Advantages of a corner set
The advantages of choosing an L-shaped kitchen include:
- The ability to significantly save space through the use of corner joints.
- Organization of additional storage areas (sink in the corner, shelves under the sink, corner hanging shelves).
- Original design, for example, L-shaped kitchen with a panoramic window.
- Such furniture is perfect even for rooms with non-standard sizes and shapes.
Today, all manufactured kitchen furniture is multifunctional and practical. Such sets often already have built-in small bar counters, additional countertops, and retractable storage systems.
Glazing location
The location for the window opening inside the kitchen is selected depending on the location of the apartment. However, you should not criticize the glazing if it comes in a single copy or gives a view to the north and west.
The fact is that a specific view from the windows has its advantages and disadvantages:
- North - during the day the lighting is darker than on the south side, the opening quickly freezes, but the need to install dark wooden windows and frames disappears;
- The south is ideal, but in hot weather it may require additional ventilation and curtains;
- West - offers a beautiful view of the sunset, is suitable for daytime and evening work, does not blind the eyes in the morning;
- East - due to the blinding morning zenith, curtains are required, which can be gradually parted in the afternoon to promote daylight.
The location of the glazing also affects the illumination of plants, which are often found on the kitchen window sill. The north side is the worst option for flora growth.
The location of the windows relative to the work area is of great importance. In a private house, it is better to install glazing slightly above the working area. In apartment kitchens, this option is considered a luxury.
On the other hand, no one wants to be the object of attention of street onlookers while cooking and washing dishes. Therefore, the apartment kitchen welcomes the windows on the side. The situation is worst with studios: a kitchen-living room with a window on the side or away from the countertop is by default supplemented with local lighting, i.e. group of lamps.
The main thing is that the finish is light. This allows you to maintain space and neatness, at least visually. Moreover, a light background is relevant for a kitchen with any windows.
Disadvantages of an L-shaped kitchen
Despite the abundance of positive aspects, a headset of this model also has a number of disadvantages:
- For apartments with a very small area, corner furniture is not suitable.
- It is difficult to install cabinets if the corner of the room is occupied by important communication lines and requires constant access.
Installing a sink, sink, or oven in a corner requires a serious approach to the work, including connecting the main communications, installing the equipment itself, and protecting it from moisture.
How does it look in the interior?
Moving the sink to the window opening is an easy way to make the interior more stylish and up-to-date. The reception is suitable for all styles: classic, neoclassical, modern, scandi, loft.
In the photo there are cafe curtains on the window
See photos of kitchen interiors with a sink by the window, choose your own version of the sink, faucet, location, design.
To summarize, I would like to say: if your desire to move the sink is stronger than the problems with moving communications, heating issues - make your dream come true!
Kitchen with island
A massive table on a solid base acts as an island. The look is complemented by a stylish tabletop made of decorative stone or metal. Hanging shelves are placed above the island table.
This approach to planning allows you to organize more convenient access to storage areas (built-in drawers, space under the countertop, hanging shelves).
Where should the sink be located?
The best option for how to place a sink in the kitchen would be to install it in the kitchen, which will be installed directly under the opening. Agree that it is quite pleasant to wash the dishes and at the same time watch what is happening in the yard - how the children are playing, the husband has arrived from work, and so on. In this case, the tabletop can be placed on the window sill itself, but this will require making it much wider. Try to choose deep sinks to avoid splashing.
On the windowsill
This option will be a significant advantage for saving space. In this case, you will have an additional work surface. This is extremely convenient for studio apartments, where the kitchen sink near the window is combined with a sanitary unit. It is worth considering that the countertop should be plastic or made of natural stone, otherwise it may swell and deteriorate.
Near the window
Most often, if people plan to do a sink right next to the window opening, they should make a wide work surface. Thus, the working area will become much wider, and this will definitely not be superfluous. Be sure to remember that the faucet and installed sink should not interfere with the opening of the windows.
Between two windows
If you are the lucky owner of a kitchen with two windows, then the sink can be placed between them. There will be much more light in such a room, and this can indicate that you don’t even need to provide a large amount of additional lighting. In addition, under it there will be an additional niche for various small items. Planning a kitchen space, the interior of a kitchen with a sink near the window will depend on most factors, for example, the area of the room, shape, planned budget, preferred color scheme. You can also place indoor plants, which in this case will receive much more light and moisture. Near the sink you can place a greenhouse with shoots. This is a very successful and cozy solution for a large kitchen space.
Kitchen with additional counter
Add-on racks or countertops for L-shaped kitchens are used quite often when it is necessary to organize an additional storage area or work surface. Often, such side table tops come complete with kitchen units. The resulting additional area can be used for various purposes:
- As a desktop.
- As a dining area.
- As a cabinet with drawers.
However, such a planning technique can only be used in rooms with sufficient square footage.
Stylish detail - kitchen under the window
Only brave and thoughtful owners can boast of such a kitchen design with a window. Although more and more often we see such options in interior catalogues. The kitchen under the window is modern, comfortable and impressive. It allows you to make the most efficient use of the already meager square meters of the average apartment.
There are several options for positioning the kitchen unit in this case:
- hang it on the wall outside the window, and install the part with the washbasin under the window,
- Leave the washbasin as in the first case, and hang the cabinets on the sides of the window.
Each principle does not block sunlight or interfere with functionality. In addition, in both cases the heating structure (pipes) can be placed inside the cabinet under the washbasin. There you can make a modular system with pull-out shelves for pots and pans.
In a small kitchen with a window, it is recommended to focus on frosted glass surfaces or a wall-sized mirror, which should be located opposite the window. It is these details that create the visual volume of the room.
L-shaped kitchen with sofa
Installing additional upholstered furniture in the kitchen is an original solution for the owners. Several rules should be followed to ensure optimal planning:
- The sofa should be covered with leather (other types of covers can be used, but they must be removable and washable).
- New furniture should not block the passage to the hob, sink, or refrigerator.
The sofa should not violate the basic principle of the working triangle, so as not to interfere with the housewife in the kitchen during the cooking process. The most optimal L-shaped kitchen design can be ordered from leading designers who will take into account all the wishes of the owners.
Recommendations for creating a kitchen studio
You can turn most of the disadvantages into advantages of a studio kitchen and it’s not difficult to do. You can find various photos of a kitchen studio on the Internet and specialized magazines, but before turning them into reality, you need to take into account several useful tips and recommendations from experts:
- To prevent cooking aromas from spreading throughout the entire space, you need to install a powerful hood.
- Install lighting in different zones from different power supplies, so the light turned on in the kitchen area will not interfere and be noticeable in the recreation area.
- Try to place work surfaces close to windows so that there is more daylight when cooking.
- The style of the kitchen area and the living room area should be the same or fit well with each other, since the kitchen-studio is one whole room.
- In the work area, it is better to cover the floor with tiles or natural wood; these materials are the most resistant to high temperatures and humidity.
Kitchen with bar structure
With a small kitchen set, the owner has the opportunity to install an additional full bar counter. It acts as an additional storage area and as a dining area for 2-3 people. Modern bar counters favorably emphasize the style of the kitchen interior, and also fit optimally into the kitchen combined with an insulated loggia.
Kitchen layout in a studio apartment - important nuances
- If you want to rationally organize the space and get a beautiful interior, the layout of the kitchen studio should be carefully thought out. Start with zoning. Take a piece of paper and write down: what functions will the studio space perform? How often and how much do you cook? How many people sit at the dinner table at the same time? Do you like to cook with the whole family? How often do you invite guests? How many people come to visit? How does your family spend their free time? Where do the children do their homework? Do you need extra sleeping space in the living room? Not only the layout of the studio room and methods of zoning the kitchen, but also the choice of furniture, appliances, lighting and decoration depend on the answers to these questions.
- Avoid areas you don't need. Don't like long meals and rarely invite guests? A bar counter and a transforming coffee table will replace a large dining table. Do you always meet friends in a cafe? You can completely abandon the living room in favor of a more spacious bedroom or a comfortable workspace.
- If you like to cook, order a large and maximally functional kitchen set. If cooking is not your thing, a small kitchen and a two-burner hob are enough. Be sure to leave 60-80 cm of free worktop. This is the minimum necessary to make cooking convenient.
- Studios in new buildings are advertised as open-plan apartments. There are no internal walls - it seems that the kitchen can be made anywhere. Unfortunately, in reality this is not the case. The standards and requirements for apartments with a studio layout are the same as for housing in the old building. The kitchen and bathroom areas are always designated in the developer's documents. The main rule: during redevelopment, wet areas must remain strictly in their places and not “creep” into the living space.
- When creating a kitchen design project in a studio, pay close attention to the location of communications. The connection point for water and sewerage is often located in the bathroom next to the kitchen. If you decide to move the sink, consult with a specialist to see if it will be possible to extend communications to a new location. This may require installing a septic pump or raising the floor level to ensure proper drainage. And this is complex work and additional costs.
- In a studio made of an old Khrushchev building with a gas stove and a water heater in the kitchen, a partition or sliding doors are a mandatory requirement of the regulations. Without it, your redevelopment will not be approved. Studios in new buildings are equipped with electric stoves, so a partition is only needed if you want to isolate the kitchen from the relaxation area.
Rules for equipping a corner kitchen
The angular arrangement of the main pieces of furniture requires compliance with a number of rules:
- Respecting the boundaries of the work triangle is important for the convenience of owners.
- You should never place several household appliances, such as a refrigerator and a microwave oven, close to each other.
It is better to install the dishwasher and washing machine next to the sink in order to combine the communication lines into one outlet system.
Light furniture for a small kitchen
For kitchen furniture in the studio, choose light shades of MDF. This color headset creates visual space. Tall cabinets will not look bulky.
Avoid bright and dark colors. The emphasis in the studio should be on the living room. The central part of the room should attract attention.
The perfect combination of white and gray creates a stylish corner for the kitchenette.
Internal corner equipment
The corner of the kitchen unit is a space that owners can use for many purposes:
- Installation of drawers, metal mesh for drying dishes. Drawers and boxes for household chemicals, detergents, sponges, and rags can also be placed under the countertop.
- A sink or dishwasher can be built into the corner of the unit. For this purpose, you will need to connect communication lines to the sink, as well as protect the space under the sink from moisture and pathogenic fungus.
The corner of the headset can be used in another way, for example, to install an oven.
Which sink is best to use?
Choosing a kitchen sink to place on a windowsill is not much different from any other: it should match the style, size of the furniture, and be comfortable for you.
The sink can be overhead, mortise at the top or bottom (recessed). The first option, when the sink protrudes slightly beyond the countertop, is convenient for narrow work areas. The other two can be mounted in regular and wide surfaces.
The photo shows a sink with installation from below
Based on the design, choose the model that is most convenient for you: minimalistic single, single with a wing, double, double with a wing. In small kitchens, give preference to compact but deep sinks without wings. For large rooms the choice is unlimited.
And the last thing is the material. There are metal (stainless steel), composite (artificial stone) or ceramic sinks.
- The first ones are the cheapest, do not require special care when caring, but can make a lot of noise.
- The latter are more expensive, they can be integral with the countertop (the absence of joints is a plus for hygiene), but they are expensive, and the light ones absorb dyes (tea, coffee, beets).
- The latter are usually overhead: caring for them is no more difficult than caring for a washbasin or bathtub.
The photo shows a white ceramic model with two bowls
Corner kitchen design
For an L-shaped kitchen, it is important to choose the optimal design. All modern interior styles welcome the use of “smart” technology, laconic and practical furniture with additional functions. The most popular today are the following design directions:
Classic style. All facades and frames have natural colors (white and all its shades, brown, walnut, sand tones). A small combination with mirror panels or glass surfaces is allowed.
Scandinavian style of L-shaped kitchen interior. The design expresses more strict forms of furniture facades, monochromatic “cold” shades (traditionally, a combination of white, steel and gray colors). The overall picture is complemented by a massive table located in the form of an island.
Provence is a universal style for a corner kitchen. The design uses soft, “warm” shades (sand, beige, pastel colors). The image is complemented by the use of curtains with a floral motif, wooden facades and furniture, the colors of which are close to natural shades.
Such an interior style as Loft is also particularly popular today. The L-shaped set is successfully combined with an apron in the form of brickwork, open ventilation and water pipes.
Interior styles
Classic. Corner kitchens for a classic interior are made mainly of natural wood, decorated with carvings and decorative inserts, and richly equipped with fittings.
Preferred colors: white, noble brown, champagne, cream, creamy. Often such furniture is decorated with gold or silver.
Classic corner kitchens are suitable for spacious rooms, since carved facades and an abundance of decor “eat up” the space.
Inserts on glass facades will help add weightlessness and frivolity to classic furniture. They make bulky furniture more elegant and organic.
Modern style. Corner sets, made in a modern style, are distinguished by functionality, strict lines and ergonomics.
This kitchen will fit into any interior, regardless of its size.
Want to add some elegance to your room? Choose furniture in yellow, orange, light green or fuchsia. Do you prefer rigor and sophistication? Then you should pay attention to headsets in blue, burgundy, and beige.
Provence. The style captivates with its elegant simplicity, romantic flavor and thoughtful negligence and roughness, which give the style a special charm.
Provence style loves all natural shades: wheat, lavender, olive, mustard, sand, the color of young grass or delicate turquoise. Light walls are best suited to such furniture.
Scandinavian is a great option for a small corner kitchen. This style prefers an abundance of white, beige, turquoise combined with terracotta or light brown. The furniture is simple, with straight lines and the simplest shapes.
Art Deco is the choice of the brave. An art deco style kitchen looks luxurious, elegant and bright.
Expression, sophistication, an abundance of mirrors and gilding, the play of light and shadow, exclusivity - this is what art deco is. Furniture in this style is made exclusively from precious wood.
For corner kitchens in the Art Deco style, rich black, purple, burgundy, milky white, lilac or the whole range of brown are best suited. Gold or silver is a must.
Photo of an L-shaped kitchen
Category: Kitchen
