For most Russians, a design technique, as a result of which two or more rooms are combined into one space, is not a novelty. Combining a kitchen with a living room has become the most popular option for connecting several functional areas within one room. Most often, this method of expanding the possibilities of the dwelling is resorted to if the kitchen has a very modest area or the living room does not meet the requirements for comfortable accommodation of households and their guests. Often, in the process of combining a kitchen with an adjacent room, a corridor or part of a hallway is also attached. The resulting spacious and bright room can be equipped with a high level of comfort, ergonomics and aesthetics. In most of the apartments built in the new millennium, the layout initially assumes a combined space for decorating a kitchen, a living room and a living room. But drawing up a design for a multifunctional space is not an easy task. Not only because it is necessary to correctly distribute all functional segments, to choose an ergonomic furniture layout, but also to preserve the unity of stylistic solutions to obtain a harmonious, stylish and outwardly attractive image of the space.
Advantages and disadvantages of connecting the kitchen to the living room
Like any design technique, combining a kitchen with a living room implies the presence of pros and cons. The obvious benefits include:
- obtaining a single spacious and bright room in which several functional zones can be arranged with a high level of comfort;
- in apartments with a very small kitchen, the connection with an adjoining room allows you to organize a dining area next to the work area, which not only simplifies the process of serving and changing dishes, but also creates an organic image of the entire space;
- traffic in an apartment or house is significantly reduced;
- the hostess can communicate with household members in the recreation area while preparing food or carrying out other kitchen processes (you can follow the children without interrupting your business).
The disadvantages of the combined room include the following facts:
- the smells and sounds of working kitchen processes will invariably penetrate the living room relaxation area. These problems can be partially solved with the help of a powerful hood and the use of other household appliances with low noise levels;
- cleaning of the working area of the kitchen part must be carried out more often and more thoroughly due to the location in the common room.
If you correctly plan the location of the kitchen area, dining room and living room, you can minimize almost all the disadvantages. But it is obvious that you will have to spend a lot – on the purchase of silent household appliances, the use of finishing materials that are resistant to humidity and temperature extremes, the execution of furniture facades in a version that can be cleaned.
Zoning options in a combined room
Design projects of modern kitchens connected to living rooms on the Internet are most often borrowed from foreign sites. It is necessary to take into account the difference in mentality and lifestyles of our compatriots and housewives in Europe or America. If the average European or American woman uses the kitchen space mainly to warm up ready-made meals or quickly cook something from semi-finished products, then a Russian hostess with a large family can spend half a day in traffic between the stove, refrigerator and sink to prepare a full three-course dinner. These nuances must be taken into account not only when buying household appliances, but also when choosing finishing materials, the location of the kitchen unit and taking into account all the rules of ergonomics.
For the Russian owner of an apartment or house, the option of combining a kitchen with a living room is more suitable in the form when each functional segment has quite tangible boundaries, when two (and together with the dining room and three) zones do not completely merge into a single design solution. In order to effectively and inexpensively zone the kitchen segment from the living room recreation area, there are many ways.
Using a kitchen island to conditionally divide the space into two is a popular design technique. The island does not completely overlap the space, because the approach to it can be carried out from all sides, but at the same time it quite clearly zones the space of the combined kitchen. Most often, the module itself is made in the same colors as the kitchen set, but its side facing the living room can be made in a shade that is more in harmony with the design of the recreation area.
An even greater effect can be achieved when using a peninsula or a bar counter as a zoning element. The module, one end attached to the wall, clearly outlines the boundaries of the kitchen area. If over the peninsula it was possible to place wall cabinets or open shelves (in the form of a small hanging rack), then the kitchen segment immediately becomes «corner». In the case of a peninsula or a bar counter, a part of the living room automatically becomes a dining area, because up to four people can be accommodated at the tabletop of these interior elements for a short meal..
An excellent design trick is to use the kitchen peninsula as a connecting element between two zones of opposite options. From the side of the kitchen, the peninsula acts as a storage system for dishes or a module for embedding household appliances, a tabletop for cutting or a surface for short meals. And on the side of the living room, the peninsula can be equipped with open shelves for storing books. A small home library within a compact module is a great way to maintain the thesis that «there are never too many storage systems».
In some apartment buildings equipped with gas stoves, it is not possible to completely remove the wall between the kitchen and the adjoining room. In this case, you can use partial alignment – use part of the wall to decorate the bar and leave something like a wide doorway. On the one hand, both rooms will receive more natural light, on the other, the functional segments will be partially isolated.
Screens, racks, partitions, partial overlap of two functional areas – a variant of more than obvious zoning. It is effective to use for these purposes a small partition with a built-in fireplace. The hearth can be double-sided or show the play of fire only from the side of the living room. In any case, it will not only be an excellent zoning element, but also a spectacular part of a modern interior..
Another functional segment – the dining room – can become a zoning element between the kitchen and the living room. The dining table and chairs will not only be located on the border of the two zones, but will also help to correctly plan the location of the kitchen set. Most often, with such an installation of a dining group, a kitchen furniture ensemble has a linear or angular layout. As a result, you can create the maximum number of storage systems and built-in household appliances on the minimum possible amount of usable space allocated for the kitchen segment..
If we talk about zoning from the side of the living room, then most often the conditionally dividing element between the segments becomes upholstered furniture – a linear or corner sofa, a pair of armchairs. In support of the living room recreation area, carpet can also act, which is completely inappropriate in the kitchen segment, and more than preferable in the recreation area.
If the combined room has a large area and a high ceiling, then you can resort to zoning by distributing the levels of the floor and ceiling covering. As a rule, the kitchen area is installed on a low podium, slightly rising above the living room level. The boundaries of the functional segments in this case are more than obvious. A similar technique can be used when decorating the ceiling, dividing the zones into elements of suspended ceilings of different levels. Obviously, in this case, the built-in lighting system will create the zoning of a large room..
The lighting system can also become a zoning element. Obviously, in a spacious room with several functional segments, all areas should be illuminated. It can be both spotlights and strip lighting, a combination of options. In addition to ceiling lighting, which very clearly draws invisible boundaries between zones, floor lamps and wall lamps can be used to illuminate the relaxation area in the living room. In the kitchen segment, in addition to ceiling lighting fixtures, you can use the illumination of the lower part of the wall cabinets of the kitchen set to illuminate the work surfaces.
Colors for modern design
Trends in the design of residential spaces do not appear as often as in the fashion world, for example, but you can still note trends that will be relevant in the next few seasons. There are many universal color schemes that you can use to ensure that your kitchen-living room will be trendy and stylish over the next few years. For example, light shades are always in trend. Especially if you need to visually enlarge a small space or add light to the room located on the north side of the building. So, a light palette, in which white predominates, is able to create a light, relaxed image of a room, even of very modest sizes, but it is important not to forget about accents that are simply necessary to be able to focus attention and emphasize the geometry of the room..
It is obvious that to create a harmonious interior of a room in which several functional segments are combined, unifying factors are necessary. As a rule, such factors are finishing materials for various surfaces of the room. Most often, in the kitchen-dining room-living room, the decoration of the ceiling, floor and walls has the same style of execution in all zones. The only deviation from this rule is the finishing of the kitchen apron (in some cases, it is extended to the ceiling if open shelves are used instead of the upper tier of cabinets). If any shade of white becomes the main color of the finish, then the room risks losing not only its individuality, but also its borders and shape. You can’t do without contrasting accents. When choosing such a light finish, it is necessary to carefully select furniture in each functional area, not disregarding any piece of the interior – from lamps to photo frames on the walls.
An excellent way to create a light and at the same time warm mood in the interior is to alternate snow-white finishes with bright wood surfaces. Kitchen set, countertops, bar counter or island, storage systems in the living room area – all these elements can be made of wood or its spectacular imitation with a beautiful natural pattern. It will be possible to place small color accents with the help of lamps, large living plants, carpet in the leisure segment.
Contrasting combinations are always in trend. Not only because they invariably bring dynamics and tone to the interior, but also allow creating original images of premises even for those who have no experience in the field of home decoration. It is not difficult to choose a pair in a light tone – shades from graphite gray, dark chocolate to black can become an effective dark accent that emphasizes the features of a particular design of the combined space. Dark shades can also be used to visually expand the space. If the upper part of the kitchen unit is light and the lower part is dark, then the room will visually appear higher.
Another versatile option for creating a difficultly harmonious kitchen design combined with a living room, and a truly cozy room with a warm atmosphere, is to use a beige palette. The alternation of light beige, white, sand colors with light wood creates a light and warm image in which any household or guest will feel comfortable..
The popularity of gray and its many shades does not fade away with the arrival of the new design season. The versatility, practicality and simplicity of combinatorialism put this neutral color in every respect in the top list of color solutions for rooms with any functional load. The studio kitchen is no exception. In the working area of the kitchen, the brilliance of stainless steel of household appliances most often prevails, and often countertops, a kitchen apron and even dishes on display. The easiest way to maintain this metallic luster is with white and any of the shades of gray. A noble and yet calm, balanced and elegant image of the room is guaranteed to you. For bringing a warm touch to the color temperature of the room. Experts recommend integrating surfaces and elements from wood or its imitation.
Are accent bright spots acceptable in the decoration of the combined room? Of course, if you feel that the interior needs it. The kitchen-living room, as a rule, after being combined, becomes a room of impressive size, which is quite capable of accepting the integration of bright, contrasting finishes. Depending on the layout of the room, the location of the window and door openings, both the surface of the kitchen segment and the wall in the living room recreation area can become an accent wall. In any case, a bright, different wall should be the only one. It can become the only surface decorated with wallpaper with a pattern, while the rest of the surfaces are made in a single color..
