The market for finishing materials is so diverse that many involuntarily have the idea of combining them. This is especially true when choosing flooring for the floor in the kitchen or living room; tiles and laminate in this case make up the optimal combination.
I often have to advise clients who want to use a similar design solution. I tell you how best to combine materials, how to combine them correctly in different rooms, and the best way to design the junction.
Source sense-life.com
Design Features
A number of main nuances:
- The choice of colors is the most important stage in the design of the kitchen-living room. The visual perception of the room will depend on the shades in which the floor, ceiling and walls are made. The most beneficial are cool and neutral colors.
- An equally significant aspect is the selection of a style solution. It is better to keep the kitchen combined with the living room in the same style. Different design directions that contradict each other can spoil the impression of the interior.
- In the room, you should consider divided lighting. A large amount of light should be present in the work area, and at the border between two areas there will be sufficient dim lighting.
- When planning a kitchen and living room in a private house with a huge area, you don’t have to be limited in the choice of furniture items and design project.
Care
Proper installation will not ensure longevity of kitchen tiles if its surface is not taken care of.
- glossy material cannot be cleaned with a wire brush or abrasives;
- greasy stains can be easily removed with vinegar dissolved in water;
- wax mastic and various hydrophobic agents will help create a protective layer on the surface and prevent the accumulation of dirt;
- The water for cleaning tile floors should be warm or hot.
At the dry cleaning stage, the surface covered with ceramic tiles is vacuumed or swept with a soft brush to remove sand particles and large debris. Then use a napkin with a suitable detergent to remove dirt in a circular motion, rinse the floor with clean warm water, removing any remaining soap solution.
Ceramic tiles are the leader among finishing materials for kitchen floors. But it is recommended to buy this product in trusted places, and give preference to well-known brands with a worldwide reputation.
Pros and cons of merger
Before connecting rooms, you should pay attention to the advantages and disadvantages of such a solution.
| pros | Minuses |
| It turns out to plan a single spacious and bright space in which several functional areas are located. | The smells and sounds of the working kitchen process will penetrate into the recreation area. To partially solve the problem, you will need to install a powerful hood and purchase silent household appliances. |
| A small kitchen, due to its combination with an adjacent room, provides a convenient organization of a dining area next to the work area. | Combining rooms is a labor-intensive process that requires competent development of the project, organization of work for dismantling or moving walls, as well as obtaining approval for redevelopment from special organizations. |
| Consolidation helps to significantly reduce traffic in a house or apartment. | |
| While cooking, you can communicate with family members or guests who are in the room. | The room needs more thorough and frequent cleaning. |
Kitchen-studio with living room: from space optimization to psychological comfort
Not everyone is lucky enough to own luxurious mansions with spacious rooms. There the ceilings are not oppressive, everyone has their own room, kitchen - you can run like a horse.
What should those who live in a modest “kopeck piece” or “one-room apartment” do? There are only one or two square meters, the small space is divided into little rooms. Psychologically, it is difficult for a person to be in such an environment - the eyes are looking for freedom. Therefore, it makes sense to make a studio by connecting the kitchen with the living room.
The absence of partition walls will make the living space larger, airier, more dynamic. And the right design will fill the house with an atmosphere of comfort and warmth.
Layout
The kitchen and living room must perform certain functional tasks. The kitchen area is divided into three sections; a place for relaxation and a dining group are organized in the hall.
Rectangular kitchen-living room
Despite some imbalances and not very attractive appearance, there are ways to elegantly decorate a rectangular room. In an elongated and long room, you should highlight the semantic center and concentrate all your attention on it.
It is better to place furniture and household items in one line and leave the parallel wall free. A U-shaped layout will fit organically into the room, using corners and saving useful meters.
The photo shows the design of a rectangular kitchen-living room in white and beige tones.
Square kitchen-living room
For a square room, an island type of layout is suitable. Thanks to the arrangement of furniture in small groups, it is possible not only to take into account all the design features of the kitchen-living room, but also to clearly plan the space.
Furniture can also be installed near one or two parallel walls using the peninsular, U- or L-shaped method.
The photo shows the layout of a combined square-shaped kitchen-living room.
Kitchen combined with living room with two windows
The main design idea in a room with two windows located on the wall opposite the doorway is symmetry. Any style that requires symmetrical details and designs will fit into the kitchen-living room decor.
It is better to furnish the interior with custom-made furniture and kitchen units.
The photo shows the design of a spacious kitchen-living room in a modern style with two window openings.
Interior with one window
A room plan with one window opening requires additional lighting. Pendant lights, spotlights, chandeliers and built-in light sources are installed in the area of the stove, sink and above the countertop.
A glass partition is ideal as a zoning element, which will provide unhindered penetration of light into all corners of the kitchen-living room.
The photo shows an elongated kitchen combined with a living room with one window opening.
Open plan options
This planning solution is universal and fits well into both a small studio apartment and huge apartments. The open layout gives the room a feeling of spaciousness and freedom.
The photo shows the interior of a studio apartment with an open plan kitchen-living room.
Examples of non-standard layouts
A kitchen-living room of an unusual shape is distinguished by the presence of one, two or more atypical corners. In order to balance the incorrect layout, space zoning is performed. In a trapezoid-shaped room, you can highlight functional areas with a contrasting color or construct a podium. Furniture items and shelves built into niches will help create standard right angles in a triangular room.
The photo shows a kitchen-living room of a non-standard trapezoidal shape.
Important nuances
Repair is not only labor-intensive, but also a very expensive process. Kitchen tiles are expensive, and it would be a shame if they cracked in a month as a result of the installer’s mistakes.
To prevent this from happening, you need to know a few rules.
- Surface preparation. The old coating is dismantled to obtain a smooth screed.
- Cleaning and priming the substrate before laying tiles on the floor. It is important to remove debris and dust from it for better adhesion of the glue.
- Compliance with technology. Even a small error will lead to the formation of an air gap, destruction of a section of the floor and dismantling of the entire surface.
A decorative plinth will complement the covering, give it an aesthetic appearance, and complete the stylistic accent of the interior.
Color solution
There are universal tint solutions that can give the interior of the kitchen, which flows into the living room, a truly stylish and fashionable look.
Kitchen-living room in light colors
Discreet and light colors visually enlarge the room. They use smoky, cream, beige and other soft pastel palettes. A stylish kitchen-living room in white always looks fresh and airy. Thanks to the various variations of snow-white shades, you can make the design more interesting.
The photo shows a kitchen-living room, made in light blue, white and beige tones.
Muted and warm colors make the environment clean and tidy, calming and have a relaxing effect. This color scheme is especially suitable for a small room with an open plan.
Bright design of the kitchen-living room
Rich combinations are always relevant. They make the interior more dynamic and give it originality. Bright, eye-catching accents on a light background will favorably highlight the design features of the combined kitchen-living room.
The photo shows a bright design of the kitchen-living room in the interior of a studio apartment.
Kitchen-living room interior in dark colors
The elegance and depth of dark shades allows you to create a noble interior filled with comfort and coziness. Such a palette will also help to equalize the color imbalance in a room that has non-standard dimensions.
The photo shows dark gray-brown and emerald colors in the design of the kitchen combined with the living room.
Living room color
You can choose light draperies of related shades. For the kitchen, a couple of shades darker. It can also be a combination of black and white finishing. Strict gray, beige, olive, vanilla look great.
- It is recommended to combine it with red, blue, or rich green shades.
- A discreet pastel palette is held in high esteem.
- It's also good to play with contrasts.
- And it won’t necessarily be black and white.
- You can combine white with red, gray with green.
Finishes and materials
When renovating a kitchen-living room with the help of cladding, it is possible to visually zone the room without disturbing the overall style, and also, thanks to correctly selected finishing materials, take into account the characteristics of each functional area.
Floor in the living room combined with the kitchen
The living room and kitchen areas have completely different requirements for floor design, so two types of flooring are selected for finishing. The kitchen segment can be laid out with practical tiles with a straight or rounded transition to laminate or parquet, located in the guest sector.
The photo shows a kitchen area with floor tiles that turn into laminate flooring in the living room.
Walls in the kitchen-living room
Plastic panels and other easily washable materials are suitable for the kitchen. The apron area is highlighted with ceramic tiles, which can contrast in color with the main wall covering. This gives the work area a more expressive look.
In the living room, the surface of the walls is covered with wallpaper with or without patterns, laid out with stone, brickwork or decorated with panels with a 3D effect.
Ceiling
In the interior of the kitchen and living room, combined together in one room, a multi-level system with built-in lighting is often installed. The ceiling can be made in a white shade or have a specific color scheme for each zone.
Window decoration in the kitchen-living room
If there are two windows in a room, many designers recommend choosing an original asymmetrical design; however, a traditional interior often involves the same drapery of window openings, which unites two different spaces.
Types of tiles
Kitchen floor tiles are divided into:
- ceramic;
- porcelain stoneware;
- glass;
- cork;
- PVC.
In this case, ceramics remains the most common solution due to its balanced combination of strength, moisture resistance and environmental friendliness. To this it is worth adding the widest variety of design solutions.
For example, the color of the tiles on the kitchen floor looks more natural and complements furniture made from natural materials. This is especially true for neutral and light shades.
Types of ceramic tiles:
- Glazed - covered with a glossy coating.
- Unglazed - coated with a special glossy or matte composition that protects it from abrasion.
Which kitchen floor tiles are better for durability? Experts primarily pay attention to granite products. It is most resistant to impacts and other mechanical damage, can serve for decades, and does not require repair or restoration.
Porcelain tiles are divided into:
- Glazed, which has gained popularity due to its highest strength, frost resistance and high wear resistance class.
- Sanded has a smooth and slippery surface; polishing makes such tiles more decorative, but does not protect the surface from the harmful effects of external conditions, chemicals, water and damage.
- Porcelain stoneware - characterized by minimal water absorption (about 0.05%) and abrasion resistance, like granite.
- Technical porcelain stoneware has hardness, abrasion resistance, strength and durability. Technical porcelain tiles are homogeneous in structure and therefore have excellent technical and functional parameters, but are much less decorative.
Furniture: selection and arrangement
Examples of arranging a kitchen combined with a living room.
Sofa
In the design of a kitchen-living room, the sofa mainly acts as a zoning item and is installed with its back towards the cooking area.
For a small room, a corner or straight model is suitable, which is installed near a perpendicular or parallel wall from the kitchen area.
The photo shows a modern kitchen-living room with a leather sofa and ottoman.
Kitchen set
The design, first of all, should be comfortable, and also have enough storage space in the form of drawers and shelves. It is better to choose a model with a closed facade that has a simple design. Beautiful sets can be placed on open shelves or purchased a stylish display case.
The set is installed near one wall; they prefer a U-shaped design or a product with the letter G. If there is enough space, an island with a work surface and lower cupboards for dishes is placed in the center. This module can also be supplemented with a dining table.
The photo shows a linear set with an island and a dining room in the interior of a large kitchen-living room.
Lunch group
When choosing, you should focus on the style of the two zones. It would be appropriate to equip a small kitchen-living room with compact furniture in light colors or a transparent design. A round dining table, which, thanks to its shape, looks lighter, will fit harmoniously into the interior.
In a spacious room, the table is placed near the wall or placed in the center. To do this, you should give preference to elongated rectangular models.
The photo shows a kitchen-living room with a table located behind a low partition.
