The kitchens of the Soviet apartments of the Khrushchevsky type are distinguished by one surprising feature - the presence of a niche under the window, originally provided for by the construction of the house. Not every person born in the post-Soviet era will immediately guess why it is needed. Although this does not prevent us from finding a practical application for this deepening, especially considering that the kitchen area in Khrushchev leaves much to be desired.
A bit of history
Niches in the kitchens of the city’s manor apartments have been used since the 19th century as a winter refrigerator due to the use of natural cold from the outer wall. This idea migrated to Soviet life with the active construction of apartment buildings for the common people.
Normal household appliances in those days were not accessible to everyone. Even if you managed to buy a modern miracle of progress, which allows you to keep stocks refrigerated, it often turns out to be too large for a proletarian cramped kitchen space.
But the products had to be stored somewhere. A cold cupboard in the kitchen under the window quite successfully coped with this task. The place for him was determined by the designers not by chance. It was under the window that the wall turned out to be the coldest.
Decorated it unpretentiously. The doors were simple, plywood. Often they were glued with wallpaper on the outside so that the recess under the window would not attract too much attention.
Over time, this niche was no longer needed - convenient small-sized refrigerators appeared that, if installed in the kitchen, did not eat up too much space. But there is the possibility of alternative use of space under the window. As the kitchen space develops, ideas become more and more original.
Modern use cases
Now the niche is being adapted to completely different things.
- Cabinet with drawers or shelves - open or hidden behind swing doors. In one and the other case, they can be used to store at least pickles, at least kitchen utensils. It all depends on the need.
- Place under the radiator. If the house is cold and additional storage space is not required, the niche is just right for another battery.
- Electric fireplace. This is a more elegant alternative to a radiator, able to completely transform the look of a small kitchen.
- Safe. Some use the niche remaining from the Soviet past under the window in this way. You can make a fireproof box, inaccessible to strangers, providing it with a reliable lock. And if you should disguise it properly, then hardly anyone will even suspect that there is a cache in the kitchen.
- Built-in dishwasher or washing machine. Small models of household appliances fit well into the kitchen space, if you properly dispose of the former refrigerator.
- Place under the hob or sink. Such an option, like the previous one, cannot be called easily implemented, but the niche becomes an integral part of the working space of the kitchen.
- Place under the dining area. If you remove the niche under the window, and instead of installing the window sill, set the table top, it becomes very convenient to sit next to it - your legs do not rest against the wall. This is a good option for a couple or a person who lives alone.
The most radical method is to completely remove the niche and make a French window in the kitchen.
However, one must take into account that it is impossible to transform such an idea without looking at special services that issue permits for work of this kind. In addition, the costs in this case are quite serious. They are justified when there is little light in the kitchen.
How to arrange the space under the window
Depending on the new purpose of the niche, the internal work associated with this can be complex and time-consuming. In some cases, it is necessary to remodel this place, partially removing the brickwork in order to deepen the place under the window. Often you have to insulate a niche and protect the interior from condensation. For the installation of modern technology - to supply electricity, water and sewage.
As for the exterior, it depends on the overall design of the kitchen. The first thing that comes to mind is to design the doors of the window sill in the same way as they look in the kitchen.
Moreover, a niche often becomes an integral part of a headset. Thanks to this, it is possible to actively use the window sill space for working in the kitchen. Drawers under it are convenient to use for placing dishes. The hostess has all the essentials always at hand.
You can also use the materials from which the windows are made. If the window frame and slopes are plastic, the door and part of the wall under the window opening is formed accordingly.
An additional gloss to this section of the kitchen gives the use of expensive wallpaper and tiles. You can play this space in different ways, it all depends on the needs and imagination of the owners themselves.
Interesting examples
The grille above the radiator in the area of the former niche looks simple and elegant, the heating device is not striking.
You can use a niche under the windowsill as you like - even for food, at least for kitchen utensils or towels. The drawer door is very comfortable and looks like a natural extension of a plastic window.
The issue of placing a washing machine in the house is quietly solved thanks to a niche under the window. At the same time, the “washer” in the kitchen does not look foreign. She is simply not visible behind the headset door. And the window sill is wide, turning into a convenient workspace.
You can remake a niche so that it becomes part of a corner kitchen set, so that the functionality of the workspace will increase.The small kitchen will have enough space for pots and cutlery placed in drawers, and at the same time for many other important things.
The place under the window can remain a refrigerator, but only in the spirit of our time. In a modern kitchen, such a cabinet with pickles looks futuristic.
It is convenient to put a microwave on a shelf under the window. Using it with such a placement is very convenient.
When the sink is mixed in place of a niche, in a small kitchen it becomes possible to install a large, full-fledged refrigerator. The housewife, doing the dishes, does not rest her eyes on the wall, but can look out the window.
Workshop on remaking the Khrushchev refrigerator see below.
