Layout options for a small kitchen

Great luck to have a huge kitchen. It can accommodate a place for a dining area, and a large-sized multi-functional kitchen set. Much more difficult to arrange furniture in a small room.

On the real estate market of secondary housing, we can meet the "Khrushchev" with small kitchens from 5 to 8 square meters. "Stalin" have from 6 to 9 squares. And also "small families" with very small kitchens of 4-5 square meters. New buildings allow you to get an apartment with a spacious layout. But here there are such options as a studio apartment, where the kitchen area, in general, is connected to a common living room.

It is important to functionally furnish the kitchen space in conditions of a lack of square meters. And the first stage is planning. Before undertaking repair work and buying furniture, you need to draw up a general plan of the room. It is necessary to pre-place or (if necessary) change the main communication. For example, water supply, wiring for electricity, you may need additional outlets, you need to determine the outlet for ventilation. It is important to correctly assess the quality of the rough finish. Uneven walls, sloping floors can interfere with the further transformation of the entire kitchen.

A key aspect in planning a small kitchen is its ergonomics. In other words, this criterion shows how convenient it is to cook here. The gold standard in the kitchen is the “triangle rule”.The idea is to correctly set the main attributes of the kitchen: refrigerator, stove, sink, to make a minimum of body movements during cooking. Ideally, they are at the “peaks” of this planning triangle. With this arrangement, the efficiency in the kitchen tends to the maximum. And the opposite situation - in the case of the location of the main elements of the headset in a straight line.

In this regard, we can distinguish the main layout options.

The most convenient way to place a kitchen unit. 100% consistent with the rule of the triangle. It occupies a space along two adjacent walls. The shape may be symmetrical or L-shaped. The advantages of the corner kitchen are that it allows you to ergonomically position the work area, suitable for most layouts, except for elongated and walk-in kitchens.

Placing the kitchen in one line along the wall. Suitable for a narrow, elongated kitchen, where there is no place for a corner set. The dining group occupies an area at the opposite wall or at the end of the headset, depending on the particular arrangement of the doorways. Linear kitchen is not the most ergonomic option. But in the absence of an alternative, it is sometimes the only possible one.

The most functional arrangement of the kitchen, allows you to observe the rule of the triangle. But for an ergonomic U-shaped placement, some conditions are required:

• the presence of three free walls;
• to comply with the functionality, the length of the central part must be at least 2.5 meters, and the side blocks between each other - at a distance of at least 1.6 meters.

Decent decor of a small kitchen should take into account the availability of storage space, ergonomics of the workplace and adequate lighting. Ready-made factory kitchen units are not suitable for a kitchen with such a special layout. After all, even a small discrepancy in size can become an obstacle to installing a kitchen. An individual order for the manufacture of a personal kitchen is the best and affordable option.

When planning a kitchen set, discard swing doors. Drawers are more functional to use. For upper cabinets, use a lifting mechanism. The sizes of the boxes "the old fashioned way" do not look as impressive as the wide 600-900 mm. Let them be one or two - this will give the kitchen an original look.

This is especially true for corner headsets. In order for the corner to be functional, a retractable mesh or a spinning carousel is placed in it. This is a very convenient way to store dishes.

In the area of ​​the kitchen apron, use roof rails - hinged storage systems for kitchen utensils. The set includes various hooks, glasses, shelves for storing cooks, spices and other utensils. This will significantly save space in the cabinets.

Arrangement of household appliances in a small kitchen can be difficult. A hob, an oven, a refrigerator, a microwave oven - it turns out that there is no place for the kitchen set itself. Built-in appliances will solve the problem of lack of space. It is better to place it in the kitchen in the form of a pencil case. A common layout is a built-in oven and microwave or dishwasher and oven. This will allow you to carve out additional space for roomy drawers.

The purchase of a dishwasher will greatly facilitate life. If available, there is no need for a large sink. Thus, the area of ​​the workplace will increase. The size range of dishwashers is huge from full-sized 60-cm units to table mini-sinks for 2-3 sets of dishes.

It is recommended to install household appliances of the same manufacturer, as the design of different companies can vary significantly.

The ergonomics of the kitchen is to carefully plan the areas for storage, washing and cooking.

There are a number of ideas for saving space in the dining area. Extend the countertop along the window, creating a great place for a tea party. You may not need a dining area. Thus, the working surface of the kitchen will increase.

A compact dining area can be arranged using the bar and folding chairs.

Organization of order in the kitchen will be greatly simplified when using compact boxes and containers for storing food and kitchen utensils.

In the drawers, you can set special dividers for convenient sorting of contents.

When choosing a table for the dining area, take a look at the transformer table. Modern mechanisms are convenient to use. Designed for 4 people, the table turns into a full-fledged dining group for 6-8 guests, depending on the configuration. But it is important not to forget that such tables are not designed for a heavy load.

The corner sofa, in addition to seating, provides additional storage space. Volumetric drawers are usually hidden under the seats. It is possible to plan a kitchen set taking into account visual expansion with the help of design tricks.

The option of tall cabinets under the ceiling will visually lift it and at the same time add free space in the headset.

An additional storage system can serve as a sliding cabinet under the dining table. A sufficient distance for the convenience of using the table is 30 centimeters from the edge of the countertop to the front of the cabinet. To increase the working surface, you can use the tabletop for the hob or sink.

Avoid rough heavy furniture - it eats up extra space and is slow to use. A glass table and thin metal chairs look much better in a small kitchen.

When choosing shades for kitchen design, it is better to give preference to light tones and glossy or mirror coatings. It is preferable to make a kitchen apron from light materials with a fine pattern or without it. Facades for the kitchen are better to choose smooth with integrated handles. The design is preferable strict, with straight lines. In the interior of a small kitchen, styles such as minimalism, high-tech, loft, Scandinavian can be used.

A small kitchen needs enough lighting. Light must be everywhere. Lighting can be basic, spot above the working area, above the dining room, lighting inside the cabinets. Different light sources will make the kitchen bigger.

Planning a small kitchen is not an easy process, it requires carefully balanced decisions in arranging furniture and using design ideas. If possible, try to avoid common mistakes.

The use of dark shades in the design of the kitchen will make less visually free space. Do not get carried away by gloomy furniture.

Many do not think how much space a doorway takes. The presence of a door at the entrance limits the design and functionality. Perhaps it is worth replacing the classic swing door with an arch or a sliding opening mechanism.

Sometimes a small kitchen can only accommodate a kitchen set. Do not refine yourself, trying to leave the dining area in it. It is better to place it in another room, and comfortably cook in a more spacious kitchen.

Refrain from curtaining window openings with blackout curtains. It is better to abandon them in favor of translucent curtains or blinds. This will facilitate the look of the kitchen.

The use of large patterns, massive decorations and an abundance of decorative elements in interior design is not for a small kitchen. A simple laconic interior is much more appropriate here. The choice of filling for the functionality of the kitchen is much more important than the aesthetic component in planning a small room.