Kitchen-living room: everything about combining the hall and kitchen in one room

Apartment layouts with a combined kitchen and living room are just starting to come into vogue. Modern developers even came up with a new name for such layouts - “eurobloods” or “euroshreshki”, although in this case the seller only means a one-room or two-room apartment with a spacious kitchen.

Modern interior designers try to make an attractive and comfortable space for living even from an apartment of an old foundation., tricking and introducing sometimes the most daring decisions.For example, one of these is the combination of a kitchen and a small part of a bathroom and a corridor, or an increase in space due to a non-functional balcony. Such projects really look more advantageous and rational, compared with the existing tiny layouts.

Until recently, architects offered apartments with small kitchens of 5-7 square meters. m., where, at best, you could put a refrigerator, hob and several drawers. One could not even dream about fitting a dinner table for 4 family members, a washing machine and a dishwasher on such a tiny space. Therefore, many housewives, sacrificing comfort and functionality, try to at least squeeze the necessary minimum of household appliances.

Often, combining a kitchen with a hall is the only option for expanding the possibilities of a small apartment. The area of ​​the living room may not meet all the requirements of apartment owners in terms of comfort. As a result of the merger, you can get a spacious and bright room on which it is convenient to place not only the kitchen and living room, but also the dining room.But to create a cozy and comfortable interior is not an easy task. To do this, you must have design skills and certain knowledge.

Designers even gave a new name for such a plan - “open-plan kitchen”. This suggests a harmonious addition to the kitchen and living room.

Kitchen-living room helps:

• make the living area more spacious;
• increase the work surface in the kitchen;
• place more functional and convenient storage systems for kitchen appliances and dishes;
• provide a place for dining.

The reasons for combining the kitchen and living room can be many. For example, for a one-room apartment with a large kitchen, this is the only way to equip a separate room in the bedroom. Or the kitchen has a large area, and the owners of the house consider it unwise to use large space for storing dishes and household appliances. Owners of studio apartments have no other options for housing arrangement.

Sometimes too small an area in the kitchen does not allow creating a comfortable and functional space. This feature is in the "Khrushchev" and "Brezhnevka."After all, it is often impossible to cram all the necessary equipment on an area of ​​6 square meters. m., and in this case, the union of two rooms will easily solve the problem. In addition, when re-planning a typical apartment of the old foundation, it is possible to use small storage rooms in the living room or in the kitchen sensibly. Often, architects in the 60s and 70s of the last century settled in a small room for a little snack like a built-in closet. And in such a niche in the living room you can fit a refrigerator or hide a washing machine.

In some apartment layouts, the kitchen and the next room may have unsuccessful geometry., and to correct the situation, in order to get a suitable shape, for example, a square or a rectangle, only the union of the rooms will help. For the kitchen-living room it is wiser to choose the largest room in the apartment. Often, to get the desired area, it is necessary to use the territory of the balcony, bathroom or corridor. Creating such a redevelopment will provide not only comfort and space, but also allow for rational use of the rest of the space of the apartment.

Sometimes combine the living room and kitchen - this is the surest solution space arrangement. And there are many supporters who approve of such a decision, but there are also those who think otherwise. We will understand the advantages of combining space.

• Instead of two small rooms, you get one large comfortable space in which you can put a dining table and a sofa.
• When you combine different rooms, the number of windows increases, so there will be more light.
• Children can be supervised while adults cook dinner. Also during the reception, the hosts do not have to leave loved ones alone, and you can cook together.
• In the spacious kitchen, you can install additional appliances, which previously did not fit in a small area: a washing machine, dishwasher, microwave, coffee maker and juicer.

• Extroverts who do not feel comfortable in a secluded and cramped room choose a large open space.
• In the kitchen, smoothly turning into the living room, you can place three zones: for cooking, for dinner with a large family circle, for rest and leisure.
• While cooking dinner, you can chat or watch TV with the rest of the family, without leaving the stove.
• The possibility of saving on equipment in the connected kitchen and living room - in a large room you can install one TV in the living room area.

Despite the large number of advantages, it is impossible not to note the obvious disadvantages.

• Smells of food will settle on the furniture in the living room, so you need to correctly approach the choice of household appliances, in particular, it is worth considering a powerful hood near the cooking surface.
• Not all housewives love to cook on display with their guests. They feel confident and comfortable without watching glances during cooking. In this case, you should not combine the space or you need to choose a more suitable option, for example, with sliding blackout shutters.
• Open space needs a competent design - different functional areas should look whole and united.
• The kitchen next to the living room is the source of various sounds: the sound of water and working appliances can interfere with the rest.
• The working area in the kitchen must always be kept in order,so as not to create a chaos effect.
• There is a need to purchase noiseless household appliances and appliances, which increases costs and expenses.

In apartment buildings equipped with gas stoves, it is unacceptable to combine the kitchen with the living room. Thus, the demolition of the wall is prohibited. But you can expand the door space or move the partition, thereby increasing the area of ​​the kitchen. Another option is to use sliding partitions. They can be made of chipboard and MDF, glass, plastic or wood.

In any case, the sliding design will be the best option., because if necessary, you can close the kitchen space and limit the spread of unpleasant odors in the apartment. But, starting any redevelopment, you must obtain permission from the BTI.And this applies even to those moments when you need to demolish only part of the wall.

If the kitchen is adjacent to a balcony, you can warm the loggia, and at the expense of her organize a cozy kitchen-living room. In this part of the balcony wall can be used to create a bar. This option of unauthorized redevelopment must also be coordinated with the BTI.

Since the kitchen is considered a “wet” zone, it is also unacceptable to transfer it to the residential part of the apartment. There will be no problems only for the residents of the first floors, in this case, the owner has the right to transfer the kitchen to any part of the apartment, the main thing is to correctly bring all the communications.

When developing a design project, much depends on the characteristics of the premises. If the kitchen has a large area, you should try to fit all the functional areas in the same room without moving the partition. Thus, you can leave an additional isolated room for the bedroom, nursery or office.

Some apartments have a large living room, which can be slightly reduced due to the displacement of the wall, which will increase the area of ​​the kitchen on which the living room fits.At the same time a few square meters will remain free in the next room.

Also, much depends on the lifestyle of the owners of the house. A free girl or young man at a young age, most likely, does not need a large work area and an impressive amount of kitchen appliances. It is more reasonable to allocate a large part of the room to the living room and place a modest bar counter instead of the dining table, which can also be used as a working area.

But if the owner of the apartment is a real gourmet who loves to experiment and create new unique author's dishes, then the kitchen should have almost the main place in the house. In this case, you can donate a few square meters of living room to make more space for the preparation of gastronomic delights.

Successful planning and competent zoning of the premises help to make each separate zone of the optimal area as isolated and convenient as possible. When dividing a room into several zones, several points should be taken into account.

• Near the working area in the kitchen should be comfortable to be several people at the same time, so the area should not be limited to a couple of square meters.
• Household appliances and appliances should be placed according to the rule of a triangle or alternately in one line to reduce movement in the kitchen.
• The bar counter will not be able to replace the dining table in a family where there are children or the elderly.
• Spacious and bright area of ​​the room should be allocated to the living room.
• The dining area can be compact in size and located in the place where the living room and the kitchen are separated.
• As a dining area in a small family, you can use the potential of the window sill and folding chairs - this is a great option if there is no free space even for a compact, but full-fledged table. And during family holidays and feasts, you can put a sliding table-transformer, which when assembled will occupy a minimum of space near the wall.

A narrow and long kitchen-living room can have only one window, and then the reasonable question arises, which place is more sensible to allocate for receiving guests. The stretched space will have to be divided almost in half, and then the kitchen area may be left without natural light. But this option is the most advantageous compared with the fact that the living room will be left without a window. For the working space in the kitchen is quite well-organized lighting with spotlights and LED strip over the countertop.

Arranging a living room with a kitchen in the same room is an easy task for a cottage, but for a small apartment it is necessary to connect not only imagination, but also to learn a lot of design techniques. If the partition between the kitchen and the hall is transferred, allowing to increase the room by only a few meters, then the room remains with one window.

It is necessary to take care of high-quality artificial lighting of space. In the kitchen area, you can install a spot ceiling lights and further illuminate the worktop. And above the area for relaxing and making guests connect a beautiful chandelier or pick up a floor lamp. In this case, it will be possible to also visually divide the space with light, turning on the light in only one functional area.

Planning the future living room-kitchen space is one thing, and quite another is to arrange the space in a stylish and rational way. In order for the interior of the room to look holistic and united, it is necessary to determine the style in advance. Each subsequent step in creating the interior will be based on the style decision, starting from the choice of materials and ending with the presence of decorative elements.

It is believed that the easiest way to arrange the interior in a classic style. Calm tones, the ability to use different materials and textures, complement the space with decorative details in this case play a big role.

Modern classics is a kind of fusion of classics and minimalism. Furniture should be practical and simple, without attention-grabbing elements and details. Recently, English-style interiors have become popular. Preference is given to calm and beige tones, furniture made of natural wood, decorative finishes and textiles with a red cell.

The high-tech kitchen-living room looks good - a glossy surface, metallic luster of details, modern appliances and ergonomic furniture will make the space stylish and modern. In the kitchen-living room in the art deco style, you must make a big place for a dining table and beautiful chairs with soft upholstery.

Popular minimalism also does not lose relevance this year. More and more owners of miniature apartments prefer accuracy and consistency in the interior design. And there are several reasons for this.First, minimalism favorably emphasizes the freedom of space. And secondly, it helps to avoid littering and mess. Extreme conciseness, clear zoning, the absence of unnecessary details in the decor and household trifles in a prominent place, thoughtfulness and functionality - these are the main criteria for the style of minimalism.

The interior in the Scandinavian style is notable for its ease, brevity and comfort. The interior uses warm and bright shades, natural materials and bright decor. As decoration is allowed to place paintings on the walls and indoor flowers on the open shelves and window sills.

Recently, designers prefer calm or rich colors in the interior design. And in the coming years, trends will not change. In addition, the light palette remains relevant at any time, which is especially important if you need to visually enlarge the space.

For a small apartment it is worth choosing light and calm shades. Combinations of gray, milky, beige, and pale yellow are considered ideal for limited space. In the bright interior, the white glossy facade of the kitchen set, reflecting the sunlight, looks almost weightless and light. You should not use a large number of color contrasts, and colorful and bright accents need to be placed dotted to the interior looked more lively and not dull.

The interior in turquoise and beige tones looks beautiful and stylish, in this variant it is appropriate to choose a set in one color, and upholstered furniture for the living room in another. You can also add a bright kettle, dishes, a blue pillow or a vase in the living room area. This design will look fresh and attractive.

Contrast combinations remain in trend. Such a small element, like the orange upholstery of the chairs, will also add expressiveness and originality to the bright interior. White walls and sets are perfectly combined with natural woody drawings and greens. The similarity of eco-style has recently gained popularity among many manufacturers of furniture.

Please note that combining different colors with white is quite simple.You can use all shades from black and graphite to beige and cream. Dark elements will help to place accents in the interior, and bright elements will add expressiveness.

In a confined space it is also worth choosing glossy elements. Reflecting natural or artificial light, they visually expand the space. And in this case, you can use not only white color, but also beige, gray, sand. The combination of cream and brown will create a cozy and warm atmosphere.

Gray color is versatile, and is suitable for many styles. It is often used to visually enlarge the space. Noble, and at the same time calm, this tone looks balanced and light in the interior. The combination with white allows you to achieve stunning success.

The doors of the bottom of the headset may have a gray matte color, and on the upper tier - calm white. This option does not look cumbersome and difficult, but, on the contrary, allows you to “stretch” the space and add more air. And to make the interior seem warm, it is allowed to dilute it with natural wood shades that can be used as a laminate on the floor.

When organizing space in this case, it is necessary to take into account many nuances, ranging from sources of electricity, and ending with a beautiful design. And it is especially important that both functional zones are harmoniously combined, and be decorated in the same style. Visually divide one space into several zones by different techniques.

The use of bright and dimmed light in the same room for different zones will not only visually separate the rooms, but also create a special atmosphere of comfort. Proper lighting can work wonders even in a small room. Only in this case it is necessary to illuminate not only the working area of ​​the kitchen and the sofa in the living room, but to think out the complex lighting of all angles - then the space will appear larger and wider.Use different sources of artificial light: dotted built-in ceiling spots in the kitchen, LED strips over the worktop, chandeliers or a few lamps above the dining table, a floor lamp or a sconce near the sofa.

Color zoning is a great way to divide a room, but you should not use two bright colors, one tone must be calm and neutral. Selected colors can overlap in different zones.

To create a visual effect of the separation of space, from the kitchen side you can revet the floor with ceramic tiles, and lay laminate in the living room area. Different materials may differ in texture and texture, but should be the most compatible in color.

Even a small rise of one zone by several centimeters looks aesthetically pleasing. And the extra space under the floor can be used sensibly, say, to hide communications.

A bar, dining table, kitchen island or sofa can underline the separation. The kitchen island is rarely used in apartment buildings, as it is a complex element for communications, and also requires a large amount of free space. Installing a kitchen island is wiser in a large country house.But the dining table or bar counter is perfect for dividing the space even in a small studio. This separation does not make the room heavier. A separate dining area may have additional lighting in the form of a ceiling chandelier.

Perhaps this is the easiest way to close a space. Mobile designs allow you to merge and divide zones depending on desire. Thus, it is possible without difficulty in one case to get a single space, and in the other - separate rooms. But the separation is for the most part superficial. This method is chosen by the owners who have not yet decided finally whether they want to combine the kitchen with the hall or not. You can also make a full partition with a large doorway or an arch of plasterboard.

The combined living room and kitchen is a huge field for designers and the work of craftsmen. Repair work involves a great investment of money and time. It is not necessary to clearly delineate the boundaries of different zones in a single space. Unity and harmony - these are the main areas that should be present in the interior, not only in design techniques,but also in the finishing materials. And visual zoning should be everywhere: at registration of walls, a ceiling and a floor.

Choosing a floor covering for a separate kitchen and a drawing room, there is an opportunity to pick up various options. For example, for finishing the floor in the kitchen is most suitable ceramic tile, which is resistant to moisture and heat. And for the living room is more appropriate to choose carpet or laminate. A good option for the floor in the living room are oak boards, varnished. This coating is easy to clean and is not afraid of moisture. And in the case of a single space, the materials should ideally be combined and complement each other. It is necessary to select similar textures, which at the same time will perform the function of both combining and visual division of space.

When choosing material finishes for walls, it is also necessary to combine different textures and shapes.The kitchen set must have an apron that will protect the walls in the cooking zone from splashes and drops. This can be a glossy tile, varnished film or panel. For some elegant styles, you can use a glass apron with a mirror coating and patterns. For the living room you need to choose wallpaper, decorative plaster or paint. It would also be nice to decorate the interior with a brick wall. Different in color and pattern bricks will relieve the interior of monotony. A white-painted brick wall will complement the modern style perfectly.

It should be understood that, ideally, different sources of lighting should be placed on the ceiling: built-in lamps, chandeliers and hanging lamps. In this case, the best option is a suspended ceiling or multi-level design. The latter, in turn, will also solve the problem of room zoning, and will help to visually divide the space into several sections. In addition, behind the plasterboard ceiling design, you can successfully hide all communications and install ceiling lights.

To separate the kitchen from the living room, you can use the bar counter, it is important that it be made in the same style with the kitchen unit. It will be a peculiar feature uniting two functional zones. At the bar you can drink a cup of coffee in the morning, check the accumulated mail in the afternoon, and receive guests in the evening. This functional place serves as an additional work surface and a complete dining table.

As for upholstered furniture and textile accessories, it’s wiser to select a synthetic fabric for a combined space with a kitchen, since it absorbs odors and moisture less. This is especially important if the upholstered furniture becomes a separating element between different zones. A linear or corner sofa plus a pair of chairs or a padded stool are perfect for this role. And if from the back side the upholstery of the sofa looks unpresentable, then it can be closed with a low rack or a long pedestal.

The best way to avoid clutter in the living room-kitchen is to use built-in furniture and multifunctional structures.Also, do not choose open shelves for storage of dishes, except that you do not arrange the interior in the style of Provence. In the large kitchen-living room can provide space for a headset. There may be an oven, storage systems and a wide work area. The surface of the countertop should be made of the same material as the working surface of the kitchen unit. The same rule applies if you decide to install a bar counter instead of a dining table.

The bar counter can also be used rationally.For example, a place under the tabletop can be used to store dishes or appliances behind closed doors. After all, storage systems, even in a large house are not superfluous. In a confined space, try to remove household appliances and utensils from the working area of ​​the kitchen table - a large amount of detail will create a chaos and clutter effect. Also pick up a convenient organizer for household cleaners and sponges near the sink. It is important to understand that in the combined space, some household items can look sloppy.

And if the features of the layout do not allow to combine the kitchen with the next room, then we can consider the expansion of the space at the expense of the hallway.This option is considered even more successful if the rest of the rooms in the apartment are not spacious. But then the storage system will need to be moved compactly into the living quarters.

If the apartment owners love to receive guests, and often prepare a variety of dishes, it will be wise to visually combine the kitchen and the next room with the help of large sliding partitions. Various screens, high cabinets, plasterboard structures, furniture or curtains can act as such a visual barrier separator. Tinted glass in this case is more appropriate. On the one hand, the space remains visible, and additional lighting penetrates both rooms. On the other hand, you can slide the partition and create a closed area.

A large dining table at which large companies can gather around is not necessarily a luxury. It is possible to arrange a spacious dining area without any difficulty on the combined territory. The beautiful massive table made of natural wood will perfectly fit into the bright interior of the kitchen-living room.And in this case, the owners of the house were not afraid to diversify the modern interior with massive stools made of natural wood.

Different in texture materials perfectly cope with the task of dividing a room into certain zones - here the designers used different materials for the ceiling. The color palette of the room at the same time remained the same and unchanged. It is wiser to allocate a place for a living room near the windows - here you can receive guests or relax after a hard day’s work with a cup of tea and an interesting book. Or chat with family on soft sofas.

In a typical small apartment, the demolition of the wall in which is impossible, it is permissible to go for a trick. In this project, the designers did not move the wall, but only added a small window to create a bar counter. Thus, in one space it was possible to accommodate not only a working area and a place for recreation, but also a place for eating.

How to combine the living room with the kitchen, see the next video.