How a “killed” two-room apartment of 1949 was turned into a comfortable three-room apartment.

A designer transformed an apartment in an unusual 1949 building beyond recognition, spending little on repairs. Here’s how the heroine managed to create functional housing for her family without exceeding the budget.

Renovation and Planning

The two-room apartment is located in a unique St. Petersburg Stalinist building built in 1949, a two-story mansion constructed by captured Germans after World War II. Purchased with an outdated “grandmother’s” renovation, everything had to be redone. The entire renovation cost just over 1.5 million rubles, thanks to budget-friendly solutions. The stucco molding was preserved, the parquet flooring restored, and the layout was optimized for the family.

With a total area of 46 square meters, the apartment initially had two rooms and a tiny kitchen. They decided on a reconfiguration: the entrance to the living room from the hallway was blocked, and a new entrance was made from the kitchen. This turned the kitchen into a walk-through space, created storage systems in the living room and hallway, and effectively turned the two-room apartment into a three-room one.

The original kitchen was only 5.4 sq. m., too small for a dining area and comfortable cooking. By combining it with the living room, they created more storage and moved the dining area to the living room bay window.

The walk-through kitchen required giving up gas for safety. Installing an electric oven and stove necessitated purchasing additional kilowatts and undergoing a complex approval process.

The kitchen features large-format porcelain tiles with a terrazzo look for the apron and floor, creating a seamless visual effect. The apron does not extend fully to the work surface to avoid sticking out. Despite the sink being close to the corner, washable paint on the walls makes cleaning easy.

The kitchen set, sourced from a local manufacturer, includes a practical laminated chipboard countertop. An awkward niche near the window was used for equipment columns, providing additional storage. One standard column houses the built-in refrigerator, while a narrower one includes a 45 cm oven and a shelf for the microwave.

A coffee corner was created on the windowsill with a coffee machine and a shelf for coffee capsules, adding convenience.

Living-dining room

Living-Dining Room

The living-dining room is 16.8 square meters. The bay window houses a dining area with a round table and soft chairs, chosen to avoid clutter and maintain a wide circular path.

The old oak parquet, laid in an English herringbone pattern, was preserved and scraped. A large gap between the parquet and the wall was covered with a plinth.

A small library occupies a corner of the living-dining room, with space for a guitar and a rack for records and equipment. The door to the main bathroom was narrowed to fit the rack, reducing it to 50 cm.

Interior doors, replaced to match the height of the openings to the kitchen and bedroom niche, are 210 cm high, though the default was 2 meters.

A corner wardrobe for clothes storage was installed where the blocked passage used to be, chosen in white to blend in with the space. A shelving unit at the end stores a large record collection.

A compact workspace was created between the closet and the kitchen passage, with several lighting scenarios, including a chandelier and pendant lamps above the dining table.

Bedroom Niche

Thanks to the living room redevelopment, a conditionally third room – a bedroom niche – was created, occupying just 4.5 square meters. This space accommodates a large bed with a lifting mechanism, used also as a sofa for watching TV. A narrow storage cabinet custom-made to fit between the bed and the wall stores textiles and provides a tabletop for cosmetics and a phone. Two sconces above the bed replace overhead lighting.

Curtains were used instead of the initially planned loft partition, saving money and adding coziness.

The Nursery

The nursery, at just over 9 square meters, houses two daughters. A bunk bed with storage in the steps maximizes space. A wall-to-wall tabletop provides a spacious workspace, and two closets from IKEA, repainted in suitable shades, offer individual storage for each daughter.

This thoughtful and budget-friendly renovation turned a dated apartment into a functional and stylish home, accommodating the family’s needs while preserving historical elements.

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