Anything is possible: How to make a comfortable kitchen of a modest size

A small kitchen can be made comfortable, and a large one can be turned into a branch of paradise. To do this, you need nothing at all: carefully plan the space. And find the best solution for every kitchen area: dining, work and storage. Let’s start our acquaintance with the materiel: we have collected illustrative photos and interesting recommendations for creating a comfortable kitchen. At the same time, radical redevelopment and major repairs are not at all mandatory.

Kitchen cabinet
The kitchen, if desired, can be completely microscopic: the required minimum – a sink, a hob, a couple of cabinets – fits into a structure the size of a chest of drawers. Initially, such structures were invented for offices, but it turned out that compact options are in great demand in Khrushchev and small apartments.

A kitchenette is good if you rarely cook or just can’t carve out more than two square meters for your work area.

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Rack or peninsula instead of a table
In a small kitchen (for example, in a studio), there is often simply no place for a full dining table. It can be replaced by a bar counter that “grows” from the working area.

Of course, you cannot sit at such a table in a large company, but it will be convenient for a couple of three people to have a snack.

Idea from the photo: using the bar counter, you can also beat the ledge in the kitchen.

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Alternatively, you can turn a window sill into a bar counter.

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Chairs, however, will have to buy high, bar chairs – after all, according to the rules of ergonomics, the height of the work surface is about 10 cm more than the height of the dining table.

Sofa corner
If there are a couple of free meters left in the kitchen, you can organize a built-in sofa corner. A small sofa against the wall can serve not only as a resting place, but also as a chest for storing supplies.

In order for the design to fit perfectly into the dimensions of the niche, the sofa will have to be made to order.

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Table – cafe
If you really want to have a separate dining area, but there is no place – buy a microscopic round table on a single leg – these are usually found in European coffee houses.

It will look stylish, it will take up little space – in general, it is ideal for the interior of a 5-6-meter Khrushchev kitchen.

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Combining functions
In a compact kitchen, try to use multi-functional items. So, a hood with a built-in microwave oven or a refrigerator with a built-in TV not only save precious space, but also look spectacular.

The most skillful appliance in modern kitchen is the oven. Some models, in addition to baking, can steam or work in the microwave oven mode. Of the freestanding counterparts, you can recall the multicooker. However, there are people who are ideologically incompatible with this device – nothing can be done about it.

In the project in the photo, the oven was selected for the hood. Moreover, they took the oven with a microwave function, saving on a separate piece of equipment.

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Washing under the window
If it is possible to place the sink by the window, install it. Believe me, washing the dishes while contemplating the landscape outside the window is much more pleasant than pressing your nose against the wall.

Of course, this solution is not for everyone: rather, it is appropriate in a kitchen with a high window or deep window sill. Otherwise, you get the inevitable job of cleaning window glass from streaks. And the need to spend money on a special mixer with a bayonet mount – otherwise you will not be able to open the window. The bayonet faucet can be removed from the worktop and placed on its side without disconnecting from the liner.

Cafe table
If you really want to have a separate dining area, but there is no place – buy a microscopic round table on a single leg – these are usually found in European coffee houses.

The hob can also be placed there. This is comfortable, since the person working behind the island faces the guests and households, can take part in the conversation, and demonstrate the tricks of cooking. It is important that the working area of ​​the island can be approached from different sides.

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Among other things, the double sink is the most convenient configuration for teaching children how to wash the ladles. In addition, many useful sink accessories – cutting boards, colander and cutlery baskets – are available just for double bowl designs.

At the same time, the technique is at the level of the hands and eyes, and it is much more convenient to use it. Column cabinets for the ceiling seriously help save space in the kitchen, this solution is suitable for kitchens of any size – whether it is a small kitchen in a panel five-story building or a modern apartment in a monolithic building.

Ceiling cabinets
There is never too much storage space in the kitchen. If the height of the room allows, you can hang several rows of cabinets on the walls at once – to the very ceiling. In the lower ones we store the utensils that we use daily. And in the upper ones we will organize “mezzanines” for all these necessary ducklings, cocottes, fondue, which we actually use once a year.

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Look at the photo: the design resembling a wardrobe will hide not only built-in appliances, but all kitchen utensils with supplies.

This solution allows you to abandon the upper cabinets on the opposite wall and not break up the internal volume of the kitchen, preserve its integrity.

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Such an organization of space is quite economical – it is always cheaper to equip a convenient pantry than to furnish a kitchen with expensive beautiful cabinets. In the main part of the kitchen, you can get by with a minimum of furniture. If, of course, it is necessary.

Another technique that migrated from restaurant kitchens to home ones is stainless steel countertops. Its main advantage is the ability to build in a sink without sills and joints. But you will have to pay for this by regularly grinding the surface.

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This is archival material. First published 2015, updated 2021.