The kitchen is traditionally one of the key areas in any apartment. And if you live in a Khrushchev-era building, where only 6 square meters are allotted to it, you will have to think carefully about how to organize such a small space. But don't rush to despair.
Designers offer many interesting developments for a kitchen in Khrushchev: optimization of space, lighting and layout, correct arrangement of furniture and other tricks. It is quite possible to make the cramped kitchen multifunctional, comfortable and very cozy.
What shape to choose a kitchen set
Due to serious space limitations, luxury projects will have to be abandoned. Compactness and rationalism are at the forefront. It would be quite appropriate to have a set with a linear layout, when all the appliances and cabinets are against the longest wall.
However, if there are a lot of household appliances in the kitchen, arranging them in one row will be problematic.
In this case you need to choose:
L-shaped set , located along two adjacent walls. The corner is also involved - a sink is usually installed in it. And two working surfaces will not be superfluous.
The U-shaped layout is not a very good solution for a small kitchen. It will solve storage issues, but will take up all three walls and leave no room at all even for a tiny dining table.
In principle, any color of the headset is possible. But the most advantageous option would be furniture in light shades using mirror and glossy elements.
Features of combining kitchen and living room
Khrushchevka is a 4–5-story building from 1958–1985. buildings with small apartments often have an inconvenient layout: cramped kitchen, narrow corridor, adjacent rooms. To optimize space, residents began to resort to combining the kitchen and living room. On the one hand, this method of expansion is very beneficial, since it allows you to combine the working, dining and guest areas into one room without damaging each of them. On the other hand, for a large family this option presents certain difficulties, depriving the household members of personal space. In addition, any redevelopment requires official permission, which entails financial costs.
But a one-room Khrushchev apartment has a unique opportunity to become luxury housing, at least in the interior. A small studio kitchen looks not only cute and cozy, but very modern and stylish. Here you have the opportunity to realize your creative potential and create a unique kitchen-studio design that will be the envy of residents of new buildings.
During the redevelopment process, the wall between the kitchen and the room is partially or completely demolished, and a fairly spacious common space is obtained.
Sometimes it is enough to remove part of the partition to make a beautiful arch or build in a bar counter
What furniture to choose
You are unlikely to be able to gather guests in the kitchen in a Khrushchev-era building. The living room is better suited for this. And a good-quality dining table definitely doesn’t fit here in terms of dimensions. Therefore, you will have to settle on a small table and two chairs.
A model with a round or oval tabletop is most suitable. It is advisable to choose a light color; the choice in favor of tempered glass is also justified. Many designers recommend a transforming table that folds quickly and takes up minimal space.
A good alternative is a bar counter. It's easy to push chairs under it. The rack will be an additional storage space, and in combined rooms it will perfectly cope with the role of a partition.
The structure can be a continuation of the window sill, work surface, or in contact with a free wall. It is made in the same color as the set or tabletop, sometimes a contrasting tone is selected. The logical conclusion is high bar stools, hard or soft, with or without a back, but not bulky or lightweight.
What not to do
Alas, the use of upholstered furniture in these conditions will not be advisable. Not only will it eat up the useful space of the room, but you won’t be able to install full-size furniture. So think about it, is it worth wasting your time at an uncomfortable dining area?
It is also worth giving up various types of decorations - refrigerator magnets, paintings, posters, and so on. By themselves, they will only create information noise, figuratively cluttering the space of the room.
A kitchen set with a deep bottom will also do more harm than good in storing more things.
The design of the kitchen should be in light colors. Avoid dark colors that will make the room appear smaller.
What curtains to choose for a kitchen in Khrushchev
In order to create a light airy space, it is necessary to choose curtains made of transparent fabrics that will transmit light well. And since in a small kitchen all work surfaces and appliances are located close to each other, the material must be resistant to dirt, moisture and not absorb odors. Curtains in cool shades visually remove the window and thereby expand the boundaries of the room.
For a small kitchen, blinds of various models and roller blinds are suitable. Their beauty is the ability to regulate the amount of incoming light, despite the fact that the lifting structures themselves do not take up extra space, do not overload the interior and get along well with curtains, tulle or muslin.
Designers often prefer Roman blinds, which combine the convenience of blinds and the elegance of curtains. This window design is easy to maintain, always looks neat and makes the kitchen cozy and modern.
What materials are best to use
For the facade and furniture, smooth, light materials with a gloss effect are selected to visually enlarge a small area. It should be taken into account that a close working area will be prone to frequent contamination.
Materials that are resistant to aggressive influences and temperature changes will come to the rescue. These can be countertops made of natural or artificial stone. A more budget option is covered with durable MDF plastic.
For a minimalist style in the kitchen, materials such as glass and metal surfaces are appropriate, ideally emphasizing the chosen design and not burdening the interior composition.
The doors on the facade or the countertop can be made of glass. Chromed metal parts fit perfectly into this design.
Light natural wood will look noble and luxurious, but the cost of such a set is quite high and caring for it will require a lot of effort.
If you want to make a presentable design, you need to use veneered MDF, which imitates natural wood. Its price is more affordable, and its aesthetic qualities will delight the owners.
To organize the dining area, you can use lightweight material made of transparent, translucent plastic. This will add airiness and will not clutter up a small room with heavy volumetric parts.
What kind of floor and ceiling to make
The floor can be laid from any materials that are moisture-resistant and impact-resistant. A covering made in light colors or with symmetrical diagonal stripes will make the kitchen wider due to the elongated pattern and reflection of light.
Wood-like colors made with tiles or laminate look very interesting. You should refrain from choosing large patterns. In a limited area, they may not look aesthetically pleasing and will visually make the kitchen smaller. But small ornaments will enliven the interior, provided that the main surfaces remain monochromatic.
For the kitchen-living room, zoning would be a smart solution. The floor should differ in texture, color or quality of coating. Let’s say there are tiles directly in the kitchen area, and laminate or linoleum in the recreation area.
It is advisable to make the ceiling suspended, since this material optically increases the volume of the room and impresses with its absolute ease of maintenance. The second acceptable option is a ceiling that is carefully leveled and painted in one tone.
More complex types - hanging, decorated, with photo printing, etc. - will only reduce the height of the room. Multi-level structures that significantly conceal space should be avoided. And be sure to make the ceiling light.
Which color scheme is best for small spaces?
We think you already understand that the best option is a light color scheme. But, of course, you want something bright, interesting... What can we offer you?
The most important thing here is the color of the walls. They are the ones who “make” the visual volume. That is, if you paint the walls white, you definitely won’t go wrong.
At the same time, be very careful when choosing an apron for the work surface. You shouldn’t choose something very colorful and bright, because the walls are white. Due to the fact that the area is small, this small segment, visually, will occupy a significant part of the room.
Then, the color of the floor is very important. If you make it dark, then even if there are light walls it will “narrow” the room. Therefore, try to make the floor in light colors.
If you want a bright accent, remember the designers’ rule: it should be only 10% of everything else. That is, some bright chandelier will be enough for you, and you can duplicate its tone in the colors of the curtains or some painting. Read more about this in the rules for combining colors in the kitchen interior.
Where to put a refrigerator and washing machine in a small kitchen
There are two traditional solutions for placing a refrigerator in a small kitchen in Khrushchev. Firstly, by the window. Next to the window, as a rule, there is a corner into which a large-sized unit fits quite well, without blocking all paths of movement.
Secondly, you can put it by the door. This way, the set and the refrigerator do not form one continuous working surface, but it will not interfere much at the entrance.
A more conceptual idea would be to place the refrigerator under the countertop. Of course, if the dimensions of such a chamber can satisfy the needs of the residents. But the best option is a built-in refrigerator.
Quick and unhindered access to its content is maintained. At the same time, such valuable space is not cluttered. You can even cover the doors with furniture facades, and then the refrigerator will not attract attention at all and disturb the harmonious appearance of the kitchen.
When placing a washing machine, there is also not much choice. Most likely, it will take the place of one of the floor cabinets. To avoid problems with laying communications, and then with the location of additional hoses and pipes, it is advisable to install it near the sink. If the kitchen does not have an oven, but a compact hob is installed, then the washing machine can be installed under it.
An original idea is to install this large household appliance in a niche under the window. The central heating pipes and radiator are moved slightly to the side. The washing machine model must be no more than 450 mm wide. Above it you can make a dining table with a hinged lid, which will become an extension of the window sill.
How to properly arrange your kitchen space
The refrigerator is usually placed at the side of the room or at the intersection of walls. This way you can make the most efficient use of space and at the same time open the refrigerator doors without any problems. It is advisable to select narrow and tall models that will not take up a large area.
The washing machine, if you decide to install it in the kitchen, must be mounted inside the fittings, that is, be an organic part of it. The color must be selected according to the shade of the furniture in the room to maintain harmony in the interior. Take care of safety precautions so that using the washing machine does not lead to floods, short circuits and other troubles.
It is also advisable to install a gas burner or stove surface in fittings. This should only be done by professionals who can carry out this procedure as safely as possible. After all, this technique is not to be trifled with! Electric burners are usually used, which are safer than gas burners, but you always need to be careful with fire.
A window sill in the kitchen can also become a useful functional part of the interior , because with such limited space it is necessary to use all possibilities wisely. So, under the window sill you can install a compact cabinet or extend it, making something like a compact corner bar counter. Fittings for window sills have recently become especially popular.
A bar counter can be an excellent alternative to a table , especially if not many people live in the apartment. So, this furniture option is compact and very stylish; it will become not only a functional, but also a stylish part of the kitchen interior.
Where to hide a gas water heater
Transferring is a very troublesome matter, burdened with regulations from gas and housing services. It may be necessary to change the design and install additional gas lines. Therefore, it is more profitable to leave the column where it is.
And when developing a kitchen unit project, provide an imitation of a cabinet that will hide the water heater and the communications connected to it. The cabinet must have no top, no bottom and maintain a certain distance between the door and the column cover.
Sometimes the option of installing a speaker between the cabinets is acceptable. Of course, if its design does not cause dissonance with the facades of the furniture. To achieve harmony, you can decorate the speaker using interior stickers or by painting it in a suitable color.
Repairing the ceiling in the kitchen. Step-by-step instruction
It is better to make the ceiling in the kitchen suspended - this is the most practical option. But it is quite expensive, and is also not suitable for self-installation if you lack experience and specific knowledge. Therefore, painting is most often chosen. In this case, follow the instructions:
- Level the walls with satengypsum or regular putty.
- Wait until the putty is completely dry.
- Paint the corners of the ceiling with paint using a brush.
- Paint the middle of the ceiling with a roller.
- The procedure is repeated 2-3 times until the color is sufficiently saturated for the apartment residents.
The last step will be attaching the ceiling skirting boards, if they are present in the project.
What color to choose for a kitchen in Khrushchev
A real way to rid a small kitchen of the association with a mouse hole is the predominance of light colors in furniture and decoration. Another design trick is visual simplicity; unnecessary details will not visually hide the space.
Ideally, it is better to use white. Snow-white furniture merges with the same walls, boundaries are erased, the kitchen is perceived as more spacious and lighter, even if in reality it is a bit cramped.
Instead of white, pale gray, peach, cream, olive and other pastel colors are acceptable. It is worth paying attention to the natural palette: chocolate, sand, sky blue, all shades of natural wood.
Bright accents will help make the interior more expressive. But it’s better not to add more than two additional colors, otherwise you risk disrupting the perception of space and making the kitchen smaller than it is. You can use the most intense colors, but only on vertical surfaces and in modest quantities.
Optimal color solution
A small kitchen involves the use of light palettes, calm, unobtrusive tones. Pastel and light shades are recommended for a small area to visually create the effect of spaciousness and expand the walls.
A bright kitchen will seem more spacious and bright; it will always be comfortable and cozy to cook and dine in.
Important! In no case should you choose dark, saturated colors that eat up space and make it compressed and reduced. Otherwise, the completed renovation will look depressing and dull.
Let's consider what popular color solutions are relevant for small-sized kitchens.
White color looks elegant and neat, but is rather impractical in use. A neutral tone blurs the boundaries of the space, making it appear larger. You can choose a white facade, household appliances, countertops, and ceiling finishes.
It is better to make the floor darker. A monochrome white kitchen in white can look boring, so the color should be diluted with one or two accompanying ones. It can be black, gray, blue, green or yellow.
Beige in the kitchen creates a lot of coziness, calm and warmth. It will be relevant for most design styles, especially for classics. Beige harmonizes well with other shades, allowing you to create a beautiful color composition. The set is well suited from beige wood. The tabletop can be either white or in the color of stone or wood.
You can diversify beige shades in the kitchen with a bright apron over the work area. Bright inserts of purple, red, and orange will add original accents to the kitchen, but the selected tones must be applied in other places in the room.
Blue kitchen colors create a cool, spacious atmosphere. It is especially important in rooms where it is too hot in summer. Green, white, light gray are suitable as a companion color. Large decor and excessive decoration should be avoided.
Light green with a yellow undertone. This combination looks fresh, bright and not boring. It will transform a small room and make it visually brighter. The façade of a light green kitchen can be combined with a bright yellow apron, decorated with beautiful images of flowers and fruits. The use of vertical lines of different widths on walls is encouraged.
Redevelopment
The most popular option is combining the kitchen with the living room. Of course, additional meters will not appear out of nowhere. However, it will be possible to move the dining group into the living room and free up space in the work area. And just visually the kitchen will seem much larger. However, there are also disadvantages.
Due to the absence of a partition, the aromas of the kitchen will spread throughout the entire combined room and permeate all textiles. The same applies to noise from the kitchen, say, from pouring water, an extractor hood, a kettle, etc.
If these shortcomings are significant for you, use another maneuver - transferring the septum. The kitchen area will increase due to an adjacent room, storage room, corridor or bathroom. However, she will remain isolated.
The idea of combining it with a loggia is considered very successful for a specific kitchen in Khrushchev. Bright light coming from large windows expands the area. On the former balcony you can place large household appliances, equip storage space, or organize a cozy dining area.
Important! Do not forget to coordinate your actions with government agencies, even if you are firmly convinced that the wall is not load-bearing.
Storage system
A kitchen with such a small space simply must have a well-organized storage system. If under normal conditions we can use the space in almost any way we want, this is not the case here.
You may have seen photos of small kitchens in Khrushchev, where almost every place is used wisely and profitably. We must do the same. If these are wall cabinets, then they should cover all possible space without sacrificing convenience.
Of course, you should forget about the hood, but hanging mugs, knives on a magnetic tape, a towel, and shelves for storing, for example, cereals on the wall is a must.
Functional cabinets
For a small kitchen it is better to choose custom-made furniture. In this way, it is possible to take into account all the features of the room and make the most of every centimeter.
The absence of wall cabinets undoubtedly creates a feeling of lightness. But when there is a shortage of usable space, such a solution is not appropriate: there will be nowhere to place all the utensils necessary for the kitchen. It is reasonable, on the contrary, to increase the height (and therefore the capacity) of the top row of cabinets and use the space right under the ceiling.
Avoiding hinged doors also saves space. They can be replaced with folding, tilting or lifting doors, which are fixed at a level convenient for you. Inside the cabinets, make shelves of different heights to avoid restrictions when placing cans, bottles, and bulky boxes. A narrow, impractical niche will be filled with a built-in pencil case with a retractable design.
The lower cabinets are equipped with drawers. And in order to organize their internal contents, it is worth considering a system of separators.
Shelves on the walls
The corners left empty after installing the set can be occupied by rotating shelves, which provide a complete overview of items and quick access to them, and at the same time perform decorative functions.
Another rational device is a variety of door designs designed for storing small items: jars, containers, lids, kitchen towels. Brushes, potholders, cutting boards can be hung on hooks. It is advisable to store knives and scissors on magnetic holders placed within direct reach.
Window sill table
This is, in fact, a tabletop that is located instead of a window sill. You can both cook and eat food on it. In the first case, the window sill is equipped as a continuation of the kitchen unit. The heating radiator below can be decorated with a furniture facade or another cabinet can be organized there. It will be very comfortable to cook on such a table due to the abundance of natural light.
An extended window sill can replace a traditional dining group, seating up to 4 people. You can arrange a stationary table, a folding table or a stylish bar counter.
Extendable table
It hides under the guise of a drawer or lower cabinet and extends as needed on telescopic guides. Usually the tabletop is slightly lower than the cabinet, but more modern systems allow it to be raised after being pulled out to form a single plane with the work surface. The inconvenience can be caused by the fact that you have to clean such a table every time after use. And it is impossible to rearrange it.
Arch instead of a door
An original way to transform a small kitchen is to create an arch. Psychologists have proven that smooth lines in the interior create a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere. An arch is not just an alternative to a door, but also a self-sufficient solution in terms of creating an exclusive design and expanding visibility.
The boundary between the kitchen and the next room is blurring. An arched structure can be an inconspicuous transitional element between rooms, or it can serve as an accent decoration. Thanks to the large number of intricate shapes, the doorway can become a unique feature of your home.
Interior styling
If we consider the style, then it is worth paying attention to the following points:
- The classic style with its rather bulky interior elements is not suitable for Khrushchev. It is advisable to use it in kitchens where there is more space for interior items.
- High-tech kitchens are very popular for kitchens in Khrushchev-era buildings , because here all the functional elements are arranged as compactly as possible, built-in household appliances, appliances and even furniture are widely used. Therefore, it can be recommended for use in the limited space of a Khrushchev building.
- Modern is also suitable for this kitchen option due to its compactness and comfort. This style is characterized by smooth lines that look very impressive even in limited space. And modern appliances fit perfectly into the interior of the kitchen.
- The Provence style can be used in terms of color schemes , but its pomp is not suitable for a Khrushchev-era kitchen. As a rule, Provence is used in larger rooms to reveal all its beauty.
- Minimalism is ideal for a Khrushchev-era kitchen , because there are built-in elements, interesting solutions, and special elegance. It can be called truly optimal for such a room.
Choose the style of the room correctly so that it is aesthetic and functional, comfortable for the residents of the apartment.
Railings
The lack of voluminous cabinets and drawers can be compensated by the railing system. It takes up almost no space and, at the same time, allows you to keep everything you need at hand. Classic placement - above the countertop under the upper cabinets.
If necessary, the rails are stretched along the entire length of the kitchen unit, but more often they are used in the form of separate sections at different points: above the sink, above the stove, table, etc. You can attach several pendants at different heights, which is especially important for a small kitchen. If you install a vertical rail at the junction of the walls, even the corners acquire a functional load.
