Small open concept kitchens
Small House Design Ideas With Open Concept Kitchens And Living Rooms
By Simona Ganea | Published on
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Picture this: a small house, open concept kitchen and living room, with a cozy bedroom or two and a cute bathroom. It’s all you really need to be happy and there’s a ton of cool ideas for personalizing and decorating it in a way that suits your style. First through let’s talk about some of the more controversial features like the kitchen.
The standard kitchen size
In order to really determine whether or not your kitchen is small we should talk a bit about the average size of a standard kitchen. How small is a small kitchen anyway? Well, typically these are the dimensions to keep in mind:
- A small kitchen usually measures up to 70 square feet – which is 6.5 square meters.
- A mid-size kitchen is somewhere around 100 and 200 square feet – between 9 and 18. 5 square meters.
- A large kitchen is anything bigger than 200 square feet – 18.5 square meters.
Based on these average measurements we can each determine what sort of kitchen we want in our homes. Of course, there’s a few other questions you should first ask yourself such as how many people will be using the kitchen at any time, how often you actually cook, how many appliances you actually need and how you’ll be using the kitchen.
Open vs closed kitchens layout design
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The whole open concept kitchen trend started in the 1990s and is still very popular, particularly in modern and contemporary homes. An open kitchen can be described as a space that’s integrated with the adjacent rooms, usually the living and dining areas. More exactly, an open kitchen doesn’t have walls or dividers on the sides where it connects to another room.
Open kitchens
There’s many advantages to having an open concept kitchen which is why the design is so popular:
- An open kitchen gets more natural sunlight and better ventilation
- It’s easier to engage to other people in the adjacent rooms when cooking or spending time in the kitchen – better for bonding, keeping an eye on the kids or socializing with family and guests
- Opens kitchen look and feel more casual and welcoming compared to the closed ones
- The open concept design also helps the house as a whole look bigger, more airy and spacious – great for small homes
- With an open concept design the kitchen decor is put on display and becomes part of the social area
As always, nothing is just rainbows and unicorns. There’s a few disadvantages that you should also keep in mind if you’re considering an open concept kitchen:
- Open concept kitchens can’t be hidden. In other words, all the mess in the kitchen is put on display for everyone to see. Of course, this is easy to solve by just keeping the kitchen area clean and organized
- Open kitchens are not soundproof at all – all the noise from the cooking and from all the appliances will be heard from the adjacent rooms. The same goes for all the smells.
Closed kitchens
A closed kitchen is pretty much the opposed of an open one, meaning it’s closed off and isolated from the rest of the house. It doesn’t seamlessly connect to the adjacent rooms and it’s a room of its own in every sense of the way.
Some of the advantages of a closed kitchen design include:
- A closed kitchen is more formal compared to an open one. This is good if the rest of the house also has a formal air or if you prefer privacy while cooking.
- Closed kitchens are contained meaning all the smells and noises stay inside and don’t interfere with any of the adjacent rooms, at least not as much as in the case of open concept kitchens.
- Closed kitchens have more walls which means more surfaces for furniture and accessories and thus more storage and more space for appliances as well.
- A closed kitchen is not seen by anyone sitting in any of the other rooms so if there’s any mess in here it will remain a secret.
- At the same time, closed kitchens give you more intimacy and privacy which is good if you’re the type of person who doesn’t like an audience when cooking or enjoys to be focused on what they’re doing without any interference.
Based on these elements, all of the advantages of open kitchens become disadvantages when it comes to closed kitchens.
The best of both worlds
You might be wondering if there’s any way you could enjoy the advantages of both open and closed kitchens without having to choose one or the other. Well, there is. In fact, there’s multiple design options that sit somewhere in the middle or offer lots of flexibility. For example:
- Give your kitchen sliding doors so you can have it open whenever you want to but also have the open to close it off
- Include a seating area in a closed kitchen to give it more of a social feel similar to what open kitchens offer
- Install a glass partition between the kitchen and the adjacent room to let in some of the light while keeping the sounds and smells contained
- Close off a section of the kitchen and keep the rest open. Perhaps you’d like to be able to hide the cooking area but let the rest of the kitchen interact with the living room
- Install powerful vents in your open kitchens so the smells are immediately carried outside instead of spreading through the rest of the house
- Get some quiet appliances in an open kitchen so there’s no annoying noises disturbing those in the adjacent rooms
- Raise the kitchen slightly (on a platform for example) to give it a sense of sort of being separate from the rest of the house. This would also mean you have a bit more privacy in the kitchen and you’re not seen by your guests sitting at the dinner table
- Plan the adjacent spaces so that the seating area positions the guests with their back at the kitchen to give you some privacy while cooking
Open concept kitchen and living room design ideas
An L-shaped corner kitchen
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Here it’s not just the kitchen that’s open concept but pretty much the whole house. To be fair, it’s only a 27 square meter home so getting rid of the walls separating the main rooms was smart in order to gain a bit more usable space. The kitchen sits in one of the corners and is L-shaped which allows it to fit perfectly in here.
The white cabinets and their fairly symmetrical placement give the room and airy and inviting look. The cabinets also offer sufficient storage for all the kitchen-related items. There’s no upper cabinets and instead the walls are left fairly clean and empty for a sense of space and openness. Found on finn.
The little black kitchen
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White is the go-to color for small spaces but that doesn’t mean anything else is out of the question. In fact, these black kitchen cabinets are a magnificent addition to this 22 square meter apartment. They really help to anchor not just the kitchen but the living room as well which is decorated with lighter shades of gray and little colorful accents.
Although we’re talking about a small and open kitchen, you can see that it sort of has its own nook framed by partial walls on either side. This gives it a sense of privacy without actually turning it into a separate room. Found on finn.
A semi open concept
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A closed kitchen can become open if you remove one or more walls that separate it from the rest of the house. You can also achieve a similar effect with big sliding doors. You can get a sense of what this looks like in this 30 square meter apartment. The kitchen has its own space off the side of the living room but there’s no wall or solid surface sitting between these spaces.
All on one wall
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Having all the kitchen-related furniture and accessories concentrated on one wall is practical and great if you want to have an open and airy floor plan in general. There’s no furniture sticking out or getting in the way and everything is in plain sight. In this 3 square meter apartment the kitchen is seamlessly integrated into the living area but you don’t really see it when you’re sitting on the sofa because of the way everything is oriented. Found on kvarteretmakleri.
A natural transition
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When it comes to open concept kitchens usually the dining area or the island serve as an intermediary between the kitchen and the living room. This makes the transition between these spaces feel more gradual and natural. In this 36 square meter apartment the kitchen and dining area are a perfect combo. They’re both small and cozy and they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. Images from svenskamaklarhuset.
Hidden but still open
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Not everyone likes their kitchen to be all out in the open and exposed. Also, some layouts make it difficult to actually have an open concept kitchen when the apartment wasn’t initially designed to function this way. This 37 square meter home sort of offers the best of both worlds.
The kitchen is small and you can barely see it from the living room especially when you’re sitting down. The kitchen cabinets are all white and placed in the inner corner against a partial interior wall. It gets tons of sunlight from the windows and it transitions into a cozy little dining area quite smoothly.
The kitchen island room divider
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This stylish 35 square meter apartment features the iconic kitchen island room divider. It’s a great way to keep an open concept kitchen but still make it feel like its own space. Also, the island is much more functional than just a simple wall because it gives you additional counter space, it can have built-in appliances and storage space.
A bold pop of color
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In open concept spaces where the kitchen, dining room and living area are all just one large space the distinction between each of these areas can be done in a few different ways. One option is to use color. Take this small but cozy 33 square meter home for example.
The kitchen cabinets are dark green and stand out against the light grey walls and light-colored flooring. This is also the only green-themed section of the apartment which gives the kitchen its own identity. Similarly, the living room is delineated by a big area rug which visually demarcates it as a separate little space within the context of the larger room.Images from bosthlm.
A distinct kitchen floor design
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Speaking of subtle ways to delineate an open concept kitchen from the rest of the floor space, using a different floor design for this area is also a very effective option. A great example is this 34 square meter apartment where the kitchen and living area are seamlessly connected.
The primary color of the apartment is white and the kitchen cabinets and the backsplash suit this theme. There’s a small kitchen island that can also be used as a bar and/or dining setup which acts as a visual separator between these spaces but, more importantly, the kitchen floor is covered in black and white tiles while the rest is herringbone wood.
Light, bright and cozy
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The kitchen can also just blend in with the rest of the open floor plan, like in the case of this cozy 33 square meter apartment. The gray kitchen cabinets match the rest of the furniture in the living room and the sleeping area and the backsplash has this really cool brick pattern design which gives the kitchen a lot of warmth. The lighting is really nice here as well.
Minimalist with a bold floor design
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In a small space like this one designed by studio Huseby Homes keeping the walls white and adding matching simple furniture that blends in is a smart and practical idea. That also leaves room to include some bold design accents like a patterned floor for example. This one stretches across the whole space allowing the areas to seamlessly connect.
Parallel configurations
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In this case the interior designers at studio Krista + Home made sure that the living room, kitchen and dining area all seamlessly come together in this big open space. At the same time they allowed each area to have its own identity. The kitchen is L-shaped and almost parallel to the living area which has a two sofa configuration.
Partial separation
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Here studio Syndicate created a partial separation between the kitchen and the living room. In between these two areas stands a partial dividing wall which is carved out to include a bar with a countertop and additional storage. This allows the kitchen to be visually connected to the living area but also to feel like its own room.
A ton of natural light
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Architecture and design studio Kathleen Bost brought the beautiful backyard into this lovely open concept kitchen and living area. The white walls, shelves and cupboards make it easy for the kitchen to blend in while the big glass panel windows let in an abundance of sunlight. Furthermore, the lovely view can be enjoyed from both of these areas.
Warm wooden accents
View in galleryPhoto by Jessica Helgerson Interior DesignThe easiest way to bring lots of warmth into a room’s design is by incorporating wooden accents into its design. This charming house has a beautiful farmhouse-style kitchen with an entire wall covered in wood panels. The kitchen itself is white which brightens up this whole room. It’s a nice balance with lots of charm.
A unified and modern aesthetic
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This design by studio Feinmann has its own way of being warm and inviting. The building has an industrial character which this design respects and molds into its new modern aesthetic. The kitchen in particular is very welcoming thanks to the warm wooden furniture and the simplicity of its lines and shapes. The contrast with the dark gray floor is really beautiful and helps the furniture to stand out even more.
Classic with a twist
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There’s plenty of details to be inspired by in this small open concept kitchen designed by studio HA Architecture. For instance, the walls are partially covered with white subway tiles arranged in a vertical pattern. Also, the two-tone cabinets add traditional flair to the design while the stainless steel appliances give it a modern and professional vibe.
Open Concept Kitchen - 8 Great Open Kitchen Living Room Combos
Last update: Home & Garden
An open concept kitchen combined with the living room often appears in small apartments located in apartment complexes. It's a popular design, as it offers a possibility to organize the space practically and create an interesting arrangement. But an open kitchen can be designed in a house as well. Are you dreaming of such a solution? Check what it might look like and get inspired.
What is an open-plan kitchen with a living room?
It was believed for many years that a kitchen should be a separate room. Houses and apartments were designed according to this concept. But it’s problematic if the space is limited. For this reason, open concept kitchen combined with the living room has been trending recently.
Such an interior is characteristic for combining several functions in one. It’s a place where you can prepare and eat meals, but also rest - open concept kitchens are usually matched with living rooms.
Source:yourhomeandgarden.co.nz/inspiration/tips-and-advice/ways-to-design-a-seamless-open-plan-living-roomWhat are the advantages of an open concept kitchen?
An open concept kitchen comes with the most important benefit - you get one, extensive space instead of two non-functional interiors. Thanks to this, the process of designing such a room is much easier and offers new possibilities to make it look interesting.
Being able to spend more time with the family is another advantage. If you prepare meals in a separate kitchen, while the rest of the family spend their time in the living room, the contact is limited. An open-plan kitchen with a living room gives you more options in this regard.
Source:evokekitchens.ie/portfolio/2019/1/30/a-modern-open-plan-kitchen-and-living-area-is-perfect-in-this-busy-family-homeAre there any drawbacks of an open concept kitchen?
Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that an open concept kitchen is not a flawless solution. One of them is the fact that when guests visit you - they can see everything. That’s why you have to prepare snacks beforehand and clean everything up prior to their arrival.
Smells getting to the living room area is another common disadvantage of this solution. But the problem can be eliminated if you use a good quality kitchen hood. This way, any smells are removed right away. Additionally, you can purchase an air purifier which will help you remove unpleasant smells.
The last issue concerns the noises emitted by the fridge or the dishwasher. But modern models of kitchen appliances are relatively quiet, so they shouldn’t disturb you during watching movies and shows. As for the dishwasher, you can turn it on when leaving home, This way, you don’t have to listen to the noise, and clean dishes will wait for you when you’re back.
Source:m.made-in-china.com/product/Open-Kitchen-Dining-and-Living-Room-Duplex-Apartment-House-Furniture-1898875015.htmlA small kitchen and living room combo
Apartments often have not enough space for designing a separate kitchen and a living room. But it’s not a problem. An open concept kitchen can look incredible - especially if it’s well-designed.
Separating two zones - for the kitchen and the living room - is the first step. You have to think about the following issues:
- where to put the TV and living room furniture,
- how to situate kitchen cabinets and appliances.
If the building is new, the issue shouldn’t be problematic - you can design the interior from scratch. It’s more difficult if you’re renovating an existing apartment. In such a case, you have to make significant changes, sometimes along with demolishing a wall.
A small open kitchen living room design looks good if all the furniture and appliances are placed on one wall. This gives you more options, as you can arrange the remaining space according to your needs. Sometimes, you can even create a dining space, in addition to the leisure area.
Source:canerofset.com/imgjx.php?cid=107&zhjx=decorating+ideas+for+small+open+living+room+and+kitchen&xi=3&xc=20 Source:home-designing.com/2014/09/small-open-plan-home-interiorsAn open kitchen living room with a kitchenette
If an apartment is tiny, an open concept kitchen and living room combo has to look different. In this case, the interior consists of a small kitchenette and a leisure area. Make sure to use every opportunity resulting from the building’s layout - a niche in the wall is a good example. If it’s large, perhaps you can fit kitchen cabinets in there.
Sometimes, the room contains another, tiny interior. You can design a kitchen in there, and use the bigger area as the living room. Perhaps it’s not the most convenient solution, but it’s relatively practical.
Source:housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/kitchens/g394/small-kitchensAn open concept kitchen with an island
A design with an island is one of the most popular open-plan kitchen ideas. It’s a very functional and good-looking solution. Typically, kitchen cabinets and appliances are placed on one of the walls, the kitchen island is in the middle, and the living room is planned in the remaining space.
Depending on the needs and availability of the space, a kitchen island can be used for meal preparation, as well as for eating them or for doing homework. If the latter two options don’t apply, you can implement a stove top on the island.
What’s beneficial, this solution is perfect for any type of interior. Furthermore, the island can have different sizes and shapes, which is another advantage.
Source:designingidea.com/open-kitchen-designs-living-room Source:loveproperty.com/gallerylist/70546/61-really-clever-ideas-to-make-openplan-work-for-everyoneA partially open kitchen with a living room is a perfect solution for interiors of an unusual layout. Typically, it’s an “L” shaped room, and many homeowners wonder what design will make it practical and good-looking. Of course, every project can look completely different. The usual solution places the kitchen in the shorter part, while the wider side of the interior functions as the living room. You can reverse it, although such a design will probably be less functional.
If you want to partially separate the kitchen and the living room, use a dividing wall. It’s an easy solution, and it gives you many interesting options.
Source:home-designing.com/l-shaped-kitchen-layout-design-ideas-tips-picturesA large open concept kitchen with a living room in a house
A large open-plan kitchen and living room gives you plenty of options - you can use it to design a leisure area and a dining zone. Large, multistory houses often design such spaces on the ground level. It’s a convenient solution not only for everyday situations, but also whenever you expect guests. This way, you don’t have to worry you will run out of space for the visitors.
Such a large open concept kitchen can contain more appliances. You can also design a mini pantry, or even a special wine-storage area in it. It’s a popular option among house owners.
Source:living4media.pl/zdjecia/12353709-Large-open-living-room-with-kitchen-sofa-and-dining-table Source:herringbonekitchens.com/designtips/2021/8/24/kitchen-tips-open-plan-kitchens-are-they-for-youOpen-plan kitchen ideas - use bright colors
Many think that an open kitchen with living room looks best if arranged in bright colors. There are a lot of designs in white and cream colors. But keep in mind these aren’t the only options. If you are dreaming of an open Scandinavian kitchen combined with the living room, consider using:
- beige,
- grey,
- blue.
Additionally, the interior looks beautiful with wooden and marble elements - depending on the style you pick. Bright colors make the room look bigger, so even a small interior might seem large with such a design.
Many interior designers use this simple trick - make the kitchen area lighter, and the living area darker, while everything remains in the same color, e.g. shades of gray.
Source:houzz.co.uk/magazine/is-it-over-for-open-plan-kitchens-stsetivw-vs\~79528315A dark open-plan kitchen - industrial style
A dark open concept kitchen is a characteristic design appearing in large apartments and houses. Note that such colors make the interior look smaller, so not every interior looks good in such style. A dark, e.g. black kitchen requires good lighting for more convenient meal preparation. Not everyone is able to rest well when surrounded by such colors, so think well if it’s a good idea for you.
A dark open concept kitchen is definitely very modern. When combined with wood and copper elements, you can get industrial style in it. But keep in mind such an interior is more difficult to keep clean. Black or dark blue cabinets expose every, even the smallest speckle of dirt.
Source:trendsettingkitchenandbath.com/post/industrial-the-raw-refined-open-modern-styleAn open concept kitchen - an interior - a colorful interior
Do you like colorful interiors and are wondering whether you can add some color to an open concept kitchen? Of course! Interestingly enough, it’s a popular solution for dividing the two zones - the kitchen and the living room. What’s more, you don’t have to use two shades of the same color. Nonetheless, make sure the colors aren’t entirely different, either e. g. red and green or orange and purple. Pick colors that look good with each other:
- mint green and dusty pink,
- blue and grey,
- green and gold.
There are many options. Everything depends on your creativity and preferences.
Source:interiorzine.com/2018/06/21/open-concept-kitchen-living-room-55-designs-ideas📍 What is an open concept kitchen?
An open concept kitchen is simply a kitchen combined with another interior, e.g. a living room. It's a very practical solution, which might make the space seem bigger. An open-plan kitchen also offers more options for its design.
📍 What are the best colors for an open-plan kitchen with living room?
An open concept kitchen with a living room looks great in light colors. Pastel colors are the best option - beige, delicate grey or pink. Such shades look good in interiors of any size. If the kitchen is large, you can use darker colors.
📍 An open concept kitchen design - what flooring to pick?
The flooring in an open concept kitchen should match the whole design. Depending on your expectations, you can use the same type of flooring in the entire interior - both the kitchen and the living areas. Sometimes, tiles are preferred in the kitchen zone.
📍 What hood for an open concept kitchen design?
A good kitchen hood is the basic element in an open-plan kitchen. It has to eliminate all odors created when cooking. In addition to efficiency, pay attention to the visual aspect as well. The kitchen part is exposed, so make sure the design looks good.
Dorota Czerwińska Author
Dorota is an economist by profession, but her biggest hobby is photography and interior design. In Treehouse since the beginning of 2019.
Contact: [email protected]
options with photos, mistakes, tips
Interior designers gave advice on repairing and furnishing a small space
Small kitchen design (Photo: Design Bureau No. 1)
A kitchen is more than just a place to prepare food. For many, this is the place where most of the time is spent with family, meeting with friends, and in light of recent events, working remotely.
Arranging a small kitchen is not an easy task. Here you need to place everything you need and make the room look spacious and comfortable. Designers told what tricks will make a small kitchen stylish and functional.
What you need to know about the design of a small kitchen:
- Basic mistakes
- Key Tips
- Examples with photo
www.adv.rbc.ru
Small kitchen design mistakes
1. A lot of furniture
The most common mistake when planning a kitchen is trying to fit as much furniture as possible in a small space in order to arrange all the kitchen utensils, Andrey Bubnov, founder of the Decart design studio, emphasized. “If you think about it, with the modern rhythm of life and in modern realities, we do not use a large amount of dishes. This is especially worth keeping in mind for those who have a small kitchen. It is also worth considering that in a small space, a pile of furniture, on the contrary, visually makes it even smaller. This leads to another common mistake when, when planning a kitchen, they try to force all the free walls with furniture, ”Bubnov clarified.
Get rid of extra furniture (Photo: 2M media\shutterstock)
2. G kitchen
Often people try to place furniture at an angle. “I don't think it's practical because a corner or L-shaped kitchen doesn't add much usable space, but it eats up space and narrows aisles that are so necessary in a small kitchen. Therefore, in a small room, I would recommend giving preference to a linear kitchen built along one long wall. And if there is a need to make an L-shaped kitchen, then in order to visually unload the space, I recommend making one wall with cabinets to the ceiling, and the second with only lower cabinets without using the upper ones, ”said the founder of Decart design. He explained that this technique will expand the space and make the kitchen interesting and modern.
Kitchen with the letter G eats up a lot of space (Photo: Photographee.eu\shutterstock)
3. Corner sink
Another common mistake in kitchen design is the use of corner sinks and corner hobs, Bubnov said. According to him, it is non-functional and takes up too much space.
Avoid corner sinks in a small kitchen (Photo: Matveev Aleksandr\shutterstock)
4. Baroque and classic
In a small kitchen, it is especially important to choose the right style for the future interior. “For example, baroque or classical style clutters up the place and is only suitable for large spaces, while modern style, loft or minimalism is more appropriate in a small kitchen. I would pay special attention to the eco-minimalism style, which combines the use of natural materials with a minimum amount of furniture and decor," Bubnov summed up.
Baroque style should not be used in a small kitchen (Photo: Photographee.eu\shutterstock)
How to furnish a small kitchen
1. Plain finishes and wood
The space of small rooms can be visually enlarged by combining plain wall decoration with inserts made of natural materials: stone, wood or decorative plaster . Due to its properties, decorative plaster has become a favorite in wall decoration, reminded Bubnov. He emphasized that decorative plaster can be washed even with a metal brush, it is scratch-resistant and retains its appearance for many years.
Single-colour finishes with wood accents will expand the space (Photo: Decart design)
2.
Light colors and glossyWhen choosing facades, it is better to give preference to glossy ones, with them the kitchen looks expensive, visually they increase the space. “In terms of color, light colors are suitable for small spaces. I would recommend using white. It is versatile and goes with everything. Along with it, you can use dark colors, but in combination with white and light elements. A combination of white facades and oak veneer facades will be a win-win,” Bubnov advised.
Gloss visually expands the space (Photo: Elina Nivin)
3. Appliances and furniture
First you need to understand what is needed in a modern kitchen and what can be left out. “For a small space, fashionable cabinets to the ceiling are suitable today, in which you can build everything: an oven, a microwave, a refrigerator - this is undoubtedly the right solution for a small kitchen. The dishwasher should be chosen narrower - 45 cm. The sink and stove can also be made narrower, but this advice is only good if there is absolutely no room for the standard 60 by 60, as this affects the convenience of work. It is also worth entering here all the appliances that the hostess is going to use often: a coffee machine, a water filter, a mixer, and so on, since they will also need to find a permanent place, ”said interior designer Elina Nivin. She emphasized that the bottle storage box can be ditched to accommodate something more important.
Some appliances can be integrated into cabinets to save space (Photo: Elina Nivin)
4. Bar countertops
When designing a small kitchen, you can abandon the dining group and install bar countertops, Stepan Bugaev, founder of the Flatplan service, recommends. According to him, such a snack area not only looks better in a small space, but also better suits an active lifestyle, in which there is no time for cooking at all.
Bar tops are great for small spaces (Photo: Flatplan)
5. Furniture modules
Special furniture modules, which are becoming more and more popular, can rightly be considered an effective solution for small kitchens. “All equipment and storage systems fit manufacturers into compact and functional blocks, from which the necessary interior is formed. For such a kitchen, more ascetic sets of appliances and headsets are selected, leaving only the essentials,” recommended the founder of Flatplan.
White furniture modules in the kitchen combined with the living room (Photo: Flatplan)
6. Small range hood
When planning the design of a small kitchen, it is worth abandoning large hoods that eat up a lot of space, advises interior designer, ADDI board member Irina Dymova. “The smallest kitchen, less than a meter, was made by me in an art workshop, where the task was to fill the space with the smells of coffee and vanilla buns. As a result, it was equipped with only an oven and a coffee machine in the column. No cooktops or hoods! But seriously, the kitchen, first of all, is a utility room, so its design is often concise. Then it is easier to avoid mistakes,” Dymova explained.
Design of a small kitchen without an extractor hood in a workshop (Photo: Irina Dymova's interior)
7. Single-line layout
If the kitchen is narrow, there are three layout options. “It is best to make the kitchen single-line. But if the window in the room allows you to place a kitchen base at its level, then you can safely try on the option with U-shaped configurations. It also makes sense to combine the kitchen with an adjoining room or think about placing an opening in the kitchen on the long side of the wall,” Bugaev emphasized.
This is what a one-line kitchen looks like (Photo: Design Bureau No. 1)
8. Style
A small kitchen should be chosen in a modern style with smooth facades, similar in color to the color of the walls, so the room will seem larger than it actually is, said the designer and manager " Design Bureau No. 1" Sergey Petrov. “Classic facades and elements are suitable only for full-fledged, large rooms. If you really want classic elements, you can try Provence and rustic style,” Petrov specified.
Rustic kitchen design
9. Light
Particular attention should be paid to lighting. Illumination of the upper and lower facades of the kitchen visually facilitates it, Andrey Bubnov from Decart design noted. According to him, it is also worth using different types of lighting - this allows you to zone the room, visually enlarge it and make it more interesting.
Small kitchens in different styles
1. Minimalist kitchen
Minimalist interiors and light color finishes will visually enlarge a small kitchen. Today, this style has ceased to be super ascetic and can combine many unusual shapes, colors, materials and textures.
2. Small kitchen + living room in Scandinavian style
Scandinavian style looks great both on large footage and in small apartments. This style, which came to us from Northern Europe, was very fond of the Russians and for many has become a classic. It combines the purity of lines, shapes, colors and finishes.
3. Kitchen + living room in modern style
Modern interior design is often a mix of styles, where one direction can dominate and the rest will complement it. It is perfect for the interior of a small kitchen, as one of the main principles of modern style is a minimum of furniture, decor and things.
4. Small kitchen + eclectic living room
This interior design combines eclectic and classic. Such a decision does not put one style in the rigid framework - it contains history and modernity, elements from different countries and cultures. Therefore, equipping the kitchen, in this direction, you can use objects of bygone years.
5. Urban style kitchen
The urban style reflects the spirit of the stone jungle and the fast pace of life. It is characterized by bright colors, glass, wood, black clear lines, and most importantly - functionality.
Small kitchens with a peninsula - tips and reviews from experts
The peninsular version, in contrast to the kitchen with an island, is universal - this design can be successfully installed in a very small kitchen
A kitchen peninsula is a section of kitchen modules located separately from the main set, resting with one end against the wall. The peninsular version, unlike the kitchen with an island, is universal - such a design can be successfully installed in a very small kitchen. In addition, the peninsula is one of the most commonly used zoning tools when creating an open-plan kitchen interior in a studio apartment - for example, a kitchen-dining room or a kitchen-living room.
The functionality of a peninsula in a small kitchen
The peninsula can carry out a range of additional tasks and functions, such as:
Additional worktop. A very convenient addition to the main set, especially if the kitchen uses a lot of different devices for processing and cooking food, or if you have to cook together - in this case, you can optimally distribute the working area of the countertop;
Additional storage space. An additional cabinet or shelving can be placed at the base of the peninsula - and if we are talking about a combined space of an open kitchen, a mini-bar or a rack for discs and vinyl records, etc. can be equipped in the racks of the shelving from the side of the living room or dining room;
location of a sink or hob. Such placement of one of the vertices of the working triangle will allow you to build a comfortable working area and reduce the load on the one who will work in the kitchen;
dining table or bar. In the first case, when installing the peninsula, you will have to make sure that it is comfortable to sit behind it - to provide for the removal of the wing of the island table top beyond the base to a depth of up to 90 cm. It is worth considering the height of those who will sit at the table - perhaps the option with height difference of the countertop of the peninsula from the working to the dining area. If you want to equip a bar counter, then there will be no need for such precautions, but you will have to additionally equip the kitchen with high bar stools.
Who would like a kitchen with a peninsula?
You are arranging an open area of the kitchen-living room or kitchen-dining room in a studio apartment and want to zone the space without losing the usable area in functionality;
· The layout of your kitchen does not allow you to optimally and ergonomically arrange the main work areas - sink, refrigerator, hob;
· You want to make the most of your kitchen space without cluttering it up with extra furniture for your dining area.