The predominance of the length of one side of a rectangular room over the second suggests a narrow layout. If we are talking about the kitchen, then this forces us to choose very specific types of furniture sets and decor. Usually there is not enough space for a regular table surrounded by chairs, and installing a standard set simply won’t work. You will have to pay attention to unusual design projects for the design of a narrow and long kitchen, from which you can glean a lot of interesting ideas.
Where to start planning?
The first thing you should pay attention to are things that cannot be moved or moved. This is a window, a radiator, a gas water heater.
So you can dance from them, choosing a set for this location, and not vice versa. In a tight space it is difficult to find a better place for the battery than under the window. And by default, the radiator is always there.
Therefore, our advice to you is not to reinvent the wheel and try to move communications. This is not 10 sq. m., where maneuver is possible without loss of convenience. 2 by 4 meters is obligatory, so be reasonable. If you move the battery to the wall, the kitchen will become even more crowded, and you will only gain a small piece of space under the window.
Why do you need it? To put a sink there? Or just extend the countertop? It will be inconvenient and not very appropriate. A small table would be perfect under the window, and the work surface can be positioned lengthwise.
The only thing that can be redesigned in a narrow kitchen is the doors. It’s better to just remove them, then the space won’t seem so cramped and resemble a trailer.
Scandinavian style
There is a lot in common with the minimalist style, but there are also differences. For example, there is a clear trend towards the use of open shelves, the use of comfortable, spacious tables, paneled furniture facades, moldings, frames and even lace curtains, which do not combine with the minimal style. There are differences in colors and type of materials used.
Scandinavian cuisine is closest to the traditional appearance of the kitchen, which can be found in the apartments of most people in the post-Soviet space. Therefore, this narrow kitchen design will be the most familiar and familiar.
Wooden work apron Source pikabu.ru
The color scheme of the Scandinavian style is black and white, with the addition of soft cold and moderately warm colors - light green, light blue, and sometimes beige. White and gray colors dominate here, copying the gray Swedish sky - even in summer they often wear warm jackets and hide from the rain under an umbrella. Therefore, it is better to choose just such a color scheme for the walls and ceiling - paint the ceiling with a “terry” facade roller, matte paint to give it a certain texture, and it would seem higher, and cover the walls with light wallpaper or paint it in a light color.
It is not recommended to use glossy surfaces for this style. If they somehow took root in minimalism, for example, for dark-colored furniture facades, then here all surfaces should be soft, matte and should not reflect light, of course, unless it is a metal faucet spout or a refrigerator handle.
Black hob Source design-homes.ru
The kitchen apron is usually made with “hog” tiles to match the brickwork. It is not necessary to lay it in offset rows. You can make any pattern from such material, for example, parquet, or lay it at an angle of 45 degrees, or maybe even vertically. Small square grout tiles also look good. The size of the material is chosen small. Large tiles for a long kitchen will be a departure from the style.
Tiles of the “hog” type with a complex pattern for the apron Source avito.ru
The floors are made either of wood, coated with a good light varnish, or made of tiles designed to look like wood. An economical option is linoleum, made to look like light wood. At the same time, you should try to imitate the arrangement of wood planks across the kitchen in order to make it visually shorter and wider. The lamp, as in the minimal design, should be used large; you can hang a lamp with a large and simple lampshade in the middle of the room, and also place a couple of wall lamps at the entrance.
The layout of the classic Swedish kitchen is U-shaped.
U-shaped layout Source houzz.com
This allows for minimal movement for cooking. Unfortunately, the case with a long narrow kitchen does not allow this. You have to place all the pieces of furniture in a line, and so that the room does not lengthen even more, either make a free zone somewhere in the middle, or change the side along which the furniture is placed.
Choosing the color of the walls and ceiling to match the set
For a narrow, long kitchen, there is and will not be anything more suitable than white. Moreover, it will be appropriate both in the color of the walls and in the color of the headset. There is no need to be afraid that the room may look boring.
All sorts of decors simply “glow” on white walls and they are the ones that will attract attention. And also fittings, appliances, dishes, textiles... All this will in no way make the kitchen look pale.
But this is our opinion, and you can think differently. Of course, if the rest of the rooms are dominated by dark and bright colors, then making a white kitchen is wrong, it will stand out from the general style. But that’s not possible. The overall appearance of the apartment suffers from this and the renovation looks artisanal.
But, in any case, no matter what tone you choose, remember the main rule for combining colors in the interior: 60% should be given to the main color, 30% to the second shade, and only 10% to the contrasting color.
In practice, it looks like this: the main tone is furniture (if there is a lot of it), the second is walls (for example, wallpaper), and the third is paintings, textiles, decor. Moreover, the brightest color should be in these 10%. No more is needed, otherwise there will be an overload. And in a small narrow kitchen any excess will be noticeable.
A few more words about the texture of the ceiling. You should not make suspended ceilings with a reflective effect. They will visually “stretch” the walls upward and the kitchen will look even narrower and longer.
Wall color palette
The design concept may suffer from an incorrectly chosen shade of the walls, since the elongated room will become even cramped, even if only in appearance. Preference should be given to light and cool colors, associated with air and space: white, beige, blue, mint, pale green shades. Darker tones can be used in the decoration of end walls, for example, by cladding with decorative stone or brick, by gluing photo wallpaper, or by hanging large posters with a horizontally elongated image.
Maximum white color with an accent in the form of a bright apron - the room does not look cramped, although it is all filled with furniture
You can turn a small, elongated room into a more square one by using wallpaper with small patterns on long walls, and with horizontal stripes on short walls. The finishing with textured plaster or bas-reliefs looks good, but it should be placed in the dining area as opposed to the simple and neutral color design of the remaining walls.
We use ceiling heights as practical as possible
Since there is not much space in a rectangular narrow kitchen, you should definitely think about how to use the high ceiling. For example, to store some little-used items, it is better to use a mezzanine.
Now this type of shelf is going out of fashion, but in vain! It's comfortable. The main thing is to make the box under the ceiling comfortable and beautiful, and not like in apartments of typical buildings from the times of the USSR.
There are many ideas for this. If you look hard enough, you can make a mezzanine not only for storing kitchen utensils, but also with a decorative twist. The box can be combined with open shelves on which bottles, coffee grinders and other nonsense that pleases the eye and soul are placed.
Don't forget about the cabinets. In very narrow kitchens this is what you need. It will fit so many things that you will instantly no longer have the problem of organizing many lower drawers. And it would be worth getting rid of them, on the one hand. But more on this below, in the corresponding block.
Narrow kitchen with window
The window in a narrow kitchen is the only source of natural light, so it needs to be pampered and cherished. Curtains should be short and translucent, blinds should be light. Since the window space is functionally important, it does not need to be cluttered with curtains.
Roller blinds, Roman blinds and blinds save space near the window, especially in the work area.
Near the window in a narrow kitchen you can install a dining table with a kitchen sofa. You can zone the area using lighting - place a couple of rows of spotlights along the ceiling along the working areas, and hang a long beautiful chandelier above the dining area.
If the dining area is moved into the dining room or placed along the wall, you can use this place more functionally. If you install a desktop near the window and combine the tabletop and window sill under a common tabletop-window sill made of artificial stone, such an area can look truly luxurious.
A large window expands the kitchen, letting in light and breaking up the long wall.
A bold option is to move the sink to the window. Of course, we will have to consider redesigning the water supply system. As for the radiator, you can make a cabinet for it with holes in the doors. The efficiency of the radiator, of course, will decrease.
If the kitchen faces north or is on an upper floor exposed to winds, you can move the radiator to an open wall. To prevent the mixer from interfering with opening the sash, install a bayonet model of the mixer, which can be removed and laid on its side.
Tastefully selected furniture, lighting and accessories will make even the most uncomfortable narrow kitchen cozy and chic.
Making the floor
The darker the color, the narrower and smaller the room appears. Therefore, we recommend light colors. If you listened to us and made the main color of the kitchen white, then the floor here will suit a natural, woody shade.
The texture of the floor, ideally, should be non-shiny, without any reflection effect. Otherwise, the floor, like the ceiling, will “pull” the room upward. But we don’t need this at all. Our task is different - to divert attention from the “trailer” and focus it on other details.
By the way, if you are laying the floor in the form of long strips, then place them not along, but across. This little trick will help to significantly expand the floor area. Visually, of course.
Provence style
Provence is a style that originated in the province of the same name in France. It is characterized by soft colors and shades, retro-style furniture and furniture fittings, as well as antique-looking plumbing fixtures, painted paneled furniture facades, lattice fillings instead of traditional glass cupboards, and bent furniture.
Interior in Provence style Source geoskuhni.ru
The design of a narrow kitchen in this style must be made with many small details. For example, for backsplash tiles, small tiles with a print are used, reminiscent of stove tiles. The hood is never made in a modern style, it should be made either in the form of a fireplace hood on a chimney, or in the form of a simple hood for a kitchen wood-burning stove, which were often found in French houses at the beginning of the last century. The interior must contain indoor plants and wicker baskets.
Curtains can be hung with decorative elements, tassels - the main thing is that they are not too heavy, “palace-like”, or too dark. It is welcome to have multi-colored rugs on the floor, knitted rugs on stools and chairs, a beautiful tablecloth and napkins on the dining table, as well as various “country” dishes - jugs, pots, colorful plates, beautifully stacked.
Light curtains with floral print Source dizajnintererov.com
For a narrow kitchen, this style is quite suitable, with the exception, perhaps, of only the most cumbersome solutions, such as large round tables with bent legs or huge wide tables for cooking. Furniture can be a challenge for an ordinary person - purchasing a façade of this design, rich in panels and curly handles, can be expensive, and you often have to search for a long time for a contractor who could make it to order.
In a similar style, you can easily make the kitchen wider by placing a large number of small details opposite the side along which the furniture is placed - decorative plates, flower pots, small open shelves. The eye will be distracted by this detail, and too much extent will not be noticeable. You can also use a lamp with a lush shade, traditional for French interiors, or a chandelier with colored opaque lanterns somewhere in the middle of the kitchen to illuminate the room.
A large chandelier shifts the emphasis from the far side of the room to itself Source designer-info.ru
Turquoise wall Source kakpostroit.su
Lighting
The more light, the larger the room appears. Everyone probably knows this. But, if the room is 9 sq.m. Or in a private house you can slightly neglect this rule, but in a very small kitchen - not at all.
Here you need to make good overhead lighting, place ceiling lamps in two rows or sconces along one of the walls. For example, above the dining area, this would be best.
Contrasts as a way out
It is quite rare to see the design of pencil cases in dark colors. In most cases, this further narrows an already small room, creating an unpleasant feeling of claustrophobia for the owner or guests.
In fact, the balance of black and white can be used to visually expand the space: you just need to properly balance the textures: gloss and matte, wood and stone. After this, the room will sparkle with new colors.
Thinking through the placement of equipment
But this is the most important thing. Don't chase beauty, think about comfort. Ideally, the most necessary kitchen elements (stove, sink, refrigerator) should be located nearby so that it is convenient to approach them. This is called the work triangle.
That is, for example, the stove and refrigerator are on one side, and the sink is between them, but on the opposite side. Or, a stove with a sink, and opposite - a refrigerator.
Of course, in practice this is not so easy to achieve. But you still try. Do not move the refrigerator outside the kitchen just because the layout and design of the kitchen furniture does not allow it. It is better, we repeat, to order a set based on how the main elements are located.
As for other technology, see for yourself. What do you have? If there is a dishwasher and a washing machine, then remember that all this eats up the work surface, which could be used for cooking. And, if you can’t clean the dishwasher, then it would be worth organizing a place in the bathroom for the washing machine. Moreover, now there is a modern idea for tiny baths - a special washbasin that is installed above the machine.
Built-in appliances save space
Buying cabinets of the required depth is not difficult, but with household appliances everything is different. You probably won’t be able to buy a refrigerator or stove with a depth of less than 50 cm. There is only one way out - to build it in. This technique has a drawback - it reduces the volume of sections for storing dishes, but here various functional inventions come to the rescue. For example, an additional shelf can be hung from the ceiling and used to store glasses or various kitchen utensils.
Built-in household appliances
Kitchen furniture
Well, here we come to the most important thing. As you can see, before ordering furniture, you had to do a lot of things and the kitchen practically took on its look. Now just measure the space that remains and draw the initial plan on paper: wall cabinets that should be located lengthwise, bottom drawers, niches.
Making a sketch with your own hands is easy. And the master will come and take more accurate measurements. The main thing is to draw it yourself, and do not rely on the taste of furniture makers. They just want to cram more cabinets, because it’s more profitable. But in the end, the appearance of such kitchens turns out to be quite standard, and in your case, everything will be sad.
There is no need for a large number of cabinets on the walls. You can get by with open shelves. It is fashionable and visually expands the room. The same applies to the lower cabinets. Often they are enough on one side, but furniture companies obsessively offer two rows. As a result, there are a lot of cabinets - but there is nowhere to put a table and chairs.
Which layout to choose
The choice of layout for a narrow kitchen depends on the shape of the room. You should start from those factors that cannot be moved or dismantled. For example: gas equipment, communication outlets, window and door openings.
L-shaped or corner
Suitable for narrow kitchens in which the doorways are not located in the center of a long wall, but offset to the left or right. As a rule, a corner set is installed along two blank adjacent walls. And the space near the window or the opposite wall is occupied by the dining area, if there is enough free space. If the set covers a window opening, the window sill is equipped with a sink or countertop as an additional workspace.
U-shaped
U-shaped sets are considered very convenient for narrow kitchens, from an ergonomic point of view. The rule of the working triangle is observed “by default”, since each main zone is assigned a separate side.
Often, U-shaped sets are used in kitchens that do not have a dining area; it is placed on the balcony, living room or dining room. In rare cases, the set is equipped with a folding table structure or an elongated bar counter is used, which replace the dining area.
Parallel and double row
The set is placed along two opposite walls of a narrow kitchen. The space by the window is equipped with a kitchen corner or a sofa with a table, organizing a dining area. The parallel layout of the kitchen set is well suited to narrow, elongated kitchens and increases the number of work surfaces. The cabinets are mounted to the ceiling, which will increase the storage area.
Linear
You have to move a lot from one work area to another, wasting energy and time. For narrow kitchens, such a set is used only if it is not possible to install a set of a different shape. The dining area is moved outside the kitchen or a set is installed along the opposite wall. The table can be a folding transformer or folding away from the wall. The refrigerator is usually installed in the same row as the unit, closer to the door.
General recommendations for a narrow kitchen:
- Replace standard hinged doors with sliding or folding doors. This will help save some space and combine with the adjacent room, which will dilute the image of a long tunnel.
- Equipping a long kitchen with a bar counter can replace a full-fledged dining area for a small family.
- A furniture kitchen group consisting of a sofa, stools, and a table will save more space than a table with chairs.
- When ordering a headset, pay attention to the depth of the floor modules. It is better to reduce this value in favor of the pass.
- Additional lighting will ensure uniform illumination of the working surface.
Apron over the work area
Remember that any excessive diversity is the enemy of a narrow kitchen. In general, if you have it very, very tiny, then instead of a picture or tile in this place, it is best to put a mirror. Naturally, not simple, but special, fireproof.
This technique will expand the space many times over - a fact.
A mirror looks especially good if the work surface is visible from another room, for example, a corridor. The only trouble here is that you will have to carefully monitor it and wipe it in a timely manner. But for the sake of such an advantage, this torment is completely justified.
Product materials
Considering the aggressive environment in the kitchen (high temperature, high humidity, dirt), you need to carefully consider the choice of upholstery for upholstered furniture.
- The leather looks chic, is easy to clean, lasts a long time, but it is expensive and in the heat it is uncomfortable to sit on such a surface.
- Faux leather is similar in properties to leather, although it is more affordable.
- Flock (synthetic fabric) does not absorb odors, moisture, or fat. Cleans with a dry cloth.
You can use ecological cotton fabrics, but remember that they are not durable.
Good fillers for seats and backs made of polyurethane foam or holofiber. Foam rubber is much cheaper, but short-lived. You need to choose a dense one.
Wooden frames must be treated with special compounds, metal structures are protected by a coating, aluminum bases are welcome. Photos of a narrow kitchen can be viewed in fashion magazines or on Yandex.Pictures.
Interesting design solutions
Above we described the general concept of the layout, without taking into account individual elements. Now let's clarify some details and consider how best to organize the space in this or that popular case.
Narrow kitchen with bar counter
If your kitchen opens into the living room, then instead of a door it is better to put a bar counter (perpendicular to the long wall).
But here, keep in mind that the tabletop should not stand tightly, but rise so that you can walk comfortably. There is no point in making a very short stand. It will be just decoration, without any functionality.
Narrow kitchen-living room
There are kitchens that are not just narrow, but microscopic, but they have the advantage of access to the living room. Then you need to remove the door and connect the rooms. The dining area will be in the living room, and you will cook in the kitchen.
Here, look at the photo of how kitchen-dining rooms look in the interior:
Narrow kitchen with sofa
This is possible in one case: either the kitchen is wider than 2 meters, at least 2.5 by 5 meters, or your sofa is very tiny. A sofa is not very appropriate even in a 10-meter kitchen, let alone in a mini version.
But, if you really want it so badly, you’ll have to move the battery and place it by the window. There is also a table and chairs. Otherwise, you simply won’t be able to get between it and the furniture if you place it along a long wall.
Kitchen with window at end
Usually, the window is always at the end; this is a typical option. We have already written above that this is the best place to locate a dining area and it is difficult to come up with something more original there. And is it necessary? Eating near the window is light and cozy, and this is the main thing.
Look at the photo, this is what the interior of such a kitchen looks like:
There are also other options for using a window space near a 1.8 meter wide wall:
It might be interesting to see a selection of successful kitchen interiors with a window in different styles.
Kitchen with access to the balcony
Now this is just a disaster... The narrow kitchen is already cramped in itself, but with the balcony it’s completely dark. The best design solution in this case is to demolish the partition between the balcony and the kitchen, and put a dining table in its place. It will be light, but it will be even longer visually.
By the way, more options for such a layout can be found in this article.
We hope you liked our design ideas. The photos are fresh, from 2018, so you can be sure that it is fashionable and relevant.
Design features of a narrow kitchen
To prevent a long kitchen from looking too gloomy, you should give preference to wallpaper in pastel colors. White in a milky shade, as well as peach and cream tones, will look good.
A cream-colored kitchen is a wonderful choice for a small kitchen.
If the kitchen is very long, you can place a bright painting on one wall as an accent, which will visually divide the room.
Furniture in a narrow kitchen will also look better with light-colored facades. However, this is not an axiom. The combined option will also look great, when the lower cabinets are made in deep bright light, and the facades of the upper ones are lighter.
Light facades and walls of the same color visually expand the kitchen.
An important role is played by the choice of flooring. The main task of finishing a kitchen is to visually expand the room. If you decide to use floor tiles, you can lay them diagonally.
If laminate is used, it should be laid perpendicular to the longest wall. A dark floor color will add a little depth and height to the room, while a light color will brighten the perception of the long kitchen tunnel.
Flooring greatly helps to make the most of limited space.
For the ceiling, the best choice is suspended ceilings. The lower they are located, the lighter the shade should be.
For example, with low ceilings, PVC stretch glossy ceilings will look good and visually enlarge the room thanks to the reflective surface. High ceilings can be decorated with canvases with stained glass or linear patterns.
The light ceiling does not distract attention and gives the kitchen additional volume.
Shift of emphasis
Design solutions in the layout of narrow kitchens look quite interesting when one of the walls is painted in a contrasting and bright color.
For example, the entire room can be made in delicate beige shades, and one of the walls will be rich blue or yellow.
In this case, the main thing is that the contrasting shade is deep, as if dusty. It is better not to use pure colors, as they clearly delimit the space, only making it smaller.
U-shaped layout
A U-shaped arrangement of furniture will be a convenient and functional way to organize the layout of an elongated room of a small area. In this case, the work area (sometimes also the sink) is located in place of the window sill.
This is one of the best ways to organize a work area for a housewife.
Placing a dining table in a limited area is very problematic. The dining group is moved into the next room or replaced with a miniature folding or folding table.
Note!
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Another popular option for such a layout would be to place a small sofa by the window, with kitchen equipment working surfaces inscribed on both sides.
Window space area
A window in a small and elongated kitchen is a special zone. The shortage of usable space simply requires its rational use. A means of increasing useful surfaces can be, first of all, a window sill. It can be expanded, making it the size of a dining table, and, in fact, used for its intended purpose. If desired, such a table can be transformed by inserting or sliding in at the right time. Use the space under the window: you can make a spacious niche there for pots. The window opening itself can be covered with French horizontal blinds, Roman blinds or other equally attractive curtains, but not heavy and dark curtains. In the design of such a specific kitchen, this will be bad manners. Using these small interior tricks will result in a truly functional kitchen.
Window in an elongated narrow kitchen
Selecting a headset
The best option, which will take into account the features of an elongated kitchen, would be to make a custom-made kitchen, because standard sets are usually made for standard layouts. You can maximize the usefulness of a narrow space by ordering open shelves (visually increasing the space) or cabinets that will “stretch” all the way to the ceiling - this will solve the storage problem when the most rarely used utensils are placed at the very top, and the most needed ones are placed below.
Advice! It is advisable that the cabinet doors in this case be made with transparent glass, possibly semi-matte.
The doors of the set, by the way, can open upward - this will add a spirit of modernity to your kitchen, and nothing will get in the way.
Among other things, a set made according to your requests, in the case of a narrow kitchen, will allow you to bring to life the most daring ideas: what about retractable countertops and folding tables? They can be used both for eating and preparing food.
See also the material: How to arrange a kitchen of 6 square meters. meters.
