Tips for choosing a design for a small kitchen 5-6 meters in Khrushchev
Sooner or later, every owner of a Khrushchev house comes to modernize a small kitchen of 5-6 sq.m. This square, like the old days, is always not enough. This is especially felt with the acquisition of new kitchen appliances and furniture. Before starting the renovation, it is advisable to think about the functionality of each square meter, using the advice of experienced designers involved in the reorganization of Khrushchev apartments.
The design of a small kitchen in apartments with an old layout (from 5 square meters and more) is a challenge for any designer.
The essence of the problem of repair work in a small kitchen
The advice that before acquiring something new it is necessary to get rid of the old in the small Khrushchev kitchen remains the most relevant. Here, not only is there no extra space, even for a free passage there is not enough a few centimeters in width, if there is cabinet furniture. Although the built-in furniture is a little more expensive when calling the master than the finished kitchen, this is the most rational solution to attach all the kitchen utensils..
This is an opportunity to occupy all corners and vertical planes, as in the photo..
A small Khrushchev kitchen of 5-6 “squares” was inherited by many as a Soviet “legacy”. But when there is no alternative, you have to adapt to these conditions. It is difficult to make more footage without redevelopment with the demolition of the walls, but this is not always possible. Therefore, most of the inhabitants of such urban “khrushchob” have to deal with the reorganization of space.
Despite the lack of space, it is always possible to make even a small corner for cooking hospitable and cozy..
Many people know that “Khrushchevs” are called small-sized city apartments, mainly in panel houses, where most of the walls are load-bearing. It is very difficult to get permission for their redevelopment. If everything works out, you can only combine two adjacent rooms and attach a balcony. But the apartment won’t get bigger. A well-thought-out design project of a kitchen 5 meters in Khrushchev should include such an opportunity.
Attention! Brick houses are often given away by the city authorities for demolition, since the deadline for their implementation has expired. There is no point in investing in expensive repairs to emergency real estate, even if you manage to get permission!
When making repairs in Khrushchev, it is necessary to calculate the size of each item and its location to the nearest millimeter..
The main problem of these apartments is the “robbed” footage of the kitchen and bathroom in the hallway and corridors. All kitchen attributes must be placed in this limited area:
- Fridge;
- Gas stove;
- Washing;
- Other household appliances (dishwasher or washing machine);
- Kitchen units for food processing and cooking;
- Cabinets and shelves (for storing food, dishes and other kitchen utensils);
- Work surface.
5-6 sq. meters, you need to fit storage tanks, kitchen furniture, and household appliances.
It is difficult to condense in a 5 sq.m. kitchen stuffed to the limit, but the thoughtful design and functionality of the Khrushchev apartment can work wonders. It all depends on the lifestyle of the owners of small-sized housing. No dishwasher needed in a small family. A large stove with an oven is also not needed if they cook little..
Space organization rules
The organization of limited space and the design of a small kitchen 5-6 meters in Khrushchev often becomes a “headache” for the owners. But if you approach this process creatively, you can benefit from every square meter..
Experts recommend remembering a few useful recommendations..
TABLE
1. | Work surface arrangement | As close as possible to the sink and stove, preferably between them |
2. | Refrigerator installation | Close to the work surface and sink, but not near the stove, so as not to heat up |
3. | Wall cabinets and shelves | Fill corners and vertical surfaces as much as possible – up to the ceiling |
4. | Gas stove location | It is impossible directly at the window, so that the curtains do not burn, the draft does not blow out the flame |
5. | Table and chairs (stools), dining table | Better stackable seats to remove as unnecessary, the table top is small, it can be replaced by any folding and retractable planes |
6. | Boxes and lockers | They fill all niches of built-in furniture |
7. | Windowsill | Better to combine with a countertop |
eight. | Kitchen furniture | Shallow, functional, compact. |
Advice. It is important to think over the ergonomics of kitchen furniture so that your hands do not get tired when processing products, you do not have to reach for every little thing on the shelves of the cabinets. Use closers to prevent doors and rails from slamming to place dishes and kitchen utensils.
The main “enemy” of the small-sized Khrushchev kitchen is clutter. It is important to think over everything to the smallest detail and get rid of all the items that are needed literally once a year, or even less often. They need to be attached to the mezzanine in the corridor, on the balcony or in another place that serves as a storage room..
This will help free up several cabinets, shelves and drawers..
In small rooms, furniture of the type of transformers and folding planes, as in the aisle of a compartment carriage, is welcome. These seats are retracted (folded) when not in use. They are very convenient if they are made according to all the rules – another way to save space in the design of a kitchen by 5 sq. M. in Khrushchev. But it is better to make impromptu “seats” on a leg (telescopic bar) – do not hesitate, they will not let you down because of the weight.
In a small kitchen, you often have to give up the table. It is not uncommon for the family to have lunch or dinner in the living room or hall while watching TV..
In this case, the only table is a cabinet with a work surface, but it is inconvenient to eat there..
Advice. To have a place to put your feet, it is important to have a niche under the countertop. For this, a window sill increased to the size of a countertop, or a pull-out plane hidden under the cutting surface of kitchen furniture is suitable..
If there is nowhere to put the washing machine and refrigerator, they are taken out into the corridor or hallway adjacent to the kitchen. It is not very convenient, but you can get additional space for a modern kitchen design in the Khrushchev 5 sq.m..
In a small kitchen, it is possible, without prejudice to the area of work surfaces, to place a large number of cabinets, making some of them from floor to ceiling.
Important! A cozy kitchen will not be made by a refrigerator or a washing machine, but by beautiful kitchen accessories, window decor and other tastefully selected attributes. These are paintings and decorative plates, knitted tablecloths and lace napkins, original shades and mystical lighting.
Methods for visual expansion of the limited space of the Khrushchev kitchen
You can transform the area of a small kitchen in different ways..
- The rationality method is to remove old bulky cabinets and wall cabinets by installing lightweight compact built-in furniture.
- The method of functionality is to leave only the necessary items in the Khrushchev kitchen, trying to arrange them as compactly as possible.
- Visual illusion method – choose light colors in the room decoration, use horizontal and vertical lines that “push apart” the walls of the photo wallpaper, a light veil on the windows (maximum light and space).
- Zoning method – if redevelopment is planned, make a reasonable allocation of space so that everything is at hand.
- Design concept method – with the help of well-chosen style and decor, make a small kitchen in Khrushchev a stylish modern room.
In a small kitchen, every centimeter of free space is important, so here it is very important to correctly design a kitchen set..
During repairs in a small room, it is advisable to choose light shades, “mirroring” or glossy surfaces, so that there is more light. It is better to abandon the stretch fabric and suspended structures when repairing the ceiling, they will also take 10-20 cm of space.
Place cabinet furniture only against one wall, while occupying the corners, so the kitchen will seem wider.
It is better to make an interesting decor on a free wall. In the design project of a 5-meter kitchen in Khrushchev, an interesting free wall finish can be provided to create the illusion of a “dismantled” wall. Photo wallpaper with a panorama of a big city or going out into nature will help with this. Some people like spatial illusions, photo collages and mosaics..
Secrets of kitchen remodeling 5.5 sq. m in Khrushchev
Redevelopment of small apartments with the demolition of secondary partitions in the design environment is considered one of the best methods of modernization.
Do not be afraid to place shelves or a closed part of the furniture set too high.
One cannot but reckon with the fact that these are old houses – it is not safe to do “global restructuring” in them. But, getting rid of the secondary wall, you can expand the kitchen a little:
- Combine with an adjoining living room;
- “Cut off” a couple of meters from the adjacent corridor or hallway;
- “Increase” the footage by joining the area of the insulated balcony or loggia;
- To remake Khrushchev into a studio-type apartment, leaving part of the walls in the form of arches, retractable partitions and sides with racks, which will help keep the main “frame” of the apartment.
Advice. If the owner of the apartment is not a specialist in construction and renovation, you should not engage in remodeling the apartment. At the initial stage of reconstruction work, it is better to entrust specialized construction firms.
Then you can complete the design of a 5-meter kitchen in a small Khrushchev with your own hands.
Being engaged in the transformation of an apartment without a “big” redevelopment, you can expand the doorways or shift the aisles so that the rooms are not walk-through. Some apartments in the old housing stock have no balconies, especially on the lower floors..
Advice. If you wish, you can remove the partition under the kitchen window and insert the balcony door.
Do not forget to install safety glass and metal bars on the improvised balcony – protection from uninvited guests.
But there will be a place where you can go out to smoke or breathe fresh air without leaving the apartment. It will not be possible to make a large balcony in this way, but the spherical shape of the lattice will give enough space for drying clothes and planting balcony plants.
How to disguise a column, sink and kitchen appliances?
There is very little space in the small Khrushchev kitchen, but it has to be allocated for gas equipment:
- Counter;
- Gas water heater;
- Stove with oven or grill;
- Exhaust hood with corrugation.
White color will visually enlarge a small narrow kitchen.
There are 2 ways to disguise them in a kitchen design in a 5 sq.m. Khrushchev building. with refrigerator and other equipment:
- Hide behind the doors of the facades of kitchen furniture;
- Leave it open, decorating it in an original way.
Important! To make the hood take up less space in the kitchen, it is recommended to acquire not a traditional bell, but an inclined shape. This is convenient when you bend over the stove to prepare food, and it is more compact.
It is very convenient to hide gas equipment behind the doors of kitchen cabinets. But any specialist will say that it is better to make cuts in them in order to monitor the indicators. The gas water heater and the wood of the furniture are incompatible.
It is necessary to think over the choice of material in advance or leave the column open, but think over what it will coexist with.
Advice. During repairs, do not forget to make high-quality insulation at the stove. Waterproofing is needed near the sink. Bulky tiles can be replaced with a compact 2-gang module – saves space.
How to improve the lighting of a small kitchen?
A well-chosen color scheme and illumination of local zones always work “plus” if you need to work with expanding the space.
Attention! During the repair, it is worth replacing the old emergency wiring and equipment that cannot cope with the load of modern household appliances.
The design of surfaces (especially walls, window textiles) should be done in light shades.
When choosing lighting fixtures, he focuses on the design style and functionality of the kitchen.
- It is very convenient when the work surface is illuminated by diodes fixed on the bottom of the wall cabinets, as in the photo.
- In a modern kitchen, a diode tape looks good around the perimeter of the ceiling or in the frame of cabinet furniture.
- When buying a ceiling lamp, give up a bulky chandelier that takes up a lot of space. The exception is a large shade that goes down to the center of the table..
- If the interior of a small kitchen has a corner and a dining table, the eating area should be illuminated by a compact sconce with a practical shade that is easy to clean..
- Try to equip all luminaires with economical lamps..
The light glare playing on the surface will give the room a light, light and sunny mood, as in the photo..
The ideal option would be a large window where a lot of daylight enters. If it is possible to expand the window opening or replace the frames with a lighter and lighter one, be sure to use it. Curtains or window decor – lightweight, made of translucent fabrics that are easy to wash and do not require ironing.
The design of curtains and curtains should highlight and unobtrusively decorate this part of the kitchen, but in no case prevent the penetration of sunlight.
Washable surface decoration: apron and work area
When renovating a kitchen, the question of practicality comes first. Every housewife knows how long it takes to clean. The more practical the cladding materials, the easier it is to clean the kitchen..
A small kitchen in Khrushchev will require a non-standard approach when choosing furniture.
Don’t be afraid of white or light shades of beige, gray and blue. If it is smooth plastic on the ceiling or tile materials in the decoration of walls and floors, then cleaning takes no more time than in other colors. In addition, the light cladding initially looks “clean”.
Attention! Gloss (any color) reflects more light but shows more scratches after cleaning with abrasive household products.
A modern kitchen does not require a huge number of cabinets, just a couple of shelves on the wall and open shelves for large dishes.
When choosing tile materials for kitchen design 5m2 in Khrushchev, do not use large blocks and large drawing. With them, a small room will seem even smaller. Ideal for cladding a kitchen apron – small mosaic tiles.
For wall cabinets, it is better to use doors that open upwards, and not to the sides, since they do not take up useful space at all.
The walls do not have to be monochromatic, but light shades are preferred. The quality of facing materials depends on financial possibilities, but all surfaces must be practical in cleaning. Tiled floors should not be slippery, for safety reasons – choose with a rough texture.
A good option for the kitchen is a light moisture-resistant laminate.
The place where you have to butcher meat, peel vegetables and cut juicy foods often gets dirty. Here you will have to abandon wallpaper, textured plaster and decorative panels made of materials that are difficult to clean..
Advice. It is recommended to open an interesting relief decor with a colorless varnish in several layers.
Most often it is necessary to clean in the work area, so the choice of finishes is most important here..
Remember that a small Khrushchev kitchen has its “plus” – a small surface area. You can save on finishing materials by choosing more luxurious tiles, countertops and façades. This will help transform Khrushchev beyond recognition, as in our photos..
The tips in this article will help you successfully cope with the transformation of the smallest kitchen..
VIDEO: Projects and design of a small kitchen.
50 design ideas for a kitchen of 5-6 sq. meters: