Magheru Airbnb

Authors’ Comment

This project began with a challenge that was as practical as it was creative: how can we transform a two-room apartment located in the center of Bucharest into an attractive, fully equipped space for short-term rental, using a minimal budget and exclusively mass-market furniture?

The client’s brief was clear: a competitive apartment for the short-stay rental market, with a low budget and quick turnaround. From the start, I approached the project as an exercise in the democratization of design. No custom-made pieces were used - 80% of the furniture and accessories come from IKEA, with the rest consisting of small decorative additions collected over time or found online. Everything was rethought to create a strong visual impact through highly accessible means.

One of the project’s priorities was the intelligent reuse of existing elements: from doors and flooring (the parquet was sanded and refinished), to small furniture pieces in good condition - everything was preserved and recontextualized. The resulting savings allowed us to invest in effective visual accents: decorative paint, characterful textiles, and lighting fixtures with pleasant yet affordable design.

The layout was designed entirely around the needs of an urban tourist: a fully equipped kitchen, a dining area, a living space for relaxation, a comfortable bedroom, sufficient storage, and a functional bathroom. All this was integrated into a coherent, warm, and memorable space, where each zone is clearly defined without fragmenting the apartment.

A key element of the project was the creative repurposing of IKEA items - not just as standard purchases, but as smart "hacks". For instance, the bench in the dining area is built from cabinet units, and the adjacent piece conceals a boiler completely, leaving no visual trace. These solutions not only save space but also contribute to a clean, elegant look.

The color palette is bold, with contrasting accents that energize the space and clearly set it apart from most short-term rental apartments. Every corner of the home was designed to be photogenic, to capture attention from the very first glance on booking platforms.

Design here was treated as a strategic positioning tool. Despite the minimal investment, the final result offers a unified, vibrant, and professional experience - one that not only generates solid rental performance but also conveys emotion and comfort.

For me, as an architect, this project reaffirmed the belief that design is not about how much you spend, but about how well you think. With limited resources, but plenty of creativity, discipline, and respect for the end user, it’s possible to craft a space that stands out in the urban landscape. This apartment doesn’t compete with luxury - it competes with intelligence, warmth, and functionality.