In new buildings there are often apartments with an open plan. This is convenient, since the owners themselves determine where to place the kitchen, living rooms, and dressing room. Many combine several functions in one space. To achieve the same effect in an ordinary apartment, sometimes you have to demolish the partitions between rooms. An unusual redevelopment option is a kitchen combined with a hallway, especially if the total area of the apartment is not very large.
Zoning using partitions.
This option has both advantages and disadvantages that should be considered before starting repairs. If, however, the benefits of such a solution exceed the possible problems, feel free to proceed with the redevelopment.
The advantages of this layout
There are two ways to combine the kitchen and hallway. In any of these cases, the combined premises will have a number of advantages:
- If the kitchen is completely moved into the hallway, the usable area of the living space increases. Families who do not cook or do not attach much importance to this process can install a kitchenette near the entrance. The freed up space can be used as an office or another room;
Example of a mini kitchen.
- Removing the partition between the kitchen and the hallway will allow for more efficient use of the space in the common room. The new room has a larger area. The entrance area receives natural light. The absence of a wall makes it possible to arrange the work surface and equipment in the kitchen area more ergonomically.
Efficient use of space.
How to properly zone space
The hallway-kitchen is a multifunctional room and therefore requires proper zoning. It is necessary not only for visual division of space. Some zoning techniques solve practical problems.
A good example of zoning.
Zoning can be done using finishing materials, light or the installation of special structures.
- The decoration of the entrance area and kitchen can be made of different materials. This will not only help to visually separate the two zones, but will also make the room functional. You should choose materials that will withstand temperature changes, high humidity, are wear-resistant, durable;
An example of finishing the entrance area.
- The lighting scenario must support zoning. You can install a backlit mirror at the entrance and several spotlights near the closet. The work surface in the kitchen area should be well lit; track lights are suitable for this, or in the case of an island kitchen - several lampshades on a long cord;
Well lit kitchen.
- You can visually separate the kitchen from the hallway with a plasterboard structure - columns or an arch. A glass sliding partition or bar counter is another way to delimit space without using blank walls.
Kitchen arch.
Moving the kitchen to the hallway - how to organize the space?
When trying to connect two initially incompatible things, the issue is usually resolved by thinking through the nuances of initially insignificant details. So is the interior of the kitchen and the corridor, because the corridor is a passable place, and if possible there should be no obstacles in it. After all, that’s what it’s designed for, so that you can move around it freely.
Therefore, you definitely cannot fit a standard kitchen into it, unless your corridor is 3 meters wide. In general, the kitchen should be moved into the hallway only if it is less wide and spacious.
After installing the kitchen, there should still be free space in it so that you can easily walk through it to other rooms of the apartment. Therefore, to ensure this, it is necessary to optimize the design of the kitchen unit.
Kitchen in the hallway photo
Instead of the standard depth, you can order a set that is less deep, but longer, because a small depth will not narrow the corridor so much, and a large width will compensate for the spaciousness. It makes sense to use sliding doors instead of hinged ones, like the facades of a wardrobe. When open, they will not stick out into the corridor, which will increase ease of use and make the proximity of the kitchen to the corridor more harmonious
In order to avoid visual cramping, and the effect of overhang and clutter, you can abandon the upper cabinets. Kitchens without wall cabinets are becoming very popular today; instead, you can hang a couple of shelves on the wall, this will not greatly burden the interior of the kitchen hallway.
In order to save space in the kitchen, it makes sense to use a multicooker or electric stove instead of a deep gas or electric stove. This is a good alternative that allows you to save a lot of corridor space.
To increase the safety of the kitchen in the hallway, it should not have protruding sharp corners, especially for the countertops at the ends. There must be roundings (radii) in these places.
Moreover, optimization concerns not only the design of the headset, but also its design. Therefore, if possible, it is necessary to avoid decorating the kitchen in dark colors, because most often the corridor is poorly lit by natural light, since it is located far from the windows. Therefore, its interior should be as light as possible, not only the finishing material of the walls and floors should be light, but also the kitchen set itself.
Moving the kitchen to the hallway photo
It is also necessary to provide high-quality artificial lighting, because the kitchen is a practical place for preparing food, therefore it should be very well lit, for this you can use both ceiling and wall lamps.
A kitchen in the hallway is a great idea for apartments with an initially small kitchen room; with successful and thoughtful placement of the unit in the hallway, you can get not only an additional free room, but also a very functional kitchen and a free, walkable corridor.
Things to consider
When deciding to combine two rooms, you need to consider the following:
- The law prohibits moving kitchens with gas stoves. They cannot be combined with other rooms either. An option to solve this problem could be an enlarged opening with sliding partitions;
- Any redevelopment must be approved. Even moving a doorway requires permission from a specialized organization. When preparing a plan for demolishing a partition, make sure that it is not load-bearing. This will save time for you and the organization that will coordinate the project;
- Combining the kitchen with the hallway requires the installation of a ventilation system. Otherwise, all kitchen odors will be absorbed into your outerwear.
When deciding to demolish the partition between the kitchen and the hallway, weigh all the pros and cons of such a redevelopment. If the extraordinary idea of combining them is not a whim and has a basis, then you can safely get approval and begin repairs. Having thought through all the details, making the right choice of materials and furniture, the result can be a large, bright space that is comfortable and stylish.
Another example of a layout.
Techniques for arranging a kitchen-hallway
All redevelopment projects that combine a kitchen with a corridor are developed individually and depend on the size and placement of the rooms, as well as on the preferences of the homeowner. But there are several tips that are recommended to be followed in any case.
First of all, the recommendations concern the location of the bathroom. If, when combined, it ends up between rooms, a transfer is necessary - and the partition remaining from the bathroom between the kitchen and hallway will serve to separate the zones. However, this will entail additional costs:
- for alteration of sewer and water pipes;
- transfer of risers;
- removing walls.
But, if funds allow, the option is quite feasible. In cases where removing a bathroom would be too expensive, it is left as a boundary between rooms.
If you plan not to completely move the kitchen into the corridor, but only to combine adjacent areas, it is recommended not to remove the entire wall, but to punch a through hole in the form of a rectangular or round arched passage. Sometimes only the upper part of the opening is removed, leaving the lower part for arranging kitchen utensils or flowers and at the same time providing natural lighting to the corridor from the kitchen window.
The L-shaped arrangement of the cooking room relative to the hallway may affect the load-bearing walls when combined and will require permission from government services and replacement of the gas stove with an electric one.
A beautiful hallway can become a full-fledged part of the interior
Photo gallery: Examples of kitchen-hallway design
Expert Yulia Kovtunova (Author, content manager) Work experience: 3 years, since 2020.
