Where to begin
It is difficult to surprise residents of the post-Soviet space with a cramped kitchen; most owners have become accustomed to the inconvenience. Those who decide to change the current state of affairs and improve the quality of life have only two global approaches in their arsenal:
- Decide on redevelopment to really increase the usable area.
- Remain within the same boundaries, but take a fresh look at the available meters and make them as useful as possible.
Kitchen without a balcony Source yandex.net
How the kitchen will be transformed depends on the needs of the owners. Redevelopment can be a salvation for a large family, but it will not be needed for a bachelor owner, who only needs to change the kitchen design by 4 meters. In any case, before starting renovation work, it is useful to get answers to a few questions.
Design with folding table Source yandex.net
Where you cook often and a lot, you cannot do without a work area, a full-fledged stove, a large refrigerator and many small but useful units. To decide what appliances you will need, think about a few things:
- What dimensions of household appliances will be optimal.
With a large refrigerator Source freshome.com
- Is it possible to replace some familiar appliances to free up additional space, for example, replace the stove with a hob, and replace the oven with a microwave oven with convection.
- A spacious two-compartment refrigerator with a freezer is a question that is not discussed, or is it enough for you to have a unit built under the countertop.
With a small refrigerator Source design-homes.ru
- Perhaps some of the necessary but rarely used household appliances can be stored in the pantry, and the dining area can be arranged in the next room.
- What kind of sink will there be and how much space should be allocated for kitchen utensils and products in the kitchen in 4 square meters. m (here it is also useful to remember about the pantry).
With built-in household appliances Source vsevdom.info
Arrangement of furniture and equipment
To make a small kitchen spacious, it is better to opt for small-sized appliances. Best suited:
- hob with two burners (gas or electric);
- narrow refrigerator;
- dishwasher no more than 45 cm wide;
- small oven with microwave function.
But it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to place a washing machine in such a modest area; it’s better to choose another place for it.
If you want to arrange a dining area, you should also choose tables and chairs primarily based on compactness. It is better to use an extendable table, a bar counter instead of a table, or a folding tabletop. You can add folding chairs, it can also be stools and a bench.
If you don’t want to put the refrigerator in another room, you need to position it so that it stands at the end of the row of furniture, at the end of the aisle or against the wall. This applies to U-shaped and L-shaped headsets. If the design of the set is linear, the refrigerator in a small kitchen is 4 sq. m are placed opposite in the corner, and a table can be placed next to the refrigerator.
All equipment should be built into the set to avoid additional loss of space. An exception may be the refrigerator.
Redevelopment path
There are several very labor-intensive ways to increase kitchen space. Any alteration is accompanied by obtaining permits and approval of changes made to documents and to the BTI. You can find additional meters for a 4-square-meter kitchen in the following cases:
- If there is a balcony adjacent to the kitchen . You can combine these rooms and arrange a dining area in place of the balcony.
Combination with a balcony Source diy.obi.ru
- If there is a storage room next to the kitchen . By combining them together, you will have enough space to put a pencil case or large refrigerator, the most difficult item to find a place for.
When you don’t mind sacrificing storage space Source interiormag.ru
- Connection with the corridor . They take this step when there are no other options. The idea is not the best, but it is quite suitable for tiny one-room apartments where there are no other resources. The kitchen set will definitely have to be made to order.
Kitchen combined with hallway Source oz90.ru
- If you combine the kitchen with the living room . This redevelopment has its pros and cons, but it solves the problem. It is easier to create a full-fledged workspace in a combined space. The dining area, as a rule, is located on the border of two rooms, and the kitchen design is 4 square meters. m is performed in the same style as the living room.
Small kitchen-living room Source pinimg.com
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in interior remodeling of houses
Zoning the space
Surely there are few women who will devote the entire area of such a kitchen to a work area, even if the house has a separate dining room and a bunch of other necessary rooms that allow you not to save space.
I have no doubt that there are such people. They have the power to create for themselves with their own hands a U-shaped kitchen with an island - a real paradise for lovers of frying, steaming, baking and cooking.
A home chef's dream
But I’m not one of them; a 2x2 meter corner and a couple of high “pencil cases” are enough for me: one for the oven and microwave and the second for storing a strategic supply of food.
An indispensable and obligatory piece of kitchen equipment in our family is TV, which we only have time to watch while preparing and eating food.
Therefore, there should be a dining room with a comfortable place to relax, and you want to highlight it visually using one or more of the following techniques:
- A podium on the floor and a ceiling beam along the border of the two zones. A raised dining table looks great.
- Bar counter.
Kitchen design with a bar counter
- Sliding doors. The option is interesting, but still 16 square meters is not enough to split them into two small rooms.
- Different wall and floor finishes with a clear boundary between them.
The zoning effect is further emphasized by different lamps
There are also options with wide arched openings and low partitions, but I don’t want to split the space so radically. What’s also great about a spacious kitchen is the ability to choose any colors and textures for decoration, any interior styles. The main thing is not to get carried away and not to overload it with furniture and decor.
Kitchen space layout
Proper arrangement of furniture and appliances is what is often missing in a 4 square meter kitchen; design with a refrigerator involves the use of ergonomic rules. Only in this case the space will become comfortable, and cooking will take a minimum of time.
Layout without dining area Source kimkatrinmilan.com
The main criterion used in the ergonomics of the kitchen space is the rule of the working triangle. It should be convenient for the housewife to move between three main points: the stove, the sink and the refrigerator. The relative position of these objects is dictated by the location of communications.
Work triangle Source modernplace.ru
Typically, designing a 4-meter kitchen begins with the sink; it is the most difficult to move; the slab is moved more often. When developing a new layout, it is important not to forget about the location of sockets and switches; some of them may also need to be moved.
Circular design Source mt.ru
They try to make the distance between the points of the working triangle the same; in a 4 m kitchen it rarely exceeds 80-100 cm. The height of the kitchen unit cannot be ignored. When planning a kitchen, they focus on the height of the family member who cooks more often. It is believed that the tabletop will be comfortable if its surface is 15 cm below the elbow.
Window sill as an additional work surface Source mt.ru
Plan for arranging furniture in a 4 sq.m. kitchen. meter with a refrigerator depends on where the window, door and pipes are located. The following options seem convenient:
- Angular (L-shaped) layout . The furniture is located along two adjacent walls, making it easy to organize an ergonomic work group. You can further save space by making one side narrower. The downside is that a corner set, and even a custom-made one, will cost more than a straight one.
Corner layout with an additional table Source yandex.net
How to visually increase space
Design of a small kitchen with an area of 4 square meters. m will be successful if you choose the right palette, materials and lighting. An effective and therefore widespread technique is to decorate in light and pastel colors, maximizing the space. Designers offer the following developments:
- Choose one shade for the walls and ceiling. If the ceiling is low, make it two or three shades lighter.
With an emphasis on the kitchen apron Source yandex.net
- If the wall farthest from the entrance is made lighter than the others, this will work to visually lengthen the room.
- If the facades of the set and the walls are made in the same color, the set will merge with the decoration and dissolve in space.
Interior with loft elements Source hzcdn.com
- Materials with a reflective effect and glossy facades that will diffuse light are suitable for finishing.
- Glossy white or pastel colored tiles are suitable for finishing the floor. It can be replaced with a light laminate with board imitation.
- Multi-level lighting, including bright spotlights, will help make the room larger. They are built into furniture or along the perimeter of the ceiling.
Bright details enliven the interior Source inspirerend-wonen.be
Choosing a kitchen style
The design of a 4 sq. m kitchen should not be radically different from the interior style of the rest of the apartment, this is especially true for studios in which the kitchen is an unenclosed part. The small size of the kitchen space is not a reason to impose restrictions on the choice of style: with its help you can visually make the kitchen more spacious and create coziness.
High tech
This style implies austerity, a mixture of black and white colors, sometimes dark brown shades and varnished wood are used. The doors and countertops are plain, with a polished surface. The most popular predominant color in a high-tech kitchen is white. As you can see in the photo of a 4 m kitchen, this design is ideal for a small space, since it follows the principle of “nothing superfluous”, and also makes the interior stylish and modern.
High-tech kitchen
Classic
The classic kitchen style is the most popular. The set is often distinguished by exquisite carvings on the surfaces, as well as by disguising appliances (refrigerator, oven, dishwasher) with doors in the same style. This design is suitable for those who feel comfortable in a traditional setting. In addition, porcelain dishes and cute kitchen decorations will fit perfectly into such an interior.
Scandinavian style
This style implies minimalism, and this is exactly what a small space needs. This design is not colorful and also eliminates the clutter of objects in a small area. When designing a Scandinavian-style kitchen, you need to plan the space so that only the essentials are on visible surfaces. A set made in the same style and a minimum of things will make a small kitchen visually more spacious.
Scandinavian style kitchen
For a Scandinavian-style kitchen, you need to choose a roomy set, otherwise the idea will fail due to the large number of things in the visible space.
Modern
The Art Nouveau style has something in common with the high-tech style, as it often includes shiny polished surfaces and looks very modern. The difference is that this style is often characterized by bright colors and a lot of imagination when choosing a kitchen apron. This design can be an interesting solution if the goal is to visually separate the kitchen from the rest of the interior.
The latest technology looks great in a modern style kitchen.
Eco style
Eco-style design supports the concept of “closer to nature.” The furniture for such a kitchen is most often made of wood, and kitchen attributes include herbariums, a decorative “lawn”, green details, wicker rugs for plates and much more. At the renovation stage, you can use imitation stonework or heterogeneous brick to decorate the walls.
Country
Many people consider the rustic style to be the sweetest and most cozy, so they willingly choose it. This style includes some negligence and roughness, wear and imitation of antiquity. Natural materials are used in furniture, decoration and textiles and preference is given to a natural color palette. Handmade items, as well as traditional patterns and ornaments, will fit into the interior. You can experiment endlessly in this niche. The ease and simplicity of a small country-style kitchen will make it a pleasant place for cooking and cozy gatherings.
Stylistics
Limited footage dictates its own laws, which is why the choice of kitchen design for 4 square meters. meters will be significantly limited. To make the interior stylish without losing functionality, the following styles are suitable:
- Minimalism . Limiting decorative details and furniture pieces benefits small spaces. If pure minimalism seems boring to you, decorate the kitchen with notes of Scandinavian or Japanese style, it will turn out stylish and unusual.
In Japanese style Source mt.ru
- Eco style . A fashionable trend that has many similarities with minimalism. It is distinguished by the use of a soft, but more saturated palette with beige, sand, and green shades. Plastic is used to a minimum, preference is given to wood and stone (or their high-quality imitation).
Romance of eco-style Source architizer-prod.net
- Decoration with elements of country styles . If you like Provence or country, you shouldn’t give it up completely. A minimalist design can easily be complemented with individual style details (for example, curtains or tiles with a suitable pattern).
With a touch of country Source design-homes.ru
Briefly about the main thing
The cramped space of a kitchen spread over 4 squares is a problem for any, even the most patient housewife. There are two ways to correct the situation. Redevelopment will really help expand the space. It is carried out in different ways, depending on the characteristics of the room, the presence of a storage room or balcony. The second way is to choose materials and palettes that help make the kitchen seem larger.
Methods can be combined, but in any case it will be necessary to reconsider the approach to planning and arranging a compact area. An inspection of kitchen appliances will be required, and for each item you will need to find a specific place.
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