How many words have been said about the legendary apartments of Khrushchev with their uncomfortable layout, tiny kitchen, hallway and bathroom. Houses with such apartments were built in our country for a long time - from the mid-50s to the end of the 80s of the last century.
This apartment has received a lot of criticism, especially in recent decades, but most young people do not know that this project was considered temporary. The families of Soviet people who survived the terrible war and lived in barracks and dormitories moved to these apartments. I must say that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers were incredibly happy, getting such an uncomfortable apartment, as it seems to us today.
The architects then did not have the task of creating a convenient layout, so the rooms in these apartments do not differ in spaciousness, kitchens and bathrooms are more like matchboxes. As often happens, a temporary project has been delayed in our country for a long time, and still many Russians still live in Khrushchev. But even in such a tiny apartment, you can make a good modern repair, redevelopment to increase comfort.
The decoration of the central room deserves special attention. A small living room in Khrushchev is adjacent to a tiny kitchen, and designers, oddly enough, do not consider this a drawback, but use this feature to create a modern design.
How can the design of Khrushchev be improved ?
At first glance, the task is impossible. But this is far from the case. The design of the living room in Khrushchev will become more cozy and comfortable if light colors are used in its design. This applies to the walls and ceiling, which should be 1-2 tones lighter.
In addition, light shades should be present in the upholstery, textiles, accessories. There are no special requirements for the material used to decorate the walls : it all depends on the preferences of the homeowners. They can be pasted with wallpaper with a vertically arranged, small pattern or stripes that visually raise the ceiling, painted, decorated with decorative panels, etc.
If you decide to make the walls monophonic, then you can visually increase the height of the ceilings with the help of tall candlesticks or lamps on the walls, long rectangular paintings, curtains and curtains with a vertical ornament, floor flowerpots with flowers.
The living room in Khrushchev is often used not only as a room in which households gather and the owners meet good friends. Quite often, it is the resting place of one of the family members. Therefore, when planning the design of a living room in Khrushchev, it is necessary to take this circumstance into account.
Style selection
So, you have decided to transform your small living room with a size of no more than 18 m² into a comfortable and cozy room. First you need to choose the style of the interior. Of all their diversity, designers recommend choosing only a few.
Minimalism - this style assumes the simplicity of decoration as the room itself, and the decor. In this case, plain materials and pastel colors of furniture and accessories are used. Small color accents will help to make the room more comfortable.
Classic - this style is used most often when a kitchen or an entrance joins the living room, while the aperture between the rooms is designed as an arch. This style is characterized by leather furniture, wood finishes in noble colors, a crystal chandelier and wall mirrors.
Some features has a living room in Khrushchev. The interior design of a small room should be subject to the main rule - the smaller the area of the room, the less should be decorated with decorative elements of the wall. Only small photographs and glass shelves for small details (figurines, candlesticks, etc.) are allowed to be placed on them.
Furniture selection
When a drawing room is made in Khrushchev, many owners make a serious mistake - they place furniture around the perimeter of the room, hoping to fill the space as ergonomically as possible. Experts recommend installing it at least ten centimeters from the walls. Thus, you are more likely to get a feeling of free space.
The living room in Khrushchev needs special furniture that needs to be functional, especially if this room is a walk-through. Most of all, modular designs meet these requirements - when folded, they take up very little space.
If you prefer cabinet furniture, then opt for compact and concise designs with a large number of open surfaces.
Upholstered furniture
It can be corners or folding sofas, which at night become full-fledged sleeping places. The living room in Khrushchev is furnished with small furniture. Its upholstery can be both color and plain, the main thing is that it does not contrast with the general color scheme.
Textile
The living room in Khrushchev, as well as in any other house, is not complete without the use of textiles. Today there are many varieties and styles of curtains, most of which are successfully used in the design of a small apartment. In addition, these are various bedspreads, rugs, sofa cushions.
The living room in Khrushchev, decorated in the style of minimalism, will be perfectly complemented by Japanese curtains. In addition, curtains on grommets that are worn directly on the cornice will fit this interior.
When choosing textiles, it is important to consider how well the room is lit. But in any case, the interior will never spoil the transparent light tulle, which will add freshness and lightness to the room and provide free access of sunlight to the room.
Pleated blinds with a dust-repellent effect are suitable if your living room in Khrushchev is decorated in a classic style. True, it is better to refuse lambrequins, since they can make an already low room even lower.
Kitchen-living room in Khrushchev
Owners of small-sized apartments have to wage a constant struggle for every square meter in order to maximize the use of small living space. For this reason, in recent years, many owners have resorted to redevelopment, combining the living room and kitchen.
Before carrying out such serious work, you should weigh and consider all the pros and cons of such a decision. The fact is that not all walls can be demolished. And sometimes, in general, it is impossible to carry out a redevelopment. But if you are lucky, and the technical characteristics of the apartment allow such reconstruction, you can think about how the combined kitchen and living room in Khrushchev will look like.
Zoning
If you tear down the wall between these rooms, you can create a modern studio apartment. Now you need to consider the design of the kitchen and living room in Khrushchev. It should be noted that this is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. It is necessary that each part of the newly created united space fulfill its function - food will be prepared in the kitchen, household members and guests will relax in the living room.
Both zones should be correctly separated from each other and allocated. And for this, there are several design techniques. Most often, the kitchen area is distinguished using decorative wide skirting boards made of wood, which are placed on the ceiling and wall, thus repeating the line of the demolished wall. The color of these wooden elements should repeat the tone of the furniture set.
Visual highlight
Visually, the living room combined with the kitchen in Khrushchev is also divided . Design in this case involves the use of some accents. It can be different in texture and pattern wallpaper. By the way, they can go well with tiled apron over the working surface of the kitchen area. The combination of various floor coverings, for example, carpet in the living room and porcelain tiles in the kitchen, is also visually able to separate the rooms.
Space organization
After combining rooms and releasing the desired free space, it becomes possible to originally equip this room. The result of this work largely depends on the main function, which, in your opinion, should be carried out by the combined room. Let's consider several options.
- As a functional element that divides the space into two zones, designers often use a sofa. You can put a coffee table in front of him.
- Some owners are confused by the excessive openness that distinguishes the living room, combined with the kitchen in Khrushchev. The design in this case can be somewhat complicated by adding a sliding partition between the zones or by installing a stationary open shelving unit with shelves for flowers.
Podium
The kitchen area in the combined room can be distinguished using the podium. Undoubtedly, this will complicate the repair work a little, but believe me, this way you will create a truly extraordinary design. A special highlight will be given to such a building by additional illumination along its perimeter. In addition, it will become an additional source of light, as well as night illumination.
Bar counter
For many, a kitchen combined with a living room is often associated with a breakfast bar. It can be a continuation of a furniture set, or maybe an independent piece of furniture. A beautiful bar, surrounded by high chairs, always looks very impressive. This design does not have to occupy the entire space between the rooms. It can accommodate in a very small area, leaving room for easy access.
If you wish, you can increase the functionality of the rack by making cupboards under it. And if you place an aquarium with fish under the bar, you will get a respectable and original apartment design. And its practicality will also be preserved - the table will fulfill its main function.
Ceiling
A great way to separate the kitchen and the living room is to create a complex multi-level ceiling, although in Khrushchev’s large structures are contraindicated due to the height of the premises, you can dream up a little. Smooth, slightly fluid forms of such a ceiling are created using plasterboard plates. Enhances the zoning effect of spot lights.
It is better to entrust such work to specialists, because no matter how much they write that this work is simple, it is not easy for a beginner to master all the intricacies of installation. It will be a shame if money, material and time are wasted.
Advantages of combining the living room and kitchen
It is quite difficult for many owners to decide on such dramatic changes in their home. Therefore, we dwell in more detail on the minuses and pluses of such a reconstruction.
- By removing the entire wall (or part of it) between the rooms, you get an additional usable area. Visually, the space seems more spacious. The kitchen, with an area of about six square meters, looks more freely, since the dining area is partially shifted to the living room.
- You have a real possibility of zoning the room. Now you can afford not only a small table and stools, but a full dining table and chairs. Thus, you highlight the dining area.
- All owners who have already combined the kitchen with the living room note that the room has become more attractive and comfortable. And if you add imagination and your own ideas to the advice of specialists, you can create an original and stylish design.
- It should be noted the practicality of such a union. Agree that in such a room, it is more convenient for mom to cook dinner and look after the playing baby.
disadvantages
No matter how much we would like to say that such redevelopment has no shortcomings, we are forced to admit that they exist. And you need to know about them before starting repairs. If they do not scare you, feel free to get down to business. And if you consider them a serious flaw, it is better to abandon this venture.
- In the living room, combined with the kitchen, there is practically no place for privacy. For a single person or, in extreme cases, a family of two, this option is appropriate. But for a family with a child it will be difficult to stay day and night in the same room. Of course, this applies to one-room Khrushchev, in a two-room, such problems, as a rule, do not arise.
- Another very important point: no matter the ventilation and exhaust system the kitchen is equipped with, aromas during cooking will somehow spread throughout the apartment. Some of them quite steadily eaten up in textiles, carpets, upholstery, which you will agree is not very pleasant.
- In the kitchen - the living room should be very clean, because everything is in sight in it. If in a normal room you clean 2-3 times a week, then in the combined version it must be done almost daily.
To summarize
As you can see, the kitchen, combined with the living room in Khrushchev, has many undeniable advantages and a number of significant drawbacks. Do not make hasty decisions, study them all, consult with specialists whether such redevelopment is possible in your apartment, whether it can be done without coordination with the construction department of the administration. Well, if there are no obstacles to the realization of your dreams, then get down to business.
Follow the basic design rules, but do not forget that each of them has exceptions. Imagine, experiment, and you are sure to create a modern, stylish kitchen-living room that you have been dreaming about for a long time.