In this case, the window becomes a decoration of the room and in no way a hindrance, as some designers believe, who, you see, are hampered by windows in furniture layout. Window openings provide a wide variety of designs depending on the wishes of the apartment residents.
It is not customary for us to place the kitchen along the window, but this is often the easiest way to arrange furniture in the kitchen. It is worth noting that this solution is not only stylish, but also multifunctional. Corner kitchens with a window measuring from 5 sq. m perfectly harmonize with the kitchen corner near the window opening (photo), freeing up additional square meters. Naturally, the advantage of the kitchen will be the window, since due to the window sill you can equip an additional countertop for cooking or a bar counter for food consumption. A work area by the window also allows you to be distracted during the work process by looking out the window, watching children and passers-by. Still better than staring at the wall!
The shape of the kitchen sets the style
Modern kitchens have a carriage-like shape, such that the length is 2 times the width. In such situations, perhaps the right decision is to install a kitchen unit. The window in the middle can be decorated in any way you like, with all kinds of cabinets and shelves; thanks to the tabletop, the size of the working surface of the table will increase. Also, using the kitchen, you can hide batteries, wires and a ventilation box, which is most often located near the window. Thus, a kitchen located near the window will only help hide unfavorable elements in the built-in cabinets. In addition, the sink will look very impressive. Of course, installing sewerage and other communication routes costs some money, but they are not at all large.
Batteries are considered the most unpleasant phenomenon in such a room, since they directly spoil the design picture with their appearance. Such examples of solutions for corner kitchens:
- Install heated floors and get rid of radiators altogether. Then the bar counter on the windowsill will be very appropriate and stylish. The disadvantage of this method is the costs and the device’s rejection of certain types of surfaces.
- Moving the battery to another location. This method is even more expensive, but worthwhile. The refectory will be warm and with a well-designed bar counter.
- Place the sink under the windowsill, and hide the radiators in the kitchen cabinet. The downside is the transfer of communications.
- Demolish the wall to remove the battery.
The important fact remains that the window remains the main accent in the interior. Its design should convey a joyful mood through its design. So you can choose bright curtains, airy tulles with flowers and add a special charm to the atmosphere of the kitchen. Housewives have always been afraid to leave window frames undecorated, so they used blinds or thin curtains that did not burden the decoration. You are absolutely lucky, if your kitchen has a corner kitchen with a lot of light, maybe even 2 windows, then Roman-style curtains are mainly suitable for decoration (photo).
When they are raised, your room will become bright, and depending on their color, colored lighting will spread throughout the room. Designers increasingly began to choose bright window frames as decoration. With proper design, a corner kitchen can become much wider, at least visually, much more functional - due to compact cabinets that hide the battery and communications and a bar counter that can be installed in place of the window sill, enjoying a wonderful view if you move the battery. Based on the above, we can conclude that the window is undoubtedly an advantageous place in your kitchen, which can be used in all sorts of ways and played out as your imagination desires, and the proposed design examples are direct evidence of this. We wish you success in decorating your premises! And remember, take advantage of the benefits available to you!
Everything about corner kitchens: how to choose a comfortable set, secrets of design and layout, real photos of interiors with an L-shaped kitchen - here.
White glossy acrylic kitchen (12 sq. meters)
Corner (L- or L-shaped) is the most popular kitchen layout option, in which the furniture is located perpendicularly along two adjacent walls. It is good for medium and small kitchens because it allows even a modest area to be used effectively. But before you go to the salon and order a corner set, take a closer look at other ways of arranging furniture. It might either suit you much better.
How to properly hide radiators
There are several ways to hide a radiator, depending on the average temperature in the kitchen:
- The radiator can be left in its original place and disguised with a floor box. It is necessary to organize high-quality ventilation; for this, a hole is made in the countertop or in the window sill. It can be supplemented with a decorative grille. Organize a storage system inside the box.
Built-in radiator
- The radiator can be moved to the wall, closer to the main riser. There are vertical batteries that look great in any interior and are almost invisible visually.
Radiator on the wall
- Eliminate radiators during the renovation process and install heated floors instead.
It is important to remember that camouflage in furniture or behind cabinets requires high-quality ventilation, otherwise the wood will dry out and become brittle.
pros
— Possibility to place the refrigerator, sink and stove according to the triangle rule - at an equal distance from each other. This will save you time and effort: when everything is at hand, cooking is easier and more enjoyable. Please note: the sides of the triangle should not be longer than two meters.
— Modern kitchens with a corner layout are compact and roomy: you will have plenty of cabinets for supplies and utensils, and thanks to smart fittings, precious space is not wasted.
— You can zone the space into two parts: a comfortable work area with a set and a cozy dining room with a table, chairs, and sometimes a corner sofa.
Minuses
- Takes up more space than a straight line. If you rarely cook and keep few supplies at home, a linear set is sufficient.
— Poorly suited for narrow, elongated and spacious square kitchens. In the first case, the space is used irrationally; there is a risk of overloading the already limited space. In the second, you will have to make a lot of unnecessary movements, constantly running along the kitchen front from one edge to the other.
— A set with a corner layout is difficult to integrate into a room of complex shape (with protrusions, niches, an air duct in the corner) and curved walls. You will have to make furniture to order, and manufacturing modules to individual sizes, with rare exceptions, will cost more than the standard. Or get ready to pay extra to the assembler to “finish” standard cabinets on site.
— To avoid wasting space in the lower corner cabinets, designers recommend installing special fittings in them, which will significantly increase the cost of the furniture. And without it, getting something from the depths of the closet is not as easy as it might seem at first glance.
Advantages
This layout is convenient for the housewife. In a small room, an L-shaped kitchen will provide high capacity. In spacious rooms it will be possible to conveniently arrange the set and other furniture.
A design project can be created for a room of any shape. An important advantage of the corner layout is ergonomics.There is a huge selection of headsets for sale for every taste. You can make an individual order so that all elements fit perfectly into the room.
Corner kitchen design - best ideas
The internal corner of the furniture can be straight or beveled. Let's figure out which kitchen is more convenient.
With a right angle Choose this option if there is little space in the kitchen or the renovation budget is strictly limited. A serious disadvantage is difficult access to the contents of the corner cabinet. You can install roll-out, pull-out or rotating shelves, which will make your life much easier, but they are not cheap. And if there is a sink in the corner, you will no longer be able to use the fittings.
With a beveled corner (trapezoid cabinet) This design is good when you have a corner sink, no dishwasher and often have back pain. It’s easier to get something out of a slanted cabinet, you won’t have to reach for the sink, and you’ll spend less effort washing dishes.
The disadvantage is obvious: a cut corner is larger than a straight corner (standard sizes of pentagonal cabinets are 850 by 850 and 900 by 900 mm) and often looks bulky. Therefore, this solution is not suitable for owners of a tiny kitchen.
With a sink in the corner A kitchen with a sink in the corner is the most common type of layout, especially in Khrushchev. A corner sink model is usually built into a trapezoid cabinet. In a kitchen with a right angle, the best choice is a miniature round sink or a compact rectangular sink with one or two bowls. See the photos for examples:
With a vent duct/overhang In both older homes and new buildings, there may be an air duct in the corner that spoils the kitchen design and complicates the furniture arrangement.
A successful kitchen design option with a ledge in the corner
When the ventilation duct is small, the obstacle is easy to get around: the furniture manufacturer will simply reduce the depth of the floor cabinets:
In a poorly lit room, a layout with a sink near the window is convenient
When the box protrudes forward, the most reasonable thing is to divide the set into two parts, as in the examples in the photo:
With a work surface, you can place here a tabletop dish drainer, a jug or water filter, a coffee maker, a toaster, or a microwave oven.
With a stove A stove is rarely placed in a corner, but sometimes this layout option is the only possible one. It is more convenient to install the hob into a trapezoid-shaped cabinet. This is what it looks like in real interiors:
With drawers A non-standard element that is made only to order. A special pull-out system with corner drawers, Space Corner, is offered by the famous Austrian manufacturer of kitchen fittings Blum. You will find a gallery of photos of such boxes.
With open shelves
1. Leave a distance between the sink and the stove (40-60 cm). You need a countertop to cut food before putting it in the oven or pan. It's also safer: there's less chance of getting burned while you're washing dishes.
2. Reduce the depth of one side of the headset by 10-15 cm. You will have slightly less storage space, but there will be more free space. Visually, such a kitchen seems more spacious.
3. Leave one wall without upper modules. A beautiful hood, TV or decor will help fill the “emptiness”: photographs, paintings, posters, panels, embroidery. You can decorate the wall with photo wallpaper or lay it out with beautiful patchwork tiles.
4. Use columnar cabinets. It is convenient when the usual upper and lower cabinets are located on one side of the kitchen, and on the other there is a block of two or three high pencil cases. You can build equipment into them and install a storage system with drawers or mesh baskets. Smooth blank facades merge into a single wall, and the small room seems more spacious and freer than it really is.
5. Order tall wall cabinets. For example, 900-920 mm instead of the standard 700-720 mm. They have a lot of space (you can easily compensate for the lack of upper modules on one wall). High facades visually “pull” the walls up, and the ceiling appears higher. Light-colored doors that match the finish of the walls and ceiling look especially good.
6. Don't skimp on fittings. With it, you will really start to use what lies in the depths of your closets, and not forget about these things, as is usually the case. “Magic corner”, “figure eight” or “carousel” pull-out shelves will save you a lot of effort.
Pull-out shelves LeMans (Kessebohmer)
"Magic corner" system (Kessebohmer)
7. Engage the window sill. In small kitchens it is convenient to combine it with a countertop, and place narrow cabinets below. A few examples of shallow cabinets under the window are in the photo:
Real photos of corner kitchens in the interior
Classic, Provence and country
Kitchen design 11 sq. meters in modern classic style
9-meter square Provence kitchen with washing machine
The idea of arranging cabinets in the kitchen with access to the balcony
Minimalism, hi-tech, Scandinavian and modern style
Design project of a corner kitchen 9 sq.m. meters with a ledge and a bar counter
Inexpensive kitchen made of plastic with photo printing for 8 square meters. meters in Stalin
At 12 sq. m will fit a large kitchen set, a full-fledged dining table, and, if desired, a corner sofa
Stylish kitchen-living room with furniture in the same style
Corner kitchens for a small kitchen
Finished economy class kitchen made of wood-look chipboard in a small apartment
Corner design options for a small-sized kitchen of 6 square meters with and without a refrigerator:
Light glossy MDF/enamel kitchen with dark countertop
Small kitchen in Provence style made of solid wood
Modern set with facades made of PVC film
Kitchen interior with washing machine and refrigerator in Khrushchev
Interesting idea with a TV on the wall
The photo shows two examples of corner small-sized kitchens from IKEA:
Hide
Lighting is an essential element in the design of any room. When planning your kitchen design, it is very important to consider the location of the windows. If in apartment buildings the location of windows is usually standard, then in a private house the windows are often located on different walls. In this case, the room will be filled with light, and the design of a kitchen with two windows on different walls in a private house should be planned based on this feature.
Window sill-tabletop
Saving space is a task that many kitchen owners have to solve. One way to rationalize space is to combine a tabletop with a window sill - if they are on the same level. This solution becomes a highlight of the design and increases comfort.
A single countertop is a great idea for a U-shaped kitchen set along three walls. For finishing, you should choose wear-resistant materials that are not afraid of moisture, for example, acrylic. Thanks to the abundance of natural light, the tabletop-window sill becomes a comfortable workspace.
A window sill-tabletop can act as a table, cooking area or bar counter. For a small kitchen, a countertop-window sill that flows into a bar counter is rational: it looks stylish and replaces a full-fledged table. Placing convenient shelves or a dishwasher under the bar will make the most of the space.
IMPORTANT: before combining, take accurate measurements so that the finished product does not interfere with opening the window, or install a sliding window.
Advantages and disadvantages of a kitchen with two windows
Two windows certainly give a kitchen many advantages. First of all, they provide a lot of light and allow you to visually expand the space of the room. In addition, the window sill can be used as a functional element.
Changing the picture outside the window at different times of the day will be much more pleasant than the usual wallpaper pattern or even the most beautiful picture on the wall. In addition, if the corner windows to a private house are located on different walls, one of them will always be in front of you. The sun will shine through the windows much longer, since the windows can face two sunny sides at once. However, they also have a number of disadvantages. Among the main disadvantages of such premises are:
- A large glazing area inevitably causes large heat losses.
- Placing furniture becomes more difficult, since it is necessary to take into account the location of windows in different parts of the room.
- The design of a kitchen in a private house with a window should be more complex and well thought out.
Proper design can reduce all these disadvantages to a minimum or eliminate them altogether.
Designer kitchen design with two windows
In modern homes, kitchen architecture is often given insufficient importance. As a result, kitchens turn out to be too cramped, narrow, and elongated. Two windows located on different walls of the room can save the situation and turn a cramped, corridor-like space into a cozy and comfortable kitchen. If you place furniture around the windows and use them as a work surface, you can significantly gain in free space. This solution will make the kitchen room more spacious.
As for color, in a kitchen with such good lighting you can safely use any shades. Even dark pieces of furniture or interior design will not make the room cramped or gloomy. This design will give the room uniqueness and style.
Some design issues and features
One of the main problems with two windows can be batteries. They are usually covered with countertops and other furnishings, but increased heat loss in a kitchen with two windows can cause the room to become too cold. In this case, you can cut special holes in the tabletop and cover them with grates. This design will allow warm air from the radiators to rise upward freely and unhindered to heat the room. To allow cold air to flow to the radiators, small gaps are left between the cabinets and the countertop.
In some cases, indoor batteries are eliminated entirely. A heated floor can be used as a replacement. In a private home, such a solution will be especially relevant. Installing a heated floor will balance heat loss in a kitchen with two windows and protect against cold floors, which is often a problem on the first floor. If a corner kitchen with a window in a private house is too cramped, but the ceilings are high enough, you can install shelves or cabinets above the windows to place some items. It is important to calculate their height so that they can be reached. Most often, such cabinets contain kitchen appliances and utensils that are rarely used or used only in a certain season.
If there is too much of a gap between the window sill and the countertop, you can close it with decorative stone. For a holistic design, the same tiles that imitate natural stone can be used to decorate a kitchen backsplash. If the window sill is too low and it is not possible to create a single surface with it with the tabletop, you can place a seating area near the window sill. This will allow you to use the window sill as a shelf or expansion of space. You can also place shelves, wardrobes or drawers under the windows.
Often a kitchen with a window in a private house has problems with lighting. The abundance of light during the day gives the feeling that such kitchens do not need a lot of light. However, early in the morning or in the evenings there will not be enough light in the kitchen. In this case, it is best to use several light sources, independent of each other. This way you can easily adjust the light level and tailor it to your needs. If you choose the option of placing shelves above the windows, placing spotlights on them can be an excellent solution. At the same time, the work area will be perfectly lit at any time of the day.
Sink by the window
This sink looks original and helps save up to several meters of space. This idea has both pros and cons.
The benefits of window washing include:
- rational use of the space under the window, which usually remains unused;
- energy savings: natural lighting allows you to do without additional illumination of the sink throughout the daylight hours;
- natural ventilation, which allows you to quickly get rid of moisture;
- psychological comfort: washing dishes by the window is much more pleasant than looking at a blank wall.
The disadvantages of this idea are:
- radiator transfer. A possible solution is to install heated floors;
- extension of the water pipeline. Requires special knowledge and financial investments;
- deformation of the tabletop: only moisture-resistant materials must be used;
- deformation of the window frame: only plastic windows can withstand high humidity;
- splashes on glass. One solution is to install the sink below the window level;
- problems with ventilation. The exit is a low or removable tap that does not interfere with opening the window.
