Kitchen interior design with bar counter

The variety of pieces of furniture used in conventional homes has grown significantly over the past decades. And today, many kitchens have bar counters. However, for all the seeming simplicity of this element, you will have to thoroughly study its features and nuances of application.

The growing popularity of bar counters is no coincidence. Their undoubted positive sides are:

• convenience;
• spaciousness;
• external attraction;
• saving space.

Sometimes racks are even used instead of a table, and there are no special complaints about the functionality of such a solution. However, you will have to study very carefully:

• complete set of the product;
• model range of furniture;
• its other features and nuances.

Bar counters are usually called high countertops. They are placed on special supports and usually continue working corners in the kitchen. Most often, the delivery set includes bar stools. The ensemble is designed to make the atmosphere as stylish as possible and achieve a relaxing effect. It is often practiced to equip racks with additional places for dishes and other kitchen utensils.

Sometimes it is practiced to build in large devices such as a dishwasher or an oven. This circumstance is very valuable for owners of small-sized housing. By using the counters, the kitchen can be adapted to fit a wide variety of styles.

But they still have negative features:

• not suitable for all kitchens;
• limited capacity (usually no more than 3 people);
• large specimens create too "bar" atmosphere;
• monolithic construction (inability to move the rack at your own discretion).

Developers and designers have provided many design options for the bar counter. The classic solution is the island version. In this case, the entire interior is built around the bar element. Sometimes it is combined with work areas. This product is recommended for large separate rooms or rooms connected to the living room.

The shape can be semicircular, although there are also designs in the form of the letters P and G. Built-in racks turn out to be part of:

• working areas of the kitchen;

• dining islands;

• window sills.

The connection of the rack to the window sill is recommended for a relatively small room. This solution will allow the use of the usually inactive area by the window. An attractive feature will also be the opportunity to enjoy the view without interrupting your meal. In open-plan studio apartments, a rectangular design is more appropriate. It will facilitate the distribution of the room into zones, while providing convenience for people.

When there is very little space, full-fledged furniture for a home bar cannot be used or is extremely difficult. However, it is quite possible to put a miniature replacement near the wall. It is small in width and rather long in length. This is a good option for coffee in the mornings and evenings, or settling down to watch your favorite movie.

There is another option - a retractable design. It moves out in a matter of seconds. When it is not needed, you can just as quickly put it back into the cabinet headset, freeing up space in the room. Quite often, however, stands are placed on the podiums. This solution looks unusual and immediately increases the overall attractiveness of the interior.

It helps a lot:

• zone the room;
• correct the unusual, incorrect geometry of the room;
• achieve the greatest comfort.

Often, bar counters are placed in the middle or in the corner of the room so that they do not stand out too much. But this piece of furniture can also be located at the entrance to the room. In any case, you need to focus on your own needs. It is very bad if it is impossible or very difficult to approach the counter. Depending on the location of this piece of furniture, you need to select the size and proportions very carefully.

When the rack is mounted in conjunction with corner sets, it is advisable to place it parallel to the main furniture row. Such a U-shaped scheme helps to make the space more orderly. The middle of the kitchen does not overflow with additional details. It is highly recommended to design the racks in the same vein as the main headset.

It is also useful to know the types of bar counters by format. The tiered type is a narrow platform installed above the workplace. Place level racks on the opposite side, which saves space. An important requirement in this case is to purchase higher chairs.

Miniature counters with a laconic set of components are perfect for modest kitchens. Such bar "wings" are maximum 1 m in length. 1-2 people can be accommodated behind them. However, for people living alone, this is quite enough. The classic layout with a height of 1.1-1.2 m and a width of 0.3-0.5 m is designed for quick meals and drinks.

The most serious type of racks (with a kitchen set) reaches 0.9 m in height.Their width is at least 0.5 m. Such products are suitable for:

• culinary work;
• meals;
• short meals;
• using a laptop;
• simple writing and other common household chores.

Peninsular stationary products are distinguished by the fact that one of the ends has an emphasis on the wall. This solution is recommended for studio kitchens.It is also suitable for rooms combined with a guest and dining area, with a loggia. In these cases, the rack serves as a partition. Window sill-based structures are good in that a significant part of the structure will already be present in finished form.

But sometimes there are inconveniences:

• nowhere to put your feet because of the radiator;
• cold and damp air is blowing from the window;
• you cannot open the frame or sash without removing everything from the tabletop.

Transformer racks are capable of:

• become a replacement for the dining table;
• serve as an addition to the work area;
• add extra space behind the main rack.

Transformation mechanisms can be very different:

• reclining;
• with layout;
• with extension;
• with spreading;
• mobile type.

Racks are also distinguished by the type of material used. Laminated particle board is probably the best option. There are a number of solutions that reproduce natural wood, stone surfaces. Sometimes the chipboard is covered with atypical prints. Particle boards are valued for their resistance to moisture and extreme temperatures.

As for acrylic, this substance is flexible and malleable. It can be used to manufacture furniture of various shapes. Bends and grooves can be created very quickly and easily. Acrylic and glass structures fit seamlessly into the most modern interiors.

But in a classic environment, a bar counter made of natural materials will look much more appropriate.

When drawing up a project for installing a bar in an apartment or in a private house, two conflicting requirements must be taken into account at once - general convenience and external attractiveness.

With the angular layout of the room, the interior element simultaneously performs two functions - a dining table and a style determinant. In most cases, a corner kitchen resembles the letter G, and then the counter helps to make the space more convenient. Between three work surfaces, cooking is much more convenient than usual.

Separately, it is worth talking about the bar counters in a wooden house in the country. In terms of its structure, this piece of furniture does not differ from its "urban" counterpart. However, it is mostly done independently, using materials at hand. You can also find many options for combining the rack with the aquarium.

Important: the capacity of such tanks is very limited. Usually it is no more than 200 liters. Yes, and you will have to closely examine the aquatic inhabitants, bending slightly. But saving space in the room fully justifies this decision. To enhance the appearance of the structure, graceful backlighting is often used.

An interesting solution in many cases is the bar counter in kitchens combined with a balcony. This format is more suitable for summer leisure, but when this furniture is used, it turns out to be a very attractive and romantic composition. It is especially appropriate to transfer the rack to narrow balconies, where there is simply no other way to put the same cup of tea or a saucer with seeds. Removing an additional piece of furniture to the balcony will help free up space in the kitchen itself and accommodate more people at the same time.

Regardless of the specific tasks and wishes, it is worthwhile to draw the preferred scheme in advance on a piece of paper or in a graphic editor. Accurate markup will allow you to form a good composition and correct mistakes in a timely manner. The optimal height of countertops for tall people is 0.9-1 m.With the usual size of the figure, you can focus on a height of 0.85 m.Ideally, the work area is one of the vertices of the triangle (the other two vertices are the sink and the refrigerator).

Although the counter is relatively new, it can even fit into a classic setting. To simplify the formation of a coherent composition, it usually helps that the headset is also included in the package. Designers consider natural wood and other natural materials to be the best choice for classic interiors. To make the wood look nicer, patterns and carvings are used.

The best option is the island. However, the space with this arrangement is not used very rationally. There is nothing terrible in this - you just need to take into account such a property of the classics in advance.

The opposite is true for stylish modern kitchens. In them, the bar counter is a visual and logical continuation of the rest of the furniture composition. The modernist approach implies a refusal to decorate furniture with curly details.

Instead, use:

• inserting dissimilar materials;
• the play of glossy and matte surfaces;
• geometric solutions;
• color accents and combinations.

You also need to know about the nuances of selecting a rack in Provencal cuisine. Despite the presence of some similarity with the classical composition, the appearance is significantly different. Provence means light and simple filling of the space. Any fancy elements are not welcome. Bar counters in this style are made of natural wood, always painted in white or pastel colors.

The best solutions for a Provencal room are antique furniture. Accumulated over a long time, layering and other traces of the great history of the subject make it only more attractive. But in practice, the same or outwardly indistinguishable appearance can be given to the rack and artificially.

The minimalistic approach is characterized by:

• brevity of color;
• unsharp, calm lines;
• simple geometric shapes;
• the absence or minimal use of decorative items.

Minimalism is characterized by the active use of geometric solutions. The external grace of each product only becomes stronger together with other similar interior components.

But the best kind of kitchens are the loft-style ones. On them, bar counters will be perceived most naturally and attractively. Competent use of the features of industrial and public space makes the composition surprisingly comfortable and pleasant for people.

Important: not all types of bar counters can be fitted into small-sized housing. It is necessary to choose the appropriate solutions as carefully as possible. However, if they are chosen nevertheless, the kitchen will look unique and stylish anyway.

It is helpful to consider a few eye-catching bar interior design options.

Placed near the window and resting on the windowsill, the transforming structure has an attractive black and white color. In this regard, it reproduces the rest of the composition in the room.

Among the interesting design ideas will be those presented in this picture. The developers tried to diversify the light colors in the room as much as possible. The amazing play of shades and geometric textures pleases the eye. Against this background, a two-tier bar counter with a shiny surface turns out to be a very attractive element. It is used as a partition and visual divider.

And this option shows how good a kitchen can look with a white two-tier counter, the top of which is painted in a light brown tone.

It also demonstrates that bar structures decorated with imitation of natural stone will look very attractive even against the backdrop of a modern kitchen.

See below for more details.