Kitchen

How to equip a kitchen in Khrushchev – optimal solutions

Small kitchen and, moreover, very comfortable - this is far from a myth. Small kitchen and, moreover, very comfortable – this is far from a myth Small kitchen – the problem of many apartment owners – “Khrushchev”. And in order to equip it in a dignified way, you have to smash your head a lot, because many years have passed since the time when kitchens of such an area were planned and the number of necessary kitchen equipment has significantly increased, which first of all needs to be placed, creating in addition a cozy room.

To equip a small kitchen as ergonomically as possible is not an easy task. Rational planning of each zone taking into account all the nuances is the main key to success.

In addition, the kitchen in a small apartment – “Khrushchev”, as a rule, serves not only its direct purpose. It can be a study at night, so as not to disturb anyone, or play the role of a living room for a small number of guests. The kitchen in “Khrushchev” should be not only as functional as possible, but also cozy.

Room zoning

By dividing the kitchen into zones, you can significantly expand the space. By dividing the kitchen into zones, you can significantly expand the space.

If there is an excellent opportunity to equip in a tiny kitchen, only a cooking area, and to take out the dining room to another room, this is great. All the necessary equipment and utensils can be placed in the kitchen, providing the most convenient access to all places. But for one reason or another, not everyone manages to translate such an idea into reality, so the process of arranging a kitchen in Khrushchev cannot do without planning zones.

Even having a very small kitchen area, you can place everything you need on it if you use every square meter as ergonomically as possible.

Any kitchen should include two main functional areas: work and dining.

Compliance with the necessary recommendations will allow Compliance with the necessary recommendations will allow "squeeze out" the most out of your kitchen area

The working area includes:

  • Storage space for food (cabinets, refrigerator);
  • Place for washing dishes and food (sink);
  • product preparation area (directly the working surface);
  • Cooking area (stove, microwave, oven, other cooking equipment).

These zones should be close to each other. The main working area (distance from the stove to the sink) should be from 400 to 900 mm, between the refrigerator and the stove, for technical reasons, there must be at least 300 mm.

The placement of the working area and dining area depends on the area and plan of the kitchen, as well as on the needs of the residents. For a family of 2 or 3 people, the dining area located by the window (assuming a square room) will be quite enough, in the form of a built-in panel with a folding table in place of the window sill.

Most often, they resort to the classic version: a dining table is located at the wall adjacent to the entrance, and the working area is on the opposite side..

An important point: when planning the placement of a sink, washing machine or dishwasher, as well as a gas stove, you should take into account the location of the utilities connected.

Kitchen layout

The layout is perhaps the very first thing to think about The layout is perhaps the very first thing to think about A corner layout for a small kitchen is probably the most rational solution. A corner layout for a small kitchen is probably the most rational solution.

When arranging and planning a kitchen, you must follow the basic planning rules that will help in creating an interior:

  1. The sequence of placing the components of the working area should be as follows: stove – work surface – sink – refrigerator.
  2. Household appliances cannot be placed close to each other: a distance of 5 cm must be observed between the appliances.
  3. Before approving the layout, you should make sure that the zones can be placed in the desired way: the availability of water supply, a sewage system, a ventilation duct and gas supply in the required places.
  4. Several outlets should be planned over the future work area, and also do not forget about the backlight.

There are several types of planning:

  • Corner (L-shaped or L-shaped);
  • Parallel (double row);
  • Linear (single row),
  • Ostrovnaya,
  • U-shaped or U-shaped.

Major or cosmetic repairs

If the budget is limited, you can make light cosmetic repairs or add new decorative elements. If the budget is limited, you can make light cosmetic repairs or add new decorative elements.

Apartments – “Khrushchev” were put into operation a long time ago, so the technical condition of the premises is often unimportant. General redevelopment of the kitchen, as a rule, is not complete without a major overhaul of the premises..

After many years of operation, the plaster on the walls crumbles, the systems of utilities wear out, the windows and doors become unusable, the floors are peeling off. The need for overhaul of the premises gives endless possibilities in the planning of zones: when replacing the electrical wiring, you can lay it in a different order, move it to another place of the communication system, visually expand the room when replacing the door with an arch, use the area around the window as ergonomically as possible.

The repair process begins with dismantling the floor and wall covering, replacing windows, doors and pipes, installing the heating system, as well as installing new electrical wiring, when marking it, the future placement of kitchen areas and electrical appliances should be taken into account.

About 30 years ago, the kitchen could be limited to one socket, which plugged in the refrigerator, and a single switch for the overhead light. Now everything is different, the era takes its toll, making a person’s life as comfortable as possible, which in turn requires more power sources.

Interior decoration of the kitchen

Once upon a time, all plastering work was carried out using cement, a trowel and a strong word. The uneven surface of the walls, the gnarled floor and errors in the divergence of parallels were considered the norm. Now everything is different, and the arrangement of a new kitchen requires perfectly flat surfaces of planes: for laying tiles on the floor, for installing apron panels, for installing a false ceiling, etc..

Finishing materials for arranging the interior of a new kitchen in “Khrushchev” must be chosen not only for aesthetic reasons, but also for practical reasons: vinyl washable wallpaper or tiles on the walls of the kitchen will be a more durable coating than textured plaster or acrylic paint. In the modern market of building and finishing materials, you can find a chic variety of apron panels: from stainless steel to Venetian glass.

Colors and lighting

The more light, the more visual space, but do not get carried away with it The more light, the more visual space, but do not get carried away with it

For the correct choice of color solutions for the interior of the future kitchen, some points should be taken into account:

  • For wall decoration in small rooms, it is recommended to use lighter colors in order to visually expand their area. It is advisable to choose the floor a tone darker than the color of the walls, the door to match the floor (if laminate is laid on the floor). The ceiling should be in the same shade as the walls, only much lighter.

When choosing materials for interior decoration of a room, you should adhere to a single color scheme. The use of bright colors is allowed only as small details..

  • It is better to choose light furniture for a small kitchen, and built-in appliances. The same furniture fronts will not create the appearance of a chaotic set of household items of all colors of the rainbow.
  • In arranging a small kitchen, preference should be given to light colors, natural wood textures, facades of simple shapes and straight lines..

Lighting systems in rooms can change their design beyond recognition, creating coziness or, on the contrary, producing a repulsive effect. Each kitchen zone in the “Khrushchev” should have separate lighting: lighting of the workspace, central lighting and lighting of the dining area.

With proper lighting, the light will be bright, but very soft and unobtrusive With proper lighting, the light will be bright, but very soft and unobtrusive

There should always be enough light in the kitchen – both during the day and in the evening:

  • Illumination of the work area will become an integral part of daily use. Spotlights or LED strips and modules can be used in its lighting. An approximate calculation of the backlight power – from 40 to 50 W per 1 m2.

When planning the wiring device, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the points of placement of sockets and switches should be as accessible as possible for the hostess.

  • For local lighting of the dining area, giving a unique coziness to a tiny kitchenette, you can use any lamps, depending on the interior design. These can be spotlights built into the lower tier of the ceiling, wall sconces, etc..
  • In order not to consume unnecessary electricity for lighting during the day, the window should provide maximum light. It should not be cluttered with vertical blinds or voluminous curtains. A short tulle in combination with roller blinds, which are installed deep into the window space and do not take up extra space, will be enough.

Selection of furniture

Such a table and chairs significantly save kitchen space and, in addition, look very original. Such a table and chairs significantly save kitchen space and, in addition, look very original. The apron area can be very functional if you use all the space on the case The apron area can be very functional if you use all the space for business.. When choosing furniture, you should be guided by some rules:

  • The use of built-in household appliances will be more advantageous, since a variety of electrical appliances will hide the same furniture facades.

A microwave oven should not be placed on the surface of the countertops, since with its dimensions it will take up almost the entire usable space of the working area. It can be hung on the wall with brackets or hidden in a wall or base cabinet.

  • The kitchen is used almost daily by the hostess, so an integral part of her arrangement is to provide easy access to all its corners..
  • The speed and quality of cooking homemade food is facilitated by the convenient placement of the components of the working area.
  • The most preferable for a small kitchen in “Khrushchev” will be a linear or angular layout..

Kitchen facades of light shades will visually expand the space of a cramped room.

  • To save space, the door opening system on cabinets should be thought out in such a way that they do not swing open, but rise up.
  • To provide additional storage space for utensils, you can use kitchen rails.

In floor-standing cabinets, pull-out metal structures instead of traditional shelves will provide easier access to hard-to-reach places..

The dining table is an important part of the kitchen interior. In compact kitchens, pull-out, folding tables are used, bar counters adapted to the dining table. The most original of all the above solutions can be a table – a picture mounted on the wall. In place of the painting, you can set your favorite photo or landscape.

You can read more about the arrangement of furniture in a small kitchen in this article.

A traditional round table is more comfortable for a small kitchen, but it takes up more usable space..

Conclusion

A small kitchen, in spite of its size, is quite difficult to renovate, and most importantly, to equip. At the planning stages of the placement of future zones, it is necessary to think over all the details, taking into account every nuance with regards to the aesthetic and practical side of the issue. To make the kitchen in “Khrushchev” cozy and at the same time ergonomic, it is necessary to use all its usable space competently.

Kitchen in Khrushchev (interior photo)

Want more photos of a small kitchen? Then we recommend that you view the article “Small kitchen design: beautiful solutions“.