Have you ever wondered how much time each of us spends in the kitchen? If you are planning a renovation in this room, then it’s time to think about it. The layout of the kitchen, as many believe, matters only to the housewife. But just imagine the situation: after a hard day at work, the head of the family wants to have dinner while watching TV, and the housewife must quickly prepare the dishes and set the table. She rushes between the stove and the refrigerator, and the children get under her feet, begging her to check her homework or play with them. The family is gathered and everyone is jostling in a cramped room, because someone definitely needs to get ketchup out of the refrigerator, while the rest want to quickly take a seat at the table
.
For a small kitchen in a Khrushchev-era building, this situation is a typical evening with family. And the more such evenings there are, the more exhausting they are, because a small room, and even an incorrectly organized one, will sooner or later begin to irritate. Let's try to figure out how to make the kitchen comfortable and functional
to avoid such a situation.
Tip one: think about your furniture layout in advance
To understand how to make your kitchen comfortable, plan your space
. Perhaps most problems disappear when you follow this advice.
Write down, or better yet, sketch a detailed plan for arranging furniture, take as an example a photo of a comfortable kitchen that you like. However, when looking at the photo, consider the size of the room
and its configuration.
There are many arrangement options :
- Corner furniture,
- U-shaped set,
- linear furniture,
- Island design.
After you decide on a convenient arrangement of furniture in the kitchen, carefully take measurements
. If you want to purchase a modular kitchen set, this is a must. Usually it is a set of sections that you can select and install in your kitchen. The modules are very compact, and besides, manufacturers will certainly provide you with a wide range.
When purchasing a headset, pay attention to the following points :
- Which way do the doors of wall cabinets open? If your height is about 170 cm, then cabinets with hinged doors will suit you. For people taller than 180 cm, it is better to choose doors that have a special lift mechanism that opens upward. With them you will be much less likely to hit yourself
. - Be interested in the quality of the fittings, because it is better not to skimp on them. Furniture with cheap fittings will not last long.
- Pay attention to the texture of the facades. Very often, fingerprints and traces of dried water drops remain on the glossy facades of cabinets. In bright sunlight it does not look very aesthetically pleasing.
Tip two: position your working triangle correctly
Few people know about it, but almost everyone subsequently regrets that they did not think about how to create a comfortable kitchen design
.
The work triangle is made up of three main points :
- plate,
- washing,
- refrigerator or dining table.
No comfortable kitchen interior would be complete without these items. All of them should form an isosceles triangle so that the hostess does not waste extra effort and time, making a huge number of unnecessary movements.
When thinking about how to make a small kitchen comfortable, try arranging items in it so as to create a compact work area
. For example, a refrigerator is often taken outside the room, then the sink and stove should be located on the same line, and the third corner in the work area will be the dining table. When space allows, you can position the kitchen unit at an angle, placing a refrigerator at one end, a stove in the middle, and a sink between them.
Be sure to maintain the optimal distance
between parts of the triangle: it should not exceed one and a half meters. In this case, there must certainly be a working surface between them.
Choosing facades
From chipboard and fibreboard
Budget doors made of laminated particleboard are often used for kitchens. But the reason for such popularity is their cheapness - they do not differ in quality. Chipboard and fiberboard are sensitive to humidity, which is why they swell and collapse.
MDF facade
Environmentally friendly raw materials are highly durable compared to previous ones. Among the advantages of fiberboards are:
- The ability to give different shapes - make them convex, voluminous, which means variety in the design of the headset.
- Resistance to moisture - one way or another, there will always be water in the “wet” area, this cannot be avoided.
- Environmentally friendly - unlike chipboard and fiberboard, they do not contain harmful resins.
- They can be painted - which is also an advantage for the interior of the room. It is possible to apply the paint in several layers and create different textures - matte, wrinkled, marbled, or specially aged.
- They do not dry out or become deformed - you can install them next to the stove, and this will not in any way affect the appearance of the set.
Aluminum
They recently “came” to the market. Essentially, aluminum facades consist of three elements: frame, filler and fittings. The frame is made of metal, but the filling can be anything: wood, glass, MDF, plastic and others.
What are the advantages of aluminum facades?
- They are recommended to be used together with glass fillings - such a set will look lighter. Especially relevant for small spaces.
- These doors are also made sliding and hinged - the first option is recommended for small kitchens, it saves space.
Wooden
Natural wood is environmentally friendly, beautiful, and thanks to modern development, practical. The only negative is the price. But there is a choice here too. Budget options are made from pine, then covered with oak stains. And doors made of rare wood will cost much more. But the good thing about this purchase is that it will last for many years and will delight you with its warmth and beauty.
Tip Three: Use the Extra Space
Unfortunately, only a few turn to designers for help to plan a convenient arrangement of furniture in the kitchen. Most people try to discover their own design talent, which sometimes only leads to mistakes.
In your small kitchen there are probably several meters of free space that could be used wisely. For example, a convenient window in the kitchen can easily serve as a compact sofa
, if you come up with and sew several soft pillows yourself. In addition, the window sill can be successfully used as a work surface or dining table.
If the kitchen space is very small, it is not necessary to place a full-fledged table against one of the walls. Instead, you can adapt the original tabletop
with a folding leg mounted on brackets. Simply lift it up and the dining table is ready. By lowering the structure parallel to the wall, you can create additional space for all family members.
Another tip that will be useful in the interior of a comfortable kitchen: the doors of floor cabinets can also be used as additional space
.
Idea
: screw special shelves or hooks made of chromed metal on the inside of the door, this way you can hide all cleaning products, towels and even a trash bin from prying eyes.
Tip four: don’t clutter the room
Remember a simple rule: practical and comfortable kitchens should be free of unnecessary items
. You shouldn’t try to squeeze a washing machine, dishwasher, microwave with multicooker and oven into a small kitchen in Khrushchev. It is quite possible that the washing machine will fit comfortably in the bathroom, and the oven can be replaced with a full-fledged stove.
Try to save space : you can provide a place for the microwave oven on a special hanging shelf. This way, the working surface will remain free. If you can’t imagine life without a dishwasher, buy not a free-standing model, but a fully built-in, compact one.
It is quite possible to replace even a bulky TV with a flat LCD panel, which is built into the facade of one of the wall cabinets.
Tip five: get acquainted with new gadgets
A modern, comfortable kitchen absolutely cannot do without compact and ergonomic devices.
, which are developed almost daily by designers. Some of them can significantly make our life easier and functionally equip the kitchen.
For example, many housewives will really like a drawer with a built-in cutting board and a container for garbage underneath it. A special hole in the board is made in order to carefully brush away inedible food debris. Timely replacement of the cutting board will help to avoid the accumulation of bacteria, and this will be very easy to do.
A variety of roof rails are needed to organize the space
convenient and comfortable kitchen. They are allowed to hang towels and oven mitts, and place structures with jars for spices and kitchen utensils. Thanks to them, the countertop will never be cluttered again.
Also a very convenient gadget
considered an organizer for bulk products. It consists of several tall glass containers with swivel arms attached to a work apron. One movement will be enough to pour cereal or sugar into a container placed under the container.
make a compact device for spices and cereals
. To do this, you need to collect several small jars with a screw cap. Glue the lids to the bottom of the wall cabinet using liquid nails at equal distances. All that remains is to pour spices and seasonings into each of the jars and screw them to the lids.
What types of kitchen countertops are there: materials and features
This is perhaps the most used part of the headset. It is this that we constantly subject to stress - both mechanical and wet - we wipe the surface after cooking. Therefore, increased demands are placed on it. Let's try to sort through the large assortment.
No time to read? Watch the video.
Fake diamond
They are durable, aesthetic and environmentally friendly. Bacteria do not multiply on them, and despite the prefix “artificial”, they have all the advantages of natural stone.
Which type should I choose?
- Acrylic - It is made from acrylic resin. Very solid and also looks beautiful.
- Polyester - this raw material is based on polyester resin, hence the name. It is much cheaper than the first option, but just as durable.
- Quartz - contains rocks and decorative impurities in quartz agglomerate. It is most often chosen for residential premises. Such surfaces are resistant to acids - a useful property, since we all use household chemicals.
A natural stone
- Made from granite - they are smooth, have no pores and therefore always remain clean. The surface is resistant to high temperatures and, of course, durable. Disadvantages include instability to large amounts of water—granite countertops require special water-repellent agents.
- Marble is a very fashionable solution for a modern interior. Gives the interior chic and looks luxurious. The advantages include durability (if properly cared for), safety for human health and absolute uniqueness - there are no marbles with the same pattern in nature. But, unfortunately, marble is afraid of acids, and also easily absorbs liquids. Not the best choice in terms of practicality.
Tree
Wooden surfaces are beautiful and will decorate any set. But they require constant care - every 6-12 months the tree needs to be coated with varnish or oil - depending on the species. Restoration is needed periodically, and you should also be careful with sharp objects and hot dishes so as not to damage the coating.
Tip six: don't make life difficult for yourself
You have to put a lot of effort into making your comfortable compact kitchen also practical.
.
Here are a few secrets that will allow you to solve many problems even before starting repairs:
- Choose a countertop with a smooth surface in a neutral color. A snow-white work surface will sooner or later turn gray in one place and red in another. Under no circumstances should you cut food on the work surface.
- It is desirable that the working surface be solid
, otherwise dirt will inevitably get into even the smallest gap or joint. Washing it is quite problematic. - Select grout for ceramic tiles on the floor or walls that is darker than the tile. It is unlikely that you will be able to efficiently remove dirt from white grout.
- Let the floor tiles be smooth, without visible relief. Otherwise, the floor cloth will not cope with dust and stains on the floor.
Now you know how to conveniently and competently arrange your kitchen.
. The beautiful kitchens in the pictures are just well-designed works of designers. And they are not always practical. Our tips will help you create the kitchen of your dreams: stylish, comfortable and ergonomic.
Choosing frames
laminated chipboard
Laminated chipboard is considered a budget material. The thickness of the panels varies from 16 to 24 mm. To make their appearance more aesthetic, the slabs are lined with white film or melamine. It is believed that LSDP is not resistant to water, and in a “wet” room this is not practical - cheapness often hides a lack of quality. But if you need a temporary option and are ready to part with it in a couple of years, you can save money.
If you constantly use a cabinet with such frames - for example, make them for a sideboard with light dishes, then you can save money
Fiberboard
Fiberboard is another inexpensive option. It has a fine-grained structure, and depending on the category, fiberboard is divided into grades. Its properties are equal to chipboard, but it has a denser structure and can withstand more load. Heavy countertops can be installed on the frames - made of natural or artificial stone, which already indicates good strength.
