Design of a small kitchen: tips for arranging, practical and cozy solutions. Direct kitchen - the secrets of a convenient layout from the designer

Do you think that a kitchen with an area of ​​​​3 square meters is fiction from the realm of fantasy? Not at all. In houses of old buildings, such tiny rooms are found all the time. It seems to the owners of apartments in new modern buildings that it is impossible to equip a functional kitchen on such an area. But, as practice shows, nothing is impossible in the world of design. Of course, in this case, it is impossible to apply standard developments that allow you to arrange all the necessary furniture and household appliances. In a small area, it is necessary to carefully consider the appropriateness of using each element. Only in this case, it is possible to achieve the creation of a functional room.


If it is possible to enlarge the kitchen by combining it with a corridor or a loggia, do not miss this opportunity. An additional meter and a half will allow you to organize the space rationally. The best option is to combine a miniature kitchenette with an adjacent room. Usually a living room is located through the partition. By combining the two rooms, you can get enough space to organize a kitchen-dining room-living room. It is much easier to arrange a large area, in this case it is appropriate to use zoning, visual division of space. If it is not possible to demolish the partition between the kitchen and the living room, use the slightest opportunity to increase 3 sq.m. It can be a niche, a bathroom, which can be rebuilt and part of the room can be allocated for a kitchen, a hall, a balcony.

Using alternatives

Not in all apartments, you can demolish the walls and change the layout. In this case, you will have to be content with the available space and create a functional kitchen on 3 square meters in the photo. Again, an additional area that was not previously involved will help. So if you have a balcony or loggia, you can place a refrigerator here. In the pantry, it is recommended to equip a storage system for dishes and bulk products.

If the kitchen is 3 sq.m. borders on the bathroom, you can cut a window in the wall, which will allow you to place a sink designed for two functional rooms. Once the refrigerator and sink are determined, consider where to place the stove and work surface. If you are not one of those housewives who often treat the family with pastries, then the stove can be replaced with a compact hob. This will significantly save space, because under the hob, you can place a box for storing pots and pans. For a small family, can be used on four instead of two hob. The small dimensions of the stove will additionally give a usable area.

Be sure to have a kitchen of 3 sq m in the photo, should include a work surface. This functional part can be placed between the hob and the sink, installed in the corner or built into the wall between the kitchen and the bathroom. Instead of overall cabinets, it is recommended to use open shelving to store the necessary kitchen utensils. Such designs will not weigh down the space and will not clutter it up.


Interior design

A small kitchen involves the use of finishing materials in light colors. The ceiling can be puttied and painted with snow-white water-based paint, or you can order a tension structure. Very nice in a small kitchenette of 3 sq.m. a glossy stretch ceiling of milky color will look. There should be no embossed finish on the walls. The best choice is to paint the walls with pastel paint.


Paint should be selected safe for the environment, not afraid of repeated washing and the influence of high temperatures and humidity conditions. For the floor, you can purchase linoleum or laminate. The first option is practical and not expensive. A rich color variety will help you choose a material that imitates the appearance of wood or natural stone.

Choosing a headset

Create a beautiful and functional kitchen design 3 sq.m. in the photo, it's not easy. After the repair work, a small room should be furnished with suitable furniture. It is impossible to buy a ready-made headset for such an area.

This problem can be solved in three ways:

  • Purchase separate cabinets, shelving, a transforming table, chairs.
  • Order custom-made furniture.
  • Make your own headset.

If the kitchen is small, this does not mean that the required number of cabinets cannot be placed here. Knowing a little trick, you can use the entire available area rationally. Namely - to use not overall wide cabinets, but narrow racks and shelves that occupy the entire height of the room.

What are direct kitchens, how to choose a comfortable kitchen set with a linear layout, 75 real photos of direct kitchens in the interior.

A direct kitchen is a layout option in which all elements of the kitchen set are located along one wall. The arrangement of the refrigerator, sink and stove in one row is not always convenient for the hostess: such a layout violates the principle of the triangle - the main one for kitchen ergonomics. Therefore, if the area allows, a direct kitchen set is often combined with an island or peninsula.

Who will suit the linear kitchen

  • if you have a small kitchen (in a Khrushchev or other typical house with small apartments), you cook little and don’t need a lot of storage space for supplies
  • your kitchen with a complex layout - narrow, elongated, with ledges, niches, an inconveniently located doorway or access to a balcony
  • you have a studio apartment, or the kitchen is combined with the living room
  • you live alone / you are a young family without children
  • you don’t like to cook a lot, the simplest set of household appliances is enough for you (make a cup of coffee in the morning, heat a bun in the microwave or cook spaghetti)
  • you want to equip a full-fledged dining area in a standard kitchen: put a large dining table with chairs, or even better, a small straight or corner sofa.

pros

- This is the easiest option for designing if you are doing a kitchen design project yourself.

- Direct kitchen sets are the most inexpensive. A kitchen with a linear layout is significantly cheaper than a U-shaped or corner kitchen of similar dimensions, because it does not have the most expensive modules - corner cabinets and end cabinets.

— This kitchen is compact. It takes up less space than a corner one, is less conspicuous, and the room seems more spacious.

- A linear kitchen does not have corners that are difficult to reach. So you don’t have to buy expensive accessories like a “magic corner” or a “carousel”. All cabinets and drawers are fully accessible, everything you need is always at hand.

- If you decide to buy a ready-made inexpensive kitchen or assemble it from modules, a single-row set is the best choice. It is easiest to fit into the dimensions of the room. But if the layout of the kitchen is non-standard, and the walls are "crooked" - make a direct kitchen to order.

- Well suited for a small kitchen or small-sized studio, and for a spacious apartment with an open layout.

Minuses

- The principle of a triangle does not work with a linear layout. The ergonomics of a direct kitchen always loses to a corner or U-shaped one.

- If the direct kitchen is long (more than 3-4 meters), it will be inconvenient to use it. You will spend a lot of extra time and effort every day running back and forth between the refrigerator, sink and stove.

- If the kitchen is small, and you also need to fit a refrigerator in it, it will be difficult for you to make a working surface of a normal length.

  • Recommended:

The minimum length of a straight kitchen that is convenient to use is 2.5 meters.

1. Move the sink away from the wall so you don't hit the wall with your elbow

The design project of any kitchen begins with a “wet point”. The sink is located where water outlets are already installed - usually they are located in the corner. With a straight kitchen layout, the sink is usually on the edge. And here there is a big minus: if you put the sink close to the wall, when washing dishes, your elbow will rest against the wall. Represented? Uncomfortable! Especially if the wall is on the right. Solution: choose a cabinet for washing wider - not 600, but 700-800 mm, or add a retractable cargo bottle at the edge so that a small section of the countertop remains between the edge of the bowl and the wall. It can be closed with a sink wing or put a dish dryer there.

  • If the length of the kitchen does not exceed 2.5 meters, if desired, you can easily move the sink to another location. The best option for a direct kitchen is when the sink is located in the middle, between the refrigerator and the stove. But if the kitchen is long, it is much more difficult to transfer communications - you will need a pump.
  • Place the dishwasher and washing machine as close to the sink as possible. The closer the output of communications, the better the drain will work. And you don't have to carry dirty dishes far away.

2. Give preference to deep cabinets

If you have a narrow elongated kitchen and decide to order a kitchen set with a straight layout, make lower cabinets at least 60 cm deep. This compensates for the lack of storage space. But keep in mind: there must be a passage of at least a meter between the headset and the opposite wall / dining table - otherwise the kitchen will become too cramped.

3. The main work surface - between the sink and the stove

According to the rules of ergonomics, there should be a main work surface between the sink and the hob for cutting vegetables and other work with food. Its optimal length is from 40 to 80 cm. Less - it will be inconvenient for you to cook, more - waste a lot of effort.

  • If the kitchen is very small (for example, in Khrushchev or a mini-studio), pay attention to compact hobs with two or three burners. The latter have a width of 45 cm instead of the standard 60 cm, but lose little in functionality.

4. Between the stove and the refrigerator, leave a “gap” of at least 15 centimeters

The work surface between the hob and the refrigerator performs several functions: firstly, you need a place to put food, and secondly, such an indentation protects the side wall of the refrigerator from greasy splashes and heat (especially if you have a gas stove).

5. If the straight kitchen is long, use tall column cabinets

You can hide a refrigerator in them, build in spacious retractable storage systems, an oven, a microwave oven or a coffee maker. If desired, even a washing machine can be placed in such a cabinet.

  • Pencil cabinets fit perfectly into the design of the kitchen-studio: they split up the space less and harmonize better with cabinet furniture for the living room.

6. Order a kitchen with tall upper cabinets or a mezzanine

Instead of hanging cabinets with a standard height of 700-720 mm, give preference to high ones - 900-920 mm. There will be more storage space, plus tall cabinets visually pull the kitchen up - a valuable feature if you need to visually increase the height of the ceiling.

An alternative option is to plan a straight single-row kitchen with two-tier wall cabinets. At the very top, it is convenient to store what you use the least. Plus, the facades perfectly mask the pipe from the hood and make the design of a direct kitchen integral and harmonious.

7. A peninsula or island makes a single-row kitchen more convenient.

If you have an open-plan studio apartment or a kitchen-living room and space allows, plan a direct kitchen set with a peninsula (it requires less space) or an island. They usually serve as a work desk or bar counter, and you will have additional cabinets for storage.

  • Leave a passage of at least 100-120 cm between the kitchen unit and the peninsula / island, otherwise it will be inconvenient to use the cabinets.
  • A direct kitchen with a breakfast bar can do without a dining table, but for this it is very important to choose comfortable bar stools.

8. Choose narrow appliances if the kitchen is small

In a direct kitchen, every centimeter is a jewel. Place a narrow 45 cm wide dishwasher and you can carve out a place for a convenient sink with two bowls.

9. Let the furniture blend into the wall

Do you want the kitchen to “dissolve” into space in a kitchen-living room or studio? Order deaf smooth facades of the headset to match the wall decoration (light shades are the best choice).

Which kitchen is better - straight or corner?

It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously: it all depends on what habits your family has and what data your apartment has. Based on the feedback from readers of our site and visitors to popular Internet forums, we have drawn the following conclusions:

- A direct linear kitchen is more convenient if you need a full-fledged dining area or a mini-living room with a sofa

- A small straight headset disciplines: it forces you to regularly get rid of trash and buy only the most necessary things - there is simply nowhere to store useless things.

- A linear set in a kitchen-studio or in a kitchen-living room looks more strict and neat. Especially if the interior is decorated in a minimalist or Scandinavian style. The corner kitchen takes up more space and is more striking.

- If you have a lot of small household appliances, you always buy products with a margin and spend a lot of time in the kitchen, choose the corner layout of the headset.

Direct sets for the kitchen-studio

A built-in kitchen in a niche or a linear kitchen with or without a breakfast bar is a good option for a studio.

  • For an apartment with a studio layout, a design project of a direct kitchen with two pencil cases along the edges is well suited: one has a built-in refrigerator, the other has an oven and built-in storage systems.
  • Take a closer look at the projects of kitchens with hanging cabinets in two rows. The first tier can be made to a standard depth (usually 300-350 mm), and the upper mezzanine cabinets can be as deep as the lower cabinets (570-600 mm). Examples are in the photo below:
  • If the studio is very small (19-30 square meters), small straight kitchens up to 2.5 meters long are good. Direct planning in a small kitchen is sometimes the only possible option. Examples in real apartments, see the photo below:

Direct kitchens with a set of 2.5-4 meters

There is enough space for drawers and household appliances, and a block of tall column cabinets often allows you to do without hanging cabinets.

In most cases, it is impossible to really expand the kitchen space, but visually - please. This can be done by choosing the right color for finishing materials. The color solution is also important for creating coziness and comfort, which will certainly lead to the desire of loved ones to get together more often.

To visually increase the space, light colors are used: white, beige, pastel, etc. The same effect can be achieved using the contrast technique. Paint three of the four walls in a light shade, and the fourth in a contrasting dark one. The more glossy surfaces in a small kitchen, the more voluminous it looks.

Lighting

Light plays no less a role in the visual expansion of space than color shades. He himself can have different tones. In recent times, electric light from incandescent lamps has seemed warmer and more pleasing to the eye than from fluorescent lamps. For some reason, the latter always flickered, acting on the nerves and the light from them came cold, bluish. Today, fluorescent lamps can be matched with the same shade of light as incandescent lamps.

As for the lamps themselves, the hanging chandelier in a small kitchen with low ceilings will have to be abandoned in favor of wall lamps and LED lighting around the perimeter of the room or niches in the shelves. This will emphasize certain advantages of the space and hide its shortcomings.

The hue of the incident light should not go against the overall color scheme of the kitchen. So, when using a black kitchen set with a glossy surface, you should not use warm light, which is not able to emphasize the elegance of black.
In the kitchen, it is desirable to use several light sources: to illuminate the workspace, dining area, general lighting, backlight kitchen apron.

Combination of lighting methods

Lighting aids can be used in combination with each other. This is another design trick to increase the space. A common option is when the only lamp is located on the ceiling. Another solution is to illuminate the work area with a ceiling lamp, and a group of spotlights illuminates the place where the dining table stands. An assistant in this regard is a multi-level ceiling, the design of which allows the use of different lamps at different levels. There will never be an extra LED strip. It can be laid under a stretch ceiling and it will give only soft illumination, no brighter than that of a night lamp. With its help, you can arrange the illumination of kitchen facades or an apron.

This, of course, is not about the fact that LED lighting will be the only source of light in the kitchen. But it is quite possible to get a cozy, even a little intimate atmosphere with its help. It is easy to use and does not require the involvement of an electrician during installation, any owner can handle it.

Which layout to choose

The arrangement of furniture in the kitchen can be island, one-sided or two-sided - parallel, U-shaped, L-shaped. For a small space, the last option is suitable. In this case, you can get a classic equilateral triangle with a side of no more than 1 meter: a stove - a refrigerator - a sink, which allows the hostess to rationally use her time and energy when cooking.
With an L-shaped arrangement of furniture, one of the walls adjacent to the window is completely filled with furniture, and the second, located at a right angle to it, is about half. After all, part of it is occupied by a window or a door. You can also effectively use the wall on which the window is located. The window sill is often combined with a worktop common with the desktop, increasing the usable area.

Design tricks

  • A glass dining table in a small kitchen looks light, even airy. If you install it on the opposite wall to the work area, on which there is a picture, its countertop will reflect the image. And reflective surfaces always work to increase space.
  • A mirror in a small kitchen is a 100% plus. Especially if it is located opposite the window. Often, the facades of kitchen cabinets or a kitchen apron are made mirrored.
  • Furniture - a transformer is an indispensable thing in a small space. The dining table, as unnecessary, can be folded or attached to the wall if it is folding. So it will take up a minimum of space. Modern technologies have made it possible to create not just folding furniture, but one that works from the control panel, it is enough for the owners to press the desired button.

What is 3 sq.m., especially when it comes to kitchen area? This is catastrophically small, scanty, simply critically insufficient even for basic kitchen operations. Probably, for those who were born and live in a modern apartment, such conditions seem unrealistic for living. Indeed, in many current residential buildings, even small-sized bathrooms have a large area.


How to be? How to arrange this very limited space so that it somehow functions as a kitchen so that you can cook? Let's figure it out, give photo examples of how to make repairs correctly.


We are changing the layout

The first thing that comes to mind to a person who first saw such conditions is to change the layout of the kitchen of 3 square meters. m. There are not many options, you can see the photo. It is necessary to combine this room with one of the neighboring ones. Of course, it is better that it be a living room, a corridor or a closet, but not a bedroom.


However, with this approach, we immediately run into existing limitations: any redevelopment of an apartment in an apartment building needs to be coordinated. This procedure, as you might guess, requires more than one day and certain financial investments. Therefore, many take the risk of carrying out repairs without approval.


It should be noted that such actions are punishable. If a violation is detected, the perpetrator faces an impressive fine and an order to return everything to its original position.

As a rule, such redevelopment does not require the demolition of load-bearing walls, therefore, they do not pose a danger to both the residents of this apartment and the neighbors. Therefore, basically everything is done by using a perforator with an impact hammer.


After demolishing the wall, you can leave the arch, which will still visually separate these rooms. Of course, this approach does not always look attractive, besides it is functional. Therefore, as a rule, it is necessary to demolish the wall of a small room completely. You can leave only a small part of the wall for visual zoning, for example, on the ceiling, which will not impair the functionality of the solution, but only add originality to the design. Similar options can be seen in the photo.


Combining rooms allows you to solve the main problem - a catastrophic lack of "squares" in a small kitchen of 3 square meters. m. In addition, a similar approach is a popular solution, photos of which can be seen in sufficient quantities.

Without redevelopment

However, redevelopment is not always possible, even if 3 square meters are available. In addition, it is not always possible to deal with issues of coordination. What to do, not to engage in illegal actions? Therefore, you can think about how to organize everything without destroying the walls.

Of course, if suddenly this kitchen has 3 sq.m. a balcony adjoins, then it should be included in the format. The situation is similar with the pantry or other utility room. You need to think about how you can increase the area. If there is a bathroom behind the wall, it may make sense to come up with a universal sink in which you can wash the dishes and wash your face in the mornings and evenings.


By the way, about the dishes. If possible, it is best to purchase a dishwasher. You can put it, of course, either in the bathroom or on the balcony. In the latter case, however, it will be necessary to insulate this space so that the device can be used in winter.

The presence of a dishwasher automatically allows you to reduce the size of the sink, which can be used from time to time: periodically rinse some cup or spoon.

So, with the sink decided. There are still two most important devices in the kitchen: the refrigerator and the stove. Here you also need to look at the circumstances. Firstly, if the family is small, you can use a refrigerator model with minimal overall characteristics. Secondly, if you have a pantry or a balcony, you should place the appliance there to unload the kitchen space. However, you need to understand: the place should be such that the refrigerator can be conveniently used. He should not be in another room or be forced by some objects, although in some cases such solutions are encountered due to the hopelessness of the situation.


The plate remains. If residents rarely use the oven, then it is worth using a panel. It takes up little space due to its compactness, while the functional qualities do not suffer. In addition, you can use not four, but two burners. Such minimalism is only welcome in design.

We also need a countertop and a cabinet, or rather a few, so that in the first case we can cook food, and in the other we can store food and utensils. If there is not enough space on the floor, cabinets can be hung on the wall or they can be stacked on top of each other. It is important to use functional fittings. Additionally, open shelves can be fixed on the walls. Of course, if you place different dishes on them, it will not look very attractive, so this point should be taken into account.

Registration

Of great importance for the interior of the kitchen in 3 sq.m. has a range of colors and used finishing materials. In this case, it is better to abandon the relief and dark shades. That is, the ceiling can be made white, the walls - pastel or even yellow, the floor - the color of wood. As materials on the ceiling, you can use a tension structure. If the surface is even, you can putty it, and then paint it.


It is better not to use wallpaper on the walls, since in such a small space it will be difficult to care for them, besides taking into account the kitchen conditions. Therefore, the walls can be decorated with Venetian plaster or use wallpaper for painting, and then, accordingly, open the surface with paint.

A moisture-resistant laminate or more practical linoleum can be laid on the floor. Its practicality is that it is not afraid of puddles on the floor, which is quite common in the kitchen. You can pick up a material with an imitation of some material - kitchen design 3 sq. m. will only benefit from this.

finishing touches

When the main points are agreed upon, the objects are arranged, it remains to add final accessories to the interior that will give the space more coziness. It can be small decorative plates on the walls, cute figurines, potholders and other items. It is important to pick up and arrange everything so that it looks beautiful, and besides, it is convenient to use it. If this is the case, then the work has been done not in vain. And from a small kitchen of 3 sq.m. we get the most efficient space. And even though it is unlikely that it will be possible to sit in such a room, but the main kitchen functions can be quite implemented. In addition, you can see how a kitchen of 3 sq. m., pictured.

A 3-meter straight kitchen occupies one of the leading places when creating a design project for a small-sized room. It is often found in apartments with complex layouts. What are the features of a 3 meter kitchen, what is its main advantage?

Advantages and disadvantages

The design of a direct kitchen involves placing furniture in one row along the wall. It is noteworthy that such a linear layout is suitable for both large rooms and small ones, where the aspect ratio does not exceed 4 meters by 3. It is mainly chosen by people who do not really like to cook and want to focus on the dining area. The design of this type of kitchen does not allow you to functionally place all the necessary household appliances and leave space for food storage. But such a layout is suitable for working adults and young families without children.

We list the positive characteristics of a direct kitchen at 3 meters.

  • Straight kitchen sets, unlike corner ones, are much cheaper, because they do not need to be made to order. It is enough to measure the length of the wall and purchase the furniture you like. The price of modular corner kitchens is much higher because it includes individual developments.
  • Furniture design is easy to think of on your own. In addition, the linear kitchen looks stylish, compact and saves several meters of space, being located close to the wall.
  • Direct kitchen set is very convenient to use. At the same time, its length can be varied and vary depending on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room. For the rational use of space in the kitchen 3 meters straight (see photo below), you should choose high pencil cases with a large number of shelves, drawers and cabinets. There you can store things that are rarely needed.

Despite the significant advantages, such a kitchen has some minor disadvantages.

  • Direct kitchen 3 meters with a refrigerator does not allow you to accommodate a large work surface, so sometimes the equipment has to be moved to another place.
  • The principle of the “ergonomic triangle” is violated when the refrigerator, sink and stove are simultaneously in the field of view of the hostess. Because of this, the cooking process takes longer, and besides, you have to constantly move around the kitchen.
  • There is not enough additional space for storing food and utensils. However, this problem can be solved with a custom headset project.

Layout Features

When planning, you should first of all take into account the location of communications: gas pipes and water drains. The most common problem in a 3 meter kitchen is the close proximity of the sink to the wall. Because of this, there are difficulties when washing dishes, because the elbows rest against the wall. A cabinet 70–80 cm wide will help to avoid this, so when buying, pay attention to the dimensions of the blocks. It is also not recommended that the refrigerator be closer than 15 cm to the stove, otherwise it will heat up.

For a straight kitchen of 6 square meters, it is very important to use every centimeter of free space. To save space, you can replace the large stove with a 2-burner stove. Choose a set no more than 60 cm deep, otherwise the kitchen will look cramped and uncomfortable. You can increase the working area in the kitchen 2 meters by 3 by removing the bulky dining table. Pay attention to the multifunctional cabinet, the door of which can serve as a table.

In large kitchens, along with a direct set, an additional block is usually installed - an island or a peninsula. It serves as another place to store dishes, and is also sometimes equipped with household appliances and even a sink. The design of the kitchen is 3 meters straight (see the photo on the website) and is suitable and non-trivial. Sometimes a multifunctional separate module is made in the same color as the bottom of the headset, and wall cabinets in another.

Style selection

What style can I choose for straight kitchens 3 meters? Consider the best options that experienced designers offer in such cases.

  1. The classic style is perfect for a 3 meter straight kitchen. The white wooden set is saturated with many decorative elements (gilded moldings, fittings, carved facades, glass inserts). Such furniture always looks festive and expensive.
  2. High-tech style involves a large amount of metal, glass and plastic. The colors are predominantly cold, reminiscent of the interior of a spaceship. The built-in cutting-edge technology will look very harmonious in such a headset. A kitchen with high-tech furniture always looks impressive.
  3. Art Nouveau kitchen furniture has a rounded shape and smooth lines. There are no fundamental requirements for the choice of materials. It is supposed to combine several bright shades or the presence of small inserts in the form of drawings or smooth lines.
  4. The most optimal style for a direct kitchen with a limited number of meters is minimalism. A laconic set with smooth facade surfaces and a smooth horizontal line in height will look great even with a kitchen width of 2 meters.
  5. Nature lovers during the period of its awakening will like eco-style. The color scheme is represented by all shades of green, as well as its combination with woody and sandy. The furniture is made of natural wood, the presence of decorative glass and stained-glass windows on the facades is welcome.

A straight set is a versatile, practical and convenient option for any kitchen, as it emphasizes the original design of the room and creates a comfortable environment for cooking.

A selection of photos of real interiors

It is not so important in what style you decorate your kitchen, the main thing is that the result is fully consistent with your wishes. We hope that the photos we have selected will help you in your choice.




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