00:01I think that the most important thing when decorating a personal space is
00:06precisely to make it personal. Put things there that bring you joy whether it's a
00:12painting or a table or just a collection of vases. I was very lucky because when I
00:18moved in the apartment was already in a very good condition. Newly renovated with
00:23wooden floors. It only had the kitchen sink and a stove. For me it's still very
00:29important to buy second-hand or timeless design objects that can always have a
00:34high value because of their quality. I am Katerina Goncher and I'm an interior
00:40decorator. I was born in Ukraine and grew up in southern Italy and a few years ago
00:46I moved to Berlin I couldn't change anything about the structure of the
00:57apartment itself since it's an apartment that I'm renting. The apartment had a
01:03small corridor which leads to kitchen, bedroom and a large living and sleeping
01:08area. By using furnitures as partitions I always find a way to create new spaces in
01:15the small room. I would have loved a separate bedroom but I was able to use a
01:20bookcase and a wardrobe to divide the space.
01:27This building is located in Schöneberg Berlin. Schöneberg was an independent
01:33town until the 1920s. It dates back to the founding of a medieval village. Now
01:40Schöneberg is full of cafes, restaurants and a lot of art galleries. This building was
01:48built around 1917 and it always been used for residential purposes as soon as you
01:58enter the house there is a long corridor and the first thing you see it's a
02:03vintage writing desk which I very propose for storage and as a place to
02:08keep keys and other items when I walk into the apartment. There is a white bench
02:15next to the writing desk. It serves like a litter box for my cat Vasily. Above it I
02:21also included an oval mirror. It serves the dual purpose of allowing me to check
02:27myself before going out and reflecting the light from the kitchen making the
02:32narrow corridor appear more specious. Toward the end of the corridor there is a
02:39white closet for storing my shoes and coats. The closet is white so it doesn't
02:44stand out too much against the white walls of the corridor. I also attach mirrors on
02:49the sides of the wardrobe creating the illusion of an elongated corridor. The
02:57corridor leads to the kitchen which I renovated this year. I like to cook a lot
03:02so this is one of the rooms with the most attention to details so that I can have
03:07everything in comfort when I'm here. I installed the mid-century style kitchen
03:13using IKEA cabinets and custom-made doors from Plume Living. I opted for a
03:19combination of hanging cabinets and floating shelves to create a sense of
03:24lightness with the small kitchen. To soften the overall look of the kitchen I
03:30add curtains under the kitchen counter and on the other side there is tall
03:35cabinet in the same design that I use for more storage. This IKEA cabinet is also
03:41something that I can disassemble and take away with me when I move in the future.
03:46The kitchen counter is made with beige tiles which I install myself. There is a
03:54kitchen island in the middle of the room. It's an IKEA table that I paint in red and
03:59placed a viola calacatta marble on top. It belonged to a vintage coffee table I
04:05bought a few years ago on eBay. It serves as an extra kitchen bench space when I cook.
04:12It also has a plenty storage space underneath. The shelves on the wall are
04:19also a new addition. I also use shared curtains hanging them up to the ceiling to
04:27accentuate the height of the room. From the kitchen there is access to the
04:33balcony. There is also a small table that with a little help becomes a table for
04:38four. Perfect for summer dinners. And I also created a relaxing corner with a
04:45small wooden sofa full of comfortable cushions.
04:52The corner room in the apartment is the room that enclose everything. The bedroom, the
04:57dining room and the sofa area. In this room I painted the walls in an earthy
05:03beige to create a sense of coziness.
05:08The sofa area is enclosed by IKEA bookcases. I really like to collect books, pots and
05:15beautiful things in general so I wanted to create the space to be able to display
05:19all the things I collect and also fully enjoy them as decoration of the house.
05:26One part of the bookcases is also used for a small bar. I prefer to create a dining room
05:33in front of the sofa with a sealed table I bought second hand and a set of four chairs
05:39that I have been looking for a long time. Behind the door is always some folding chair for
05:45when I have a few extra friends over. The sleeping nook is very very small. It only fits a double
05:54bed.
05:54That's all I need to sleep. I'm quite satisfied with the essential corner.
06:00For me it's very important that the sleeping area is divided from the other rooms. It is important
06:06that there is space, a little corner reserved just for that. I use a closet from IKEA on one side
06:14and a
06:15bookcase on the other side leaning on the back of each other to create a split in the middle of
06:20the room.
06:21I also decided to cover the side with mirrors so the light coming through the window could be reflected
06:27and create more natural light. This IKEA closet and the large chest of drawers are the main storage units
06:35in this apartment. And of course there is some storage I add under the bed. The bathroom is
06:45located between the living room and the kitchen. I wanted to keep it very simple and I chose a light
06:51beige color for the walls and the ceiling. And the most important piece is the antique dresser. It holds
06:57everything I need in the bathroom. I like the contrast it's created with modern and antique furniture.
07:07When I think of designing a small space, the most important thing is the storing space. It is also
07:14very important to maximize the height of the apartment and not to use small pieces of furniture or
07:20decoration in order to not create visual clutter.
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