In many modern apartments, one of the main drawbacks is the small size of the main premises. If you love to cook, then the small size of the kitchen will definitely upset you. But if you have an exit to the balcony through the kitchen door, then you can expand your area for cooking and eating at its expense.
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Benefits
Recently, such a design solution as a balcony combined with a kitchen is becoming more and more popular. This is especially true for those who live in Khrushchevs or small one-room apartments, where there is simply no free space for organizing a dining room.
The main advantage of the kitchen combined with the balcony is that additional space is freed up. A kitchen with an exit to the balcony can turn into a room in which you can cook and eat at the same time. At the same time, the smells of food will not remain in the apartment for a long time. For a small Khrushchev, such a union is the only available way to expand the living space.
Features of redevelopment
However, this option is not suitable for everyone. Before using the balcony as an extension of the kitchen, you need to read the following information.
First of all, the door to the balcony should be in the kitchen space. It should be easy to open or, if necessary, be dismantled. To combine with the kitchen space, the balcony must certainly be glazed.
Balcony finishing
If you have an open balcony and you plan to attach it to the kitchen, then you need to glaze it. For this, you can use single or double glazing. If you have a balcony with a window to the kitchen, then it is advisable to replace the glass there as well.
In general, to connect the balcony space with the kitchen, you can either leave the partition or dismantle it. By removing the door and wall, you will make the room much larger. If you have a 6 sq. m, then by expanding it in this way, you will receive a room of 9 sq. m. A kitchenette of 10 sq. m turn into almost a studio of 12 sq. m.
If you do not remove the door and partition, then you will have an excellent zoned space. This means that you will not need to think about how to separate the cooking area from the place for good rest.
But before you combine a room with a small balcony space, you must definitely approve the project. Especially if you plan to demolish the wall. Sometimes it turns out to be a carrier, so it cannot be dismantled - not only the wall, but also part of the house can be destroyed. If you cannot demolish the wall, then you can simply remove the door and replace it with a partition, arch, or even a simple curtain. Curtains with a balcony door can also be combined.
The exit to the balcony can be stylized as a spectacular arch or semi-arch. It can be simple or supplemented with special lighting. If you do not want to spend extra money and time on installing an arched structure, then you can simply arrange a regular doorway with plasterboard or tile it. It can be both classic and stylized as a stone or brick.
Another important point to keep in mind is that no central heating is installed on balconies. Therefore, if you plan to combine it with the kitchen, then take care of the insulation of this space.
Insulation is not only the replacement of old windows with plastic ones with double glazing. In order for the room to be really warm, you need to insulate the walls, the floor, and, if possible, also take the central heating battery to the balcony. It is also necessary to seal all the empty spaces between the boards and cracks with a special sealant. It is important to remember that when planning to insulate floors and install heating on your balcony, you need to get a special permit just like for demolishing a wall.
But after you insulate the balcony well, it will be possible to equip a dining area with a sofa, table and chairs, where you can eat and drink tea even in cold winter.
Design
To design kitchens combined with a balcony, designers use different stylistic techniques.
Complementing the kitchen with a balcony space, you can count on the fact that one of the zones will be used for cooking, and the other for eating. Most often, all kinds of blanks and kitchen utensils are stored on the balcony, hidden from prying eyes. Combining it with the kitchen, it is not necessary to give up this habit. It is enough just to organize the space differently.
The simplest solution is to install a mini refrigerator and several cabinets on the balcony for storing your belongings and products that do not deteriorate so quickly. You can also take out to the balcony everything you need for cooking - from the stove to kitchen appliances. Thus, you will protect all other rooms of your apartment from the smells that appear during cooking. This is especially true for those rooms where there is no hood.
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Another, more commonly used option is placing a mini-dining room or sitting area on the balcony. The practicality of this option is also obvious, especially if you have a beautiful view outside your window, which you will admire while eating.
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The kitchen and balcony space must also be properly combined, or vice versa - zoned. If you want the room to be clearly divided into two separate zones, then you can use curtains. They can either fully replace the door, or simply complement it or the windows that go from the kitchen to the balcony. You can choose curtains at your discretion, starting from the theme in which your interior is made.
Most often, Roman or roller blinds are used for separation. If you attach them directly to the balcony doors and windows, it will look especially stylish. Another plus - the curtains for dividing rooms are very functional and practical. They hide the space of your premises from prying eyes, and vice versa - they help hide unsightly landscapes outside the window.
Designers recommend using curtains of different lengths when zoning a space, or completely different types of curtains. For example, neat blinds can decorate the cooking area, and light air curtains can decorate the resting place. Experiments with length also help to make a part of the room visually taller. To do this, short curtains or blinds are attached to the windows, and long curtains or blinds are attached to the balcony door or doorway, to the floor.
It is quite simple to create a stylistic unity in a combined one. To do this, you do not have to limit yourself to using the same colors. The main thing is that everything is done in one theme, then your balcony will become a natural and harmonious addition to the kitchen space. Let's look at several options for such organic and stylish combined spaces.
Room with dining area
If you have a small apartment, then you are definitely faced with the problem of a lack of space. Due to the lack of a full-fledged dining room, you have to eat in the same place where you cooked food, or even in your workspace. This is extremely inconvenient, so the easiest way out of this situation is to use the balcony as an impromptu dining area. If your entire kitchen is made in the Art Nouveau style, then on the balcony it will be enough to put a small glass table and a low sofa or several chairs.
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Recreation area
In a modern room, the balcony space can be used to create a corner for relaxing alone or with friends. If you like noisy gatherings with the company, then the vacated space can be supplemented with several poufs and bright decorations, and the partition remaining after dismantling the window can be stylized as a bar counter. This design solution will appeal to young people.
But, if you are not attracted by such a "club" aesthetics, then on the balcony you can create a cozy place for relaxation. Install there a soft sofa with lots of pillows, a table for tea drinking and be sure to add some cozy details to the room - pots with live plants, candles, family photos and other little things.
You can even create a makeshift winter garden on the balcony. To do this, you just need to collect all your fresh flowers in one room and arrange them on shelves and whatnots. In this case, you can also use the part of the wall that remains after you remove the window that separates the balcony from the kitchen. On it you can display your plants, thus connecting the cooking and rest areas.
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