New life style in the design of small apartments

Small apartments are a trend of the 21st century. Apartments have always been more than just housing. In the 20th century they were looked upon as an instrument for maintaining ambitions. The small apartment belittled the social status, even if its design was executed with taste. Huge – increased the importance of the hosts in the eyes of others.

Remember the typical way of life of the end of the 20th century – it was prestigious to have many things: lots of furniture, dishes, food stocks, and all this was required to be placed in the apartment – far from small, but not shining special design.

The Millennium has become an occasion for the revision of values. People are increasingly thinking about the meaning of life, over what is their source of inspiration. And as a result, they are building new priorities. In the new structure of welfare elements, small apartments have become for many the best option for housing at a certain stage of life and this has affected their design.  

The whole industry is working to make them comfortable and effective.  There are new building plans, furniture, design elements, decoration materials – all in order to make each of the small apartments special and comfortable.

Who are they, the owners of the small apartments?

 Who buys small apartments?

1. People of considerable age, who change their housing to a small one, so as not to burden themselves with communal payments. Having lost in the square, they win in comfort, cleanliness (new materials, convenient layout, ease of cleaning). There are some nuances here, on which we will definitely stop.
2. Young people buying the first housing.
3. Young families with children lovingly decorating their nest.
4. Lovers of wandering, for which small apartments – only a cozy haven, storing traces of travel.
5. Successful managers who choose an apartment, even if small, but in a prestigious area.

How do you prioritize your life style?

Naturally, the design of small apartments for different social groups can not be different. Before talking about general trends, let us dwell on the features.

Design of small apartments for the elder generation

So, often a newcomer of a small apartment becomes a man of age. What to do in order not to violate the existing way of life and at the same time make it more comfortable, to breathe in a fresh stream of novelty?

Furniture, things and dreams.

Moving to a new apartment, it is necessary to decide: what to take from the old situation, and with what without regret to part? It remains only what can not be said: “this thing today makes me even happier.” All the rest must be left in the past. Take in the new house several items of furniture and accessories from the category of “the most favorite, comfortable and … small.” Another option is possible – to start life from scratch, without the burden of the past.

Apartment design of the grand person

With age, people are not inclined to drastically change the habitual lifestyle. Some remain very conservative, others do not change the audacious style that has grown fond in youth. Still others are open to innovations and are ready to implement the latest proposals of designers.

What design can you offer the owners of apartments a little older than middle age? It can be selected in a wide range:

• for the most conservative – classical, German or Italian, with small cues in historical styles;
• for fans of the era Audrey Hepburn – a light urban French entourage;
• for the romantics of the hippy era – a sunny rural style with elements of eastern esotericism;
• for those who remember the debates of physicists and lyricists – Scandinavian minimalism;
• for artistic natures – art deco.

We venture to assume that among the reputable owners of small apartments there may be devotees of pop art, loft or hi-tech. But, most likely, in their age category they will be in the minority – due to the well-known thirst of the elderly to a quiet warm comfort.

Design a small apartment for girls or boys

First own home. It embodies the dreams that were not realized in the framework of the parental home. But these dreams, as a rule, have their own limitations – financial.

Boldly and inexpensively

Modern design trends take into account this feature and offer very budgetary solutions for the design of a small apartment. Make the dream a reality will help furniture from IKEA for interiors in the style of Art Nouveau, Scandindi and Provence. Own masterpieces of needlework decorate the house in the spirit of country, boho, oriental exotics. Souvenir accessories, brought from wanderings, will identifly identify ethnic styles – safari, Indian, Arabian.

Loft, it would seem, can do quite inexpensively. However, one must remember the obligatory – and significant – expenditure: picturesque metal structures (pipes, ventilation, old-fashioned radiators for heating), the presence of several bohemian things (a sofa or an armchair, pop art paintings, an antique interior element).

The choice of young – studio

The layout of a bachelor apartment. Young people prefer to maximize the space due to the studio layout. Many hours at the stove at this age, even girls do not spend, and to meet friends in the studio is perfect.

Young family: first apartment

In the list of the first needs of a young family – a small, but their own veins. And often it is purchased with the expectation of the first child. For the design of such an apartment is characterized by the allocation of children – a place where a small child can rest easy while adults are busy with their own affairs or the reception of guests. Most often this is a small bedroom for a baby and a spacious studio for adults.

In such an apartment planning role and color play a big role, and as accessories try to use “anti-vandal” design elements that are part of the finish, having a reliable attachment to the floor and walls or suspended sufficiently high.

The style entirely depends on the taste of the parents, but it’s unlikely that a sensible designer will advise using a child’s loft or pop art. The first – does not meet the sanitary and hygienic standards (not suitable for frequent and thorough wet cleaning). The second is, perhaps, too aggressive in color.

The fact is that in a small apartment it is desirable to maintain the design of all rooms in a unified style, otherwise the room will be visually divided into very small rooms – this will produce a sad impression of tightness, lack of style and bad taste.

A small apartment for wealthy new settlers

The presence of a small apartment in a “good neighborhood” – this is by no means an indicator of cramped financial possibilities, rather – calculating respectability, which is peculiarly reflected in the design.

It is peculiar – because investments in new housing are formed not so much from expensive acquisitions, as from the cost of high-quality materials, innovative technological solutions and, most importantly, the original project from a professional architect. This is a special glamor – to make a small apartment with an apartment, the design of which inspires and causes admiration.

Eternal laws of the design of small spaces

Whatever the small living space, in its design will have to adhere to certain rules.

Shine

The less in the house of dark corners, the more spacious it seems. Make the bottom of the console washbasin from the bottom – and immediately make sure that it is wider than the bathroom.

Light cords and LED strips are friends of small kitchen owners. Illuminate them shelves, mezzanines, table top – and the walls of the kitchen seem to part.

Consider the layout of the floor lamp, wall and ceiling light so that ill-lit corners and niches do not exist.

Color and space

The general rule is the predominance of white and any pastel shades. However, there are some subtleties here. What is good for large rooms, paradoxically refracts in small. In a totally white room, a sense of reality and perspective is lost.

Beacons are needed to create the depth of the room. Objects and decoration, which contrast or tone, but differ from the prevailing background. A fragment of the wall, accented with artistic wallpaper, a picture or a special, handmade, wrought-iron lamp. Drawing on the wallpaper with contrasting “specks” is also capable of creating a sense of depth, just like playing with shades when painting walls.

On the floor an excellent effect creates a diagonally laid parquet or tile. On the ceiling there is a two-tier ceiling with illumination.

It is very important that a variety of techniques do not create a picture of chaos, kitsch – a sense of proportion should not change the designer.

Color and Style

There are design directions in which color plays a fairly aggressive role, rigidly denoting the style. In the loft, pop art, techno there is black, red and rich colors of the palette, characteristic of the underground. How to be, to abandon the defiant, “male” entourage?

The design of small apartments knows many examples of a successful combination of white and gray with not bulky accessories of black, red, metallic. It is important that light shades strongly prevail.

Even in minimalism, favored by pure colors, in small rooms it is better to prefer soft, exquisite shades of turquoise, mint, cocoa in textiles and accessories.

Furniture

If there is a choice – to buy a table on the legs or console, a shelf or console super-thin shelves – choose the console. Nothing creates the illusion of space as much as the free space of the floor. For the same reason, the furniture on the legs is preferable to the cabinet-curbstones and the beds with sliding drawers.

Once again about the style

Regardless of the artistic preferences of the owners, it is useful to know which design for small apartments is almost a win-win. If you create a unique style rating, it will look like this.

1. Scandi. Laconic, spacious, easy to clean and inexpensive. Despite the fact that the Scandinavian style was created for spacious rooms, its advantages are especially noticeable in small apartments. Simple forms, gravitation to cantilever structures, furniture on legs, mean use of natural color scale. A lot of white and against this background – contrasting wooden elements – this is exactly what does not clutter up, but creates a perspective.
   

   Small bedroom in Scandinavian style

2. Art Deco. Decorative, elegant, airy. Grace, whose roots go to antiquity and baroque, plus a restrained white-gray-beige range. The stylization of the artistic atmosphere within the framework of minimalism is romantic, light and attractive.
   

   Stylish bedroom in dark colors

Ethnica. Indian style, boho, safari – in many respects their popularity is determined by the youth’s interest in travel. The bright decorativeness of this design gives a small apartment a camera that is organic for these styles.

Photo gallery – Design of small apartments:

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Author: Irina Ivanova

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