Kitchens in "Brezhnevka": planning, decoration and arrangement

Kitchens in "brezhnevka" are small - their size is usually 6 square meters. m., while on one side a bathroom is adjacent to the room, and on the other there is a living room. The door is located exactly opposite the window; a gas water heater is often present. Such a layout leaves no chance to realize any global design ideas, but it is quite possible to make the space cozy and comfortable.

"Brezhnevki" represent one of the options for an apartment in multi-storey buildings, erected in the 70s of the last century. The advantages of such premises include high ceilings (2.5-2.7 m), as well as the isolation of living rooms. As for the kitchen premises, they are small and compact, it is quite difficult to expand such a space. The fact is that a load-bearing wall adjoins the kitchen, and not every house has a balcony.

Thus, the only option for redevelopment is to build an arched opening between the kitchen and the living room... However, this process is quite protracted and costly - the homeowner will have to obtain a special permit to carry out work in several instances. Keep in mind, any unauthorized redevelopment is fraught with a rather impressive monetary fine, since such decisions can be potentially dangerous both for the household members themselves and for their neighbors.

If the cost of time and money does not frighten you, then before connecting the kitchen to the room, it is imperative to strengthen the wall so that its bearing parameters do not suffer, it is important not to overdo it and strictly observe the balance, since the final load should not be higher than the established norms for the structures located below. It is best if you entrust the work with specialists - in this case, after all the approvals, dismantling and finishing, you will find yourself the owner of a stylish kitchen-studio, which will become a cozy place for receiving guests and warm family gatherings.

However, if you are an opponent of combined functional zones, then you can achieve an expansion of the kitchen space due to storage rooms, while the bathroom and toilet are combined into a single bathroom. An alternative way to improve your kitchen design is to move your sink. As a rule, it is located in the farthest corner along the wall where the door is installed. In the "brezhnevka" in the kitchen and in the bathroom, there is a single riser and a gravity system is used, therefore, when moving the sink, you need to be prepared for the costs of additional communications.

When transferring a sink, it is far from always possible to achieve the optimal angle of inclination of the pipes, which causes blockages. You can cope with this nuisance by installing a forced sewage system. - this system involves the use of pumps that pump risers, while the drain works on a forced, not gravity principle. Thanks to such equipment, the sink can be installed anywhere in the kitchen.

If you do not plan to carry out a major overhaul and redevelopment in the kitchen, then you can enhance the functionality of the room by choosing the right furniture. Designers recommend using one of the following headset placement options.

• Corner modules - the best way to effectively use the interior space of the kitchen. In this case, the headset is placed along two perpendicular walls with a corner capture. Such a solution will allow observing the "triangle principle", which assumes the location of the stove, sink and refrigerator within walking distance.

• Looks good in "brezhnevka" kitchens linear modules, while the headsets and household appliances are installed near a blank wall in one row, the main accents are placed on the dining table. This option is optimal for those who often receive guests or spend not much time at the stove.

One of the pressing issues when arranging kitchens in "Brezhnevka" is the placement of household appliances, which is why it is important, even at the stage of thinking through and drawing up a design project, to decide for yourself which gadgets you need and which you could do without. For example, for a lonely person, a mini-fridge will be enough, which can be easily hidden in the kitchen cabinet... Buying an oven with a microwave option will allow you to abandon a microwave oven, and a 4-burner stove can be easily replaced with a 2-burner one.

It is better to place the tabletop near the window, a good solution would be to use transformer options (folding, roll-out and pull-out models), when folded they will take up very little space. If you intend to make your kitchen as functional as possible, then you do not need to save on furniture, it is better to make a set to order, so that it provides blocks for storing all available utensils and a stock of food (boxes of vegetables, bags of cereals, etc.). And of course, buy tall pencil cases.

The small space of the kitchen dictates its own requirements for its interior - the design should be extremely laconic, geometrically consistent, without unnecessary pathos and any pretentiousness.In such rooms, moldings, stucco moldings, openwork carvings and massive furniture will be completely inappropriate, which creates a feeling of clutter in an already cramped space. To visually expand the perception of space, it is worth using the recommendations of the designers.

When choosing a color palette, give preference to white, pastel, light green and sandy shades. It is advisable to use plain colors, as large prints and bright patterns visually narrow the space.

• If one of the walls is free, you can focus on it with the help of photo wallpaper, which creates the illusion of a tunnel and extending deep into space.

• It is advisable to make ceilings stretch, glossy. For finishing the floor, you can use laminate or floor tiles, and they need to be laid diagonally - this solution visually expands the kitchen.

• Pay special attention to lighting. A small kitchen should always be light, do not skimp on wall sconces, spotlights and illuminated furniture.

• It is a good idea to place a mirror, for example, a reflective surface can be used instead of a kitchen backsplash. This design fills the kitchen with space and makes it more illuminated.

• When choosing furniture, it is better to pay attention to glossy surfaces, which, like mirrors, will help to achieve the required visual effect.

5 rules for a small budget kitchen in the video below.