Three women in Kaunas heated houses whose walls hide many stories of pain



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Family Crisis Centers provide assistance to victims of violence and other family crises, who have been replacing homes for some time. One of the largest in Lithuania is located in Kaunas. Unfortunately, no matter how hard your employees try, this place doesn’t feel like a cozy home. The Ikea interior designer initiated the change and showed how awkward spaces can become a home.

The Kaunas City Social Services Center manages the Family Crisis Center, which represents temporary homes for families affected by fires, domestic violence to get rid of addictions or experience a temporary economic downturn.

When, for some reason, they can no longer live in their usual home, the family receives free temporary accommodation, psychological assistance and other social services here. Usually families with young children stay here for half a year or more.

According to representatives of the Family Crisis Center, a suitable living environment not only provides shelter, but also motivates families to return to a normal life, helps develop social skills, and ultimately creates an environment suitable for development and development. well-being of children. being. It was from one of those rooms that would once become a family life of five that the renovation of the Family Crisis Center began.

Until now, one of the 5-person rooms in the Kaunas crisis center had only bare walls, several beds, and a small closet.

“The rooms only meet the basic needs of the family. However, we dream that the family here can breathe, that the room meets the human needs of the family, that each member has privacy.

Above all, we want a child-friendly environment so that they have spaces for relaxation, play and learning. The vision of our team is that this place remembers the home as much as possible and responds to the individual needs of the children, so that they feel safe, calm, can regain emotional balance, relax ”, said the employees of the Social Services of the City of Kaunas. Center.

How to turn an uncomfortable room into a house?

Today, the staff at the center are not happy: the first renovated room serves as a therapeutic space, where children come just to stay, relax, play and enjoy the cozy and relaxing home environment.

Ikea interior designer Ūla Žebrauskaitė implemented the needs of residents expressed by employees with a sink: in one room it could accommodate five people of different ages.

“Non-standard spaces require non-standard solutions. I divided the room into zones: work, rest, mother and child and children’s sleep, and then I looked for the best solutions for each of them.

In a small space, everything must be well thought out, a piece of furniture, to perform various functions. I separated the different areas with privacy curtains and open shelves, choosing easily transformable furniture for each one that does not take up space. The range of pastel colors and various lighting fixtures provide convenience and comfort, ”the interior designer names the essential steps.

Tips for sharing a room on the road

She mentions essential tips for multifunctional spaces that will also be useful for those who live in a one-bedroom apartment:

In a small space, don’t be afraid of a large closet instead of a few small ones, you will have all your belongings and the space will look neater and less cluttered. The large closet will be able to store not only clothes but also other items. This solution maintains order because there are fewer elements left in the common space.

The bunk bed saves floor space and creates a private space for two children. It is also possible to use the space under the bed, where it is convenient to store bedding, less frequently used items, toys in boxes with a lid.

In order to give children even more privacy and peace, which is relevant when sharing a room with the whole family, the bed can be separated from the common space by curtains.

Stackable beds are also a very smart and space-saving solution. After combining several pillows and a cover, it becomes a sofa.

Moving one bed from another can become a double bed or two single beds. A universal solution in the work area: a table on wheels. At night, such a table can be moved to another place and become a place for family gatherings, and during the day – to serve as a normal workplace. Such a table with locking wheels can also be used as a dining table at home or in a conference office.

Shelves with drawers and boxes are easily adapted to the needs of each resident. Children’s toys are convenient to store in boxes. Plastic boxes last a long time, they are convenient for children to take out and carry around the house. Also, open shelves can be used to separate spaces. Thus, a shelf can fulfill several functions: room partitions, table, storage.

In small houses, use the walls to store things: put shelves, cabinets, pegboards.

At the end of last year, Ikea announced its social responsibility program in the Baltic countries to combat domestic violence. Some of the objectives of the program are to educate the public about domestic violence and to contribute to the improvement of temporary accommodation in family crisis centers.

One of the steps is attending one of the largest family crisis centers in Lithuania, located in Kaunas. Over the years, the company, with the help of its interior designers, will seek to renovate the living spaces and community spaces of the center to make temporary living here reminiscent of a home: more comfortable, more beautiful, inspired. and encouraged to find ways to come back to life. Renovated Five Bed Family Room – The first space renovated this year.

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