A narrow kitchen is a real torment in many typical apartments. It is not clear how to arrange furniture, where to put the refrigerator and how to make a triangle with a stove and sink really convenient. But you still need to fit a dining table or a bar counter - solid problems. But don't worry, now we will gradually figure out what can be done!
Features of planning and design
The first step in any narrow room is to operate with verticals. The bottom line is that you have too little floor space for a bunch of cabinets and pedestals, but there are always walls for shelves, shelving and hanging blocks in the very ceiling. Mercilessly demolish all seasonal and rarely used utensils on improvised mezzanines. And in order to reach the upper shelves, put a small decorative step-ladder in the corner - it will just break the line.
Make sure that your linear layout is not too geometric, otherwise you will not get the kitchen, but the corridor of the compartment car. Let the table top go into a high bar counter, break the horizontal with a refrigerator or microwave, and hang several open shelves between the upper cabinets.
The angularity is well smoothed out by rounded lines - a round dining table with the same chairs in the French manner, small ottomans, baskets, flowerpots. At the same time, it is more convenient to bypass them - you definitely will not hit the corner of the tabletop while you maneuver with the folded dishes.
Choosing an interior style
The same type of kitchen with the same headsets for all occasions is a thing of the past long ago. Now, even in a narrow room with a strange layout, it is easy to maintain your favorite style, if you first correctly notice its main features.
Narrow kitchen in modern style
The best elements of classics and hi-tech are intertwined in a complex and at the same time minimalist modern style. Its simple shapes and geometry are ideal for placing verticals and accents. Stylish feature - fancy combinations of materials: wood and acrylic, stone and chrome, glass and plastic, matte and glossy surfaces.
Narrow kitchen in classic style
In the layout of a classic narrow kitchen, symmetry and pronounced compositional centers will come in handy. Just make a start not from the conditional middle of the room, but from each zone separately. Instead of massive swing cabinets, pay attention to open shelves, and compensate for monumentality with details. Use gilding, carving, expensive aged fittings, deep complex colors.
Narrow loft-style kitchen
The most striking accent in a narrow loft kitchen is the raw far wall. No need to waste precious space to hide household appliances behind facades. A bright refrigerator with stickers will completely become an independent interior decoration. The state-of-the-art stove and kitchen machine blend seamlessly with a simple retro set.
Narrow Scandinavian style kitchen
The Nordic countries have long been accustomed to working with complex small spaces. Light colors, bright and contrasting accents, geometry and abstraction are what you need for a narrow kitchen. Pay special attention to accessories and cute handmade trinkets that will just dilute the composition.
Narrow Provence style kitchen
Elegant French Provence has a lot of tricks that can be adopted for a narrow kitchen. These are lightweight whitewashed facades with glass and lattice inserts, and openwork round tables, and elongated plant motifs. Any object can be decorated with decoupage - and now you no longer need bulky paintings, panels and carpets.
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Kitchen colors
All those bright and juicy colors that are no longer inappropriate anywhere in the apartment look good in the kitchen. For example, deep red, orange or crimson, annoying in the bedroom, here they rather only cause an appetite.In dark rooms with a chronic lack of sun, by the way, yellow or green will be needed, and in light and hot rooms - blue or purple.
Just keep in mind that in a narrow kitchen, a bright color should be accent, not the main one. You can paint one far wall into it, choose facades or a countertop, or limit yourself to textiles and accessories. But take a neutral base - white, milky, cream, beige, gray.
Materials and design
The kitchen is all about humidity, temperature, wine and juice stains, grease and splashes, so materials need to be appropriate. Especially in a narrow room, where you essentially don't have a far corner, and even the opposite wall is dangerously close to the hob.
Floor finishing
There are three basic techniques for distorting and harmonizing a narrow room. Firstly, it is a tile or moisture-resistant laminate with rectangular plank elements. They are located strictly perpendicular to the long walls and visually move them apart.
The second solution is to finish the floor tone-on-tone to the walls or at least their lower part. Manufacturers usually have as close as possible floor and wall collections. This technique erases visible boundaries and smoothes out the overall angularity.
The third method is suitable for more spacious, but still elongated rectangular kitchens. These are all kinds of chess, mosaics, combination of several materials, tiles of an unusual shape. The more complex the texture and geometry, the more it draws attention to its appearance, and not to which wall is of which width.
Wall decoration
When choosing materials for the walls of a narrow kitchen, we recommend limiting yourself to tiles and washable paint. You can combine them with each other and at the same time make a visible horizontal line, which makes the room seem more square. It is not worth fully tiling all the walls to the ceiling, but you can paint it.
If you don't want a solid color, you can accent the short wall. To do this, take a paint a couple of shades darker, choose a bright tone, or even pick up a photo wallpaper. Wall murals are also suitable for the long side, but then you need a drawing with the maximum sense of volume and perspective.
Apron
The apron will help protect the wall near the work surface from splashes, stains and grease. Choose from small square tiles or pre-made mosaics with chaotic vibrant accents. If there is already too much decor, pay attention to the transparent glass panel. The apron looks interesting under the worktop, because the fewer visible joints and corners in a narrow kitchen, the better.
Ceiling design
Do not overuse overly complex designs in a narrow, already disproportionate room. A simple one-level stretch fabric is enough, especially since it does not turn yellow, does not fade and is easy to clean. Gloss will make the room brighter, but it may seem even narrower due to the fact that the reflection goes up. A matte ceiling in the color of the walls is another way to smooth corners and mask clear boundaries.
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How to arrange furniture in a narrow kitchen?
First of all, you need to think about some kind of dynamic accent on the far short wall. Even if there is already wallpaper or brickwork, it will not be superfluous to move the dining table there. Complex composition distracts from the shape of the room and smooths out the layout.
If there is just a window near the short wall, you have two effective solutions. Turn the windowsill into a dining table or cozy seating area with pillows to relax. Folding or folding structures that can be assembled only when necessary are especially practical. Or put the corner set so that the work surface is under the window.
Do not put the refrigerator by the window - it will quickly break down in the summer from constant overheating. It is also better to leave the stove against a regular wall with an apron so as not to splatter the glass with grease and splashes. A sink or chopping surface overlooking the city is a simple and enjoyable way to brighten up your routine.
In an L-shaped kitchen, it is very convenient to use corner modules - a hob, sink or a spacious storage system can be easily taken out there. But the island and U-shaped layout a priori is more suitable for spacious square kitchens.
Linear headsets are also suitable for a narrow kitchen, but remember that pronounced horizontal lines need to be broken up with details. And do not choose a set that is too long - it is corny inconvenient.
Lighting and illumination
A series of spotlights along short walls visually push them apart like rectangular planks on the floor. A central chandelier in a narrow room is ineffective - it does not provide uniform illumination. Pendant lights are best used in series for zoning - for example, above a table or bar.
The built-in lighting in the headset above the work surface will help you out many times in the evenings. The hidden LED strip gives the feeling of floating structures - a strong visual accent. Wall sconces directed upwards visually raise the ceilings.
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Decor and textiles
First of all, give up lush curtains, expensive upholstery and unnecessary curtains, partitions. Use laconic Roman shades - they are also the most durable and safe in the kitchen. In the dining area, add some colorful cushions and speaker covers. And do not forget about potholders, towels and coasters - in a small narrow kitchen, this is a full-fledged independent accent.
Narrow kitchen - photos of real interiors
The kitchen is the heart of any home, so it doesn't matter what size or shape it is. Even the narrowest room can be made beautiful and comfortable. And to prove it, we have put together a gallery of different projects for every taste!
