Kitchen 4 by 4 meters: design, ideas for planning and zoning

Having a large and spacious kitchen is the cherished dream of any housewife. However, the design of a 4 4 kitchen must meet the requirements of all household members. With the right choice of interior and selection of furniture, you can turn this space not only into a place for eating, but also into a corner for spending leisure time for the whole family or meeting guests. It is also important to take care not to visually reduce the kitchen area and not turn it into a disorderly warehouse of furniture and unnecessary items. To ensure maximum comfort for yourself and your loved ones at 16 meters, consider some tips from experienced interior design specialists.

A kitchen measuring 4x4 meters can accommodate all the necessary furniture and household appliances, while maintaining freedom of space and openness

Selecting the color

The range of colors suitable for a 4 by 4 m square kitchen is very wide. You can choose light colors - this will make your kitchen warmer (especially if the windows face north) and more comfortable. This will make the room seem much larger. All shades of beige, peach, pink and sand have exactly these qualities. For a kitchen with windows facing south, it is recommended to prefer a design in cooler colors: all shades of blue, turquoise, and purple will save you from the summer heat. The color scheme from white to black is neutral and can be used for rooms with access to any side of the world.

The walls can be covered with wallpaper with any pattern or painted with plain paint. Ceramic tiles or Venetian plaster look great. The square layout with a large area allows you to realize all your dreams and desires in terms of color selection for the design.

Various color spots and accents diluted the light interior of this kitchen and radically changed the mood of the room

Area 16 sq. meters allows you to safely use dark shades in design, without fear of visually reducing the room

A 4 by 4 m kitchen in dark and bright colors will look very stylish. In such a room you always feel cheerful and active. The combination of colors is very important when developing a design. These can be absolutely contrasting colors or a combination of color with its main shades. The classic colors of furniture fronts (wood, marble and marble chips) suit any wall design. You can also use a combination of different colors and furniture items in your kitchen design. In this case, preference should be given to plain walls or wallpaper with small patterns.

Kitchen-living room: organization and layout

A kitchen and a living room are combined, in essence, in two opposite situations: when the owners are not constrained by space and can afford to continue the kitchen of the living room, or in an apartment with a small kitchenette and a small living room, it is possible to demolish a wall or make an arch to increase the space.

Oleg Chauzov interior designer, Furniture Center Furniture Park

There was a small living room, a small kitchen, these small rooms were combined. Even if it didn’t turn out to be a lot of space, it’s already something interesting.

The size of the room doesn't matter that much. It doesn't have to be huge.

Oleg Chauzov

I had to deal with the fact that physically there is space, the apartment is a hundred meters long, but a lot is spent on some kind of auxiliary premises.

Where to begin

First, let's define the functionality of the room. Of course, the kitchen component of the kitchen-living room is much more important than the living one. You can choose any sofa in the living room, you can rearrange the table, but in order to transfer the water to another wall, you will need to start a new major renovation. Also: in this serious matter it would be wrong to be guided by a simple “I like it.” Arm yourself with more heavy-handed “how I cook” and, in general, “how I live,” because then it immediately becomes clear what you need. And, of course, we must proceed from existing realities.

Oleg Chauzov

If we are talking about an apartment, then everything still comes down to technical issues. For example, we are prohibited from taking kitchen appliances, sinks, and stoves outside the kitchen. Even if we are talking about a combined space.

That is, if you are preparing to tear down a wall and combine two spaces, then the kitchen will have to be left where it was. It is prohibited to build a kitchen above the living space of another owner.

If we are talking about a house on the ground, then there is immeasurably more room for imagination, although, of course, technical aspects (ventilation, water supply, electricity) are still somewhat limiting.

Zoning

There are two approaches to the design of a kitchen-living room:

1. Make sure that the kitchen merges with the interior of the living room and does not catch the eye.
2. Clearly delineate the kitchen and living areas.

Again, you need to tune in to what you like and what you need. If the room is small, 15-20 meters, and its main load is the living room, or it is a studio apartment, then it is advisable that the kitchen does not draw attention to itself.

Luxury kitchen sets have models in which doors are built into the side cabinets. They completely cover the kitchen. You close the door - and it’s like a closet, only a little deeper than usual.

Another way to hide the kitchen is a neutral color scheme, common to both zones. Thus, a kitchen made in blue tones supports the overall style of the blue room and does not particularly attract attention. The hood in the kitchen-living room can be made retractable, the countertop cannot contrast with the hob. In general, the hob, oven, hood and even mixer can be chosen so that they match the style of the entire room, for example, rhyme with the TV on the wall. Then it will not irritate the owners and guests, but, on the contrary, will decorate the room.

Oleg Chauzov

You can - and many people love it - to make a bar counter that will zone the room, separating the kitchen area from the dining area. But this needs to be approached carefully. People live differently, eat differently. For those who prefer to eat at the table, it is better not to build a bar counter. It may turn out that your kitchen-living room will look like a furniture store: a lot of chairs, a table, a sofa, armchairs - it turns out a little not very good.

If we are talking about a large space, then when connecting the kitchen and living room, people often decide to go eclectic. A classic, soft paisan kitchen and a modern living room interior can be unexpectedly beautiful together.

Thus, a kitchen with log walls and large windows to the garden can be made in a restrained classic style with a country twist. At the level of an idea, it can be perceived as “well, really!”, but when it is implemented, it delights. It’s like stepping out of fast-paced modernity into a quiet village of the last century. It’s for this feeling that everything is started.

Oleg Chauzov

interior designer, furniture center Furniture Park

Design is a philosophy. Technical, decorative, ergonomic aspects are combined into one system. Sometimes technical things look much better than decorative ones.

Counter and island

The size of the counter is calculated as follows: 60 centimeters of space is recommended for each person, this is the minimum (comfortable space is 75-90 centimeters). It is optimal when there are three chairs at the bar counter, so 180 centimeters is the minimum length of a beautiful counter. The recommended rack depth is from 90 centimeters. Thus, if you cannot install a 180x90 centimeter counter in your kitchen, it is better not to install it at all. It’s better to have a table in this place that can be moved apart to suit your needs.

Usually the rack is used on one side, so it makes sense for it to stand on a kitchen drawer rather than on its feet. On the kitchen side there are drawers, on the living room side there are decorative fronts and bar stools.

The presence of a kitchen island, as an item for large and expensive interiors, immediately adds class and prestige to the entire room. But an island needs an area. The distance from the main kitchen to the island should be 120 cm, and the approach to the island from each side should also be 120 centimeters. There is a simple explanation for this: the standard width of a kitchen drawer is 60 centimeters. The island is opposite the kitchen, and it should be possible to open both doors - both the kitchen and the island.

A kitchen island is not only an element of the interior, but also additional space for work and storage. It all depends on the configuration of the room: you can make a wall only from high cabinets in which the refrigerator, oven and other appliances are hidden, and all the lower cabinets are in the island, the sink and hob are also on it. The options may be different: the hob is on the island, the sink is on the wall, or vice versa - but it’s always interesting.

Appliances and washing

Regardless of the size (from 40 to 120 centimeters), the sink in the kitchen-living room should not stand out or be conspicuous. If possible, it is better to make it the same color as the countertop. If you order a stone countertop, then the sink can also be made of stone. A faucet with a removable spout is more convenient and functional than a regular one. It is about 40% more expensive, but when you fill a large floor vase with water, you will thank yourself forty times for not being greedy.

Countertop with sink made of artificial stone.

There can be several options for placing a refrigerator in the kitchen-living room - from built-in (60 cm) to free-standing Side by Side (90 cm) and 120 cm, consisting of a refrigerator and a freezer. A built-in small refrigerator is usually used either in a bachelor’s apartment, the owner of which rarely eats at home, or when the house also has a pantry in which there is an impressive size refrigerator and freezer. In the latter case, the built-in refrigerator stores juices, yogurts, eggs for breakfast and other products that should always be on hand.

Let us repeat - it is not necessary to hide the refrigerator in the kitchen-living room; it can be quite successfully integrated into the interior. But with all the possibilities of compromises between design and functionality, it is better to decide for yourself from the very beginning what is more important - the beauty of the room or its convenience.

The width of the hood in the living room combined with the kitchen must be at least 90 centimeters, even if the hob width does not exceed 60 centimeters. Here we are dealing with a fairly large and open space, so the wider the hood and the higher it is located, the better. By the way, according to existing standards, the distance from an electric hob to a direct hood should be 65-75 cm, from a gas stove to a direct hood – 75-85. If the hood is inclined, then, respectively, 35-45 cm and 55-65 cm.

You can't skimp on hood power. For some manufacturers, a hood with a width of 90 centimeters can be equal in power to a sixty-centimeter one. It is even better to have additional ventilation of the room, which is turned on forcibly.

When the kitchen and public areas of the kitchen-living room are visually demarcated, the hood is not hidden, but vice versa. Especially if you buy an expensive hood - of course, you shouldn’t hide it, but put a dome on it.

Reception area

In the kitchen-living room, the part of the living room itself is no less important than the kitchen.

Oleg Chauzov

interior designer, furniture center Furniture Park

This is some kind of public area. Usually this is a hall where it is comfortable to sit, receive guests, where you can dance if you move some furniture. This is the reception area and it should look interesting and there should not be any intimate things like a wardrobe.

Many provide sleeping places in this area for overstaying guests, so the soft area should be foldable.

Oleg Chauzov interior designer

If there is a TV hanging here, then it is advisable that it be viewed not only from the soft area, but also from the kitchen work area.

Closed cabinets and open shelves

When it comes to the kitchen-living room, the issue of cabinets and shelves becomes especially important. The kitchen-living room is not just a place where you prepare food, it is where you receive guests and gather as a family on various important occasions. There are increased requirements for such premises.

Open shelves are beautiful, but only when they are in perfect order, when only beautiful objects are on them. And in the kitchen there is a lot of things that cannot be called a beautiful object, for example, a grater (unless it is a designer grater for 10,000 rubles). That is, you will have to figure out how to store all this utensils. For open shelves you need to buy different little things all the time, like beautiful identical jars for spices and so on. With cabinets, everything is much simpler - behind closed doors there can be complete anarchy, and if it doesn’t bother you personally, then fine. In general, when making a choice between cabinets and open shelves, you need to take into account the degree of your neatness, as well as the extra effort and time you have to constantly maintain beauty.

Small household appliances

If the kitchen-living room is small, it makes sense to hide all small household appliances, except for the kettle (juicer, steamer, multicooker, etc.) and deliver them as needed. To do this, there should always be a free space of half a meter wide on the countertop. If the room is large, with a large kitchen, then household appliances can be stationary on the countertop. All these modern egg cookers, ice cream makers, water filters, etc. are really capable of decorating the interior - realizing that without design they would lose the consumer, manufacturers of kitchen appliances began to make very beautiful things.

Are you thinking about tearing down the wall between your kitchen and living room? Look at the FORUMHOUSE section, which contains materials on redevelopment and renovation of premises. If you don’t know what to make a kitchen apron from, look at our ready-made solutions for a metal apron, from simple and stylish to expensive and pretentious. And watch a video on how to incorporate elements of English style into the interior.

We thank Lyudmila Pak, Director of Marketing and Advertising of the CVT group of companies, Furniture direction, for her assistance in preparing the material. We thank the Furniture Park for the materials provided.

Turn on the light

The interior of a 4 m kitchen makes it possible to limitlessly use the possibilities of light. You can choose any ceiling - plasterboard, suspended or suspended. If height allows, you can hang a classic massive chandelier. In other design options, single-tier or stepped spotlights look very advantageous. You can equip the dining area with a small chandelier or sconce, and choose spotlights for the work area.

White and colored lights are very convenient and beautiful. They are mounted on open shelves, mezzanines, and along the perimeter of countertops. This is beneficial from the point of view of enhanced lighting of cooking and washing areas. Colored accents that match the overall design of the kitchen will add romance and coziness.

Lighting fixtures must provide uniform and sufficient lighting in each area of ​​the kitchen

Optimizing free space in a small kitchen

Design of a kitchen room measuring 5 sq. m. is carefully thought out.

To make the room happy, comfortable and multifunctional after renovation work, you need to have a certain budget and order furniture items that will be used for their intended purpose.

• 
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• Cozy interior

• How to fit a dishwasher in a small kitchen

These are the attributes that will fit perfectly into the parameters of the kitchen.

If you correctly calculate all the dimensions, it will still be roomy and compact. Also, in order to rationally use the space, you need to choose a color palette and correctly place plumbing fixtures and other equipment.

Shape selection

The square layout allows you to place furniture in several options:

• double-row, which involves placing objects along two walls;
• linear, characterized by the placement of the kitchen unit along a blank wall, and the dining space on the opposite side;
• corner, providing for an L-shaped distribution of furniture along the wall with a rotation;
• U-shaped, which uses all three walls (it is only important to determine the place for the dining area);
• island (very fashionable now), which helps to move any of the functional parts into the middle of the kitchen (this could be a dining or cooking table, a sink, etc.).

Creating an “island” in the kitchen requires more space, you may have to give up something, or choose a small island

Zoning

A spacious 16-meter kitchen allows you to create several almost autonomous areas in this area. This is very convenient if many people live in the apartment or there is a need to combine the kitchen and living room.

• One option could be to place the work area in one corner and the dining area in the opposite corner. Design techniques such as separate lighting and raising the floor level under the dining area in the form of a podium will advantageously designate each of the spaces.
• Zoning problems can be solved by using different flooring materials in one room (for example, ceramic tiles in the work area and laminate or linoleum in the recreation area).
• Well-placed screens, partitions, and all kinds of retractable structures will help each zone exist autonomously in one room. Thus, during cooking with a hood, odors will not penetrate into the dining room. While receiving guests, the hostess will be able to please them with wonderful dishes without demonstrating the cooking process.

Designers usually recommend looking at photos of different options and making a decision on determining the area of ​​each zone (or dividing a 4 by 4 kitchen in half).

Work zone

In the work area, furniture can be varied. Wall cabinets, open shelves, mezzanines can be arranged evenly, stepped or in a checkerboard pattern. Lower work cabinets will help hide kitchen utensils. Built-in household appliances should be located as conveniently as possible. It is advisable to place a work table next to the stove with a surface for cutting food and preparing dishes. If the apartment is equipped with a gas water heater, it is necessary to place a sink under it to regulate the water temperature.

Everything in the work area should be in its place

Rest zone

A kitchen with a large area allows you to place a massive soft corner and a square, rectangular or round table in the dining area. This table will look great with chairs with high backs or kitchen mini-chairs. Popular in modern kitchen design, the bar counter can be located either against the wall or in the middle of the kitchen. It will completely replace the dining table and will look great with bar stools or stools with high legs.

A convenient bar counter can serve as an additional element dividing the kitchen into functional areas

Zoning the space

Surely there are few women who will devote the entire area of ​​such a kitchen to a work area, even if the house has a separate dining room and a bunch of other necessary rooms that allow you not to save space.

I have no doubt that there are such people. They have the power to create for themselves with their own hands a U-shaped kitchen with an island - a real paradise for lovers of frying, steaming, baking and cooking.

A home chef's dream

But I’m not one of them; a 2x2 meter corner and a couple of high “pencil cases” are enough for me: one for the oven and microwave and the second for storing a strategic supply of food.

An indispensable and obligatory piece of kitchen equipment in our family is TV, which we only have time to watch while preparing and eating food.

Therefore, there should be a dining room with a comfortable place to relax, and you want to highlight it visually using one or more of the following techniques:

• A podium on the floor and a ceiling beam along the border of the two zones. A raised dining table looks great.
• Bar counter.

Kitchen design with a bar counter

• Sliding doors. The option is interesting, but still 16 square meters is not enough to split them into two small rooms.
• Different wall and floor finishes with a clear boundary between them.

The zoning effect is further emphasized by different lamps

There are also options with wide arched openings and low partitions, but I don’t want to split the space so radically. What’s also great about a spacious kitchen is the ability to choose any colors and textures for decoration, any interior styles. The main thing is not to get carried away and not to overload it with furniture and decor.

Style selection

A 4 by 4 meter kitchen can be made in almost any style.

1. The classic version with decorative facades, wooden furniture moldings and white walls will breathe cleanliness and spaciousness.
2. Semicircular and oval pieces of furniture made in the Art Nouveau style will appeal to balanced and conflict-free people. Smooth lines and harmonious colors in the design will make the space comfortable and cozy.
3. The high-tech style that is fashionable today involves the presence of a large amount of glass, metal and plastic in the interior. Equipping with the latest built-in appliances will make the kitchen especially impressive and multifunctional.
4. Eco-style will help you feel surrounded by nature. Interior items made from natural materials in combination with natural colors will allow adherents of a natural lifestyle to appreciate this design.
5. This minimalist room will look very spacious, neat and airy. The principle of “nothing superfluous” will allow household members to maintain constant order in the kitchen.

By following the recommendations presented above, you will realize all your design dreams and turn the kitchen into a place of increased comfort for household members and guests.

A selection of photos of real interiors

Many different styles for a large 4 by 4 m kitchen can be seen in the photos, which will help you properly plan the decor and choose your design style.

And in conclusion, an interesting video showing a radical transformation of the interior of the kitchen combined with the living room.