Client brief
Carry out a full renovation of a 52 m² two-room apartment from scratch to completion: strip out all the old finishes, replace the services, windows, radiators and doors, and hand over the apartment with a fitted kitchen and a finished bathroom.
Condition before work started
The apartment, in a Lithuanian-series block, was in its old condition: dated wall finishes and flooring, a kitchen with a gas cooker and old tiling, worn plumbing and wiring, and old windows, radiators and doors.
Work carried out
- complete strip-out of the old finishes, floors, tiling, kitchen, plumbing and doors;
- new wiring throughout the apartment;
- replacement of all water supply and drainage services, including the risers, within the apartment;
- removal of the gas cooker, with the gas supply disconnected by AS Gaso;
- new windows and radiators;
- walls skimmed for painting and painted;
- painted plasterboard ceilings with cornices, and recessed lights in the corridor and kitchen;
- laminate flooring;
- bathroom: wall and floor tiling, a bath, shower set, floor-standing WC, washbasin and heated towel rail;
- all doors replaced: a new front door and interior doors;
- kitchen units fitted with a tiled splashback, an electric hob and a built-in oven;
- a built-in wardrobe in the hallway.
Technical solutions and materials
The gas cooker was replaced with an electric hob and a built-in oven, and the gas supply was disconnected by AS Gaso. The apartment was rewired within the existing supply capacity, while the water and drainage pipes and the risers were replaced in full. The walls were skimmed for painting, the ceilings were built in plasterboard and painted, and recessed lights were fitted in the corridor and kitchen. The floors are laminate, and the bathroom is tiled on the walls and floor.
Work in progress
The “before” images are stills from a video filmed before work started, so their quality is lower. The “after” photos were taken once the work was finished.
Result
A two-room apartment with new wiring and plumbing, new windows, radiators and doors, smooth painted walls, laminate floors, a fitted kitchen and a fully renewed bathroom, ready to move into. What to consider when renovating an apartment in a Soviet-era block is covered in “Renovating a Soviet-Era Apartment in Riga: What to Know”.
