Properly equipping the kitchen is not an easy task, it is important to take into account a lot of nuances, including the location of the window. For many decades, in our country, apartments were built in such a way that in the middle of one of the end walls in the kitchen a window opening was formed. You can beat it in different ways, while most often the housewives try to maximize the use of the space under it.
Features
The main advantage of kitchens with a window in the middle is the illumination of the space with natural light. Solar lighting is very important for any room in the house, but in the kitchen it is simply necessary, since only ultraviolet rays can destroy bacteria in the air. This is especially true for places where food is stored.
But there are many disadvantages to such a resolution. First of all, this is the inability to hang shelves and cabinets on the wall. However, this can be called a drawback with a big stretch - furniture can always be placed near blank walls, and a dining table can be placed near the windowsill.
The heating problem is much more serious. The windows in the kitchen itself can be of different shapes and sizes, but in any case, a radiator is installed under them, most often it is it that interferes with placing the furniture set the way you want.
Many in this situation refuse batteries and replace them with a “warm floor” system, however it is very expensive both in terms of the cost of work and in terms of electricity consumption.
In addition, living in typical high-rise buildings, you can never be 100% sure that the light will not go out at any time. Well, if this happens in the summer in hot weather, but if the shutdown happens in a 25-degree frost, then the prospect of being without heating is unlikely to please you.
Space Use Options
In small apartments with a small kitchen, owners usually try to use every square centimeter of space with maximum utility. Most often you can find the following design decisions.
- In recent years, it has become popular to use a window sill as a folding table with a folding table top.. In the assembled state, it practically does not take up space, and when opened, it allows several households to comfortably stay at a family dinner, enjoying plenty of sunlight and the scenery outside the window.
- In the niche under the window you can equip a storage system for products and kitchen utensils - it is never in the house unnecessary, because it makes it possible to ergonomically and rationally dispose of the existing kitchen space. In a small cabinet you can store anything: from household chemicals to utensils and food supplies.
- A small sink can be built into the countertop under the window. Many housewives like the idea of combining the useful with the pleasant, because you must admit that washing the dishes and observing what is happening on the street is much more interesting than looking at the wall.
- Please note that the design of the functional area near the window must take into account the dimensions of the kitchen. For example, for the above planning options, an elongated rectangular area is best. In this case, designers are advised to put a furniture set near a narrow wall and mount the countertop to the full width of the kitchen so as to completely capture the space under the window.
- A good option would be the L-shaped layout, when the corner is easily allocated for the arrangement of the dining area. Additional comfort in the use of usable area can be achieved by reducing the number of drawers and installing sliding facades.
Examples for different cuisines
Let us dwell in more detail on effective solutions for arranging the space under the window in kitchens of various types.
In the "Khrushchev"
"Khrushchev" became famous due to its small size. There is practically no space there, respectively, there are few options for placing furniture. In such houses, you should not put a dining table near the window, because in this case you will have no place to approach the stove, sink and refrigerator. But the washing machine here will be quite appropriate. As you know, miniature in the houses of that era takes place not only in the kitchen, but also in the bathroom, so there is no need to talk about the placement of a washing machine in the bathroom. The only solution in this case is to place it under a special sink without a leg.
Alternatively, you can insert a dishwasher into a niche under the window. This is a rather convenient thing, which greatly facilitates the life of housewives, but in a small-sized kitchen with its placement often there are difficulties: if you install a dishwasher, then there remains some half a meter of usable space, and this is clearly not enough to store tableware and other kitchen utensils.
Some more get a compact dishwasher with minimal loading capabilities. In fact, such a purchase is nothing more than money thrown away, since almost nothing of the accumulated per day will fit in this gadget. And in any case, you will have to wash fatty pans, pots and large plates.
In the "Stalin"
A characteristic feature of the buildings of the Stalinist construction is rather high ceilings, not less than 3 m, as well as narrow and high windows.Kitchens in “stalinkas” are usually small and also narrow, so a good solution would be to place a small sofa in the center under the window, to which you can slide the table. It is desirable that the sofa was equipped with pull-out sections in which you can store vegetables or rarely used cutlery.
In the houses of that era, kitchens with non-standard windows are not uncommon. If the room opens onto a busy boulevard, the window opening is usually framed in the form of a semicircle.
In this case, the dining table with classic chairs will look very stylish near the window. To spoil such a beautiful place with household appliances is real sacrilege.
In the "Czech"
The most comfortable are considered kitchens in panel houses. As a rule, they were performed in a square form with a window in the middle, so they look especially bright. The area of the kitchen in Czechs is usually not less than 7.5 square meters. m, and this footage is enough to ergonomically place a furniture set, household appliances, and establish a working surface. Usually in such rooms near the window put a dining table.
You can’t imagine anything original here, most importantly, pay attention to the features of the decor. However, if you still want some unusual and original solutions, then you can equip stylish shelves and racks near the window.
But there is no need to install sinks - in practice, in small panel houses it does not look as stylish as in private houses with spacious kitchens.
In the "Brezhnevka"
The kitchens in Brezhnevka are very small, often no more than 6 meters, so designers recommend equipping a countertop near the window - it will become a spectacular decoration of the interior and an area for quick tea drinking and a snack. Instead of a massive table, it is better to pay attention to retractable or folding structures.
In the "gostinok"
In these apartments, kitchens were made not only with a window, but also with a balcony. Such rooms are usually slightly darkened, therefore designers recommend a redevelopment project: simply remove the window opening, disassemble the wall and thus expand the kitchen space. As a rule, the balcony in the "living rooms" is quite spacious and continues along the living room, because in any case you will have room for drying clothes.
See how to equip a kitchen under a window in the next video.
