to 60 years, and polymer generally up to half a century. What can not be said about the wallpaper. The most reliable ones will last a maximum of 20 years.

There are a lot of plasters and, in general, this pleasure is not cheap. But among this material you can also find an inexpensive "candy". For example, textured plaster.

- There are several subspecies: "Lamb" (has different sizes of stone grains), "Fur coat" (the surface is rough, in the form of a slight "hairiness") and "Bark beetle" (resembles the surface of eaten wood). The cost per square meter starts at 250 rubles. Agree, a worthy competitor to wallpaper.

There are a lot of plasters and, in general, this pleasure is not cheap Photo: Anastasia OSIPOVA

2. Stretch ceilings.

The question of choosing a stretch ceiling or painting arises quite often. The main thing is to be beautiful, practical, and even cheap.

“Stretch ceilings can be installed in just a few hours,” continues our expert. - Preparatory work is minimal, and after installation there is practically no dirt and dust. For painting, the ceiling must be cleaned, primed and plastered.

In addition, the PVC stretch ceiling can prevent leaks and save you from flooding, as it is able to withstand a large weight of water. It does not require much maintenance and is durable to use.

As for the price - a square meter of a stretch ceiling with installation will cost from 250 rubles. The paint will cost about the same, but there is much more trouble with it. So stretch ceilings are becoming more and more popular. And that is very convenient and practical.

3. The optimal floor is laminate.

It is rather difficult to answer the question "which gender is better". It all depends on the budget and personal preference. First, let's consider all the options.

- Solid board - versatile, suitable for almost any interior. It is durable - up to 50 years, however, it reacts sharply to the indoor microclimate: temperature and humidity. Its cost reaches 9 thousand rubles. for the "square".

- Block parquet - you can create a different pattern from the dice. Serves up to 50 years, requires a high-quality "rough" floor. The cost per square meter is about 5 thousand rubles.

- Parquet board - the material is already sanded and varnished. Service life is short - up to 20 years maximum. Price - from 2 thousand rubles. sq. m.

- Cork floor - warm, resilient, pleasant to the touch and good for walking. The main disadvantage is that it can be easily damaged. Serves up to 15 years, costs from 2 thousand rubles. sq. m.

- Laminate - durability, extreme ease of installation. There is a "but": he is afraid of water. Service life - up to 20 years. Costs from 300 rubles per square meter.

- Natural linoleum is an environmentally friendly, warm and easy to install and maintain material. Serves up to 30 years, but is very unstable to alkalis. Price - from 700 rubles. per sq. m.

- PVC linoleum - unlimited choice of colors and patterns. Very economical coverage.There is a big disadvantage: the coating is artificial, so it can cause an allergic reaction. Service life up to 7 years, cost - from 500 rubles. sq. m.

- Carpet is a cozy soft material. Does not require subfloor preparation. However, do not forget that this is a large dust collector. Therefore, such a coating should be carefully and often cleaned. Serves little - up to 5 years, costs from 500 rubles. sq. m.

In general, laminate has won in our rating. It is optimal in terms of price and has no clear drawbacks. It is worth wiping it with a slightly damp cloth, and it will be grateful to you for that for many years.

4. We hide the toilet bowl in the wall.

A wall-hung toilet looks prettier than a floor-standing toilet. All valves, pipes, etc. are hidden in the wall into which the installation is built. And in that place you can hang shelves, a wardrobe or a heated towel rail. Which already gives the bathroom an aesthetic look.

- In a wall-hung toilet, the flush system works much better due to the design features, - Oleg Zyabnev notes. “Plus, all of these systems have a double flush button that allows you to waste less water.

In addition, a wall-hung toilet takes up less space, even though an installation is attached to it. It is usually no more than 20 centimeters wide, while an ordinary toilet is farther from the wall, and its cistern is wider.

By the way, many are sure that if, for example, a pipe breaks through, you will have to break the wall where the barrel is walled up. Nothing like this! The hole where the button for the wall-hung toilet is located provides access to the flush mechanism.

5. We throw away the closet and make a dressing room.

Most of the people of our country live in small apartments, where every centimeter counts. Therefore, size issues often play a decisive role. Cabinets have outlived their time. They are bulky, uncomfortable. You cannot go into them and change in front of the mirror. Therefore, it has become fashionable to make dressing rooms in apartments.

- The smallest dressing room can have an area of 1.2 - 1.5 square meters. meter, - says the expert. - Also, this room is often made angular. This option is even more spacious than a rectangular one of the same area: with an equal area, the length of the sides along which shelves and storage systems can be placed will be greater.

In construction and furniture stores, inexpensive wardrobe systems are sold. You can keep within 20 thousand. Hang men's things on the one hand, for example. On the other - female. And in the middle is a mirror. Beauty!

We throw away the closet and make a dressing room Photo: Mikhail FROLOV

6. Instead of chandeliers - spotlights.

This tip is only useful for those looking to save money. Large chandeliers will certainly remain classics forever. Wherever you hang them, the room will bloom instantly. However, the prices for them are rather big. You won't find anything less than a thousand rubles. Therefore, whoever does not have the opportunity to hang the whole house with good-quality lamps - you can purchase spotlights. But again, one must understand that they can only be installed on suspended and stretch ceilings.

- An ideal lamp for a stretch ceiling will be LED (40 W), which practically does not heat up and does not spoil the canvas. LED lamps are capable of providing an uninterrupted stream of light of various colors, which does not tire the eyes and does not impair vision. It is worth choosing them based on personal wishes and purposes of use. Their cost varies from 100 rubles.

For the safety of the ceiling, the following rules should be adhered to:

- The power of the light bulb should not be more than 50 W;

- The presence of a mirror part for light reflection;

- Lack of sharp ends that can damage the ceiling during installation.

7. Batteries are bimetallic.

Bimetallic batteries offer good heat dissipation, light weight and sleek design. And if you correctly calculate the number of radiator sections, its power, they will serve faithfully for many years.

The main advantage of such batteries is that they can be adjusted independently. Is it hot in your house? No problem! I twisted the valve and it became cooler. Or, on the contrary, frost hit the street. Once - and made it hotter.