This week’s hero, Rasa, is a true powerhouse – she’s always on the move! Between hitting the gym, working hard, raising her son and whipping up delicious meals in the kitchen, she juggles it all. Most of their time is spent in a cosy 17-square-metre room, where they cook, eat, relax, read, work and do homework. For Rasa and her son, a dishwasher and the simple joy of stretching out to watch TV are absolute essentials. But can all aspects of family life really fit into one compact space? Our interior designer, Toma, has no doubt that they can!
Before the renovation
Interior designer‘s task:
- Set up a workspace, a cosy living area with TV corner and smart storage solutions, as well as a functional cooking and dining space.
- Adapt the compact kitchen to suit the needs of a woman who loves to cook.
- Create a dedicated and comfortable study area for a third-grader.
- Make the most of every centimetre of space by cleverly utilising niches, corners and irregularly shaped areas.
A bright room that has it all
The family’s home features a modern Scandinavian style. To keep the interior cohesive, Toma chose a neutral palette with light tones and green accents. Textiles play a crucial role in the new space, helping to define different zones. Curtains, rugs and cushions create a cosy living area, while the kitchen remains entirely textile-free for a clean, functional feel.Using neutral colours as a base makes it easy to refresh your interior over time. Simply changing the textiles can give the room a completely new look.
Welcome to the living room
As soon as you step in, you’re greeted by the FRIHETEN corner sofa-bed with a chaise lounge— the perfect spot to stretch out and watch TV, just as the homeowners wished. Previously, the family’s TV was mounted right next to the kitchen, where clutter made it hard to fully relax. Now, with a new, thoughtfully chosen location, they can enjoy their screen time without distractions. Plus, the space has been optimised with additional storage solutions, including a TV bench, a bookcase and stylish decorative shelves.Living room furniture
Need a space for homework?
The BILLY bookcase serves a dual purpose in this space— not only as a place for books but also as a compact study nook.“A functional desk doesn’t have to take up much room. With the right furniture, it can be seamlessly integrated into a bookcase and easily tucked away when not in use.”
Toma Laucienė, IKEA interior designer
Workspace solution
(bookcase, desk and chair)207,99 €
Children's desks & chairs
Standard solutions for an odd kitchen layout
If you have a kitchen with columns, awkward corners or niches, take the time to experiment with different cabinet combinations. Even standard-sized furniture can maximise every centimetre of space.When designing this kitchen, the interior designer used not only the floor space but also the height, choosing cabinets and shelves that reach up to the ceiling. This way, dust won’t gather on top, and Rasa will have plenty of storage for cooking tools, tableware and other items.
“A quick way to refresh the wall between the lower and upper kitchen cabinets is with LYSEKIL wall panels. For this kitchen, I chose white panels, which blend better with the current interior than the old dark brown tiles.”
Toma Laucienė, IKEA interior designerKitchen furniture & accessories
Kitchen furniture
(excluding appliances and decorations)1 658 €
Storage, organising & waste sorting
A space for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Since cooking in the kitchen requires plenty of space and the overall room size is limited, we opted for a dining table with a shallower depth, featuring a drawer to store napkins or other small items needed during meals. If more guests arrive, the table can be pulled away from the wall, and extra chairs can be added.Dining room furniture
Hallway storage
It's larger and taller than the previous one, offering more space for the items that tend to accumulate when living with a child.352 €
Hallway solutions
“To keep the interior cohesive, look for furniture with similar colours and textures. In this project, the METOD system and HAVSTORP fronts were used for both the kitchen and storage in a niche, while the white EKET cabinets in the living room match the BILLY bookcase.”
Toma Laucienė, IKEA interior designer
Would use some help?
If you'd like to renovate your home without a big investment or major repairs, you can always ask our interior designers for help. With your input and home furnishing style preferences, whether it be traditional or modern, our professionals will help you navigate our wide range of products and create a complete furnishing solution for one or multiple rooms, or for your entire home.Interior design service
What was done before?
In previous seasons, IKEA interior designers shared their tips on how to furnish odd spaces, adapt homes to changing life situations, and organise all belongings. We have organised kitchens, children’s rooms, and bedrooms, set up a home office in the living room, furnished a tiny one-room apartment, upgraded premises for family business, and so much more.Previous makeovers