A 4-square kitchen is perhaps the smallest kitchen there can be. Such kitchenettes are found both in houses of Stalinist buildings and in Khrushchev-era buildings. Of course, a small kitchen is not always a reason to change your apartment; you can furnish such a small room functionally and comfortably.
Choosing a style
In a small kitchen, of course, it will not be possible to arrange a classic interior or a kitchen in the Rococo style, which require numerous decor, textiles and space. But modern styles - minimalism, techno, hi-tech, Scandinavian, which provide for a minimum load of accessories, will fit perfectly into 4 square meters. Let's look at some preferred styles for a small kitchen.
Scandinavian style is one of the minimalist styles.
His features:
- maximum light - bare windows, additional lighting;
- light walls - in Scandinavia there is a fairly short daylight hours, the abundance of light shades compensates for this deficiency;
- multifunctional furniture - corner drawers, rails, corner cabinets, window sill as a table or work surface;
- light glossy tiles above the work area or even as decoration for one wall;
- a cozy gray rug with a geometric print: zigzags, stripes and waves are especially common in the Scandinavian style.
Minimalism is the ideal functional style for the smallest kitchen.
It is characterized by:
- discreet monochrome design without color accents;
- closed storage systems - no open shelves or rails;
- lack of decor and fittings - furniture of laconic design;
- play with texture for a little variety - you can dilute the interior with a stone countertop, tiled apron, wooden cabinet doors.
High-tech or space interiors are also an excellent solution for small kitchens.
What distinguishes high-tech kitchens from other styles:
- modern fashionable materials;
- cold shine - household appliances with metal surfaces should be visible; skins and glass inserts in furniture facades will add shine;
- minimalist furniture without cold-colored fittings;
- lighting should be everywhere - above the work area, above the sink, in the furniture.
Rustic Provence and country styles are perhaps the most comfortable of those presented here.
They are characterized by:
- wooden furniture, glass inserts are acceptable;
- natural materials - wooden furniture and floors, linen or cotton curtains, ceramic tiles;
- cozy decor - beautiful dishes in plain sight, vases with flowers (pots on window sills with plants), textiles on a wooden rail, wicker accessories for fruits and baked goods.
What layout to choose for such a small kitchen
The choice of layouts for a small kitchen is small. If you can combine a work area with a dining area in the room, then the layout will be clearly linear. The furniture is lined up along one wall; if possible, to increase the storage area, another sub-ceiling row of drawers is hung on top. A narrow or folding table is placed next to the free wall.
If the dining area is located in the dining room, then you can choose a two-row layout. The furniture in such a kitchen is located along two walls opposite each other. This is a good option for a small kitchen, allowing you to comply with the rule of the golden kitchen triangle.
By removing the wall cabinets on one side, the kitchen won't look as cluttered. If you convert a window sill into a work area or a sink, you will get a slightly modified U-layout.
If the door is positioned asymmetrically, an L-shaped layout is possible. You can place a refrigerator near the door, and either remove the swing door itself, creating an arched passage, or replace it with an accordion or sliding door, depending on the layout options. Unfortunately, in a small kitchen it will not be possible to equip a kitchen with an island. There simply isn't enough space for an island.
When trying to choose the most suitable arrangement of furniture and equipment, you can use our designer.
For whom is direct cuisine relevant?
Without a doubt, owners of small-sized apartments with small kitchens in which little cooking can choose this layout. This will help save space and make your work area practical.
For studio apartments and kitchens combined with a living room, the linear option is also a suitable solution, facilitating a simple method of zoning and visual differentiation of the kitchen and dining space.
The complex configuration of the room is also an indicator for choosing a direct kitchen. For example, if the room has an elongated narrow shape, various niches, a balcony opening or inconveniently located entrance doors, then this form of headset will be a real salvation.
How to organize a work area in the kitchen
The work area in a small kitchen is located conveniently in any case, since there are no distances greater than a step or an outstretched arm. Usually a refrigerator is placed near the door, then there is a sink, then a stove. The linear layout has the smallest work area, so this option is chosen by people who spend little time in the kitchen.
Do not place the stove next to the refrigerator. You cannot place a refrigerator near a window if there are heating risers there. You cannot place the stove near a window so that the curtains do not accidentally catch fire. You can carve out a few centimeters for the work area by placing the sink in the corner. You can replace a stationary stove with a hob, and build an oven into the set - all this will also save space for the work surface.
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
What furniture to choose and how to arrange it correctly
The basic rule for a furniture set in a small kitchen is the use of corner sections and beveled edges of cabinets near the entrance. For comfortable use of the kitchen space, a passage no narrower than 90 cm is required.
If the kitchen is not square, but more rectangular and elongated, this rule is difficult to follow. The best way out is to order a narrower kitchen set on at least one side. The top row of cabinets will help fill the missing storage space.
If there is no room for a table, consider the option of a folding table or bar counter. If you are not bothered by some discomfort, then you can make the tabletop combined with the window sill. This will allow you to expand the table area and at the same time admire the urban landscapes outside the window while eating.
By the way, it is better to buy folding chairs. Nowadays a fairly large assortment of comfortable and beautiful folding chairs from any material is produced. You can also use stools for kitchen gatherings, and after eating, simply stack them one on top of the other.
Furniture in a small kitchen can be built up on at least one side. Let it be a row of additional lockers or a tall pencil case. If you have space underneath the cabinets, you can equip them with drawers.
It will help to free up space by eliminating furniture doors that open and replacing them with ones that open upwards. It is better and more convenient to make a set to order, having previously designed it in special programs.
How to finish the floor, ceiling, walls
Unfortunately, this problem is solved without any options. To decorate the walls and ceiling, you can take any materials: wallpaper, paint, PVC panels. The main thing is that the materials wash well and are light in color. Only light shades visually expand the space, so you can’t do without them here.
The ceiling would look better if it was a stretched glossy white PVC fabric. In a high kitchen, a multi-level ceiling: plasterboard or suspended ceiling will help create perspective. Any colored or dark options will give the feeling of hanging above your head.
There are also no restrictions on the floor material - everyone chooses tiles, boards, linoleum, laminate, parquet solely based on the size of the budget. Each floor has pros and cons: dishes hit the tiles well and dirt is clearly visible on it, boards are more difficult to wash, linoleum can tear.
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
Which color to choose
You can visually expand the area through the correct use of the color palette. To change the perception of space, the room is decorated in pastel colors. Bright colored surfaces can make a room feel cramped.
Here are some tips for decorating a small kitchen space:
- the ceiling and walls can be decorated with one cold shade;
- low ceilings should be made a couple of tones lighter than the walls;
- the wall farthest from the entrance can also be decorated with a lighter shade to lengthen the room;
- the shade of the walls should match the color of the furniture;
- if you want to use several colors, you can combine the following shades: gray-brown, sand-beige, white-cream.
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
How to decorate a window
The window in a small kitchen should be as open as possible for sunlight. Ideally, it can remain naked. Adherents of traditional design can be advised to have short curtains up to the radiator or blinds up to the window sill. A good option that frees up the window sill is interframe blinds, controlled by a unit leading out.
On the curtains, by the way, a dim style print is not forbidden: small flowers and birds for rustic styles, geometry for Scandinavia, etc. If you wish, you can combine a window sill with a countertop by ordering a specially tailored product made of artificial stone or with a work area, installing a sink there.
How to organize lighting
Despite the fact that a 4-square kitchen has microscopic dimensions, both basic and additional lighting can be arranged here. A height-adjustable chandelier can, of course, illuminate the entire room, but traditionally it should be located above the center of the dining table, which changes the amount of light in other corners if the dining area is not in the center.
The situation will be corrected by an additional row of spotlights along the ceiling and additional illumination of the work area arranged either above the apron or at the bottom of the hanging cabinets. You can replace the lamps with LED strips, which are even easier to install. A light bulb on the hood, lighting inside the cabinets and lighting under the lower cabinets will also add liveliness to the interior.
Color solutions
Regarding color, there are no strict restrictions or rules. You need to build on your own preferences, the interior style of the entire apartment and the kitchen in particular. If you design furniture yourself or look for a ready-made option in a store, remember the simple rules:
- you should not make or choose a colorful kitchen where more than 2 colors are combined;
- if the set is two-tone, the lower cabinets should be painted in a darker tone;
- if the headset combines 3-4 shades, one color should be the leading color, and the rest should be complementary;
- for small kitchens with low ceilings, choose light, plain models instead of dark and richly colored sets;
- make sure that the color of the set is harmoniously combined with the apron and the shade of the walls;
- A monochromatic set decorated in natural colors looks organic and stylish: from milky white to woody brown;
- if the kitchen walls have a pattern or print, give preference to a plain set.
Idea: to visually expand the kitchen space, it is recommended to choose a set that is identical in color to the shade of the walls. Then the furniture seems to “dissolve” in the space of the room.
Color combination table.
How to make your kitchen bigger - practical tips
Despite everything that has been written, a small kitchen remains small no matter how hard the owners manage to fit everything into it.
The best way out of the situation will be only drastic measures:
- combining the kitchen with the adjacent room by demolishing the wall;
- expansion of the kitchen due to the loggia;
- expansion of the kitchen at the expense of the hallway by dismantling the door and partition;
- moving the dining area to a separate dining room.
If all these options are not feasible, you will have to carve out space centimeter by centimeter:
- look for a narrow refrigerator, abandon the stove in favor of a hob, consider built-in appliances as an option;
- order furniture to individual, smaller sizes, increase the storage area upward, use corner cabinets;
- trim the dining area using a folding table or bar counter, folding chairs, or rebuild the window sill under a dining table;
- use light shades, mirror and glossy surfaces in decoration to visually enlarge the kitchen;
- increase the amount of natural light by opening the window as much as possible and providing additional lighting;
- remove the doors or replace them with accordion or sliding ones.
If you have a small kitchen, you may be interested in our photo gallery, which presents 320+ photos of examples of small kitchens from professional designers.
