Niche in the kitchen under the window: how to beat it?

The kitchens of Soviet apartments of the "Khrushchev" type are distinguished by one amazing feature - the presence of a niche under the window, which was originally provided for by the construction of the house. Not every person born in the post-Soviet era will immediately guess why it is needed. Although this does not prevent this recess from finding a very practical application, especially considering that the kitchen area in the "Khrushchev" leaves much to be desired.

Since the 19th century, niches in the kitchens of city manor apartments have been used as a winter refrigerator due to the use of natural cold from the outer wall. This idea migrated into Soviet life with the active construction of apartment buildings for the common people.

Normal household appliances were not available to everyone in those days. Even if you could buy a modern miracle of progress, allowing you to keep stocks chilled, it often turned out to be too large for the proletarian cramped kitchen space.

They designed it unpretentiously. The doors were simple, plywood. Often the outside was covered with wallpaper so that the recess under the window would not attract too much attention.

Over time, the severe need for this niche disappeared - convenient small-sized refrigerators appeared, which, if installed in the kitchen, did not eat up too much space in it. But there is a possibility of alternative use of the space under the window... As the kitchen space develops, ideas become more and more original.

Nowadays, a niche is being adapted for completely different things.

• Wardrobe with drawers or shelves - open or hidden behind hinged doors. In one and the other case, they can be used to store even pickles, even kitchen utensils. It all depends on the need.

• Place for a heating radiator. If the house is cold and additional storage space is not required, the niche is just right for another battery.

• Electric fireplace. This is a sleeker alternative to a radiator that can completely transform the look of a small kitchen.

• Safe. Some people use the niche under the window left from the Soviet past in this way. You can make a fireproof box inaccessible to strangers by providing it with a reliable lock. And if it is properly disguised, then hardly anyone will even suspect that there is a cache in the kitchen.

• Built-in dishwasher or washing machine. Small models of household appliances will fit well into the kitchen space if you correctly dispose of the former refrigerator.

• Place under the hob or sink. This option, like the previous one, cannot be called easily implemented, but the niche becomes an integral part of the kitchen workspace.

• Place under the dining area. If you remove the niche under the window, and instead of the window sill install a tabletop, it becomes very convenient to sit next to it - your legs do not rest against the wall. This is a good option for a couple or a person who lives alone.

The most radical method is to completely remove the niche and make a French window in the kitchen.

Depending on the new purpose of the niche, the internal work associated with this can be complex and time-consuming. In some cases, it is necessary to redo this place, partially removing the brickwork in order to deepen the space under the window. Often it is necessary to insulate a niche and protect the interior from condensation. For the installation of modern technology - supply electricity, water and sewerage.

As far as the exterior is concerned, it depends on the overall design of the kitchen. The first thing that comes to mind is to arrange the doors of a window sill in the same way as they look in a kitchen set.

You can also use the materials from which the windows are made. If the window frames and slopes are plastic, the door and part of the wall under the window opening is designed accordingly.

The use of expensive wallpaper and tiles gives additional gloss to this area of ​​the kitchen. You can beat this space in different ways, it all depends on the needs and imaginations of the owners themselves.

The grille above the radiator in the area of ​​the former niche looks simple and elegant, the heating device is not striking.

You can use the niche under the windowsill as you like - even for food, even for kitchen utensils or towels. The drawer door is very convenient and looks like a natural extension of a plastic window.

The issue of placing a washing machine in the house is easily solved thanks to a niche under the window. At the same time, the “washing machine” does not look foreign in the kitchen. It is simply not visible behind the door of the headset. And the window sill turns out to be wide, turning into a comfortable workspace.

You can remake a niche so that it becomes part of a corner kitchen unit, thanks to which the functionality of the workspace will increase. In a small kitchen, there will be enough space for pots and cutlery placed in drawers, as well as for many other important things.

The place under the window can remain a refrigerator, but only quite in the spirit of our time. In a modern kitchen, such a cabinet with pickles looks futuristic.

It is convenient to put a microwave oven on the shelf under the window. It is very convenient to use it with such placement.

When the sink is mixed in place of the niche, it becomes possible to install a large full-fledged refrigerator in a small kitchen. The hostess, while washing the dishes, does not rest her gaze on the wall, but can look out the window.

See below for a master class on altering the Khrushchev refrigerator.