What does a flexible home looks like? Two IKEA employees were looking for the answer to the most important question of this "Home idea with IKEA" season: interior designer Gintarė and her colleague Gerda, who participated in the selection and won. Yes, you have read that right! We believe that everyone deserves an inspiring home renovation, so we have dedicated the first episode of the TV show to our team members this year. IKEA employees filled out questionnaires and competed with each other, and the luckiest one was the graphic designer Gerda, whose studio apartment looks completely different after this. Check the result!
The story and the challenges
The apartment, which Gerda bought from relatives, is situated in the heart of Vilnius and is really special. The high ceilings, the old brick wall and stone tiles are reminiscent of the history of the house. At the same time the apartment brings some serious challenges: how to accommodate all the needs in 32 sq. meters and preserve the authentic details. This required careful thought. So far, the apartment looks rough, not fully equipped: kitchen furniture needs doors and drawer fronts, there is no space for essentials, there is no dining table, guests find it difficult to fit on a small sofa, and the bed in the bedroom is replaced by a mattress on the floor.
The apartment, which Gerda bought from relatives, is situated in the heart of Vilnius and is really special. The high ceilings, the old brick wall and stone tiles are reminiscent of the history of the house. At the same time the apartment brings some serious challenges: how to accommodate all the needs in 32 sq. meters and preserve the authentic details. This required careful thought. So far, the apartment looks rough, not fully equipped: kitchen furniture needs doors and drawer fronts, there is no space for essentials, there is no dining table, guests find it difficult to fit on a small sofa, and the bed in the bedroom is replaced by a mattress on the floor.
What are the walls for?
Walls in a small home not only limit the space, but can also expand it. Just remember to use them wisely starting from the floor and up to the ceiling. The walls in Gerda's apartment have been left empty, but with the right solutions, like high or wall-mounted furniture, they could become the perfect storage for different items, which are now being kept in boxes.
Walls in a small home not only limit the space, but can also expand it. Just remember to use them wisely starting from the floor and up to the ceiling. The walls in Gerda's apartment have been left empty, but with the right solutions, like high or wall-mounted furniture, they could become the perfect storage for different items, which are now being kept in boxes.
Everything you need in one place
To keep the studio type apartment in consistent style is very important, that is why Gintarė combined the old house details with the new interior. Now all areas of the apartment – kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom – fit together, and the authentic bricks and tiles stand out beautifully in a background of white walls, bright furniture and neutral-coloured textiles. By dividing the space into zones, the interior designer tried to place all the furniture closer to the walls so that the centre of the room would remain empty and the apartment would look more spacious.
To keep the studio type apartment in consistent style is very important, that is why Gintarė combined the old house details with the new interior. Now all areas of the apartment – kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom – fit together, and the authentic bricks and tiles stand out beautifully in a background of white walls, bright furniture and neutral-coloured textiles. By dividing the space into zones, the interior designer tried to place all the furniture closer to the walls so that the centre of the room would remain empty and the apartment would look more spacious.
“In order to fit everything into one extremely small space, you need to think carefully and choose multifunctional furniture. For example, a dining table can be used as a workplace, and a sofa-bed in the living room area not only allows you to relax, but it is also great for staying guests.”
Gintarė Gumenikovaitė-Barzdė, IKEA interior designer
Some old and new solutions in the kitchen
Gerda definitely wanted to keep the wall decorated with stone tiles in the kitchen, so a non-standard solution was chosen – a ceiling mounted hood. However, this is not the only change that has made her kitchen more functional. Gintarė added some new kitchen cabinets, installed a rail with hooks on the wall for cooking and cleaning accessories to be hung close by hand, and left some space for a dining table next to the kitchen furniture.
Gerda definitely wanted to keep the wall decorated with stone tiles in the kitchen, so a non-standard solution was chosen – a ceiling mounted hood. However, this is not the only change that has made her kitchen more functional. Gintarė added some new kitchen cabinets, installed a rail with hooks on the wall for cooking and cleaning accessories to be hung close by hand, and left some space for a dining table next to the kitchen furniture.
More privacy and storage space
To give Gerda's bedroom more privacy, Gintarė separated it with the same curtains she hung on the windows. And in order not to run out of storage space, she mounted few kitchen cabinets above the bed. Here the cabinets don’t stand out, but are ideal for storing books, less commonly used small things or seasonal clothing. There is a storage space under the bed too – in spacious storage boxes.
To give Gerda's bedroom more privacy, Gintarė separated it with the same curtains she hung on the windows. And in order not to run out of storage space, she mounted few kitchen cabinets above the bed. Here the cabinets don’t stand out, but are ideal for storing books, less commonly used small things or seasonal clothing. There is a storage space under the bed too – in spacious storage boxes.
For me and for guests
After changing the arrangement of the furniture, Gintarė created living room in a corner between the window and the wall. Here the new, large and comfortable HOLMSUND sofa-bed found place. Gerda is often visited by friends who stay overnight, so bed with storage will definitely come in handy. And when guests leave, it will be a great place to spend free time alone reading. Knowing how Gerda loves to read, the interior designer installed shelves in a niche behind the sofa and turned it into a small home library.
After changing the arrangement of the furniture, Gintarė created living room in a corner between the window and the wall. Here the new, large and comfortable HOLMSUND sofa-bed found place. Gerda is often visited by friends who stay overnight, so bed with storage will definitely come in handy. And when guests leave, it will be a great place to spend free time alone reading. Knowing how Gerda loves to read, the interior designer installed shelves in a niche behind the sofa and turned it into a small home library.
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