“How is it more comfortable to equip your own kitchen?” - this question is asked by all the owners at the stage of repair of this room. It is especially relevant in cases where the apartment is in old houses, where there is a very small kitchen (6 sq. M.). Stalinka, Khrushchev and economy-class housing have always been small in size, so talking about installing new-fangled kitchen sets and appliances in such apartments was not necessary. In order to increase the space, designers offer to expand the boundaries of small rooms, combining small rooms. One of these solutions could be the combination of a balcony with a kitchen. How complicated is this process, what kind of work does it include, is it necessary to obtain permission for such a redevelopment? All these and other issues related to the expansion of the kitchen due to the balcony space will be considered in our article.
Advantages and difficulties of redevelopment
Using a balcony as a kitchen has several positive aspects:
- the kitchen becomes more spacious and functional;
- much more sunlight enters the room;
- the sound and heat insulation in the apartment is improved due to the glazing and warming of the balcony.
Among other things, combining a balcony with a kitchen opens up many options for optimizing free space. Such a room can be decorated in several ways, it can be a kitchen:
- dining room;
- bar;
- living room;
- greenhouse.
However, in addition to the positive aspects, the combination of a balcony with a kitchen is associated with several unpleasant moments.
As for the design of combined rooms, there are no restrictions, but the redevelopment itself should be carried out exclusively with the permission of the authorized bodies. Otherwise, the work performed will be considered illegal, and if the owners decide to sell the apartment, they will have certain difficulties.
It should be noted that paperwork is a very long, nervous and costly business. Do not forget about the costs of the repair itself and the interior decoration of this space.
Where to begin
So, suppose you have a small kitchen (6 sq. M or a little more) with access to the balcony, and you want to combine both rooms. Where to begin?
First of all, you should find out if there is a possibility of dismantling the balcony block. If the wall in the opening is a bearing, it will not be allowed to completely remove. In this case, you can only remove the doors to the balcony and window, and the remaining window sill can be decorated in the form of a bar, table or shelf.
You can obtain permission or a ban on such actions in the BTI. If the result is positive, you can order a project for a new kitchen, which is subsequently agreed with the Ministry of Emergencies and SES. It usually takes about 6 months to complete the necessary documents and includes the following steps:
- Request for the issuance of a technical plan for an apartment in BTI.
- Designing an apartment redevelopment project (agreed with the author of the house project). To do this, you need to contact the construction and design organization that was developing the house plan, or the local expert organization.
- The finished plan is agreed in the Sanitary Inspection and the Ministry of Emergencies.
- Next, you need to contact the Housing Office, which will issue a permit for redevelopment.
- After dismantling the partition, BTI employees come and draw up an appropriate act on changes in the layout of the apartment. When the work is completed, you can go to the BTI for a new housing plan.
As you can see, the redevelopment process is very troublesome, but given that in the end, your small kitchen with access to the balcony can be the most attractive place in the apartment, any difficulties are worth it.
What is strictly forbidden to do, combining a balcony and a kitchen
The redevelopment of the kitchen should be carried out in strict accordance with the established rules, which read as follows:
- Do not transfer radiators to the balcony . They are installed on the nearest wall in the kitchen. Since the space of the balcony is very small, it does not require the installation of separate heating. It is enough just to insulate the walls and floor. To heat the floors, you can use the electric heating system.
- It is not allowed to install household appliances on the balcony. Such projects are rarely approved.
- You can not take out a gas stove on the balcony. This is contrary to safety regulations, so such a project will never be legalized. Moreover, the working surface should be close to communications, so such a transfer will require a lot of trouble. The electrical panel can be placed on the windowsill.
The above requirements slightly limit the owners in the arrangement of the balcony area, therefore, thinking about how to increase the kitchen due to this space, you should immediately create a plan for the arrangement of furniture.
Design options for the opening between two rooms
As it has already become clear, combining a balcony with a kitchen can be done in two ways:
- with the complete elimination of walls, windows, doors and a door sill;
- without dismantling the concrete partition (when only the doors and the window are cleaned).
If redevelopment involves the demolition of the wall, the owners need to be prepared for the time-consuming and dirty process of removing it. During dismantling, the main thing is not to violate the integrity of the exterior walls of the house. Brick partitions are carefully disassembled, and panel partitions are cut out with a grinder or smashed with a jackhammer.
If you decide to leave the window sill, such a redevelopment of the balcony will not cause special difficulties. All that needs to be done in this case is to beautifully design the opening and make a functional interior item from the remaining wall.
Stages of work
Combining a balcony with a kitchen includes the following steps:
- Glazing of balconies with two- or three-chamber double-glazed windows. These works are carried out first of all, since after dismantling the balcony aperture, cold from the uninsulated space will penetrate into the apartment. To keep the room warm better, experts recommend leaving only one opening sash, or even better removing the windows on the side walls.
- Dismantling the partition. At this stage, remove the doors to the balcony, window, and remove the windowsill (only if there is a permit for such work). If heavy furniture is planned to be installed on the territory of the loggia, the base should be strengthened. For this purpose, metal supports can be installed that are fixed to the wall and the edge of the concrete base.
- Floor insulation. It is very important that the floor level on the balcony and in the room is at the same height. Often, several leveling layers of cement are poured. Next, a system of warm floors is laid on a concrete base, a screed is poured, on top of which ceramic tiles are laid.
- Wall insulation. All available slots and holes are blown with a mounting foam, after which the selected insulation material is laid.
- Installation of internal walls. A lath made of wooden battens or a metal profile is mounted on the insulation. Drywall sheets are fastened to the obtained base using self-tapping screws.
- Further, the loggia, combined with the kitchen, is finished with selected materials and decorated in the style of the kitchen.
Here no one limits your imagination. On the additional area you can put a cozy sofa and put a table for eating. Please note that a large amount of sunlight enters through large windows, so that your vacation is as comfortable as possible, do not forget to purchase curtains for the balcony.
With what materials is it better to insulate a balcony
Warming of the loggia space should be given special attention, since the quality of work depends on how comfortable a person's pastime in this territory will be. It is desirable that the loggia combined with the kitchen be insulated both from the outside and from the inside.
From the side of the street, the balcony is insulated with polystyrene foam or mineral wool, and then sheathed with metal siding. If external insulation is not possible for some reason, maximum efforts should be made so that the internal thermal insulation compensates for this drawback.
When choosing insulation material, it is recommended to give preference to fire-resistant and heavy-duty options. Please note that the foam is not suitable for these purposes, as it is very flammable and releases harmful substances into the air.
The best materials for warming the walls of the kitchen are:
- cork tree (not subject to mechanical stress, fireproof);
- mineral wool plates (easy to install, characterized by high thermal insulation characteristics);
- extruded polystyrene foam (perfectly retains heat, not susceptible to moisture).
The above options do not "eat" the space of the room, which is very important for owners of small rooms.
Design ideas
Each owner chooses a kitchen design with a balcony, taking into account his individual needs and desires. Someone may like the idea with a minibar, someone will arrange a dining room on the territory of the loggia, and someone will like the kitchen-living room. We will consider the most popular and practical options for using the attached space.
- Dining area . This is the most logical and most sought after design of the balcony. Often the area of the kitchen does not allow using it as a dining room, so you can place a dining table on the territory of the former loggia. Furniture is selected depending on the style of the kitchen. This can be a round table, complemented by elegant high-backed chairs or a compact glass table with wooden legs. In a divided version, the former window sill can be designed as a tabletop, which will play the role of a full dining table.
- Recreation area . This design kitchen with a balcony is used in separate spaces. On the site of the former loggia, a cozy soft sofa or comfortable armchairs are installed, which are complemented by lamps, a TV and a coffee table. Such a space is intended for relaxing after a feast, reading books or watching your favorite movie. Here you can use blackout curtains for the balcony, which will contribute to an even more comfortable rest.
- Working area . In this embodiment, they try to free the kitchen area from all necessary furniture and appliances. The tables on which the food is prepared are transferred to the balcony space, and the hob is mounted in the former windowsill. On the vacated seat, you can install a sofa, chairs, table and everything that was so lacking before the redevelopment.
Useful design solutions for a collaborative space
Combining a kitchen and a loggia, you discover the opportunity to realize the most daring design decisions. After you have finally decided what the additional space will be used for, you can start creating your own interior design.
The style of such a kitchen can be completely different, from restrained minimalism to glamor saturated with bright colors. Here it is important to observe only one main rule: the loggia and kitchen should be decorated with the same finishing materials and in a single color scheme.
If in the places where the balcony block was located, there were floor level differences, they can be arranged in the form of a small podium, which will distinguish between different purpose zones.
From the remains of the walls that are located on both sides of the opening, you can make a rounded arch or columns with imitation of stucco molding.
The windows can be decorated with roller blinds, Roman curtains, tulle and other fabrics that are combined with the general style of the room.
Tips for arranging a small kitchen
At the end of this topic, I want to highlight some practical tips, using which, you can make your small kitchen more convenient and practical.
- When creating a kitchen interior design, try to give preference to white and milky colors. They will allow you to visually expand a small space and make the room more fresh.
- If the door leading to the balcony or other rooms opens into the kitchen, change it to a retractable structure. It will not occupy useful space and will allow you to install functional interior items in these places.
- When choosing kitchen furniture, discard hinged cabinets. Better opt for lifting gear.
- If eating takes place in the kitchen, equip it with a folding tabletop and folding chairs. For stationary tables, it is recommended to choose chairs with a low back, which will not interfere with hiding them under the table.
- Curtains for small kitchens are better to choose in bright colors. It is more appropriate to use airy fabric or vertical blinds.
Conclusion
In this article, we examined in detail all the steps that each apartment owner who decides to make a redevelopment of the kitchen goes through. To some, this process will seem very troublesome and time-consuming, while someone will seriously think about re-planning their own kitchen. In any case, apartments with large balconies offer us the opportunity to use additional square meters to good use. In this case, it is not necessary to start a global repair. Sometimes it’s just enough to beautifully decorate the balcony space, and it immediately becomes the main attraction of the entire interior. We hope that after reading our article, you will receive answers to all your questions.