Dining area in the kitchen: where to place and how to separate?

The kitchen is probably one of the most important rooms in the house, it is in this place that the hostesses create their most delicious culinary masterpieces, warm family meetings are held here and gatherings with friends are arranged. The most important thing when organizing a kitchen space is to arrange everything so that all processes in the kitchen do not interfere with each other, and this can be achieved only with competent ergonomic zoning of the room. Today we will talk about the design options and arrangement of the dining area.

Anything can spoil your appetite - self-adhesive on the countertop, acetate napkins or disposable dishes. The house is a family hearth, so it should always be cozier and more comfortable than in a restaurant. It is very important to pay special attention to the main factors of comfort in the dining area. The table should be light, clean and comfortable. The place for eating should be beautifully served, furniture should be comfortable and of high quality - without cracking and squeaking of poorly assembled modules.

To make it convenient for a large family to gather at the table, it is necessary to select this piece of furniture in such a way that for each person there is at least 60 cm of its width. It is advisable to maintain the distance to the walls at the level of 70–90 cm, so that each person has the opportunity to move the chair away without hindrance. The minimum allowable distance to the stove is 120 cm - this requirement is explained by safety reasons, so households will be as far away from fire and hot food as possible. Thus, for an average family of 4 people, we recommend a 80x120 cm table.The round model looks very original, however, it takes up more space.

The location of the dining area is usually selected taking into account the total area of ​​the room, the location of the windows, the location of the sink, stove and work area. If you are the happy owner of a spacious kitchen, then there are a lot of layout options. In this case, the dining area can be located in the very center of the kitchen in the form of an island or in a corner. If the dimensions of the kitchen allow, then you can use one of the long walls - then the set is installed at an angle or near the opposite wall.

When determining a site for a dining area, you must first of all decide on what kind of area you will allocate for it. In a small family of 3-4 people it is quite possible to get by with an ordinary bar counter or a small table. To accommodate a large family, you will need cutlery of a much larger size. After you decide on the place for the future dining area, you need to think over the zoning method, that is, the visual separation of the working and dining areas. There are several effective tricks for this.

• Furniture - dining set placement, apart from the rest of the furnishings, in itself creates the visual effect of limited space. For example, you can always use the design option for the island in the center of the kitchen; as a border, you can also consider a curbstone turned across the room, as well as a small soft sofa - its unfolded back will harmoniously emphasize the zoning of the dining area.

• Arches and partitions. The easiest way to divide the kitchen into two sectors is to create an arch or install a partition. The main advantage of this solution is the ability to use a structure of a wide variety of designs.

• Podium - another effective technique, in which case the floor in the dining area is raised by 10-15 cm. Such a solution looks very nontrivial and solemn. And to make the border even more noticeable, you can supplement its side surface with spotlights.

• Bar counter - such a countertop will not only create a visual border between the dining and functional areas, but will also be a bright accent in the decor of the kitchen interior. By the way, its hinged reinforced pipes can become an ergonomic place for storing glasses, cups and wine glasses.

Placing a dining area in a small room has a number of serious limitations. Most often, designers in a situation of lack of space recommend disassembling the wall and combining the kitchen with the living room. However, not all houses have the technical ability to carry out redevelopment, and many owners do not have such a desire. Then you will have to consider alternative options for placing the dining area.

• Free corner. Most often, a soft corner sofa and a small table are installed, so you can significantly save space for the gaps between the chairs for their advance.

• Window. As a dining table, you can use the area near the window, using the window sill. If possible, then it is better to bring the countertop to the very end of the wall. Instead of traditional chairs, in this case, it is better to use stylish stools - they are easy to hide under the table. Alternatively, you can install a narrow table near the window; it looks harmoniously together with two small mini-sofas on the sides.

• Transformers. The best option may be a folding, roll-out or pull-out table. As a rule, these models are made to order. Outwardly, such a table may resemble a bar counter, which, after a meal, can always be folded against the wall or window sill.

Each owner decides on the stylistic selection of the dining area for himself, depending on personal preferences, technical and financial capabilities. One of the most effective ways to create a warm and cozy environment is considered to be contrasting wall decoration near the dining area. When arranging, it is best to use completely different materials - wallpaper, panels, tiles, brick or embossed plaster.

• Wallpaper is considered the most affordable option. To create the necessary zoning, plain wallpapers are complemented with a bright insert in the table area, in some cases they are combined with walls painted in the same tone. Keep in mind that when choosing a material, preference should be given to dense non-woven wallpaper that tolerates wet cleaning well.

• The most fashionable trend is decoration with decorative bricks, usually red or white is used. A dining area decorated in this way looks very stylish and effective, but it is extremely important that such a cladding is harmoniously combined with the overall interior design. Most often, brick is used when decorating a room in the loft and industrial style.

• Textured plaster allows you to achieve an interesting texture of the walls. Moreover, each housewife can choose a texture to her taste (imitating stone, natural wood and even leather).

In addition to the walls, the floor will help to emphasize the dining area, most often different types of coatings are used for this. For example, inthe plot in the working area is laid out with ceramic tiles, and in the dining room - with laminate... Such a solution is practical - the tiles are well cleaned, and the laminate gives a feeling of warming and comfort to the feet while eating. However, keep in mind that if you have a "warm floor" system, then the laminate will not work. In this case, you can use the color zoning technique, for example, choose tiles of two different shades. The ceiling also cannot be ignored. Two-level structures can be an excellent option to visually delineate the space.

The arrangement of the dining area can also be emphasized with lamps and sconces. Spot lighting or fixing an LED strip looks spectacular. Undoubtedly, successful zoning will be facilitated by soft chairs with bright upholstery, decorative cushions and stylish furniture fittings - this way you will not only highlight the dining area, but also make it more comfortable for a pleasant family pastime.

When decorating a dining area, it is extremely important to use a powerful tool like color. Designers recommend organizing separate lighting in the kitchen for each functional area - the light should be quite intense, but at the same time soft, not irritating to the eyes. It is best to stick to the principle: more lighting fixtures, lower power. The optimal solution for the dining area would be the installation of two separately hanging lampshades or one large chandelier directly above the table.

The décor of the dining area should go well with the overall décor of the interior. For example, the use of a plastic table in classic interiors will be a sign of bad taste; solid wooden furniture is needed here. It will be useful to decorate the dining area with wall clocks, paintings and posters. By the way, a slate board looks very impressive - a dining area with a similar attribute will look extremely original and stylish.

Don't forget about decorative salt shakers, candy bowls, and fruit stands. A very original solution will be the use of a mirror surface - this technique allows you to visually expand the boundaries of space. It will not be superfluous to hang narrow shelves above the dining table - they will perform not only decorative functions, but also become a place for storing useful trifles. Cookbooks and small kitchen utensils can be marked there. Without a doubt, vases of flowers will bring an atmosphere of comfort and home warmth to the dining area.

Despite the fact that the dining area is not the main working part of the kitchen, it is very important to highlight and equip it as comfortably as the available free space will allow. Even in the smallest apartment there should always be a place for warm meetings with family and friends over a delicious dinner. Photo wallpapers are often used to decorate the dining area in the room.

For zoning space, you can combine textures and shades of materials in the wall cladding, floor and ceiling.

The dining area must have additional artificial lighting.

And, of course, do not forget about the pleasant little things - vases with flowers, stylish candy bowls and pictures. They will bring special coziness and charm to the atmosphere of the dining area.

For information on how to properly arrange a dining area in the kitchen, see the next video.