Podium in a niche. DIY podium. Characteristic features of the podium in the apartment

Today it has become fashionable to arrange a podium in the apartment. This is done not only for aesthetics and zoning purposes. The main reason often lies in insufficient quantities square meters and trying to place a lot of things and functional areas in a very limited space. In this sense, the podium in the apartment became a real salvation. The elevation allows you to hide the bed, drawers and shelves, hide communications and more. We've collected a ton interesting ideas arrangement of the podium in the house.

No. 1. What functions are assigned to the podium?

The rapidly growing popularity of podiums is explained by the versatility of this design. Elevation in the apartment can be used for such purposes:

• masking communications, if this cannot be done using other methods. Often podiums are built in and, allowing you to hide water and sewer lines. Looking ahead, we note that in this case it is imperative to provide free access to communications;
• space zoning, because the height difference allows you to clearly separate one functional area from another. Relevant for and;
  
• rational use existing area. The podium allows you to divide part of the room space into tiers, and each tier can be used for its own purpose. Any furniture can be placed on a hill, or, and the space under the podium can be used to store a lot of things. At proper planning storage areas can be replaced by a podium alone for a good half of a massive one, which means there will be more space in the room. Often the space under the pedestal is used to install a retractable one;
  
  
• space correction. The podium allows you to visually correct the geometry. To do this, it is enough to organize an elevation near a short wall, the contour of which will have a round or curved shape;
  
• podium - instead of furniture. If you put a mattress on it, you get a cozy full-size bed. We have already mentioned the possibility of organizing a spacious room under the podium.
  

One podium can combine several of the above functions, which is especially appreciated by owners of small apartments. For example, a podium can be used to separate a work area from desk from the living room, and hide a sleeping place inside, which does not fit in some studio apartments.

No. 2. Where is the best place to place the podium?

A podium is a convenient and useful thing if the apartment owners have thought about its placement. Let us note right away ready-made podiums are not sold in stores– they are assembled in an apartment or house, taking into account all the requirements put forward, so there is no need to adapt – everything is in our hands.

What is important to consider when choosing a location for the podium?

1. If the podium is used to disguise communications, then its location is determined by the location of the pipes.
2. If the hill plays the role of a bed, then it will be located where it is most appropriate to place the bed.
   
   
3. It is not worth organizing a podium in the center of the room or in a walk-through place, as the risk of injury increases, and it will be inconvenient to constantly walk around the structure.
   
4. In a pencil case room, the podium is not placed along a long wall. It is better to organize the elevation near a short wall and thus divide the room into two squares. In rooms of the correct shape, the podium can be arranged in the corner, making it in the shape of a square, rectangle or semicircle.
5. When looking for the optimal place for a podium in an apartment, pay attention to, and others architectural features, which can become part of the pedestal or serve as its frame.
6. The height of the podium, depending on its purpose, ranges from 15 to 50 cm, but it is necessary to take into account the height of the room. It is important that a person, standing on the podium, can straighten up to his full height.

Designers recommend not placing excessively massive pieces of furniture on the podium. Everything that stands at a height automatically attracts the attention of the person who enters - these are features of human perception. If large, heavy things are placed at a height, the apartment will look overloaded.

No. 3. What disadvantages of the podium do you need to know about?

There are few disadvantages to podiums, but they still exist, and you need to know about them. Most of the disadvantages are consequences of an ill-conceived location of the pedestal or poor quality of its construction.

The owner of the podium may encounter the following disadvantages:

No. 4. Ideas for arranging a podium in an apartment

The podium suggests a lot of scenarios for its use. Some of them are aimed at, others at the most efficient use of space.

Here are some ideas for organizing the podium space:

• podium bed- the most common solution. The sleeping area can be organized in a niche or in an open space - in any case, the podium will allow you to visually separate it from other areas in the apartment. The height of the bed podium is 20-50 cm; when calculating, also take into account the height of the mattress. When arranging a sleeping place on such an elevation, you can save on buying a full-fledged bed - you only need a good mattress. The space under the bed can be used for storage. If there is space left around the perimeter of the podium, it can be used as;
  
  
• podium-chest. In the drawers on rollers, which are hidden under the podium, you can store a lot of things. For this purpose, you can also use the steps of the podium. If the hill has a decent height, then its base can be decorated with niches for storing books and souvenirs. LED lighting will serve as decoration. Podium storage can be supplemented with conventional storage located around the perimeter of the pedestal;
  
  
• secret podium. The entire space under the podium can be occupied by a secret bed, which will, if necessary, be pulled out using guides and rollers. For studio apartments with an area of ​​20-25 sq.m., where arranging a full-fledged sleeping place seems like something out of science fiction, this is an excellent option. The main thing is to leave enough space to pull out the bed. Another inverse option is to make something like a cellar. If the podium is set up as a play area for children, then a recess can be made in the floor for storing toys. After active games, it will be enough to quickly put everything in a makeshift cellar, close the lid, and order;
  
  
• correction and zoning. A podium is necessary not only for long narrow rooms. In a room combined with a living room, for example, the height difference can be used to highlight an area where you need to take off your shoes.
  

The podium becomes indispensable in studio apartments and especially if there are children in the family. In this case, the elevation can become a miniature children's room: on the upper tier there is everything that is needed for study and entertainment, the lower tier - a pull-out bed, steps - for storing things.

However, a podium is necessary not only for miniature spaces - in large living rooms and bedrooms it allows you to clearly highlight individual zones and make the room much more comfortable.

Finishing The space of the podium is often performed in the same way as in the rest of the room. If the task is to further highlight this area, then you can use a different floor or wall covering, but you should not forget about harmony and color combinations.

An interesting solution in the design of the podium is the use LED backlight along the contour. In this case, you can get a real scene in ordinary apartment.

No. 5. Types of podiums and material of manufacture

By constructive solution podiums can be divided into:

• monolithic;
• frame.

Monolithic make from . The resulting structures are strong and reliable, but for an apartment building the weight of such a podium is prohibitively high. You can lighten the construction by using or, but this is an option for private houses. To fill the podium, formwork of the required shape is used.

Frame podiums – best solution for ordinary apartments. The frame is made of wooden beams or metal; plywood, chipboard or OSB are used for cladding. Sheet materials can be laid in two layers to increase the strength of the structure.

No. 6. Do-it-yourself podium in an apartment: principle of work + video

In order for the podium to be strong and reliable, all the roll-out mechanisms in it to function normally and not warp, the construction process should be approached with full responsibility. It is better to entrust everything to a professional contractor, but if you have basic construction skills, desire and self-confidence, then you can try to do everything yourself.

The optimal podium design for an apartment is frame. The principle of work on its creation is as follows:

• preparation of a drawing that will reflect the size and shape of the podium, the location of the frame joists, the dimensions of the drawers and other details. Do not forget to take into account the thickness of the bars and sheathing material;
  
  
• Use a laser or construction level to mark the level of the future podium on the walls. The outline of the podium is applied to the floor. The result largely depends on the correct execution of this stage of work;
• marks on the wall can also be made in the places where the frame bars are attached. For the construction of the frame, 50*50 mm beams are suitable if the load is expected to be no more than 200 kg/m2. For higher loads, use 75*75 mm timber;
  
• the lower bars are attached to wooden floor with self-tapping screws, for concrete – with quick-installation dowels. Naturally, before starting work it is better to remove flooring, but some experts say that this is not necessary at all. Many people do without lower beams, installing vertical ones at once in increments of 40 cm. Vertical beams can be attached to the floor or load-bearing walls;
  
• when the lower horizontal bars are installed, place them in the corners vertical supports, which are subsequently connected by upper horizontal bars. Verticality is carefully controlled. You can now install additional vertical supports if you have not installed them before. All bars are connected at right angles, fixed with self-tapping screws or
• if there are no drawers inside, then it is better to fill the space under the podium or, which will serve as;
• if the podium is supposed to be illuminated, then it is better to install the wiring at this stage;
• The frame is covered with 20 mm plywood sheets, chipboard, OSB, gypsum fiber boards or ordinary boards. Fasten the material to the frame with self-tapping screws or nails, it is advisable to leave expansion joints 2-3 mm in case of expansion of the material when absorbing moisture. If interior space the podium will be used, it is also sheathed at this stage, and before the front sheathing;
  
  
• if the end of the podium should be curved, then flexible material is used to cover it. Thin plywood and metal profiles are suitable.

The final touch is finishing. As a floor covering for the podium, you can choose any material, except for self-leveling floors. Don't forget about lighting. Illumination along the contour of the podium is not only interesting design solution, but also a safety measure.

A podium bed is most often a mattress that is located on a hill. This bed allows you to create more space in the room and organize the arrangement of furniture in the interior with maximum convenience. A podium bed allows you to save your budget on additional furniture: you won’t need bedside tables, tables or even wardrobes with it.

Advantages

The advantage of such a bed is that it can not be pulled out completely from the podium, using it as small sofa or a place to relax during the day. The compartment for linen and pillows is a built-in drawer (or a pair of drawers) with hinged lids. At the top you can place workplace: a computer desk and several hanging shelves for books.

Varieties

Pull-out bed on wheels - on the podium itself there is a work area, shelves with books or a small closet, and the bed will be roll-out, built into the side. In such a bed, silent rubber wheels that do not scratch the floor are important. Cheaper plastic wheels, when moving the bed repeatedly, will very soon create marks on the floor that will be virtually impossible to remove. In addition, plastic wheels often break, so for a softer contact with the floor and silent movement of the bed, wheels made of high quality rubber are best suited.

The bed, located on the podium itself, can look different, depending on the preferences of the owner and the available interior solutions. There are different types designs:

• Bed on a high podium. A high monolithic podium is made of wood poured with concrete, and the surface of the elevation is pre-leveled with a screed. The covering is either the same as in the room as a whole, or it may look different: differ in color, in the quality of the material, in order to somehow highlight the sleeping area in the surrounding space.

• Frame podiums are lightweight and have simple assembly technology; they are much easier to manufacture and install yourself. The frame base is made of wood or metal, or two materials are combined with each other. Inside it you can place pull-out or folding drawers for linen and other things. Any frame base filled with drawers will be a salvation for a person who has a lot of things, but does not want to acquire a large amount of furniture in the form of large chests of drawers or wardrobes: everything can fit comfortably and compactly in the built-in drawers.

• Also, among the varieties of podium structures, traditional ones are sometimes distinguished (most often, this is simply wooden frame, covered with carpet, linoleum or chipboard) and improved (all types of more complex frame structures with fillings in the form of compartments belong specifically to it).

• For families with small children living in dormitories or communal apartments, a small podium with a roll-out bed is ideal. Parents can comfortably sit upstairs, and children will happily fall asleep on a roll-out bed, which can simply be rolled under the podium during the day, thereby freeing up space for games. The presence in the podium, in addition to the bed, of a large drawer 1 m long helps to maintain order in the room, because at least some of the children's toys and small things can be put away in the drawer.

The very idea of ​​a podium with roll-out parts is very popular with children: now they can collect toys and go to bed in the form of an entertaining game.

Location options

If the podium bed is designed near a window, best option- this is a podium with drawers at the bottom. This placement saves space and adds natural light, since the berth rises higher. It is better to remove the radiator from the window, and instead build a special convector into the floor. Thus, the bedroom is divided into two parts, which look great, being in the same color and style. For finishing, you can use environmentally friendly materials made from natural wood or laminate. To visually increase the space, you can decorate the walls with mirror panels or stick photo wallpaper with a beautiful landscape on them.

If the room has a niche or alcove, this is an ideal place to install a classic podium, because in this case there is no need to construct a pull-out bed. It can be simply installed in a niche, additionally equipped with modest necessary interior items, depending on the wishes of the owner. Standard sizes alcove - 2.40 x 2.50 m, which allows you to place a double bed with drawers below.

To add beauty and originality to your sleeping area, you can hang a curtain to separate the bed from the main space of the room, and also equip the alcove with several sources of calm light.

There are many ways to place a podium on a balcony or loggia, despite the limited space. If the width of the balcony allows, you can put a place to relax on a classic podium. The disadvantage of a cold floor can be compensated for by integrating the popular “warm floor” heating system into the podium. An excellent “two in one” way is to place structures along the entire length of the loggia in the form of several wide and durable wooden boxes, in which homemade products will be stored. In warm weather or if the balcony is properly insulated, place a mattress on top of the drawers - and the sleeping place is ready.

If the loggia is connected to the room by eliminating the window sill block, there is nothing more optimal than building a podium in this place, because there is now plenty of space.

There is a great opportunity not only to build a large podium, but also to install an additional heating system in the room, installing it inside the structure, which will serve both technically and functionally at the same time.

In the children's room

When arranging a children's room, you should, first of all, zoning the room: the child should always have a place to sleep, play and do school homework. For equipping a children's room, both retractable and classic options. The good thing about a pull-out bed is that there is more space in the room; moreover, when using this option, it is very easy to place the necessary zones in the nursery: the sleeping place itself pulls out, and at the top of the podium there is a study area in the form of a table, a chair and several bookshelves. During the daytime, the bed can easily be removed inside the podium, giving the child an ideal space for playing.

The option with built-in beds is very convenient if there are two children in the family. Sleeping places in the form of vertical roll-out beds are symmetrically located to the left and right of the podium, the steps are in the middle, and a kind of room with a work area is equipped at the top. During the day, the beds are moved inside, and thus there is enough space for two in the room.

In this case, the podium itself looks quite high and will have at least two or three steps, which can also be put to good use by building into them convenient drawers for storing children's things.

Also good way arrange a children's room - put a bed there on a high podium with many drawers, where the child can put anything he wants: from toys to school supplies. The room will be provided with both order and sufficient space for games. If the choice is to create a high podium, you can also install a small built-in table with a retractable mechanism, which will be both practical and very convenient.

Frame materials

Podiums can be made of cast concrete or wooden frame lined with sheet material. In the first case, concrete is poured into a pre-installed frame, which follows the shape of the future podium. After the concrete has hardened, its surface is leveled with a screed, then the floor covering is laid. This could be tiles, parquet, laminate, carpet, linoleum, etc.

The concrete podium is very durable and reliable, it does not lose moisture, does not rot and can withstand heavy loads.

This option is only suitable for private houses (on the ground floor); in city apartments, this design can lead to damage to the floors.

The podium based on a wooden (metal frame) is very light, practically does not load the floors and is suitable for apartments in urban areas. high-rise buildings. The front platform of the podium is made of flexible plywood, metal profiles, MDF panels, PVC plinths. The finishing of the podium can be done using various materials: carpet, laminate, parquet, linoleum, cork, ceramic tiles.

Accessories

Before choosing bed accessories, you need to decide what style of bedding your family prefers. It could be solid colors or patterned bedding. Bedspreads in solid colors can be elegant, simple and can give a bedroom fashion style hotel. Pastel shades can promote a relaxing and tranquil environment that is great for bedroom decor.

The right fabric of bedding and other accessories can complement the style of the bedroom. Fabrics with a sheen are a more popular choice than plain cotton or other matte fabrics. Fabrics with glitter can brighten up dark bedroom and create a more glamorous atmosphere. Accents and accessories can be added to the bed to make the room more beautiful than it already is. A pillow with a bright, original accent, chosen for a set of bedding, will create more coziness in the room than the softest and most beautiful bedspread.

Reviews

According to user reviews, most prefer to create a podium bed themselves, without ordering it from furniture stores. This type of furniture is especially popular among residents of small apartments. Also, many people use a podium bed for a children's room, creating extra bed for games with children. Children's beds are pulled out the moment they are needed, and free time move in. Popular with parents and round bed with a canopy. This option is chosen for the girls’ room.

Some users note that the bed-podium performs the function of bunk bed, only on the second floor there are computer desks and children's cabinets. Many place on the podium not only a sleeping place, but also an entire sofa, thus making the room visually much larger.

Dimensions

If studio apartment small, optimal sizes the podium for it will be approximately the following: length 310 cm, width 170 cm, and height 50 cm. The main condition for placing the podium in “Khrushchev” buildings and other small spaces is that its height should not exceed 20 cm, so that later the “pressure” of the ceiling is not psychologically felt .

How to build?

Not only professionals in the field of furniture assembly can design a podium bed with their own hands. For example, a simple traditional podium on a frame made of wooden beams easy to make even for a person who is not a pro in this matter. A frame podium with an improved design filled with drawers or a roll-out bed is much more difficult to make: first of all, you will need to draw a drawing in which the dimensions of the future product and its elements will be thought out in detail and with maximum clarity.

1. You should immediately think about the strength and reliability of the frame so that it can withstand the weight of the human body and pieces of furniture. The frame beam must be dry, not wet, to avoid its “shrinkage” and the appearance of squeaking.
2. When drawing up a drawing, you should take into account the thickness of the sheathing (for example, plywood) and the finishing (most often laminate is used as it).
3. It is also necessary to take into account the gap between the mattress of the future bed and the podium, if the bed is a roll-out one.

Here's how to build the simplest, but durable and reliable frame podium with drawers in an ordinary apartment. Materials for work and accessories that will be needed:

• plywood sheet 20 mm thick;
• plywood sheet 10 mm thick;
• bars 50x5 mm;
• bars 30x40 mm;
• fasteners - dowels (nails), anchors, self-tapping screws, corners for fastening 50 and 40 mm. Count the number of corners based on the size of the podium.

The work flow is as follows:

• First, make an outline of the future design, take a pencil and draw an outline with it. Use a tape measure to measure the diagonals to take into account possible errors in the corners. If the error exceeds 5 mm, adjust the length of the podium on the fly before aligning the diagonals.
• For moisture insulation, lay plastic film on the floor. Cover the area of ​​the future podium with a cork backing and 10 mm thick plywood. Use dowels to nail the plywood to the floor. Leave a technical gap at the joints of approximately 3 mm.
• Measure and cut the frame beam 50x50 mm according to the dimensions indicated in the drawings. In order to get a preliminary general picture of the podium, the logs can be placed on supports. If the timber is not completely dry, all supports must be laid with a cork backing so that the wood does not subsequently creak after drying.

• After this, you can begin assembling and fastening the frame of the future podium. The joists are attached to the side walls using anchors, and only then the main part of the frame is assembled. Plywood 20 mm thick is laid and fastened onto the frame, while a small technological gap is left between its sheets. Boxes should be made according to the dimensions specified in the drawings - it all depends on technology and capabilities. If the height of the boxes is small, you can simply connect two bars using corners and attach them to a piece of plywood 10 mm thick.

For more information on how to build a podium bed with your own hands, see the video below.

The plywood is covered with a finishing finish in the form of a laminate. Now, finally, you can put a large orthopedic mattress on top, and the podium bed with drawers below is completely ready for use.

How to choose

The idea of ​​a podium with two vertical roll-out beds will really appeal to large families with two or more children, because in this case there are no problems with organizing study, play and sleeping spaces. In addition, if guests with children appear in the house, the upper part of the podium can easily be turned into a third bed, which can accommodate up to two people, and when the beds are rolled inward, both guests and the little owners of the house have enough free space to play .

Most often in modern design projects, a podium is proposed to organize a sleeping area. This is a great solution for .

The advantage of a high podium is that it can be equipped with storage space. For small-sized ones - simply priceless.

In this case, the structure was “extended” along the wall - it turned out to be a kind of alternative to shelves and racks, on which decorative items were placed.

2 Podium with shelving

If you separate one side of the podium with a shelving unit, you will get readings. The authors of this project used the podium to create a secluded guest area, although the same structure can also be turned into a sleeping place - then the lower shelves of the shelving can be used as.

3 Podium room

By organizing a podium in the corner of the room and separating the side that is not adjacent to the wall with a partition or shelving, you can actually organize a room within a room. It is permissible to leave the resulting opening open or close it with curtains or sliding doors- then you get a completely isolated space. Ideal for organizing a bedroom in a one-room apartment.

4 Podium-living room

On the podium you can also place a living area with a sofa and other furniture. The authors of the project for this two-room apartment also equipped the podium with a pull-out bed - the result was a truly multifunctional solution!

5 Relaxation area on the balcony

This is still the same functional two-room apartment. There was also a mini-podium with storage space on the balcony. It's a nice place to settle down in the morning with a cup of coffee or spend time reading.

Architect: Alexey Ivanov. Designer: Pavel Gerasimov

6 Podium with corner sofa

In this case, the sleeping and working areas were placed on a raised platform, but the authors did not stop there - they “extended” the podium, equipped it with storage compartments and seat cushions. So a practical one also appeared in the room.

7 Podium for the working area

On this balcony there was a table and a shelving unit. Due to the fact that the workplace is located on a hill, natural light penetrates well. The steps were also not left idle - they are equipped with drawers.

8 Podium for children's

The podium was an excellent solution for those with two children: it demarcated the space for each of them, so that there should be no “fight for territory”.