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.
Advantages and disadvantages of a “one row” headset
Kitchen sets of 4 meters or any linear kitchen have their advantages and disadvantages, which are determined by the size of the room and other interior features.
On a note!
Straight kitchens can also be realized in non-standard lengths - any size can be designed taking into account the size of the working wall and other features.
pros
Symmetry. The project of a direct kitchen set allows you to create perfectly correct shapes, suitable for classic designs and almost any modern one.
Compactness. Straight kitchens visually seem lighter and more elegant than U-shaped or corner ones, and do not clutter up the space.
Price. Kitchen sets 4 meters will be much cheaper than, for example, a corner version of the same length.
Project. A linear kitchen is relatively simple to design - here you can do without the services of a designer and think through all the subtleties and details yourself.
Important!
A straight kitchen of 3 meters allows you to install a countertop without seams.
Minuses
Ergonomics. It is not entirely convenient to place the stove and sink on the same line, especially if they are relatively far from each other.
Room size. Kitchen 2 meters straight is the minimum length that is suitable for a straight design. A tabletop that is too small will be inconvenient due to lack of space and almost complete absence of a working surface.
Little storage space. Obviously, the size of the entire kitchen will be inferior to its corner counterparts - if there are a lot of kitchen utensils, there will be nowhere to store them.
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.
Door or arch?
A door that opens inward is a space eater, which is already scarce. You can change this by rearranging the stitches.
If your kitchen has a gas heater or stove, then according to building codes there must be a door. But it can fold like an accordion and move apart like on a train.
In addition, the width of the doorway is not regulated. You can narrow it by 10-15 cm, gaining space for a corner cabinet.
If there is no gas in the kitchen, then the door can be removed altogether, replacing it, for example, with a classic-style arch or curtain. At the same time, the design of your 4 sq. m kitchen will not suffer much, and more space will be added.
Idea: Use the space above a door or archway for shelves.
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.
Technique
To make the workspace of a 4-meter kitchen both compact and functional, it needs to be equipped with mini-format appliances.
- For a family of 3-4 people, a narrow dishwasher with a width of 45 cm is suitable. For singles and couples, you can purchase an even narrower PMM - 35-40 cm wide.
- The refrigerator should also be narrow. Thanks to its high “stature” it will be quite roomy.
- A three-burner hob is ideal for families. If one or two people live in the apartment, then you can choose a stove with two burners.
- An oven can be small, but ovens that can also perform the function of a microwave oven are also good.
It is important that all equipment is built-in, because the more uniform all the fronts are, the neater and lighter the interior will appear.
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.
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.
Is it worth thinking about redevelopment?
The issue of redevelopment must be approached with special care. This is due to the fact that any change in the location of the walls will entail problems with the BTI and the housing inspection. Therefore, in order to avoid problems with the possible sale of a remodeled apartment, you should not resort to such drastic methods. It’s better to use design techniques and leave the four walls in their places and change the space by correctly arranging accents and interior elements.
In addition to solving organizational issues, redevelopment will require significant financial investments
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.
Examples of kitchens with an area of 4 square meters in Khrushchev with a refrigerator
Decorating a small kitchen is quite problematic. But redevelopment is irrational for many reasons. Just look at the interior of a 4 by 4 meter kitchen, photos of which in various options and styles are presented below. And it becomes clear that a well-organized space can make even such a small area functional and ergonomic.
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.
