Many five-story buildings built during the reign of Khrushchev have been inhabited by different people for over 50 years. Someone inherited a three-room apartment in Khrushchev, and someone bought it because of its low cost. With proper care of the building, such buildings can last for more than a dozen years. At one time they were built for temporary use and were not provided with a high level of comfort.
The general conditions created in such apartments barely correspond to the necessary minimum, because here everything is minimized to the extreme limits. Starting from the height of the ceilings, which barely reach the mark of 2.5 m, ending with violations of all sound insulation rules. In addition, the total area of the three-room Khrushchev building was minimized, plus bathrooms were combined, on a tiny plot of 4 m 2 , and in addition also walk-through rooms. Therefore, no one is surprised when such apartments are trying to transform by redevelopment.
Standard layout of a 3-room apartment in Khrushchev
In most cases, the internal partitions of such apartments do not belong to the supporting structures. This creates favorable conditions for redevelopment. However, when considering the layouts of three-room Khrushchevs in brick houses, one may encounter a situation in which the support of the ceilings is made on the interior walls. In total, you can find the following options for such apartments:
- Two rooms are so small that in such an area just right to arrange one.
- Two large rooms are adjacent, and the third is quite small.
- Living rooms are deployed on two sides of the building.
- Less common is the layout with three isolated rooms.
In some plans for three-room Khrushchev, you can find a pantry arranged in the room. It is convenient to convert such a room into a dressing room, freeing it from unnecessary shelves and cans with conservation. The next large room is best designed as a living room, where you can arrange friendly gatherings and spend home holidays. And from the remaining smaller room you get an excellent nursery.
How to legalize redevelopment in an apartment
Legal processing can be done in several different ways. It is best to order a redevelopment project by contacting specialists from the relevant authorities. Only a sketch of upcoming changes can be submitted. The filed petition is considered in three cases:
- In the presence of a redevelopment sketch.
- If necessary, the sketch should indicate the places and methods of modernization of the bearing bases.
- In the presence of a draft.
In the latter case, the review will take place without additional data collection to draw up an act on the security of the changes. In the first two cases, you will need to independently collect a regulated list of securities. This includes documenting the redevelopment sketch created on the basis of the three-room Khrushchev scheme for approval.
The ultimate goal, giving legal grounds for future work, is to obtain an approved change plan, as well as a licensed project certified by the reviewing organization. Such petitions are usually considered by the Permission Center located in the area where the apartment is located. Considering the question of how to legitimize redevelopment in an apartment, it should be said that it is possible to start repair work only after all approvals. Otherwise, efforts will be in vain. You will pay a fine and return everything as it was.
Several ways to change the interior
Of course, it should be borne in mind that no redevelopment of the three-room Khrushchev will help to change the total area of the apartment, however, a competent change in the internal arrangement of the rooms can significantly increase the usable space. In such cases, two main paths are chosen:
- Demolition of all existing partitions in order to further distribute the area to useful areas using various methods of zoning the room.
- Partial combination of rooms in order to get rid of non-functional lobby.
The first in modernization is always a kitchen in a three-room Khrushchev, whose area barely reaches 6 m 2 . As a rule, it is combined with an adjacent room, creating something similar to a “studio”. In this case, the door leading from the corridor can be locked and the space created can be used to expand the bathroom.
The room, which was combined with the kitchen, as a rule, communicated with the neighboring one through a common door located near the window. This door can be moved closer to the corridor and partition the room with a partition with an aperture, leaving room for access to a new living room and kitchen. Thus we get three altered rooms: a kitchen-living room, a spacious bedroom and a large bathroom. The third room, usually facing the other side, remains unchanged in the layout of the three-room Khrushchev.
Redevelopment of the bathroom
In some cases, one has to face a problem when permission to increase the size of the bathroom cannot be obtained. In this situation, the bathroom will have to be reorganized in a different way. To do this, you need to remove the bath and replace it with a shower, and place a washing machine on the vacated area.
In such circumstances, the passage to the kitchen is maintained. It is combined with an adjacent room. The door from the corridor remains to the next room, and the passage from the kitchen opens into the adjacent room. In this situation, it remains to lay the interior door as unnecessary. The result is two separate spacious rooms and a fully functional bathroom.
Features of transferring partitions
Initially, the three-room Khrushchev plan with the dimensions of all rooms is completely uncomfortable. To change this, a redevelopment is necessary, which in its meaning implies the demolition and rearrangement of restorations. For this procedure, it is necessary to obtain legal grounds. It should be carried out with the elimination of all the shortcomings formed. The transfer and removal of partitions are always associated with certain risks. In such a situation, responsibility for the consequences can only be assumed by specialists with experience in solving such issues.
The complete dismantling of the wall separating the kitchen with the adjoining room is necessary only in exceptional situations. More often it is enough to cut through a spacious arched opening to make the task considered complete. As practice shows, in some cases, this particular cross can turn out to be a supporting wall. No one will give permission to weaken such a design today. Therefore, when buying an apartment, such questions should always be specified in advance.
Floor defects
If the three-room apartment Khrushchev inherited, then all kinds of problems cannot be avoided. This will certainly affect the sexes. According to the rules of the time, they went overboard, service life, which has long ended, but they still remain in place. Therefore, such a coating will have to be dismantled and replaced with a cement screed. Using this procedure, it will be possible to bring the floor level into a common plane, onto which any coating will lie without problems: tile, laminate or linoleum, which can serve a long period of time.
If the rooms overlook the opposite side of the building, the floor difference can reach 18 centimeters. Then it is better to leave the isolated rooms at their own level, separated by closed door frames. Otherwise, there is a risk of the ceiling dropping to a critical point.
Ceiling decoration
On a low-set ceiling, it will not be possible to install a voluminous chandelier that can give full lighting to the entire space of the room. For this reason, before performing finishing work, it is necessary to distribute the wiring to several small lamps that can evenly distribute lighting over the entire surface.
If the concrete floors are installed neatly (with differences not exceeding 4 cm), then it is best to level the ceiling with gypsum plaster using the rule. After rough application of plaster on the ceiling, the surface is smoothed with a spatula. Then several layers of finishing putty are applied and the surface is painted.
However, it happens that the differences in the setting of the slabs of that time exceed 10 cm. Then the plane of the ceiling is better to level with plasterboard with minimal loss of height. To minimize losses, do not build the ceiling plane in the horizon. If there is a slope from the center of the apartment to the extreme walls, it is worth preserving it by aligning only the plane. Such a trick will allow you to hide the raised part of the plane under a slight slope, which visually compensates for low ceilings.
Interior decoration
Despite the small area of the three-room Khrushchev, there are quite advanced styles that can give it a glamorous look. The small size of the rooms can always be compensated by a competent selection of furniture and decoration.
Many advise a contemporary style. He has all the necessary qualities that suit a small apartment. Firstly, it is the convenience of arranging objects. Secondly, maximum availability and reliable functionality. According to the designers, for a visual increase in the room, it is necessary to draw a parallel between the color of the walls and ceiling, bringing the shades as close as possible. Other style features:
- The maximum simplicity in design, concisely setting accents.
- Zoning of space, which can be of great help during redevelopment in Khrushchev.
- The use of modular designs, as well as furniture, characterized by high functionality.
Experts advise
According to designers, in order for the interior to be distinguished by individuality, it is worth abandoning unnecessary decor elements. In such a situation, one large picture is enough.
Scandinavian style
The spaciousness and airiness of this style make it attractive for small apartments. Residents of the northern latitudes prefer light tones, perhaps with a slight deviation towards gray. This is what dictates the preferences of this style. In such cases, the floor is decorated with a wooden coating, and the furniture is selected without elaborate details. Scandinavian style prefers simplicity, avoiding complex designs and variegated scenery.
Loft
This style is distinguished by non-standard views on the surrounding reality. Blocks of concrete floors, the type of brick wall, bends of water pipes, hints of negligence in the arrangement do not hide under the scenery, but open for viewing. Loft welcomes the freedom of creativity, propagandizing a complete denial of the uniformity of tones and the tension of the planes. In the interiors of this style, piles of furniture are avoided, limited only to the most necessary (as a rule, multifunctional) items, which perfectly suits the conditions of a small-sized apartment.
Minimalism
This style does not recognize luxurious objects, prefers pastel colors in the color of walls and shades of furniture. By opting for wood products, minimalists make the interior more lightweight. Such motifs look great in a small apartment, filling it with light and comfort.
Giving preference to the built-in furniture, this style helps to realize the possibilities of Khrushchev in the best way. Add here a large number of various fixtures that can create the illusion of space inherent in minimalism. You will see that this particular style will become one of the best solutions suitable in such conditions.