Secrets of successful layout of large and small kitchens

Universal requirements

When choosing kitchen units, you first need to:

• measure the room;
• decide on the layout;
• create a kitchen space arrangement project.

Measure with a tape measure sequentially:

• door and window openings;
• length of individual walls;
• spaces between them;
• gap from floor to window sill;
• ceiling height;
• dimensions of protruding elements - pipes, batteries, cable ducts, wall lamps, switches, household appliances.

When thinking through the layout, you cannot limit yourself only to considerations of the required amount of kitchen furniture. You need to pay attention to the layout of it. In some cases, pieces of furniture are placed straight, in others - at an angle, sometimes - in the form of the letter “P”. Each of these options is good in its own way and directly affects the selection of the required range of items.

Over 90% of kitchen sets today are formed from ready-made blocks (modules), which allows you to use the space more fully and flexibly change the layout.

The headsets themselves with the second tier are selected based on:

• dimensions;
• design features;
• manufacturer's brand;
• used materials;
• functional characteristics.

Minuses

— A set with a parallel layout is usually made to order. It is difficult to fit a finished kitchen into an elongated room in order to use the available space as efficiently as possible.

— If the kitchen is small and narrow, be prepared to move the dining group into the living room. A kitchen set in two rows will not leave room for a large dining table and comfortable chairs.

— In a walk-through kitchen with parallel arrangement of furniture, the hostess now and then runs the risk of getting in someone’s way. Therefore, plan a kitchen with this design only if your household has a workaround.

— When arranged in two rows, kitchen furniture visually clutters up the space and looks more massive than other furniture options. A narrow kitchen may seem even narrower.

- In a large kitchen, the distance between the vertices of the working triangle - the refrigerator, sink and stove - may be too large, which will create additional inconvenience for the housewife.

“Two or three chefs can’t get by in such a kitchen.” Therefore, if you like to cook with your children or as a couple with your husband/mother/sister/girlfriend, give preference to a straight or corner kitchen layout.

Recommendations for selection

The most important point is the height of the working surfaces. It is usually selected taking into account the height of users. For working with standard household appliances, a height of 0.85-0.9 m is better suited. Some professionals believe that buying a set with working surfaces of different heights is more justified.

However, there are no ready-made products of this kind, and custom-made furniture immediately increases the cost of furniture.

As for the products of domestic and imported factories, the difference in price between them is small. It’s definitely not possible to find very cheap, high-quality furniture. However, in the middle price range, Russian manufacturers can offer a decent choice. Imported analogues of comparable quality will be more expensive - after all, they have to be transported further and cleared through customs. Regarding materials, the recommendations are as follows:

• Chipboard is the cheapest, but not very reliable;
• MDF is environmentally friendly and absolutely safe, resistant to fungi;
• natural solid wood looks very impressive and is mechanically strong, but you will have to pay a lot of money for it.

Having understood the materials of the main parts of the headset, you can choose the style and color. Classic furniture products are characterized by a complex structure and subtle additions. They are always fresh and harmonious, looking romantic.

A mandatory feature is the elegance of forms.

The modern style is fundamentally different, which is characterized by:

• geometry accuracy;
• simplicity of module design;
• boldness of design decisions;
• creating a simple, laconic kitchen space.

Two-tier structures designed in the style of Provence are popular. They will add warmth and comfort to the house and reproduce the atmosphere typical of old dwellings in the Mediterranean part of France.

The choice of a specific style is always at the discretion of the owners , who are not obliged to listen to anyone’s recommendations. But there is a general practical rule, derived from the experience of generations - the more novelty and avant-garde notes in a style, the less stable the fashion for it.

As for the predominant colors of the kitchen, you must immediately make a choice between colors that relax and increase emotional tone.

In a room facing the sunny side, it is advisable to use tones from a cold palette, such as:

• grey;
• green or jade;
• lemon yellow;
• red.

If there is an acute lack of lighting, the more preferable choice is:

• pink;
• light chocolate;
• peach;
• vanilla;
• apricot color.

About headset formats

A corner multi-level kitchen is in demand. It can be arranged in any area and saves space as much as possible. Designers note that this solution is optimal for studio-type apartments and small kitchens. Along with saving usable space, the kitchen is divided into separate zones. Every corner two-level kitchen, along with the “corner”, contains a couple of segments located on the edges of it.

When choosing a corner scheme, it is advised to prepare the diagram from the center, and then systematically expand the set to the required length. The main role in such a composition will be played by wall cabinets and floor cabinets. In addition to them, you can use:

• bar counters;
• false communication boxes;
• roof rails with chrome surface;
• sections for built-in equipment;
• hanging cornices with auxiliary lighting.

As for the direct layout of the kitchen, a striking example is the Imperial-3 model. This is an expressive representative of high-tech style. Using this example, it is easy to evaluate the advantages of solutions with a double row of wall cabinets. They are very roomy and allow you to reduce to a minimum the useless space from the top edge of the cabinet to the ceiling.

U-shaped kitchen design

If, after studying all the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed layout, you decide to go with this option, then you need to think about the design of a U-shaped kitchen. At first it seems that everything is simple: install the furniture in a U shape, squeeze in the equipment, and you’re done. But in fact, such a layout involves many design options.

It is recommended to design a U-shaped kitchen only if the width of the room is more than 3 meters.

With installation of a bar counter

The first and most common option is adding a bar counter. Due to the fact that such a layout with a small space does not make it possible to allocate a large dining area, a bar counter is a good choice. It will replace the dining table and fulfill its intended purpose, and can also serve as an additional workspace.

Important! When installing a bar counter, be sure to take into account the height of the main elements of the U-shaped layout

U-shaped kitchen design with a breakfast bar.

If you want a full-fledged bar counter, make it stepped. This can be done in two ways:

• Additional section on top. The result is a kind of superstructure, which can be made in the form of a step with free space or in the form of a cabinet. The first option is more practical, since the space under the countertop can be used.
• Additional section on the side. In this case, a full-fledged bar counter is made, which is located several levels higher than a regular tabletop.

Bar counter in the design of a small kitchen.

Choose any suitable option and start making your choice.

With window

Another important element is the window. It should be in every kitchen. And with a U-shaped design, the window turns out to be activated. However, you can plan the kitchen in such a way that the window is at the base of the letter p, in which case it will not be used. But this option is also somewhat inconvenient for several reasons:

• the source of natural light is behind the back;
• An unused window takes up extra space.

Design of a U-shaped kitchen with a window.

Therefore, it is better to use the window and make it one of the U-shaped layout zones. Often the window sill is extended and converted into a work area or bar counter. In this situation, the design project will be the most convenient and harmonious.

Interior of a small kitchen with a large window.

With an island

This option can only be done if the kitchen dimensions are quite large. Usually the island is located in the middle of the letter p, and can serve as:

1. working surface: here is the oven, sink and cutting table;
2. dining table (somewhat inconvenient option);
3. bar counter;
4. storage spaces.

U-shaped kitchen design with island.

The most common are the first and third options. You can combine them. The island is convenient because it can be made to any height, and it does not have to be coordinated with the height of the main countertops.

Kitchen-living room

By combining the kitchen with the living room, you increase its space. In this case, you can move the dining area to the living room and fully use the kitchen. Here it is possible to make both an island and a separate full-fledged bar counter, and not use the window sill as a work surface.

Design of a kitchen-living room in country style.

Important! The window can be left unused only if it does not interfere with the full natural lighting of the room. With such a general layout, it is better to make a bar counter bordering the living room

This is very convenient, and in this way you will visually separate the kitchen from the living room

With such a general layout, it is better to make a bar counter bordering the living room. This is very convenient, and in this way you will visually separate the kitchen from the living room.

Design of a kitchen-living room with a bar counter.

Small kitchen

We mentioned that if the room is small, it is better to abandon such a layout. But when the choice has already been made, and you don’t want to give it up, then you can use this option for a small kitchen. But with changes.

In this case, it is important to make the most of the usable space. Here are some examples:

• use the window sill as a work area;
• reduce work space;
• use more space for hanging cabinets;
• make one side of the headset narrower.

In a small kitchen, you can use the window sill as a work space.

But make sure that there is not a large clutter of furniture and equipment, otherwise the room will seem even smaller.

Design samples

Now you can see what specific options look like.

The photo shows a light gray set with a clear height division in the main work area. The same “marble” coloring of the apron and tabletop looks unusual.

And this is what the space of a two-level kitchen looks like, built on the play of black and white colors. The combination of a black countertop and the same side wall of the cabinet with light fronts looks nice.

The absence of handles allows you to make the design more concise and simpler.

This photograph shows the interior of a wooden two-level kitchen. A set of light wood goes well with a bar counter made of the same material. The light gray tabletop looks discreet and does not draw attention to itself. Open shelves on the upper tier eliminate monotony. Skillfully used decorative objects bring the composition to perfection.

For an overview of the two-level kitchen, watch the video below.

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Who is suitable for parallel planning?

The layout of a parallel kitchen primarily involves a special geometry of the room. This is due to the depth of the drawers and countertops, as well as the required distance between them.

The width of the room should be at least 2.5 meters, the distance between the rows should be 1.2-1.5 m. If there is less than 120 cm between the drawers, it will be inconvenient for you to move around the room, because the furniture opens 40-60 cm and interferes with walking. If it is more than 150 cm, you will spend too much time and energy moving around while cooking.

Advice! For rooms less than 250 cm wide, place shallow floor and wall cabinets on one of the walls: this way you will be able to maintain the required distance between the rows to move comfortably.

The photo shows a black set with open shelves

Touching upon the topic of the advisability of placing furniture in two rows, it is worth noting: it is really needed by those who love to cook, have a lot of things to store and are going to place as many kitchen appliances as possible. Otherwise, designers advise saving space and getting by with a kitchen set on one side.

The photo shows an elongated kitchen in Scandi style

Reasons to purchase a two-level set

A two-level kitchen set is a modern trend in kitchen furniture. It helps to make maximum use of space, which is especially important for small spaces, as well as for those who value the aesthetics of space. The main feature is 2 levels of wall cabinets of different depths, which are mounted right up to the ceiling. This gives several advantages:

1. 1 spaciousness and multifunctionality;
2. 2 convenience for storing rarely used things and objects;
3. 3 absence of non-functional distance between cabinets and ceiling;
4. 4 the ability to hide the hood and its duct;
5. 5 harmonious appearance.

It is equally important that such a kitchen looks truly stylish. It fits into studio apartments, spacious kitchen-living rooms and small rooms. With such a set, everything is in its place, there are a minimum of objects on the working surface, so everything looks neat. Even small multi-depth two-level kitchens allow you to ergonomically organize space and unload the lower cabinets. Free space can be allocated for a full-fledged dining table, where you can gather with the whole family.

Thanks to our own production, we have a large selection of kitchen sets. From us you can buy a linear, U-shaped or corner model. The color scheme has no restrictions, so two-level wall cabinets in the kitchen can be made to match the style of the room. You can make them in close or contrasting colors, bright or pastel shades. Contact us and we will take into account any of your wishes!

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There are several kitchen layouts

Direct method - the kitchen set is installed in a straight line along the wall. This layout is suitable for owners of small areas. The other half is perfect for a dining area: table and chairs. And you can install all the equipment in the headset.

If the kitchen area allows, then you can use a two-line layout - the set will be installed along two opposite walls. This will allow you to arrange the placement of equipment in the most advantageous location.

The most universal is considered to be the corner so-called “G”-shaped kitchen. It will successfully transform a small and walk-through room. A comfortable dining area will appear. In this option, the sink, stove and refrigerator should be located nearby to increase the working surface.

A less common option is when the set is installed along three walls at once, the so-called “P” - shaped. This layout is only available to those who have a large kitchen. The whole advantage of this design is that there will be no problems with the arrangement of appliances and other kitchen utensils.

Read: Sofa for the kitchen - 115 photos of ideas in the kitchen interior

The next option is the so-called peninsular solution, when the room is divided by a bar counter or table.

There is also an island method. An example would be kitchens in restaurants or canteens, when the modules and hob are located in the center of the room. The main thing is not to forget that such design solutions can only be implemented in large rooms.