U-shaped kitchens with a window: features and layouts

The design of the U-shaped kitchen gives maximum scope for the imagination of the designer. Such an atmosphere can be made functional and performed in any attractive style. In the article, we consider the features and methods of planning a U-shaped kitchen with a window.

A beautiful and functional kitchen is the real dream of every housewife. Here they prepare food, communicate and solve important issues with the whole family at the dinner table, relax, spend holidays, meet guests, watch TV shows, listen to music. This place, as the center of the Universe, attracts all household members. As a special purpose room, the kitchen should have all the necessary functionality, be comfortable, properly planned, roomy and effectively decorated.

U-shaped layout of the kitchen has its advantages and disadvantages. The pluses are that:

• You can equip many places for storage - floor cabinets, cabinets, hanging cabinets, pencil cases, racks, drawers;
• enough space for installing wall hooks for kitchen utensils, all kinds of holders of towels, napkins, tacks, decor elements;
• the design with this layout remains trendy, attractive in appearance and functional;
• provides a significant number of useful work surfaces along the walls of the room;
• placing the headset with the letter “P” allows you to put either a working island or a dining table in the center of the room;
• the use of window space as an additional working area will provide the hostess with additional natural light;
• U-shaped layout allows you to place close to each other stove, sink, refrigerator.

It has this form and some drawbacks (they can be attributed to the features), among which most often noted:

• high costs of money for the purchase or manufacture of custom-made kitchen sets, shelves, hanging cabinets, racks, bar, working island, dining furniture;
• the small footage of the room often eliminates the U-shaped placement of furniture due to insufficient amount of usable area;
• A U-shaped kitchen with a window can visually narrow the space if you place large bulky furniture or sets in it, for example, in a classic type design;
• the non-standard location of the doorway, communications, the presence of a protruding duct, access to a balcony or a loggia, a low-lying window sill significantly complicate planning with the letter “P”.

The rectangular configuration of the kitchen allows you to create a convenient and multi-functional U-shaped layout. Such a planning of the room provides the opportunity to place the kitchen set as convenient as possible, as well as large household appliances in the form of a washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator. It is possible to install a worktop in the middle, to equip a bar counter on the side. This layout is universal, ergonomic, convenient and allows you to place the necessary objects around the perimeter of three adjacent walls.

Each kitchen has one or more windows. The U-shaped kitchen with a window will be correctly divided, using zoning into several functional parts, each of which performs its main tasks.

• The cooking area is usually located between the hob and the sink. A countertop is installed here, and the wall adjacent to it is formed, like a kitchen apron, with beautiful ceramics, stone or plastic. At hand should be the necessary small equipment (juicer, microwave, toaster, multicooker and bakery oven).

• Storage space - refrigerator and freezer, floor cabinets, where you can hide large dishes, wall mounted cabinets for storing cereals, spices, tea, coffee and other provisions. In an open hinged sideboard, you can put utensils and a tea set.

• Eating Area - a dining table, chairs or even a sofa can be placed along one of the walls or in the corner of the room.

• Place to relax can be arranged near the dining area, and to the side of the window to establish a bar counter.

• If the kitchen is combined with the living room, then a U-shaped kitchen set, a working island, a dinner table in the middle can easily fit into it.

Typically, the window is located in the center of one of the walls of the kitchen. If earlier this was considered a serious obstacle in organizing the arrangement of kitchen furniture in the form of the letter “P”, now this option is successfully beaten. So, the window sill can be used as an additional work surface. To do this, cut off the central heating batteries, and instead they make a warm floor in the kitchen.

The ordinary window sill is replaced with a countertop. At the same time, it is possible to place a sink for dishes in it, having organized an additional working area with a maximum of natural light. An additional functional space for storing various accessories will also appear under the sink.

In the event that a window (or even two) is located in the side wall of the kitchen, it is optimal to create a dining corner in their area. Comfort will be added by beautiful wallpapers, plants on the windowsill and light curtains.

Proper space planning and interior design are inextricably linked. A modern kitchen should be multifunctional, comfortable, beautiful and fashionable. To comply with all these conditions, professional designers advise placing the sink, refrigerator, hob or stove on different sides of the kitchen, which is typical for a U-shaped kitchen.

The placement in the form of a triangle is ergonomic and comfortable. To create a feeling of lightness in the room, you can abandon the wall cabinets, replacing them with floor pencil cases or shelving racks. For added convenience, cupboards and a refrigerator can be placed around the edges of the kitchen.

In the corner parts of the room, you can equip additional storage places for items that are not essential.

Light pastel, glossy facades of the kitchen set visually raise the ceiling and increase the space. And even the smallest kitchen will create the impression of a free, light-filled space.

A well-designed lighting system will allow the hostess to use it locally in zones. In hinged cabinets, point sources can be built in that will well illuminate the worktop of the countertop.

A variety of design solutions will help transform and make bright colors in the U-shaped layout, make it functional and fashionable. To do this, you can:

• to make the worktop of the countertop unusual in color, it will stand out against the background of the kitchen set and apron;
• lay the floor with ceramic tiles of several different shades in contrast in the form of an original ornament or geometric shapes (triangles, squares, rhombuses);
• to decorate the walls with beautiful panels, paintings, decorative accessories;
• use the area under the window as an additional surface for work, attach a bar to it or create a peninsula;
• in the lower part of the countertop, in addition, you can arrange cabinets by closing them with transparent facades, which is important in the presence of a heating battery, pipes, communications;
• a small kitchen will be more functional when using drawers with drawers instead of wall shelves;
• it is better to choose a color palette in light pastel colors, one of the best options is all shades of white in various combinations, it is suitable for any layout (light colors significantly increase the space, add air, light, weightlessness to the room);
• the design of the kitchen in the classic style will make the interior of the room logically finished, elegant;
• Provence style adds to the interior design romance, warmth, liveliness, delicate pastel colors, floral patterns on wallpaper, textiles, decorative elements will make the kitchen cozy;
• with a symmetrical design, the main emphasis can be placed in the center of the room - it can be a spectacular lamp, a working island with a bright countertop, or some decorative element;
• vertical surfaces can be decorated with colorful mosaics - the interior will sparkle and will not be boring.

And finally, some interesting examples of the design of a U-shaped kitchen with a window.

• With a small window, the kitchen is best decorated in bright colors. Window space should not be cluttered with anything.

• A window in the side of the kitchen of a regular rectangular shape is not an obstacle to creating a comfortable space. Under it, it’s good to arrange a sink and part of the working area to save artificial light.

• The side window in the U-shaped kitchen can turn into a dining area for a small familyif you replace the window sill with a countertop.

• Even in an irregularly shaped kitchen, the correct use of a window is everything. It looks very comfortable and functional.

• A large window on the far wall will give the room a lot of natural light. So that the room does not seem too elongated, you can artificially divide it by a dining table or bar.

• In a studio apartment or kitchen combined with a living room, the deciding factor may be any accent, including a stylish black countertop.

An overview of the design of a modern U-shaped kitchen with a window, see below.