“Home idea with IKEA”: turning wasted space into a cosy living room

Before: living space vs. storage space
When Jurgita started the renovation at home, the living room and the balcony were not on the priority list and due to the limited budget remained untouched. Eventually, both turned into one large storage room filled with a variety of no longer used items and old furniture that came from other spaces at home. As you can see, the dark room with a bulky sofa-bed and a small table is not the most suitable option for family celebrations.

After: more room for both a host and her guests
Raimonda decided to divide the 16-square-meter room into two areas: she left one side of the room for relaxation and set up a dining table on the other one. The latter will not only serve for family celebrations, but also for writing poems, which is the hobby of Jurgita, or spending time with her younger son. The elder son and his wife, who visit Jurgita on weekends, will also be able to stay here for longer. The GRUNNARP 3-seat sofa-bed is much more comfortable than the old one, so it is suitable not only to sit on while watching TV, but also to accommodate the overnight guests.

“When the space is small, use furniture and items that have more than one function. For example, a sofa-bed with under bed storage can replace a chest of drawers, a storage bench on the balcony might also serve for a coffee table, while the mirrors have a double duty of both decorating the room and making it look bigger.”

Adjustable dining room
To save space in the dining area, Raimonda decided to choose the EKEDALEN extendable table and some additional TERJE folding chairs that can be hung on the wall when not in use. The table provides enough space for four to six or even seven persons when extended. Another convenient solution in the dining area is the NISSAFORS trolley suitable for storing extra tableware at the table or bringing dishes from the kitchen.

Having everything quite near
Raimonda has designed a small sideboard at the dining table to avoid going back and forth to the kitchen during the celebrations or dinner. The combination of BESTÅ wall cabinets with glass doors and lighting makes it easy to reach the needed tableware and protects all items from dust. The BESTÅ cabinets come in a variety of colours and sizes, so you feel free to create the combination that best suits your own needs.
 

Light brings the festive mood
Thanks to the white walls and bright furniture, the new living room looks more spacious, while the functional lighting - a floor/reading lamp next to the sofa and a wall lamp above the dining table - provides even more cosiness. The mood lighting also plays an equally important role, so the interior designer hung some lighting chains on the balcony ceiling, and decorated the windows with STRÅLA decorative lamps to make the joy of Christmas come a little bit faster.
 

A private spot
Jurgita’s living room is connected to her balcony, so the interior designer made some changes there either. She set up a cosy private corner on the balcony where Jurgita might spend the time sipping coffee or looking for inspiration for her poems. Besides the two ÄPPLARÖ folding chairs, the balcony now features wooden storage furniture with boxes that allow hiding the clutter and simply enjoying the view through the window.