For some, a kitchen with an area of 9 square meters is an extension of the room after a standard room for cooking of 6.5 square meters, for others it is a spatial punishment, with which it is not clear what to do. But in any case, it is necessary to equip all the available kitchen space with maximum practicality, rationalism, not forgetting the rules of ergonomics and an attractive appearance. If you skillfully plan the layout of the kitchen unit, choose the most suitable color scheme and not be too clever with the style solution, you can get an excellent cooking room equipped with the latest technology, creating a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere for the whole family.
In order for your small kitchen to fit all the necessary work surfaces, household appliances and storage systems, and the result obtained will delight you and your household for many years in its attractive way, you need to follow a clear plan. Depending on how many family members will use the kitchen and how intensively this will occur, whether there is a possibility of arranging the dining area in another room or it needs to be placed in the kitchen space, your plan for the repair or reconstruction of the existing square meters will be formed. Let’s start in order:
- Map out your room. In addition to the fact that you know the area, there are many nuances that will affect the interior of the kitchen – the shape of the room, its location in relation to other rooms of the apartment or household, the location of the window (or windows), doors (and their number), the passage of communication systems and the possibility of their transfer (in private houses there are no problems, but difficulties may arise with the reorganization of engineering systems in an apartment).
- Decide on a general color palette. Choose shades for finishing the room and the color of the kitchen fronts. Remember that it is they who will occupy the main part of the room and the whole image of the kitchen depends very much on this choice..
- Decide on the layout of the kitchen set. The modest dimensions of the room only at first glance provide a small part of the possibilities for equipping the kitchen with furniture. If there is no need to place a dining group in the kitchen space, then there are enough options for the layout of storage systems, work surfaces and household appliances. For small kitchen areas, it is preferable to make a custom-made furniture ensemble, so you can take into account all the nuances of your kitchen and use the useful space with the greatest rationality. But for some cases, ready-made solutions, which are currently enough, can become not only a good option, but also save the family budget..
- Choose the design of your kitchen facades. Obviously, a small kitchen is not suitable for lush, refined facades with carvings and stained glass windows. It is necessary to opt for more versatile options – smooth surfaces or small reliefs with slightly protruding fittings will be most appropriate.
- Consider lighting. It is better to plan in advance the system of central lighting and illumination of work surfaces. Any alterations and modifications that occur during the process or even after the completion of the repair, not only increase the estimate, but also waste your strength, time and energy.
- The finishing touches are the decor. It is possible in the planning process of the entire repair to outline the presence of decorative elements. In small kitchens it just seems like there is no room for decorations. Window decoration with textiles, for example, can be not only a whim of the hostess, but also a practical necessity. And it is better, at the stage of choosing a color palette, to imagine in what color the textile and other design of the kitchen will be in order to avoid unnecessary expenses.
Choosing the layout of kitchen furniture
Depending on how many household appliances you need to build into a kitchen set, whether you need to place a dining area or breakfast area in the kitchen, and how spacious storage systems need to be, the layout of furniture in your kitchen will depend. Also, the shape of the room affects the location of the kitchen unit – a narrow and long kitchen, rectangular or square, a walk-through room or located in the attic – all aspects matter.
Corner layout with a peninsula
We can safely say that for a room of 9 square meters, an angular layout with a peninsula is the best option for saturating the space with the necessary amount of built-in equipment, work surfaces, storage systems and organizing a place for breakfast (and for some houses and a dining area). With this arrangement, it is easiest to follow the working triangle rule, the imaginary vertices of which are the refrigerator, stove (or hob) and sink. There is enough space between the main functional sectors to comply with safety measures, but at the same time the distance is not too great for the hostess to get tired after preparing dinner for the whole family.
If the stove or hob is built into a cabinet next to the wall, then the space above it will be occupied by the hood. By integrating the hob into the peninsula, you get the opportunity to increase the number of storage systems, and the hood will need to be attached to the ceiling above the household appliance.
L-shaped layout with dining area
Another option for using the corner layout of a kitchen set, but this time with a small dining area. Obviously, a small kitchen space will not fit a full-fledged dining table for 4-6 people with soft chairs to boot. After all, we need to take into account not only the safe traffic of the kitchen, but also the possibility of opening the doors of kitchen cabinets and household appliances, pulling out drawers. There is a way out in placing the dining area of a modest size. This can be a folding console or a table that rests on only one support and is attached to the wall, which saves a lot of free space..
In the narrow and long room of the kitchen, shown in the photo below, the dining table, mounted to the wall, can accommodate four people comfortably. At the same time, the angular layout of the kitchen set is able to accommodate all the necessary appliances, work surfaces and storage systems.
U-shaped layout
In some cases, a U-shaped layout may be the only possible option for placing a large number of storage systems and built-in appliances in a small kitchen area. For example, in addition to the standard set of appliances (stove, refrigerator and microwave), you need to build in a washing machine, dishwasher, oven, or even a wine refrigerator. And a lot of storage systems are needed to place not only kitchen utensils, but also items from other sectors of the home. Of course, in such a room there is no question of the possibility of installing a dining area or an island..
From an ergonomic point of view, the distance between two parallel rows of a kitchen set should be at least 120 cm. In narrow and long rooms, it can be difficult to observe these precautions. To get out of the situation, you can use an asymmetric layout – one of the rows of storage systems can be made with a shallower depth.
Linear layout or placement of the kitchen ensemble in one row
By placing all storage systems, work surfaces and household appliances along one wall, there is enough free space in the kitchen (even a small one) to install a full-fledged dining area. This layout option is suitable for kitchens with a minimum set of household appliances and storage systems..
Even in a small nook of a space with an area of no more than 5 square meters, you can equip a completely functional working base for cooking. But even in such modest conditions, you need to remember about elementary safety – the distance between the sink and the gas stove or hob should not be less than 30 cm.
Parallel layout for walk-through rooms
If your kitchen is a long and narrow space with a balcony door or backyard, then a parallel layout can be a great way to place storage systems and work surfaces, as well as build in appliances. The same goes for kitchen spaces with multiple panoramic windows..
A walk-through room with two doors, which was destined to be just a corridor, needs a special approach to be converted into a kitchen space. Most likely, you will have to abandon the standard sizes of kitchen cabinets for both the lower and upper tiers, reducing their depth and doing the same with the countertop. It will not be difficult to find suitable household appliances and a sink – currently the range of size ranges for all manufacturers is quite wide.
Small kitchen in the attic
A small kitchen located in an attic space is a special theme. In addition to the possible asymmetry of the room itself, the presence of a strong bevel of the ceiling prevents, in whole or in part, from hanging the upper tier of kitchen cabinets. In some cases, it is possible to partially compensate for the lack of storage systems with open shelves or to increase the number of cabinets in the lower tier by attaching a peninsula, and in some cases, islands.
Color solutions for decoration and furniture
The first thing that comes to mind when considering color options for finishing a small kitchen is all shades of white. This is not surprising, because the white walls and ceiling will visually expand the space, create a fresh and light atmosphere. In addition, with a snow-white finish, you will not have to rack your brains about combinatorics with the color palette of the kitchen set and the design of the apron. A light finish will hide the design features of your premises and architectural flaws that you would not want to flaunt. But do not forget about a couple of bright accents so that your light finish and crisp white cabinets do not merge into one spot..
An alternative to white can be one of the neutral, pastel shades. The light beige gloss of the kitchen set and the marble surfaces of the kitchen peninsula can add nobility and sophistication to even a very small kitchen space..
White color for decorating kitchen furniture can be safely considered the most popular, especially for small rooms. If your décor is light and the kitchen is crisp white, it is important to place the accents correctly to avoid the feeling of sterility in the hospital operating room. You can decorate your kitchen backsplash with bright ceramic tiles or using plastic, glass, mosaic or wall panels with a rich color or variegated pattern..
If your kitchen furniture is white, then you can use bright tones of wall decoration (or one wall as an accent) for an accent. For example, the color of the first greenery will not just be a decoration for a small kitchen, but will bring a spring mood, a positive attitude and raise the degree of the kitchen space to a new level..
Another example of using the color of young greenery to decorate a small kitchen. Only this time the decoration of the room is snow-white, and the kitchen set is presented in a colorful design.
Natural shades always look great, even in small spaces. If you make the finish of a modest-sized kitchen snow-white, then you can safely order a furniture ensemble in chocolate tones, for example. Almost all shades and textures of wood in this case will be appropriate..
Beige shades in wood surfaces or their successful imitations look great in a small kitchen space with an L-shaped layout and a peninsula. Integration of the sink into the surface of the peninsula allows not only to protect household members, but also to comply with the ergonomic requirements for the location of the working triangle.
A modest kitchen area is not a hindrance to creating a contrasting interior. The combination of white with dark tones such as black, blue or gray is a great opportunity to add dynamism and tone to the kitchen atmosphere..
A few simple ways to save space and push the boundaries of a small kitchen
In addition to using a light palette, glass and mirror surfaces, there are many design tricks that can help you transform your kitchen space – it will not get bigger, but it may become more beautiful, more spacious and functional. For example, the use of lighting not only in the lower part of hanging kitchen cabinets in order to illuminate the work surfaces, but also the hood, the lower tier of storage systems and the island, will create the illusion of furniture hanging in space, giving the room visual lightness and simplicity. The kitchen looks fresh, modern, interesting and attractive. In this case, you will have to slightly adjust the budget – LED strips and their installation will be inexpensive.
In rooms with an area of less than 9 square meters, you can use narrow open shelves as storage systems. Narrow and long spaces do not allow for a full-fledged parallel layout of a kitchen set, but this is not a reason to refuse to use even a small amount of square meters in favor of the kitchen. Only at first glance, such shelves can hold very little – a whole collection of jars with spices, sauces and oils will be conveniently placed within reach at arm’s length..
In addition to open shelves for narrow and long kitchens, you can use shallow storage systems, literally a few centimeters. If you perform the lower tier in a dull version and with a dark color, and the upper tier in a light tone and with glass inserts, then visually expand the room, «raise» ceilings. Not to mention the fact that you get, though shallow, but a storage system for dishes and cutlery
Two-row placement of the upper kitchen cabinets will allow you to significantly increase the number of storage systems. If your kitchen cannot boast of a large area, but has a sufficiently high ceiling, then you can resort to placing the upper tier of cabinets from the ceiling itself, and under it place another row of storage systems of lesser depth (about half). In this case, you place in the uppermost cabinets kitchen attributes that you rarely use, and in the intermediate sector of storage systems you place items that need to be kept, as they say «at hand».
If small children and elderly people do not live in your apartment or household, you can organize a place for meals even in a very small kitchen. Extend the surface of the window sill to a wall free from the kitchen unit and get a narrow rack to accommodate two or three people. Comfortable stools with soft seats will not take up much space and will allow you to sit behind the counter with relative comfort.
Avoiding bulging furniture hardware can save you a small amount of usable space. If you don’t like magnetic doors, you can use the through holes as handles. Originality and minimum costs are guaranteed to you.
