2 design projects in Provence style for an old kitchen in Khrushchev

Rustic comfort and unity with nature - this is why the Provence style is so loved. Unlike country, Provence is filled with muted colors that give an atmosphere of calm and harmony of a country house in the French province, with its fragrant herbs, warm sun and endless lavender fields. What if you recreated the same mood in the kitchen of an ordinary city apartment? This style is difficult to execute, but will never disappoint or get boring. In this article we will tell you about its main features and inspire you with real examples of beautiful interiors.

Kitchen in Provence style in an apartment in an old house (Khrushchev). After the redevelopment, the entrance to the kitchen is now through the living room. In place of the former corridor, a niche was formed in which a refrigerator was installed.

Style Features

The Provence style, a native of France, is considered a type of local country music.
This country is famous for its beautiful landscapes, talented painters, exquisite wines, cheeses, as well as long-livers living right in the coastal zone. Apparently, the French theme in the decor has a therapeutic effect, which only confirms the axiom about the influence of the interior on a person’s mood.

French country is universal in its own way - it is suitable for rooms of any size thanks to the light colors of the walls and furniture

What is important for our case is that a dining room or living room combined with a kitchen is very typical for this style

Other style features include:

• restrained, pastel colors - shades of white, beige, green, blue and purple;
• natural materials - wood, tiles, metal and stone for finishing walls, floors, ceilings and furniture;
• a minimum of bright accents, a moderate amount of stucco and forged decor;
• artificially aged or high-quality antique furniture;
• wickerwork - baskets, flower pots, chairs;
• disguise of modern household appliances;
• an abundance of practical and decorative textiles; plant and flower patterns.

Antique furniture, other design elements with imprints of time, wall, floor and ceiling decoration do not accept gloss, gilding, excessive pretentiousness and contrast. Exceptions include the slight shine of ceramic tiles and lacquered furniture.

The photo shows examples of kitchen and living room interiors, decorated according to all the rules of style.

Lighting organization

Expert opinion

Mikhailova Maria Vasilievna

Furniture store manager. Knows everything about comfort and interior design

Ideal when a small room gets a lot of natural light. At the same time, curtains and furniture should not interfere with its penetration.

Designers make artificial lighting soft and uniform. You should not use one powerful chandelier. In addition to the main chandelier, several small lighting fixtures are placed. It can be:

• Spotlights;
• wall sconces;
• floor lamps and table lamps placed around the perimeter of the room.

Lamps are chosen from forged, metal, wood, wicker or fabric. Lamps with porcelain and glass shades look impressive in a small kitchen.

Chandeliers are not located in the center of the room, but directly above the dining area. This way the dining area will be visually separated from the working area.

Textile

Considering that the windows in Khrushchev buildings are small, you should not weigh down the room with massive curtains. Since the main style of the room will be modern design branches, you can take similar curtains as a basis.

For example, these could be roller blinds that are rolled into a roll to open. Such curtains are wound on a special shaft, and often their size coincides with the parameters of the window.

Pleated is an equally relevant option. When folded, they look like blinds. They can be opened from top to bottom or in the opposite direction. Their size does not extend beyond the frame, so they also will not weigh down the wall with the window.

An analogue of pleated curtains and roller blinds are Roman curtains, which, unlike the two previous varieties, can be repaired.

Kitchen-living room

Main article: Design of a kitchen-living room in Khrushchev. To implement such an idea, you just need to tear down the wall. Making a similar project in a Khrushchev-era building is not difficult, since there is no concrete.

After there is no partition left, you need to think about what you will use to decorate the walls and floor.

In general, according to the laws of the genre, it is necessary to make floors of different structures or colors, thereby setting the line. But, in the case of a very modest cubic capacity, it is better to lay exactly the same floor in the living room and kitchen.

The same applies to the ceiling. You don't need any tiers, boxes or arches. It is best if the kitchen and living room are a completely unified ensemble.

Curtains, also, should be the same, not mismatched. Only in this case will the interior look truly harmonious.

Options for expanding space

Some interior partitions in Khrushchev-era buildings are not load-bearing, which means that it is possible to expand the kitchen through redevelopment.

Merging with the living room

Since most kitchens in Khrushchev-era apartment buildings are gasified, it is not always possible to combine the kitchen and living room by completely demolishing the partition. But there are several options to solve this problem:

give up gas and switch to tariffs for electric stoves. To do this, you must obtain appropriate permission from the authorized bodies.

In this case, it is important to take into account the load on the electrical network, which will increase with the installation of an electric hob; install a glass or sliding partition that will actually separate the rooms, but visually connect them into a single space.

This is important to know:

• 5 good reasons not to abandon the door in the kitchen in Khrushchev.
• Is a door required in a kitchen with a gas stove?

Combining with the bathroom

This redevelopment can be legalized only if the apartment is located on the ground floor or if there is a non-residential premises under the apartment. In other cases, doing this is strictly prohibited!

Layout

Kitchens from the times of Khrushchev have an area of ​​5-6 square meters. m. and there are two types of layout:

1. Square.
2. Rectangular.

Regardless of the type of kitchen, first of all we remove everything unnecessary and unnecessary. This step will at least visually increase the space.

In the design world, certain rules have been developed over time for arranging kitchens with a small area:

• It is customary to install all furniture, including various types of household appliances, in the form of the letter P or letter G.
• It is recommended to maintain small gaps of about 5 centimeters. As a rule, they are done between household appliances.
• Furniture should be chosen based on the size of the room, but at the same time it must perform all the necessary functions.
• A gas stove is often replaced with a hob.
• You can also get rid of interior doors if the kitchen has a hood.
• Often the balcony is combined with the kitchen. Using this method, the total area of ​​the kitchen is increased.

Variety of styles

Decorating a small kitchen in a suitable style allows you to level out the shortcomings and emphasize its advantages.

Minimalism

Quite a suitable style for small spaces. The distinctive features of a minimalist interior are a well-planned space, a small amount of furniture and accessories, a light color palette, and the absence of decor and ornament. Simple shapes and lines do not overload a small area, and kitchen furniture often combines several functions: for example, a dining table can simultaneously serve as a buffet. Window openings are usually decorated with roller blinds made of translucent material in order to let in as much daylight as possible into the room, which, in combination with a light color scheme, visually expands the room.

Classic

Classicism itself presupposes the presence of a spacious room, preferably with high ceilings, because the origins of this style are in palace interiors. For those who cannot imagine life without the classics, but are limited by the framework of the Khrushchev era, we can recommend the neoclassical style as a compromise. Neoclassicism preserves the strict lines of the classical style, while avoiding its heaviness and abundance of decorative elements that clutter up a small room.

High tech

One of the best styles for decorating a small kitchen. Simple geometric shapes combined with modern materials create an interior that is not overloaded with an abundance of decor. We can say that high-tech is “high-tech” minimalism. The main difference between these styles is the finishing materials. If in minimalism preference is given to natural materials - wood, natural stone, then in high-tech the emphasis is on plastic, metal, acrylic stone.

Provence

Decorating a small kitchen in Provence style is a controversial choice. On the one hand, delicate pastel colors visually expand the room, on the other, an abundance of small decor and colorful textiles clutter it up. All these painted plates, vases, jars, napkin holders, wicker baskets, hand mills and other cute little things characteristic of the Provence style split up an already small space.

Color palette

Provence implies a calm, light palette without brightness or pretentiousness. It is advisable to choose natural shades, for example:

• green will be associated with grass;
• blue - with a lake or sky;
• yellow - with flowers in the meadow, etc.

There are several of the most popular colors and combinations that can serve as the main color in a Provence style kitchen.

White

The main tone is often left white, complemented by other shades, such as turquoise or lavender. This solution, at first glance, may seem unusual, but it looks very attractive and cute.

White can be:

• walls;
• ceiling;
• headset;
• lunch group.

Adding other tones will eliminate the atmosphere of sterility and lifelessness. In addition to the color of mint and lavender, the following tones can appear in a duet with white:

• pale blue;
• light yellow;
• pistachio;
• grey-white.

Two-color kitchen 9 sq.m. meters in Versailles style with a round kitchen table. Real photo of 2022.

White and pistachio

In this unusual combination, white is usually used for walls and ceilings, which helps make the space feel larger and freer.

The furniture is selected in light green tones - it will soften the strict white and refresh the interior as a whole. Brown wood is placed on the floor.

U-shaped kitchen 8 sq. m with a collection of painted dishes, including a teapot, decorative shelves and a corner sink.

Blue

The second most popular shade for use in Provence style interiors. Not only pale, but also quite deep shades can be used. The rule is: the darker the tone, the less it is used in the kitchen.

Any shade of blue works well in a duet with:

• yellow;
• gray;
• white.

Most often, furniture, textiles or decor are painted blue.

Project for 2022: a blue set to the ceiling in the style of English Provence with a dark truffle-colored countertop in a narrow kitchen of 8 meters.

Green

The combination of light green in the interior with rich tones in the decor or even furniture looks very interesting in the Provence style. It could be:

• olive;
• pistachio;
• swampy

Green can be present almost everywhere:

• in textiles;
• headset;
• dishes;
• doors;
• windows and so on.

Olive and beige

Another color duet, spotted from nature. One has only to remember fresh olive groves against the backdrop of burnt grass.

Such an interior may seem simple, but that doesn’t make it any less cozy and homely. Again, brown can serve as an additional color - it is used to decorate floors or even furniture.

Blue

Blue is a fairly rich color, so in Provence interiors it is used together with white or light gray. Deep tones are used in limited quantities so as not to overdo it. The lightest shade should dominate.

Blue modular kitchen set in a Provencal interior.

Blue and sand

A very beautiful and natural combination of colors, based on a light marine theme. Soothes and pleases the eye. You can complement the duet with brown tones, for example, on the floor. Against this background, furniture made in two shades of blue looks great.

Stylish solid wood kitchenette in Provence style, combined with a living room, in a small apartment.

Small kitchen

Thanks to the dominance of light colors, the Provence style will feel great even in a small kitchen. Light colors always visually expand the space and make it freer and more spacious. This is exactly the effect that owners of small kitchens achieve.

The only thing that would be nice to limit is the use of textiles, in particular curtains. Long curtains will take up precious space, so it is better to opt for short curtains or Roman blinds that will let light into the room - this is a must.

If we talk about the color scheme, it should be as light as possible:

• the walls and ceiling can be left white;
• the set and dining group can be painted in beige, lavender, light blue and similar light colors.

There are a few more tips that will help create the most comfortable space even in a small Provence style kitchen:

• furniture is placed around the perimeter, the space in the center of the kitchen remains free;
• the set is chosen to be corner, the sink is moved either to the corner of the kitchen or under the window;
• use a large number of small lamps;
• make open shelves under the wooden tabletop, adding space even “from below”;
• equip the window sill as a work area.

Practical tips for limited space

When decorating a kitchen in a room from the Khrushchev era, it is recommended to do everything in the same style.

Basic kitchen items, such as a sink, gas stove and other necessary household appliances should be located at a short distance from each other.

Do not overuse a large number of cabinets and shelves. This will make your space visually smaller.

The most common mistakes when decorating small kitchens are:

• impractical placement of sockets;
• large work surface;
• overall hood;
• due to excess clutter, lack of free space.

Dining room of a small kitchen

Limited space for arranging a full-fledged working, and even more so, dining area forces us to look for universal solutions. Among the options that designers offer are a transformable table (folding out from a wall or window sill) or a bar counter, reducing the dining group to a minimum number of chairs and moving it to another room.

If it is not possible to move the table and chairs to the living room or to the balcony, you can choose one of the simple but functional solutions - a bar counter or an extension of the window sill (a folding option is also possible) and a couple of chairs. To ensure that such a dining group does not take up too much space, you can also use folding chairs, especially since in the assortment of most furniture stores you can find many interesting models - in natural wood color, painted white or colored. If you don't like folding stools, you can choose transparent plastic chairs - they are invisible, although they actually take up a certain place in the kitchen.

The photo shows a Provencal design of a small kitchen with a dining table as a continuation of the window sill.

A small table is not the most suitable option, although it may be needed if there is not enough worktop for cutting food.

The room is about 10 square meters. m you can safely use a bar counter or even a full-fledged dining area. But it all depends on the shape of the room. For example, in a long narrow kitchen you can arrange a parallel set and a dining area by the window - with benches or simple sofas opposite each other at a small table. You can make these with your own hands, even from a pallet.

The photo shows a narrow kitchen in Provence style with a dining area.

Distinctive features

Provence is often called one of the country destinations because it gives the impression of a cute French village. But such designs cannot be equated, since they often use different colors and materials.

To better understand the difference, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the distinctive features of Provence:

• using only light pastel colors in furniture and wall decoration;
• plenty of natural light;
• an abundance of textiles in the kitchen;

• only natural materials - avoid synthetics in any form in favor of natural fabrics, stone, wood, ceramics;
• creating the effect of aged furniture - it is not necessary to spend all your capital only on antique furniture, you can take modern models made from natural materials and simply age them;

• use of vintage decor;
• the presence of a textured surface;
• simple shapes and textures - after all, these two points will help maintain an atmosphere of naturalness in the interior;
• using bright colors for accents, such as lavender.

Light green Provencal kitchen with a linear layout and a bar counter. Pay attention to the combination of tiles on the backsplash with floor tiles.

Who is it suitable for?

First of all, such an interior will be appreciated by romantic people, creative people and connoisseurs of beauty - all those who prefer simple home comfort to extravagant design.

A Provencal-style kitchen will look especially chic in a private country house or country house, but this interior can be repeated in an apartment, even in a Khrushchev-era building.

City dwellers will appreciate the atmosphere of rural life and comfort. The advantage of the style is that it will suit any kitchen - both small and large.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any other style, Provence can have strengths and weaknesses. Before you start repairs, you need to familiarize yourself with them so that you don’t regret it later.

Modern purple kitchen in a wooden house in the Provence style with a stainless steel hood, built-in refrigerator and copper pans above the island as decor.

Fashionable styles for a small kitchen in 2022

Everything new in interior design is a well-designed old one. The styles we are used to - loft, Provence, eco, scandi, classic - are returning in an updated form thanks to the addition of unusual details. Let's see what has changed in each specific direction.

Modern classic

The combination of modern furniture and elements of classical style allows you to get a new direction suitable for the design of a small kitchen - neoclassicism.

How to combine classic and modern style in the interior of a small kitchen in 2022?

• Refuse massive furniture in favor of a set with laconic paneled facades without decorations in the form of balustrades, balusters and carvings.
• Use mostly pastel shades in your design.
• Stick to moderation in decor.
• Refuse lush curtains with lambrequins in favor of light, translucent plain curtains or Roman blinds.

Eco

Fashion has become eco-friendly. Natural wood in kitchen furniture, rattan and straw products, a lot of house plants - these are the basics of eco-friendly furniture that will fit perfectly in a small room.

Provence

The current shades of small kitchen design for 2022 - blue, gray, cream, lavender, are successfully the style-forming colors of Provence.

This style can be easily adapted to the realities of a room of 6 sq. m. Pastel colors of Provence will benefit a small kitchen, but you need to be careful with the decor and open shelves - do not clutter the space with unnecessary details. For decorations, a tablecloth, a vase with dried lavender, pillows on chairs and light cotton or linen curtains will suffice.

Minimalism

Minimalism is not just a style. This is a philosophy that involves the conscious rejection of unnecessary things and the use of only the essentials for life. For a small space, this concept is certainly beneficial.

A minimum of decor, simple but functional furniture, a monochrome light color scheme, a lot of light and the presence of at least some free space will visually expand the boundaries of even the smallest kitchen.

High tech

High-tech is often confused with minimalism, although the former has distinctive features - the use of glass, glossy and metal surfaces, high-tech built-in and always the most modern technology. Just like minimalism, the high-tech style is characterized by the absence of unnecessary decor. This makes it especially attractive for the design of small spaces.

Loft

Using loft in its pure form in a small area is undesirable. Its characteristic rough shapes and dark shades can make the room visually smaller. The only exception is when large windows are installed in a small kitchen.

Use individual loft elements in the interior - concrete and rough wooden surfaces, open communications, facades with a rust effect, forged elements in the design of furniture and lamps.

Scandinavian motifs

Snow-white Scandinavian small kitchens are already somewhat boring. Adding new elements to the cold Nordic interior allowed us to revive this style and look at it in a new way.

A new element that can soften the cold Scandi mood is leather (preferably eco-leather). It can be used as upholstery for chairs, sofas and even as accessories.

To place accents in the Scandinavian style, yellow, blue, blue, and red were traditionally used, which stood out as a bright spot against a white background. Now you can experiment with the proportions of white and blue or yellow, for example, by increasing the amount of the latter in the interior. But then the shade of these colors should be muted. You can take red as an accent color, but slightly change its shade towards brick, coral or carrot, for example.

Another option to add variety to your Scandinavian interior is to use light gray instead of white.

In vintage style or with retro motifs

A vintage-style kitchen harmoniously combines everything that will be trendy in the coming year - pastel shades of blue, lavender combined with cream or sand.

Add bright colors: a retro refrigerator in a rich shade, white tiles on the apron, and your small kitchen will take on the style of the 50-60s. years of the last century.

Watch a video about kitchen trends that will be relevant for many years to come:

Furniture

Furniture is one of the main components of a successful kitchen interior in the Provence style. Most often it is natural wood, which is specially aged with patina or craquelure.

All irregularities, peeling paint, small cracks are not considered a defect here, but are created specifically to make the design more colorful.

The general rule is that Provence style furniture should be light. But you can always find an exception to any rule.

Since Provence is an old style that originated in village houses, it is worth considering all the furniture that could be found in the kitchen. In addition to the set and kitchen table with chairs, these are:

• buffets;
• chests;
• chests of drawers;
• bottle holders;
• all kinds of shelves;
• showcases.

Italian cuisine 12 sq. m with a very unusual bar counter, small posters near the seating area and cutlery on the rail.

Set

Ideally, in the Provence style, you should use only natural materials, for example, solid cherry, ash, oak, pine or beech. But if you want to save money, then you can get by with more budget options - for example, MDF or chipboard.

The best quality option would be MDF facades covered with veneer, enamel or varnish. If you want a more budget-friendly model, then it will most likely be covered with PVC film. Outwardly it does not look so elegant, but it can also be aged with special solutions or regular paint if you try hard.

Pay attention to the combination of wall painting in the niche and drawings above the open shelves.

The patina of the following warm colors looks most organically in the Provence style:

• gold;
• yellow;
• brown.

If we talk about the color scheme, then light and slightly faded tones are preferable, for example:

• cream;
• creamy;
• sand;
• Ivory;
• lactic;
• champagne

An example of how you can decorate a room for the holidays is New Year's decor.

If you want to make your kitchen a little brighter and more interesting, you can consider the following color options:

• lilac;
• mint;
• pistachio;
• pale yellow;
• light blue and others.

For decoration you can use:

• forged elements;
• ceramic tiles or mosaics;
• colored glass.

On doors in the Provence style you can find elements of carving or weaving. Handles for the kitchen are selected from brass or copper.

New set of economy class modules in a Provencal interior.

Provence loves open shelves, so you can choose a set without wall-mounted upper cabinets. The only downside is that you will have to frequently wipe dust off the shelves. You can store dishes, jars of cereals or spices, small kitchen utensils, or just decor on them.

Lunch group

The dining table in a Provence style kitchen is often a key figure, so it is of great importance. There are no special requirements for the form; the most popular options :

• circle;
• oval;
• square;
• rectangle.

There are already more wishes for the overall appearance:

• only natural wood;
• bent legs;
• aging in the form of patina or abrasions;
• presence of a tablecloth.

If the budget is not designed for solid wood, then the already familiar MDF will come to the rescue. Models made of plastic or glass simply will not fit into such an interior.

Chairs should also be made of wood, have thin legs, and a curved or straight back. A sofa in such an interior is rare. Usually the replacement is a wooden bench with a mattress and pillows - another use of textiles in a Provence-style kitchen.

Wicker chairs made of rattan or bamboo in natural colors or painted white will also look good.

Details

Provence must be thoughtful. This applies even to the usual little things, for example:

1. Faucets are selected only in “retro” style: bronze or copper.
2. The sink is made of the same copper, ceramics or artificial stone. The permissible maximum, if the repair is very budgetary, is a small round sink made of matte stainless steel.
3. Household appliances must be hidden, that is, built-in. It is advisable to choose a white hob.
4. Fittings - ideally, the handles should be ceramic and painted, but copper or bronze specimens, which must be aged, are also suitable.

Additional Tricks

When planning the interior design of a kitchen in Khrushchev, pay attention to multifunctional solutions and transformers. A folding table will be a practical and functional purchase.

Doors that slide into the wall rather than swing open are a godsend for all small apartments.

The wide window sill can be adapted to fit the work surface. Avoid dining nooks with massive sofas and armchairs.

Do not use heavy textiles, they take up space, gather dust, and make the room darker and stuffier

Instead of curtains and tulle, pay attention to compact roller blinds, Roman blinds, blinds and variations on this theme

A stylish mosaic of small tiles above the work area looks interesting and visually expands the space. Due to the small area, even such an artistic solution will be inexpensive. If there is a niche left from the radiator under the window, you can build a cabinet into it to store kitchen utensils.

Possible errors during registration

It is much easier for a modern person to make repairs in his own apartment on his own than to hire a team of craftsmen, since it is not so expensive, and you can also do construction work and interior decoration at any convenient time. The main thing in the process of drawing up a sketch of the future interior is to listen to the advice of experienced designers

But, unfortunately, people do not always pay attention to the tips and make many serious mistakes. The following is a list of flaws that are often encountered when independently repairing and arranging the interior design of the kitchen area

• Fear of tall wall cabinets. In fact, there is nothing wrong with them; on the contrary, there is an additional opportunity to free up kitchen space by hiding rarely used household items on cabinet shelves. In addition, wall cabinets can help hide external communications.
• Incorrectly selected headset. Dark-colored furniture should not be placed in a small kitchen space. To a greater extent, this mistake will affect the material component of the family budget. Dark color visually narrows the free space. In addition, they are impractical, tantamount to bright and saturated aprons. The problem can only be corrected by replacing the kitchen set from a dark to a light shade.
• Stationary installation of a hood with connection to ventilation. It is the connection system that contributes to the loss of free space in a small kitchen.
• Poor electrical connections. Initially, the electrical network is drawn according to the prepared layout sketch, we are talking about switches and sockets. This means that their number corresponds to the purchased set of household appliances. But every year more and more electrical appliances appear in the kitchen, but problems arise with connecting them. Of course, you can use extension cords, but if you purchase a product of poor quality, then when you connect it to an outlet, a short circuit may occur in the wiring. In order not to make new repairs, not to strip the walls and not to introduce new connection points, it is better to think through this nuance in advance - to make several additional electrical outlets. Let them stand idle temporarily, but after a month or a little more they will definitely come in handy.
• Incorrect layout of the kitchen space. The question is the placement of furniture and large household appliances. For example, you cannot place a refrigerator next to a stove. Of course, nothing will happen to the gas or electric structure, but the refrigerator may become unusable due to constant heating of the side wall. Do not place furniture near cooking surfaces. Splashes from the food being prepared will fall on the surface of the upholstery of the kitchen corner. It is easy to remove grease stains from a leather surface, but it will be very difficult to clean fabric material.
• Incorrect design of walls and textile products. Wallpaper, curtains, and a tablecloth with a large pattern visually narrow the free space of the kitchen.

Options for placing kitchen units

Even if you install only the essentials in a small kitchen, its internal volume is significantly narrowed

Being able to correctly arrange the layout of the largest pieces of furniture is very important in this case.

We are talking about a kitchen set for a small kitchen in Khrushchev. The most suitable form of planning for it in a small area is considered to be linear, or else single-row.

There are other types of headset layouts, but they are somewhat inferior to the first type.

For example, small corner kitchens in Khrushchev require the installation of furniture in an L-shape, covering a wall with a window opening and an adjacent vertical structure. Access to the window becomes difficult.

In addition, in such houses there is often a niche installed under the wide window sill, where housewives store all sorts of jars of pickles, jams, or just some accessories.

A corner kitchen will close this niche. The advantage of this option is the successful use of the corner of the room.

A sink is installed there. Above it is a corner cabinet.

Despite all the negative aspects, this layout makes the room very attractive.

Another type of layout is U-shaped. It is considered not a very good solution, since its placement leaves only one wall free.

The degree of cramped space increases. It becomes impossible to place pieces of furniture such as a dining table.

How to choose and install furniture?

In conditions of lack of square footage, it is worth choosing ergonomic furniture for arranging a small-sized kitchen. It should be comfortable, quite roomy, durable and practical. It needs to be selected in such a way that it does not clutter up the kitchen space, but fits well into it.

Opening and closing doors and drawers should also not create discomfort when moving around the kitchen. The main pieces of furniture in a small kitchen will be a kitchen set, a dining table, a refrigerator and chairs, while to create the effect of lightness and spaciousness, you can buy furniture with glass fronts. Glass perfectly draws out heaviness and brings visualization of air into the interior.

If possible, equipment should be built-in and compact, just like the furniture itself.

For example, if the layout of the room does not allow placing a table in it, you can get by with a bar counter. It is narrower than the table, but at the same time it is not devoid of functionality.

If one or two people live in an apartment, such a table will be quite enough for a meal. It is preferable to choose compact chairs, avoiding excessive bulkiness.

As for the arrangement of furniture, everything will depend on the characteristics of the room itself.

For example, if the kitchen is square, the furniture arrangement should be L-shaped. In this case, all key interior elements are located along two adjacent walls. This follows the triangle rule in furniture placement (placing the stove, sink and refrigerator in three corners to simplify kitchen work). This arrangement promotes the most rational placement of furniture, in which household members will have enough space to move around the kitchen. It will also allow you to place a table without blocking the passage. In other cases, you can place a bar counter near the cooking area.

If the kitchen is long and narrow, you will have to arrange the furniture linearly. This means that the set of furniture should occupy one of the walls. Moreover, for such a furniture arrangement it is important to use wall cabinets. Sometimes floor cabinets are not used.

If the furniture chosen is compact, and after organizing the space there is little space left, this allows you to create a tiny dining area on the opposite wall. In this case, you can choose no more than two compact chairs for the table.

A parallel layout in a small kitchen is rather rare. In this case, there is no space left to place the dining table. In addition, the housewife will have to constantly maneuver from one work area to another, which will take a lot of time and effort.

U-shaped placement of furniture in a small kitchen is undesirable. The room will seem tiny and uncomfortable.

Colors

An important place in decorating dining areas is occupied by the color scheme of finishing materials. In order to make a choice taking into account not only personal preferences, but also general perception, you need to know exactly how a particular color affects a person

Red and yellow. These colors increase appetite and create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort. However, a large amount of bright red color has a depressing effect on the human psyche, so it is better to decorate the dining area in soft shades of orange and yellow.

Regardless of what color was chosen to decorate the wall next to the kitchen table, you should remember the following rules:

glossy surfaces and cool shades expand the space, giving it darkness and coolness;

Successful examples

Analyzing the design styles of the kitchen area in the Khrushchev, it is not always possible to understand how such a small room can be made voluminous, transform the memories of the Soviet era into a stylish room, and create coziness and comfort in it. To do this, we invite you to get acquainted with ready-made ideas for decorating small kitchens, where you can feel a high-quality design approach.

First you need to look at the modern style of the kitchen. All interior and decoration elements are presented in straight and clear lines. The predominant light shades are in perfect harmony with dark accents. Point electricity is directed to both the working and dining areas. A close inspection reveals the multifunctionality of the dining area. A tabletop is used as a table and can accommodate at least four people. And for dinner for two, a deep window sill will do. Despite the need to decorate the window opening with blinds, curtains are used in this case, but here you can feel the professionalism of the designer.

The kitchen, made in a classic style, is slightly reminiscent of a modern fairy tale about Cinderella. Only in the cartoon the girl had to spend most of her time on cooking and cleaning, and modern housewives don’t even need a magic wand. Built-in appliances to prepare your own food and carry out wet cleaning inside. The convenience of using a light-colored kitchen is to instantly wipe the dirty surface. Very little decor was used in this case; there is a flowerpot with greenery on the window, and the wall is decorated with a harmonious color image of a bridge. The walls are decorated with brick decoration, which looks not just luxurious, but also very rich. There is linoleum on the floor. Its pattern is reminiscent of carpet flooring and it seems that when you touch the floor, you will be able to feel the softness of the pile.

Here it is, a feeling of rustic flavor and urban functionality. We are talking about the Provence style. The kitchen set is made in a calm light green shade. There is a carved pattern on the doors of the wall cabinets. The work area tabletop is distinguished by a visual contrast of the material with a wood pattern. The absence of a bulky gas stove visually increases the free space of the kitchen. All household appliances are built-in and hidden from prying eyes behind the cabinet doors. Only a stationary hood is visible, the connection communications are covered with a shaped box

Particular attention should be paid to lighting. The kitchen set has built-in spotlights

Lighting strips are located at the bottom of the wall cabinets, and the light from them spreads throughout the entire work area.

The snow-whiteness of the presented Scandinavian kitchen style evokes a lot of pleasant associations in the head. You can feel the warmth and comfort of a home, and feel the scope of the versatility of built-in household appliances. Hidden behind all the doors are many useful things and devices that can save a person from the grueling process of cooking. The work area apron is a true masterpiece of modern thought. Not only is it easy to wash, but you can also leave messages on it for loved ones, for example, write to your children what to heat up for lunch, and remind your husband about necessary purchases. Light colors in the kitchen look much softer when exposed to sunlight. By the way, the window opening in this case is supplemented with Roman blinds made of lightweight material, which looks not just beautiful, but also airy.

In the next video, watch the design of a kitchen in a Khrushchev-era building.

Decor and textiles

All the accents in Provence are on the little things, so pay attention to fasteners, handles, latches, fittings and similar details. Replace them with brass, copper, bronze, antique gold - and they will become a full-fledged decorative element

In a Provence style kitchen, collections of sets, cups and plates, jars with cereals and spices, tea, and coffee are appropriate. They are also used here as functional decor.

There is room on the walls for decorative sconces, candlesticks, hanging flower pots, paintings, panels, and herbariums. Hang aged photographs in wooden or wrought iron frames. Handmade in any of its forms would also be appropriate, from homemade coasters for cups to entire carpets or embroidered paintings.

Textiles occupy a special place in Provence, but you need to be careful with them in the kitchen. On the one hand, decorative tablecloths, curtains with frills and tiebacks, napkins, towels and potholders are more appropriate here than ever. On the other hand, do not forget about fire safety and choose fabrics that you can wash regularly.

Design of a small kitchen in Provence style

Provence is well suited for small kitchens, because despite the abundance of details it remains light, light and cozy. You just need to adjust the details: choose lightweight furniture made of light wood, reduce the dining area, use the window sill as a work surface, replace voluminous curtains with light Roman blinds with floral motifs.

The massive refrigerator can be replaced with a small one built under the countertop, and the stove can be replaced with a compact hob with two burners. Wallpaper with vertical stripes visually raises the ceiling, and combining it horizontally expands the room. To further increase the space, paint the ceiling to match the walls.

Photo gallery of real examples in apartments

A selection of real examples of kitchens with Provence elements in ordinary city apartments can help you find design ideas.

Choosing a style

The chosen color scheme most often suggests the choice of style.

Provence

This style, where light, as if faded colors reign, seems to be created for small kitchens. Lovers of natural materials will definitely like it.

Cute little things made by yourself, wicker and knitted accessories, wooden floors - all these attributes of Provençal design are perfect for decorating small rooms.

It is important to observe moderation here - any pieces of furniture should be proportionate to the available area, and not be conspicuous by their impressive dimensions. There should also not be too many additions so as not to clutter the kitchen.

Classical

In a small room, the restraint and nobility characteristic of the classics will be good. Calm lines, moderate finishing - a small kitchen will only benefit from this. Of course, you should think very carefully about the placement of furniture and accessories.

High tech

This modern design is suitable for those who love the shine of metal, glass and do not shy away from synthetics and plastic. Laconicism and strict lines, functional items, restrained colors - all this fits harmoniously into a small Khrushchev kitchen.

Scandinavian

The predominance of white with small splashes of gray and blue is associated with the snowy landscapes of the northern countries, where calm, spaciousness and purity reign.

This solution looks good in sunny rooms - the brightness of natural light perfectly complements the strict design of the kitchen.

Modern

Smooth lines of the interior, Viennese chairs with skillfully bent legs, floral ornaments, an abundance of glass, metal fittings - all this may well fit organically into the design of a Khrushchev kitchen.

This style combines decor and functionality - furniture and kitchen utensils are practical and attractive.

Minimalism

For a tiny room where every centimeter counts, this style is just a godsend. Built-in furniture compensates for the lack of space, a minimum of decor will save space.

Strict lines go well with modern kitchen appliances - stove, refrigerator and electric oven.

Whatever the choice, it is important to adhere to the basic principles of a particular design in design. Then the kitchen will truly be consistent in style

Advantages and disadvantages of combination

Some design projects involve combining rooms:

• kitchen + balcony;
• kitchen + living room.

Both options have both advantages and disadvantages.

Kitchen + balcony

If the kitchen is equipped with a balcony, then combining it will significantly increase its area.

Main disadvantages:

• “Khrushchev” apartments are usually equipped with open balconies and require serious insulation to combine with the kitchen;
• redevelopment will require approval from the BTI and serious material costs;
• The heated area increases, and hence the heating bills.

Kitchen + living room

In this case, the combination allows you to move the dining area into the living room, and use the kitchen purely for cooking.

Main disadvantages:

• redevelopment will require approval from the BTI, and is acceptable if the wall between the kitchen and living room is not permanent;
• the smells of cooking food will enter the living room even with a powerful hood;
• the noise of a working hood will be heard in the adjacent room, etc.

Ceiling repair

Renovating a small kitchen necessarily includes finishing the ceiling, taking into account its height and size.

If your apartment has a height of more than 2.7 m, then in principle you can choose any suspended ceiling: plasterboard, tension, slatted, clapboard. In addition, you can additionally insulate and soundproof the ceilings. Even a small decor is acceptable - a stucco rosette, ceiling moldings and decorative beams, such as in this design project, which was implemented in a two-room apartment in Volgograd:

If the ceilings are not high, and also require major leveling, and the neighbors above periodically flood the kitchen, then in this case the best option is stretch ceilings, which are not afraid of flooding and, if properly used, will last up to 20 years. And most importantly, they are easy and quick to install, while “eating” a minimum of height;

• When repairing the ceiling, you can carry out electrical wiring in a new way and install lamps, for example, spotlights in the work area, and hang a beautiful chandelier above the table;
• Whatever ceiling you install, be sure to remove the old finish and prime the base with a deep-penetrating antifungal primer. And if mold has already appeared, get rid of it immediately.

Finishing a small kitchen in Provence style

The traditional small, unobtrusive pattern in the design of a small kitchen should be used carefully - even a tiny flower can become “bulky” if abundant. Therefore, ornaments are used in limited details, preferably in accents - in the apron of the working area, in curtains and tablecloths. Then the wallpaper, flooring and, of course, the ceiling should be as monochromatic as possible. The walls can be combined - choose either an apron with a pattern or an accent wall with a small flower to match the curtains with a similar pattern. You should choose paper or other matte wallpaper so that the texture looks like a plastered wall.

The floors in a small room are covered with light material with an unobtrusive pattern. This can be a tile with slight veins that imitate the natural texture of a natural mineral. Linoleum with imitation light boards is also suitable.

A Provence style ceiling is always matte, no matter how whitewashed or painted it is. Designers call stretch fabric a practical solution. In a modest kitchen, you should not use multi-level designs. Although they can visually make a room taller, in a small room they will visually reduce its area.

The advantage of the Provence style is also that such repairs can be done with your own hands - paste wallpaper, lay linoleum. Of course, if the choice falls on a suspended ceiling or tiled floor, then you will need the help of specialists.

Small space design

Before renovation, you should decide what form the apartment will be in after it. If a major renovation is required, then why not remodel it by combining the kitchen with a balcony, or turning the apartment into a cozy studio?

Important! To create lightness in the interior, you can use a dining table made of glass or durable plastic. If redevelopment is out of the question, then it’s worth thinking about how best to organize the space

If redevelopment is out of the question, then it’s worth thinking about how best to organize the space.

In a small room you should adhere to clear rules:

• give preference to a monochrome interior;
• choose light colors, use bright color accents;
• choose light transparent curtains;
• use built-in appliances to save space;
• correctly position kitchen units and large appliances.

Kitchen

So how much space is better to devote to a kitchen in a Khrushchev-era building? Ask yourself whether you had enough space for cooking before, whether there is a need to place a table in the kitchen area for a quick snack. Ask yourself other questions that are important to you.

You can use a window sill as an additional working surface. By turning it into a folding or hanging table that can be folded out as needed, you will also create a place for a light breakfast.

A popular idea in organizing a kitchen space is a bar counter, on the console of which all kinds of rails are placed. The dimensions of kitchens in Khrushchev-era buildings simply force the maximum use of the vertical and literally every piece of space, and here is one example. The design of bar counters is so diverse that they have gone beyond modern trends and are found in interiors decorated in a classic style.

For small kitchens, a linear or L-shaped layout, shown in the photo below, is suitable. Parallel (double-row), U-shaped, layout with an island or peninsula is convenient from an ergonomic point of view, but is appropriate in medium-sized and large-sized kitchens.

Kitchen-living room design in Provence style

Combined kitchen-living rooms in the Provence style open up much more opportunities for decorative delights. For zoning, use through shelving, decorated with cute household items and flowerpots. Select a full-fledged dining area with a large oval or rectangular table if you like to welcome guests.

A fireplace or its imitation will fit perfectly opposite a soft, cozy sofa. And on the floor you can put a cute wicker, patchwork or fluffy rug. Experiment more with curtains and fabric textures, and you can even use stone and wooden panels in decoration, because you don’t need to save every centimeter.

Walls

As for decorating walls in the Provence style, there are several rules that are highly recommended to adhere to:

• No wallpaper. Yes, there are country interiors with wallpaper in the kitchen, but, believe me, it’s extremely rare. If you carefully study all the photos presented in this article, you will be able to verify this once again. Appropriately painted walls will look much more harmonious and natural in such a kitchen;
• Textured or regular plaster followed by painting or whitewashing. There is an unspoken rule here: if this is a kitchen in a country house, you can choose a rough texture or even whitewash; and if this is a city apartment, then it is better to paint the walls as smoothly as possible;
• Pastel, faded colors. Much has already been said about the palette in the previous section. Studying various photographic examples will help you choose the most suitable project;
• Sometimes stone, brick or old boards are used for cladding.
  In urban environments, as a rule, they are limited to either partial (local) use of the above elements or do not use them at all. In a country house, the kitchen space and the lower level of “pretentiousness” allow you to painlessly use stone, boards, beams, tiles, bricks, etc. The main thing is not to overdo it and not turn the kitchen into something between a hallway and a garage.

Kitchen decoration in Provence style: what to do with the walls, floor and ceiling?

You can decorate the walls, ceiling and finish the floor in Provence style with your own hands. You won’t need any special knowledge, since you won’t be doing artistic painting, but you will certainly be able to figure out how to apply plaster and glue wallpaper.

First of all, we will decide how to decorate the walls. There are several simple options.

1. Decorative plaster. By choosing this material for walls, you definitely can’t go wrong with “getting into style.” When applying the coating, do not try to do it perfectly evenly and smoothly. A Provence style kitchen will “like” negligence and roughness. If you are planning to implement a kitchen design in a private home, let the brick show through the plaster.
2. Wood paneling. A more complex option that is suitable for those who know how to work with wood. Choose light shades of wood; you can also choose a type of wood that will contrast with the color of the furniture. Remember that the wood must be treated with an antiseptic and coated with a layer of varnish.
3. Wallpaper. A simple and practical material that is easy to work with. If you are covering the entire kitchen space with wallpaper, when choosing, stop at plain models in beige, olive, pale pink or soft lilac. To decorate one wall, you can choose wallpaper with a large floral pattern or elegant patterns.

Wallpaper with a brick pattern and wooden panels are perfect. In the photo you might have seen wallpaper with vertical or horizontal stripes.

Next you will have to finish the ceiling and floor with your own hands. The simplest solution for the ceiling is white plaster. Leave all the bumps and roughness to emphasize the presence of style.

When it comes to flooring, choosing untreated wood planks is the ideal solution. The classic design option is to use snow-white wood that has preserved its natural texture.

Finishing

The most important thing to know about the finishing style from France is that it prefers only natural materials and light colors. If you adhere to these two rules, it will be extremely difficult to make a mistake.

Walls

Designers cannot come to a consensus on what is better to use on the walls of a Provence style kitchen - wallpaper or decorative plaster. From a historical point of view, there was no wallpaper in French villages, but it fits so well into the interior that it began to be actively used.

Initially, in a Provencal interior it was important to emphasize the texture of the walls, so ordinary or decorative plaster was used. As a modern option, you can choose lining painted in light colors.

Kitchen-balcony in Provence style with Scandinavian touches.

Wallpaper

Wall decoration is always important as it can add flair or simply highlight the ambience of a room. Only light colors are used, for example:

• beige;
• pale blue;
• soft lavender.

Of course, you can choose plain wallpaper, but it’s better to find something more cozy and romantic. Designers are especially fond of specimens with small floral patterns. But it’s better to leave bright or geometric wallpaper in the store.

Interesting read: How to beautifully combine wallpaper. Design tips

It is also worth thinking about practicality. The kitchen is a room where splashes and drops of grease can fly, as well as increase humidity and air temperature. Only washable wallpaper, for example, vinyl or non-woven wallpaper, will withstand these tests with dignity. Paper ones will have a short lifespan.

A kitchen with a stove and wallpaper for painting in an unusual kitchen in the Provence style in a log house with a wall height of 3 meters.

Apron

An apron can be the icing on the cake in a Provence style kitchen. Typically, ceramic tiles or mosaics are used to cover the work area. Designers recommend using the apron’s potential to the maximum and choosing rich tones or even unusual color combinations like:

• terracotta and turquoise;
• blue and brown;
• yellow and lavender;
• orange and green.

Don’t be afraid to overdo it, because these combinations will always look harmonious against the light, calm tone of Provencal cuisine.

An apron, more like a photo wallpaper, depicting lavender fields in a 10 sq. m kitchen. m with the letter P.

If you want to experiment with the material for the apron, you can use:

• wood - but it will have to be covered with numerous protective layers;
• stone - natural or artificial.

It is important to ensure that these materials look organically in the interior in the Provence style.

There are also completely unsuccessful solutions for a kitchen apron in this style:

• glass - thrown off;
• plastic;
• MDF;
• metal.

Tabletop

The ideal solution for a countertop in a Provence style kitchen would be wood or artificial stone. You can use both acrylic and agglomerate.

If you want to add originality to the interior, you can decorate the work area with small ceramic tiles, but in this case you need to be very careful to keep the seams in good condition.

If you are planning an inexpensive renovation, you should take a closer look at two options:

• plastic tabletop imitating wood or stone;
• chipboard table top with veneer finish.

Brown countertop on a white modular kitchen in Provence style with loft and modern classic elements.

Floors and ceilings

Despite the fact that Provence implies only natural finishing materials, there are still many options for what to put on the floor:

• wooden boards;
• parquet or laminate;
• stone (natural or artificial);
• porcelain stoneware;
• ceramic tile.

It is best to choose monochromatic coating options, but a simple, uncomplicated pattern will also work.

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There is not much variety in the ceiling: it can only be white - painted or with decorative plaster. If you want variety or zest, you can install decorative beams. But it is better not to use them if the kitchen has low ceilings.

If you choose a stretch ceiling, then only white and matte.

Country kitchen-living room 25 sq. m with linoleum on the floor, an excellent combination of a set of curtains with a soft corner and a bright painting depicting Provence.