One of the leading trends in recent years in the planning of living rooms is the combination of kitchen and living room. This solution allows you to increase the usable area of a small apartment and creates the conditions for the implementation of any design concept. However, before deciding on a redevelopment, you must determine exactly what you want to get in the end. Such work requires not only a detailed design project, but also many approvals in a variety of instances.
The pros and cons of combining
It makes sense to change the design of the apartment and turn it into a studio only in a situation where there is not enough space in the house - in this case, the available free space can be used more rationally. Well and of course a combined room is relevant if guests are often in the house - you must agree that it is more convenient for any housewife to communicate with relatives and friends without interruption from the process of preparing refreshments.
The combination of several functional rooms allows you to visually expand the size of the space, to make it more spacious, light and bright.
The undoubted advantages of such a solution include several points.
- Significant savings in living space - for example, for houses in which there is a cramped kitchen and a spacious hall.
- Additional lighting - if large windows are provided in the living room, then when combined with the kitchen, they add sunlight to the space. This will not only make the atmosphere more airy, but also save on lighting the working area of the kitchen.
In addition to the obvious advantages, redevelopment has its drawbacks.
- First of all, this is the high cost of work. Combining several residential areas cannot be called a cheap pleasure, in this case it is not a simple repair with punching the walls, but a change in the configuration of the layout itself. In addition to the high cost of the work itself, it is necessary to draw up a preliminary plan and obtain permission from the BTI - both of these also require considerable financial investments.
- Not everyone will like the smell of food in the living room. To some, it seems “cozy,” but the vast majority of people prefer to spend their free time without the mixed aroma of cooking dishes in the air.
- An important factor leading to the rejection of such decisions is often the question of appearance. It's no secret that kitchen surfaces get dirty quickly, respectively, and the interior of the living room is also exposed to pollution, and this leads to the need for frequent cleaning.
- Some housewives experience psychological discomfort if the room is combined with the kitchen. This happens especially often when a lot of people live in a house or the total number of rooms is small. Each person sometimes wants the privacy that housewives often find in the kitchen. The design of the combined space negates the opportunity to be alone with yourself - for many this causes spiritual discomfort.
Basic Rules
Let us dwell in more detail on the schemes for combining the living room and kitchen. Please note that such work is allowed only if the partition between the rooms is not bearing and only after obtaining permits for redevelopment from several authorities.
As a rule, the entrance to the kitchen and the room is initially separate, so when combining the rooms, you can not only get more free space, but also increase the usable area near one of the walls of the combined room.
To do this, one of the doorways is laid, most often closing the entrance to the kitchen area.
When combining a room and a kitchen in Khrushchev, other options are possible. As a rule, the entrance to the kitchen in the buildings of that era is from a small common corridor, and you can enter the living room from the hallway. Thus, the curtain wall will not only separate the kitchen from the living room, but also close the latter from the corridor, where the exits to the bathroom are located. In this case, designers recommend several solutions to the problem.
- Demolish the partition completely and thus combine not only the kitchen with the living room, but also the corridor. In this case, much more useful area is released, which was not previously used due to the partition.
- To demolish the wall only partially, leaving a small part that will separate the corridor and the living room, while it will no longer end in the passage to the kitchen. The doorway is simply laid. In the formed corner, you can put a refrigerator or a small cabinet.
- Alternatively, you can completely abandon the demolition of the wall separating the living room and kitchen, and make a passage in it that will connect both rooms. In this case, the previous input is also laid, and the resulting angle can be used in the same way as indicated above.
Having picked up a suitable option for combining the premises, it is necessary to draw up a detailed project and do paperwork. Be prepared for the fact that the coordination will stretch for a long time, so make sure to get all the permissions in advance so that by the time you start work all the permits were in your hands.
Space Zoning Recommendations
In order to combine the living room and kitchen as organically as possible, it is necessary to make considerable efforts, because these rooms have different purposes and are completely different from each other in layout.In order to make the combination as organic as possible from the point of view of design, it is necessary to ensure interior transitions from one functional zone to another.
It is possible to harmoniously “combine” the kitchen and the living room if a small bar counter is installed on the border between them, thus guaranteed to create a spectacular interzonal transition. In addition, you can use such a line in everyday life, for example, if you want to quickly have a bite to eat, but there is no time to set the table. In this case, the rack will be the best solution.
You can organically combine the kitchen and the relaxation room with the help of a special floor finish, for example, you can raise its level in the part used for cooking, or choose different options for flooring. Most often, in the kitchen area, the floor is tiled, and in the guest preference they give the laminate. If you are not a fan of such sharp contrasts, you can use the same coating in different color combinations.
A good zoning solution would be to place a dining table on the border. If space allows, it is better to give preference to large modules, from this the visual effect will be more vivid and stylish.
The passage from one room to another can be done in the form of a large stylish arch. It is not only beautiful, but also clearly divides the boundaries of the functional zones in the room.
Another interesting option for dividing spaces is to put a sofa with a low back between them. The seat should be turned towards the living room. So the sofa will separate the kitchen from the room - this solution looks quite impressive.
How to arrange furniture and appliances?
In conclusion, we’ll talk about the features of the arrangement of furniture and other interior items in the combined room. If you do not plan everything in advance, then you can incorrectly dispose of the vacated space.
Before buying upholstered furniture for your combined room, consider how often you plan to cook and which dishes you prefer. For example, if you are a lover of fried fish, deep-fried vegetables or sweet pastries, be prepared for trouble - the fact is that such smells are very quickly absorbed into upholstered furniture and it will be quite difficult to remove them.
To avoid this, it is best to use furniture with upholstery that does not absorb aromas, or place such sofas and armchairs away from the work area, although this option does not always help.
The coating of cabinet furniture located near the sink must be moisture resistant. It is best to give preference to furniture on legs. If the pipe suddenly bursts or a blockage occurs, not only the kitchen area, but also the living room can suffer.
Keep in mind, the kitchen should harmoniously fit into the overall design concept of space, while it is advisable to avoid open shelves - it is unlikely that racks with banks and bottles will respectably look in the combined space.
When arranging furniture in the combined room, classic versions are most often used. A good solution in this case would be a corner kitchen set in compliance with the principle of a triangle, when the sink, stove and refrigerator are installed within walking distance from each other.
Such a solution frees up a lot of space for storing utensils and kitchen utensils in cabinets, built-in niches and on shelves.
Wooden arrays of pastel shades harmoniously fit into the classic style, while they select a retro-styled hood and an oven. It will be stylish if the furniture is decorated with carved elements. Glass doors of cabinets look spectacular - you can store a porcelain service behind them. Artificial stone countertops and a beige tiled apron will set stylish accents.
For the arrangement of the dining area, it will be right to stop on a round sliding table. Tandem with him should be chairs with high soft backs.
Hanging a chandelier with a voluminous lampshade above the table will be useful - then the depleted room will always be bright and cozy.
The recreation area is arranged quite simply - you can put on the wall a small sofa with soft pillows. It is advisable to place cabinets on the sides that will repeat the main features of the design of the kitchen set.
Another effective option will be a neoclassical kitchen. In this case, you can ergonomically place all the necessary furniture and appliances and free up space under the recreation area. In this style, as well as in the classic, corner modules will be appropriate to maximize the usable space of the walls. It is better to give preference to the built-in equipment, so it will not distract attention from the facades.
On one of the walls, it is better to use open shelves instead of hanging cabinets, then the furniture will seem more airy, and the room will be spacious. Just do not forget to carefully consider the occupancy of these shelves, so as not to spoil the overall design of the room.
The facades of ash white shades look very stylish in neoclassical design, and metal handles complement the design concept of the room. In order to emphasize the snow-white color of the furniture, you can paint the walls in a light gray shade, while the kitchen apron can also be laid out with white tiles.
In the dining area, a square wood table and chairs with soft seats will harmoniously look. Beautiful accents will be placed by designer lamps and a large chandelier.
For the design of the living room is also worth using white furniturethen in the united space you will have a single design concept. It is advisable to hang a couple of open shelves over the TV, and a comfortable sofa and a couple of side tables will make your interior truly stylish.
However, if you wish, you can always use any other design option for the layout of the combined room - the possibilities of the interior depend solely on your imagination.
The layout and design of the kitchen-dining room, combined with the living room, in the next video.