Kitchen-studio in "Khrushchev"

A distinctive feature of the Khrushchev apartments is their tiny kitchen. It is so small that it can be difficult for 2-3 people to be in it at the same time, let alone accommodate guests there.

Studio apartments are a special type of room layout, where there are no walls and partitions. The living area includes the space of the bedroom, living room, study, kitchen and hallway at the same time. This layout is ideal for 1-2 people.

In small apartments (such as "Khrushchev"), this type of layout may be the only possible option to significantly expand the living area... To do this, it is necessary to demolish several walls that do not carry the main load, and combine the kitchen area with the living space. The result is a spacious, free area for cooking and eating, relaxing and meeting with friends.

Features of the layout:

• a significant increase in living space;
• creation of a common, stylistically uniform interior;
• the ability to implement creative design ideas in the design;
• practicality and ease of use of the premises.

Disadvantages:

• financial costs for redevelopment and finishing;
• obligatory coordination of repair work with the relevant organizations;
• labor intensity and duration of the process.

The entire redevelopment process can be conditionally divided into several stages of work:

1. Creation of a design project, where every square centimeter of the kitchen area, including horizontal surfaces, will be taken into account and used as much as possible.
2. Equipping the kitchen with built-in appliances.
3. Connecting room and kitchen by creating a common stylistic solution in the design.
4. Expansion of the existing lighting system by using spot and pendant lights for zoning.
5. Decorative design.

The combined space gives you much more possibilities for arranging furniture. The kitchenette, table and chairs can be arranged as follows:

• along one or two walls (linear version, ideal for a rectangular room);
• the letter "G" or "P". These options allow you to create a working "triangle", that is, everything will always be in front of your eyes and at hand;
• in the form of a peninsula or an island (with this layout option, a bar counter, a tabletop or a curbstone in the form of an island separating the kitchen area from the living room is most often used).

• Not every redevelopment option is possible without the permission of the relevant authorities. This moment must be decided at the stage of development of a design project.
• Redevelopment of the kitchen implies the demolition of unnecessary walls. In no case should they be carriers, this option is excluded.
• The next regulatory prohibition: it is not allowed to enter the toilet room from the kitchen, only through the corridor (this nuance is important for apartments with an adjacent kitchen and toilet).
• The gas stove must be isolated from the living space, if not by a wall, then at least by a partition with sliding doors.
• If these nuances are taken into account, then you can submit an application with all the necessary documents relating to the apartment, and approve the design project with the acceptance committee of the BTI.

The demolition of partitions and walls turns a 1-2-room apartment into a common, integral space where a person prepares and eats food, rests, receives guests, sleeps. It is most advisable to divide the space into several functional areas. This process is called zoning.

For example, a bar counter, a dining table, a partition made of transparent / colored polycarbonate or wrought metal will help to separate the kitchen from the living area.

Another option is to use the second level. The dining area and kitchen are raised above the floor with a podium.

Zoning of a one-room apartment. Single people or a small family usually live in a small apartment. Based on this, you can save space on buying an overall gas or electric stove - the most compact option, for example, a two-burner, is enough.

A small room means compact furniture. It can be a convertible bed or a chair bed. Plasma TV mounted on the wall will save space and money on buying a stand. A small sofa and a coffee table will be enough to furnish a recreation area.

A studio from a two-room apartment allows for many more options for zoning. Most often, part of the room remains in its original form. This can be a children's room, because the child needs a separate, secluded space for lessons.

A bedroom is a room that also implies privacy and silence. Therefore, the most popular combination is the kitchen + living room.

A transparent or solid partition, curtain, screen will help to separate the room from the kitchen. An interesting and original option is an angled partition. The sliding wardrobe can simultaneously perform both the main function and serve as a partition. Two narrow wardrobes, set back to back, will solve 2 problems at once: with the placement of things / clothes in the living room and dishes / household utensils in the kitchen.

A small kitchen will become even smaller and heavier if you choose finishing materials in dark, saturated colors as floor and wall coverings. The ideal option is pastel, delicate colors (lilac, lavender, mint, beige, turquoise, pink, yellow, cream, milky and pale blue).

The space can be decorated in monochrome, but a combination of several colors is more suitable for the kitchen. It can be wallpaper with a delicate floral print or tiles in contrasting colors.

A snow-white ceiling will help to visually stretch the low ceiling. In this case, the walls and floor should be kept in darker colors. So that the room does not look too gloomy, you can pick up a dining table and white chairs.

The following techniques will help to make the room even more spacious and free (at least visually):

1. The use of glossy, shiny and reflective surfaces (stretch ceiling, mirror, glass inserts in the facades of the kitchen set).
2. Use in the decoration of not large, but small prints and details (mosaic, stained glass).
3. Asymmetrical arrangement of objects, the use of irregularly shaped furniture, partitions and other elements.

The studio apartment and the kitchen are decorated in a minimalist style: clear geometric lines, classic colors, a minimum of furniture and interior details. The kitchen space is separated from the room by a solid partition and flooring contrasting in texture and color. The eating area is highlighted with a pendant lamp.

A small kitchen area is originally zoned with an asymmetrically located semicircular bar counter. The space visually remains solid, the room is spacious, and the kitchen is neatly separated from the rest of the territory. Light, pleasant colors, the use of glass inserts in the design and additional light sources make the interior very light and spacious.

The unusual linear layout looks very compact. One of the kitchen walls is adjacent to the wall of the bed. The interior, designed in light colors, is complemented by several catchy, expressive accents (a bright yellow wall, decorative pillows, paintings).