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Kitchen-living room in Khrushchevka: options for combining rooms

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Many Russians are forced to live in smallapartments with small kitchens. Sometimes their area is not more than 5-6 m2. Naturally, in such a room it is even inconvenient to cook. A large enough family does not have the opportunity to get together at the same table. An exit from the situation can be a kitchen-living room, united from two rooms. And if you make a fantasy, then in the end you can get not only a spacious, but also unique in its design apartment. Kitchen-living roomIf the apartment has a small kitchen, then it can be expanded by merging with the living room.

Reshaping the premises in Khrushchev

As a rule, (this is what apartments are called,located in houses built in the 60-70s of the last century) is not located in a separate room. This function is performed by one of the living rooms. But this is not the only drawback of such housing. When thinking about redevelopment, it is necessary to take into account the other disadvantages of the room. These include:

  • A small height of the room, because of which it is impossible to zonate the room with a multi-level floor or ceiling.
  • Small in area bathrooms (often combined) and corridors. Therefore, they will not be able to expand the space at their expense.
  • Narrow window openings and lack of natural light.
  • In addition, a feature of such apartmentsis that all the walls in the Khrushchev are considered load-bearing. Accordingly, they cannot be demolished on their own (neither completely nor partially). For the alteration of the apartment, a technical redevelopment project will be required, which must be coordinated with the relevant supervising authorities. Picture 1. Common options for the location of rooms in the Khrushchev. And during the subsequent repair it is necessary to take into account that the approved project can not be retreated a single step. Bearing structures must be erected in strict accordance with the plan. And materials are required to use those specified in the documentation. But as a result you will get a spacious kitchen, combined with a living room. And when planning an alteration, you can take into account not only the individual design of the premises, but also your personal needs and needs. Back to contents</a>

    Merits and demerits of the association of the living room and kitchen

    Most often when rescheduling in Khrushchevuse 2 options. Combine the kitchen space with one of the rooms (living room). Or they attach a part of the combined bathroom to the room. But whatever method you choose, you need to start from the initial layout of the apartment. The simplest way to think about the forthcoming alteration is when you have a layout of the living quarters. It can be compiled independently or obtained at the BTI. The most common room layouts in similar apartments are shown in Fig. 1. Kitchen with living room, combined in one room, have a number of advantages. These include:

  • Expansion of the space not only of the guest, but also of the working area.
  • Possibility to cook food and serve it in one room.
  • In such a room, you can also equip places for recreation or hobbies.
  • There is an opportunity to use an individual design.
  • Figure 2. Re-planning of the Khrushchev. But the kitchen of the living room in Khrushchev has drawbacks:

    • the obsessive smells of cooking;
    • high humidity and indoor temperature;
    • the need for daily cleaning.

    Fat and dirt will inevitably settle on furniture andtextile design of the living room. And the sounds of running household appliances can prevent a feast or a family dinner. But you can cope with all these problems. Back to contents</a>

    Variants of apartment redevelopment

    Most people think that Khrushchev is sois small that it is simply impossible to carry out a global alteration in it. But it is enough to show a little imagination, and your apartment can turn into a cozy loft or a stylish studio apartment. There are 4 main types. The first is the demolition of a wall between two rooms. In this case, the exit from the kitchen into the corridor is laid. Thus, it becomes possible to design a single space, divided into zones. An example of such a redevelopment is shown in Fig. 2. This method allows you to place in one room a work area equipped with a sink, a gas stove and basic household appliances, a dining area with a dining group and a living room. It can accommodate another table or bar, upholstered furniture, TV and book shelves. If desired, the living room area can be replaced with a study with a computer or writing desk. Figure 3. In a one-room apartment, you can remove partitions or replace them with screens and transparent piers. A young couple or a single person will feel good in a studio apartment. In such rooms, internal partitions are not provided, and the carrying functions are taken by columns that can set the basic design of the kitchen-living room. Most often this option does not imply the presence of a large zone allocated for cooking. With this lay-out, the main space is occupied by a living room combined with a study or a bedroom. For this type of alteration is most suitable single-room hruschevka. And if a person lives in an apartment alone, you can even tear down the walls between the bathroom, the kitchen and the corridor. They will be replaced by low or narrow piers, translucent panels, screens. Such a design will significantly expand the useful area, but will retain the necessary functional load on the zones. The design of such a room is shown in Fig. 3. This is not all the options with which you can combine the space of the kitchen and the living room in the Khrushchev. You can have your own ideas for redevelopment. But, thinking about the appearance of your future living room, do not forget about the comfort and convenience of people living in the house. Back to contents</a> Design OptionsThe premises in the Khrushchev area must necessarily be divided into functional zones. It is necessary to think over the design of the kitchen and the living room separately. Especially the increased space will allow you to realize even the most daring ideas. Figure 4. Walls and furniture in light colors visually expand the kitchen-living room. The kitchen lounge can be divided into areas using a variety of methods. But most often use the following methods:

    • architectural zoning;
    • visual separation;
    • logical division into zones.

    The first type includes techniques thatneed the construction of additional architectural structures and elements. These include partitions, piers, static screens and panels. They are mounted from different materials, but drywall remains the most popular, as it is easy to use and inexpensive. But this zoning technique has a significant drawback. Any static structure clutters up an already small room. The problem can be solved by using low partitions, bar counters, islands, etc. Carved and glass screens are again in vogue, which visually expand the room without hiding the space. If you have enough funds, then you can apply more exotic methods in Khrushchev. Fashion designers advise to fence off part of the room with a large aquarium or water wall. Decisions made in ethnic style look no less stylish. For example, at the moment, at the peak of popularity are forged openwork partitions, which set an oriental style for the whole room. Zoning of the kitchen-living room can be done whenusing various floor coverings. Visual zoning includes those techniques that help to divide the room only visually. For example, you can use different materials for floor and ceiling finishes in the work and guest areas. Separate one object from another with a color scheme (the kitchen is decorated in one color, and the living room in another). Multilevel light looks no less impressive. With a logical one, large-sized furniture is used as boundaries or a partition is assembled, for example, from book shelves. This is the simplest and most easily accessible way of zoning space, which does not require additional investment of funds. Back to the table of contents</a> The rules of the design of the room Whatever the designkitchen of the living room you have chosen, it is worth observing the general rules that are developed by experienced professionals. They are not complicated at all, but they will help you to decorate your premises beautifully and competently. The design of the kitchen and the living room should be harmoniously combined in color.

  • The less the level of natural light in the room, the lighter the color of the decoration.
  • Do not use in the decoration of even a large room saturated, bright colors.
  • Different zones should look visually balanced.
  • The last rule is observed least often. Usually in the kitchen area is located overall and often dark furniture. At the same time the sitting room looks depressed by this massiveness. In order not to make a similar mistake when planning the appearance of your premises, listen to the following tips: Separate the living room and the kitchen can be with the help of a low partition, designed in the form of a bar counter.

    • choose kitchen furniture with light (but not glossy) facades;
    • opposite the kitchen module, make sure to place large furniture in the living room area;
    • visually divide the room with a low partition, bar counter or island.
    • Use the light coming from the floor to illuminate the work area.

    It is these techniques used in the interior,shown in Fig. 4. Remember that the zoned room should look like a space, combined with a stylistic solution. Finding suitable colors for an inexperienced person is quite difficult. Therefore, it is much easier to use different shades of the same color. Back to contents</a> Uniform design of the kitchen-living room Modernthe design of the kitchen allows for furniture with bright facades. If you prefer just this option, then use finishing materials of restrained colors: gray, sand, pale blue. This rule applies to both the work area and the living room. Be aware of the lighting level in the room. Standard windows in Khrushchevs are rather narrow. And when two rooms are combined through the window openings, sunlight becomes insufficient to illuminate the kitchen-living room. Therefore, you need to take care of additional sources. It is best to use multi-level lighting. It will not only provide sufficient comfort for people, but will also help make the design even more interesting. Do not seek to provide one light source for the entire combined space. Large chandeliers in Khrushchev look cumbersome. Moreover, they are ineffective. It is wiser to think over a separate lighting scheme for the working area and living room. In the kitchen, a central light is often not needed. But light is needed above the countertops, sink and stove. Additional point light sources will make the hostess's work much more convenient. In the living room, it is imperative to provide an overhead light above the dining group. Such a chandelier or a group of lamps will be indispensable on the days of celebrations and crowded feasts. You will need additional sconces and floor lamps in the recreation area. It is most reasonable to place them next to upholstered furniture. And additional lighting of furniture will add color to the interior. Textile decor will help to visually combine the kitchen and living room. Out of habit, many housewives hang different curtains in the kitchen and living room. But the design of the curtains can be made in the same style. And the pattern on the fabric can be repeated in the design of bedspreads, rugs and kitchen little things like potholders and towels. Use similar decorative elements. For example, get flower vases, fruit plates, glasses and jugs from the same range. And you can supplement them with the same beautiful napkins. Such little things will help not only stylish, but also cozy.

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