Choosing modern curtains for a small kitchen

Even experienced designers admit that choosing curtains for a small kitchen that won't make it visually even smaller is not easy. Fortunately, in recent times many practical and functional varieties of curtains have appeared that “do not eat up” the space and allow you to use it to the maximum. In this article, we will cover all fashion trends and modern novelties of 2017 in the design of curtains in a small kitchen, as well as a lot of illustrative photos with examples.

It is necessary to decorate any, no matter small or large, kitchen, taking into account the specific features of this very working and “family” room in the house. And this means that they should not interfere with cleaning, be easy to clean and create a comfortable atmosphere. If the kitchen is small, then the curtains for it should also not hide, but visually increase the space.

We can give you the following tips for choosing curtains for a small kitchen:

1. 1 Since lighting is very important for the kitchen, the priority is short curtains to the window sill, which allow daylight to pass through well.
2. 2 Floor-length curtains, dark colors and bright large patterns are undesirable.
3. 3 Best for a small kitchen fit light curtains in pastel shades.
4. 4 Most suitable fabrics for kitchen curtains- silk, linen, chintz, polyester, tulle, jute. Ideally, they should be treated with a special impregnation to protect against dust and dirt.
5. 5 If the curtains are next to the stove, which is not uncommon for small kitchens, it is better to give preference to natural fabrics that will not flare up if they accidentally come into contact with fire.
6. 6 Visually raise the ceiling with curtains with a wide vertical stripe or print, and visually expand the wall with curtains with an emphasis on the horizontal.
7. 7 Ceiling cornice visually add a few centimeters to the height of the ceiling.
8. 8 In order to make the room seem wider on a narrow window, it is better to install a cornice, 1.5 times longer than the width of the window opening.

Traditional sliding curtains to the sides are very attractive, but for a small kitchen of 6 square meters. m is still more suitable modern lifting curtains, which are characterized by a length up to or just below the windowsill. This season, designers offer us 4 types of such curtains: Roman, Austrian, roller and blinds. They have a number of common advantages that are relevant specifically for small spaces:

• they do not need a lot of space to install;
• they visually enlarge the space;
• leave open access to the window and window sill;
• allow you to comfortably adjust the degree of illumination;
• do not interfere with the natural ventilation of the room;
• equipped with a convenient control mechanism.

In addition, for kitchens you can always find a lifting model made of fireproof material with dirt-repellent impregnation, which is also very useful, especially when the working area: the cutting table and stove are located close to the window.

Despite the similar advantages and design, all these types of curtains look different and among them you can always find a model that fits into the interior style of a particular kitchen.

Tulle and short curtains

Classic curtains - thick floor-length curtains. When closed, they completely darken the room and do not allow the use of a window sill, which is undesirable for a kitchen, especially a small one. And in the case when the window is located directly above the working area, it is simply impossible to hang such a structure on it. Therefore, it is not recommended to decorate a small-sized kitchen with curtains and tulle in their classic version.

For lovers of the classics and traditional window design, experts offer to purchase a modern lightweight version of curtains for a small kitchen, sewn like curtains, which hang just below the window sill and are made of relatively light material.

The photo shows an example of how to beautifully drape short curtains so that they do not interfere in a small kitchen.

It can be thick cotton, linen, silk, poplin or some mixed fabrics. best suited for the interior of a small kitchen.

They also choose a shortened one. Often it is cut with an arc, and it closes the middle part of the window by no more than 2/3. This form of curtains provides access to the window and window sill and allows you to freely open the window sashes.

The exception is a small kitchen combined with a balcony. In this case, it is quite acceptable to decorate the window and balcony opening with long curtains.

Kisei

Thread or muslin curtains are perhaps the most non-trivial option window decor. They have been in fashion for several years and in the current 2017 also remain popular. Thanks to their airiness, they do not overload the interior of a small kitchen, make it very cozy and add relaxed oriental sophistication to the atmosphere. In terms of decoration, kisei is considered one of the most grateful materials, since it is easily draped and combined with any curtain decorations.

The photo shows an example of how you can combine a muslin of two colors.

Despite the seeming ephemerality, thread curtains do an excellent job with the main function of window curtains - providing indoor lighting that is comfortable for the eyes. Do not be afraid of their impracticality. Compared to traditional curtains, kisei almost does not get dirty. Almost all of its varieties are treated with a dust-repellent coating. In addition, with the right approach, washing it will not be difficult, and drying and ironing is not necessary at all.

For a small kitchen, filament curtains are also convenient because they do not interfere with the natural ventilation of the room. With drafts, muslin easily sets in motion, so it should not be hung on a window close to a gas or electric stove. But for the design of a window opening, combined with a balcony door, kisei is ideal, because even in the drawn state it does not close the passage to the balcony and to the windowsill.

The kitchen most often does not need complete shading, and muslin is quite enough for it, but if desired, it can be combined with ordinary curtains. Today, layering is in fashion, designers suggest hanging 2-3 layers of multi-colored threads on the window at different levels. They can be of any texture, but for the kitchen it is better to choose a simple muslin, not decorated with beads or glass beads.

Dark colors in the interior for small and cramped rooms are not recommended. But the airy muslin, consisting of disparate threads, dark colors do not weigh down and you can choose any color for it. For classical cuisine you can choose curtains in saturated colors, oriental - with golden splashes, metallized or black and white muslin will suit the high-tech interior.

Roman

With a small area - an excellent choice. They are flat sheets of fabric that rise and fall with the help of a control mechanism, respectively letting in light or shading the room. When lifting, the Roman blind forms rigid, even horizontal folds. For most models, as a rule, only the lower half of the curtain rises. But on sale you can also find fully opening Roman canvases, or sew them yourself.

The width of such curtains is selected at your discretion: you can hang one wide canvas over the window or install narrower canvases directly on the sashes. The second option will allow you to use the windowsill, even if the curtains are down.

The type of fabric and a different number of Roman blinds make it possible not only to decorate a small space in an original way, but also to comfortably adjust its illumination. And the variety of materials offered for their tailoring (from the finest cotton to bamboo) and a wide selection of colors allow each kitchen to create a unique design of the window opening.

The photo shows a combination of modern Roman blinds and classic straight lines.

Despite the apparent simplicity and clear, even lines, Roman blinds cannot be called too strict and boring. They look very stylish, modern, suitable for any interior solutions and do not burden the atmosphere of a small kitchen, which is already oversaturated with details.

Austrian

Austrian curtains differ from Roman curtains in a softer design. When lifting, they gather not into hard even, but soft scalloped folds and resemble a lambrequin. The number of folds can be any. The smaller they are, the stricter and more concise the curtains look, and vice versa.

Design features do not allow the installation of "Austrian" on the window sashes. Most often they are fixed above the window or (much less often) in the window opening. The second method is less preferable, because it does not allow you to open windows wide open.

Smooth lines allow you to decorate such curtains with artificial flowers, bows, satin ribbons. For their tailoring, soft, well-draped natural fabrics are used, plain or with floral print delicate colors.

Austrian curtains made of transparent fabric are very popular today. In this case, they perform the function of tulle and can be used both independently and with other thicker curtains.

Since the "Austrian women" have a somewhat frivolous design, they are suitable for delicate, non-strict interiors: country, shebi-chic, rustic, Mediterranean, ethnic and the like.

Rolled

Roller blinds do not gather into folds when lifting, like the Austrian and Roman models, but are wound into a tight roll on the shaft. For cassette models, the shaft is hidden in a box and the curtain is not visible in the collapsed position. To achieve comfortable illumination, they can be opened partially, half or completely. Such curtains are attached to the window opening, to the window opening and to the sashes.

The last option for the kitchen is the most convenient, since it allows you to use all the elements of the window structure without restrictions and, if desired, close the curtains not both doors at once, but only one of them. In terms of space saving roller blinds the most practical of lifting. When unfolded, they fit snugly against the window and do not take a single centimeter away from the usable area of ​​​​the kitchen.

They are made from smooth, mostly synthetic, fabrics in rich colors. Recently, roller blinds with photo printing have become very fashionable. You can choose any drawing for them and not necessarily “kitchen”, so these curtains will suit any interior. In addition, they can be supplemented with other curtains. For example, to dilute their conciseness and make them match the kitchen with classic design, you can hang roller blinds with tulle or curtains on the window opening.

An interesting option for a small kitchen can serve. They are not only stylish and modern looking, but also very functional.

Blinds

Blinds are the most functional way to stylish and practical design of a small room. This type of window decor has several varieties, but in a small kitchen it is recommended to use horizontal models with plastic or aluminum slats that visually expand the window and are fixed directly on the sashes.

At horizontal blinds there is one advantage that is characteristic only for this type of curtains. In order to adjust the degree of illumination in the room, they do not need to be raised. It is enough to turn the slats at the desired angle. Thanks to this, even when the slats are turned perpendicular to the window and the kitchen is filled with light, it is not visible from the street.

Many consider blinds suitable only for offices. But this opinion is wrong. Color solutions of horizontal blinds are not limited by anything. Both monophonic options and all kinds of color combinations are possible.

Like other curtains, they can be combined with other types of curtains, which makes it possible to take into account all the subtleties of the interior.

It's no secret that most interesting interior projects are designed for spacious rooms with high ceilings. But even when your kitchen cannot boast of large sizes, there is no need to despair. If you approach the interior design thoughtfully and with imagination, any room will look decent, and well-chosen curtains will decorate it and give you a good mood.

One has only to hear the phrase “I have a kitchen without a window”, most people immediately have a bunch of thoughts about what kind of room it is: dark, stuffed with furniture, it’s impossible to turn around, go through or sit down, and even more so you can’t eat normally in it. But it's not.

If you correctly and wisely approach the design of a small kitchen without a window, then it can safely give odds to any standard and spacious kitchen.

But before you start repairing and arranging the kitchen, you should draw up detailed plan, taking into account the following rules:

• only a durable and moisture-resistant coating can be laid on the floor (so that the fall of any dishes does not damage the surface), such as tiles, linoleum, and not parquet or carpet;
• you can’t install a refrigerator near the stove, because due to strong temperature changes it will begin to deform, as a result it may break, or condensation will appear on it;
• Place a place for drying and storing dishes near the sink;
• if possible, order built-in furniture, it folds easily and takes up little space;
• place cabinets and shelves as high as possible to the ceiling;
• great way save space - connect the sink, work surface and stove with a worktop.

Lighting

Most of all, comfort and coziness in a kitchen without a window is affected by lighting. If the kitchen is small, then ceiling lighting will be enough in it. You can make a stretch ceiling with a lot of lamps, or you can install several pieces at an equal distance.

It looks interesting lighting in the form of a ceiling window. With proper installation, it seems that there really is a real roof window.

If the kitchen is of a normal size, then additional lamps will be needed near different areas - above the work surface, above the stove, and so on.

Advice ! It is best if a switch with a dimmer is installed, then you can adjust the amount of light you need.

The main thing is that the light is evenly distributed throughout the room. If there are niches or other recesses, you can also put original lamps in them.

Purchase unusual appliances for kitchen design without a window, for example, lamps in the form of inverted cups and saucers or fruits. All this will positively affect the atmosphere in the room.

Wall and ceiling color

Attention ! In a kitchen without a window, it is not recommended to finish the walls and ceiling in dark shades, only in bright hues

Why? dark colors make the kitchen more compact and will not be able to reflect light. And natural and light shades visually enlarge any room (beige, pale pink, creamy, and so on). Also, do not use wallpaper or other finishes with large patterns, as they visually reduce the space.

You can make one wall bright color(bright green, pink, lilac), then the kitchen will become more contrasting and unusual.

The ceiling is usually finished a little lighter than the walls. If you plan to make a stretch ceiling, then you can choose with a pattern of the sky, sun and clouds, or with flowers (for example, daisies). The kitchen will appear taller and more airy.

To make the kitchen without a window seem even more spacious and bright, you should use as many materials with a mirror surface as possible.

In the photo below you can see how beautiful and unusual the kitchen design looks without a window with stretch ceiling with flowers or sky.

Floor and doors

Just like the walls with the ceiling, the floor should be a light shade for a better reflective effect. Pastel, cream and white colors are perfect. If tiles are laid, then several colors can be combined, laying them in a checkerboard or other order.

For a small kitchen without windows, it is better to either not install a door at all, or install a sliding or accordion.

False and inner window

Since there is no window in the kitchen, you can imitate it. This method perfectly increases the space of the room and soothes.

You can buy photo wallpapers and 3D wallpapers in the form of a window with a landscape behind it or a city square. Or decorate with a picture on the entire wall.

If you want something difficult, then you can build a real window into the niche of the wall, and insert a picture behind the glass. Be sure to add lighting.

A real window will look especially original - with a curtain, curtains or blinds, shutters and a flower on the windowsill.

Instead of a picture in the window, you can insert mirrors, stained glass or other patterned glass.

There is another option - to order the services of a decorator and he will make a false window.

An interior window is also a great way to add comfort to a windowless kitchen. The window can be decorated with curtains, blinds or unusual lighting. Or just cover with frosted glass.

Appliances and furniture

Proper arrangement of furniture and appliances will save space, as well as use it without problems.

Before you begin to install, determine what equipment your family constantly uses. You should not install equipment that you will use a couple of times a year.

Advice ! In a small kitchen, it is better to install multifunctional furniture, especially sliding furniture (extensible table, reclining chairs).

drawers welcome different forms, even angular and vertical, like bottle holders, but only larger. Corner drawers hold a lot more items than ordinary ones.

It is better to make an oven, a microwave oven built into the wall (column). If the family consists of two or three people, then you do not need to buy a huge refrigerator, get something medium in size. It is also better to make it inline.

If the kitchen is very small, then the refrigerator can be placed in another room or corridor.

All equipment is installed either near one of the walls, or with the letter G. If one wall is occupied, then you can put a dining area in the corner (for example, a soft corner). In the case of installation with the letter G, a table (round or oval) and chairs are installed separately.

Furniture, like all decoration, should be light in color or even transparent.

Looks great technique with shiny elements, made under chrome, silver or brass.

The main thing is not to clutter up the kitchen with small things, as they visually reduce the space. It is better to put something medium in size and original, such as a built-in false fireplace or a flat aquarium. Hang pictures or photographs in a row and vertically, then the room will visually stretch.

Ventilation

Since the kitchen has no window, the inflow of fresh air and the removal of excess moisture are limited. All this together can cause the growth of mold and fungi.

Therefore, in such a kitchen there must be an extractor hood and, preferably, there are two of them.

For better ventilation, a fan is installed on the ceiling.

There are many ideas for designing a kitchen without a window, you just need to correctly calculate the arrangement and not clutter it up.

Leave only frequently used utensils, and put the rest away. Use railings and special devices for storing dishes, they not only look great, but also take up little space.

Buy dishes in sets and in the form of containers that can be folded into each other and take up little space in the refrigerator.

If the family has a kitchen at their disposal, which cannot be called close to a square, but is easier to characterize as long and elongated, then during the repair it becomes necessary to develop such a design for a narrow kitchen so that it would be convenient for the person responsible for cooking to work there, and for the rest to gather at the table and receive enjoyment of communication. When designing, one should take into account all ergonomic standards, provide for the location of the necessary household appliances, cabinets, work surfaces, and expand the space and make it harmonious by means of design.

Such a kitchen can be represented by two options: a narrow small room and an elongated, but significant area. Everyone has their own secrets of design, selection of kitchen furniture, technical equipment.

A small kitchen space is a legacy of post-war Soviet architecture, or a sign of modern urban planning based on saving the area of ​​utility rooms in order to allocate more square meters to living space.

Also, a narrow kitchen can be designed for a house where the family has breakfast, lunch and dinner in a separate dining room, and the kitchen is purely utilitarian, used only for cooking (often not the hostess, but hired staff cooks).

Available layout options:

• A rectangle with a window and a door on opposite end walls.
• A rectangle with a window and a door on opposite elongated walls ( big window, door in the center).
• A rectangular room with a window located in the upper part of an elongated wall (Baltic, Scandinavian house designs) and a kitchen door shifted closer to one of the corners.
• Rectangle with access to the balcony at the end and a doorway on the adjoining wall.
• A very narrow room (1.5-1.8 m), endowed with a small window.
• Pencil case without windows, adjacent to the dining room, separated by a door or decorated with an open opening.

Options for arranging furniture for various layouts

With the door located opposite the window at the end and a sufficient length of the kitchen room, the most optimal design technique for a narrow kitchen will be the transverse division of the space into two zones - working and dining. The design of the cooking area is a parallel option for placing a kitchen set. The passage left between the working lines should allow moving along the route “refrigerator - sink - stove - countertop” during the cooking process and be sufficient to ensure free opening of the oven door, convenient use floor cabinets, drawers.

If the kitchen room is elongated in width, not in length, the main wall is occupied by a window, and the door is in the middle of the opposite wall, then the area near the window should be given to the dining group, and the narrow ends should be occupied by work surfaces with appliances. One side will accommodate a refrigerator and a sink connected by a worktop, the other - a stove with a surface for food preparation. Such a technique will allow you to adjust the elongation of the room, make the space close to a harmonious rectangle.

If the window opening cuts through upper part walls (the third layout option), the space under it can be occupied by a worktop, cutting a sink, a hob into it, and placing a low refrigerator below. The dining area should be given a blind corner, providing good local lighting, and on the wall opposite the window, hang kitchen cabinets of small depth up to the ceiling, arranging a large storage space for kitchen utensils.

When designing a narrow kitchen design, take Special attention kitchen cabinet handles. Far protruding parts, staples with sharp corners can be traumatic. It is better to use rounded elements or click-clack technology (a way to open doors with a simple click).

Uncomfortable layout - the ability to apply imagination

The last three layout options listed above can be described as "minimal kitchens". They are less common, and equipping them to ensure ease of use is more difficult.

The kitchen, which has a balcony, leaves almost no opportunity to place a full-fledged dining and working area. However, by building a surface along a long wall and bringing it under the window (combining it with the window sill), you will get enough space for your culinary experiments.

Directly near the front door, it is better to use floor cabinets of reduced depth for easy movement around the kitchen. The dining table of this option can be rolled out perpendicularly from under the countertop, provide for the lifting of the panel covering the lower kitchen module, or mount a folding wall table on the opposite wall. The mobile dining group will be complemented by comfortable folding chairs.

During the cooking process (moving along the countertop), the chairs are folded and hung on decorative wall hooks to eliminate possible inconvenience, or they slide inside a special niche under the work surface.

A very narrow kitchen space (less than 2 m wide) implies a single-line placement of a kitchen set, folding dining furniture. To reduce the width of the countertop, you should use mini-format household appliances, kitchen modules of reduced dimensions.

The kitchen-pencil case involves only the working process of cooking. When arranging it, it is proposed:

• U-shaped arrangement of a furniture set or L-option;
• the small width of the "pencil case" dictates the use of cabinets of reduced depth along the longitudinal walls;
• full-sized household appliances fill the end of the kitchen or go along one of the walls (an L-shaped way of arranging furniture is preferable).

Large elongated kitchen

A similar large area is found in country houses, where the kitchen and dining area is allocated a part comparable to the scale of the living room.

Design techniques for a narrow voluminous kitchen suggest:

• Dividing the room into a cooking area (U-shaped with open space inside for freedom of movement) and a dining area (with floor-to-ceiling sliding windows overlooking the garden or framing a beautiful view).
• The device along the walls of two parallel lines - one (deaf) to place kitchen set and the necessary equipment, the second (with windows along the entire wall) for installation below the window of a long table for snacks (the option implies the presence of a separate dining room).
• The device is perpendicular to the long wall between the windows of the kitchen peninsula of large width, protruding into the room. Furniture, household appliances are located in the form of an unfinished letter "P" along the free walls. The remaining square of the area is used as a breakfast corner or a place of rest (it is possible to place a separate table with chairs, or a set with sofa benches).

Making a narrow space: choosing colors, textures, decor

When choosing a color scheme for a small, elongated space, one should adhere to the axiom "white - expands, dark - reduces." The monochrome of the kitchen does not make it boring, you can add mood by including several bright accents, the main thing is to observe the measure and the rule of conciseness: “If you can do without something, it’s better to do without it.”

The interior of a narrow kitchen should be thoughtful, combine only the most necessary, excluding the crushing of space with small elements. Filling the shelves of the headset with collections of miniature items of various colors, the use of alternating colorful spots of decor, bright geometric ornaments will be inappropriate, the room will become even more compressed. If the walls provide for the installation of open shelves, then it is better to put one-color sets of tableware or serving glass of a single shape there.

Good lighting will make the kitchen more spacious

Small narrow kitchens, in addition to the limited usable area, usually have another serious drawback - low natural light, especially if the window is at the end of the room. In this case, when designing the design of a narrow kitchen, it is necessary to carefully consider the placement of lighting fixtures, pay attention to great attention good illumination of the work area. A sufficient amount of light is a visual expansion of the volume of the room, the convenience of the hostess, a guaranteed absence of minor domestic injuries.

The general lighting plan includes:

• illumination of the working area;
• internal lighting of the space of the upper kitchen cabinets;
• general overhead lighting;
• local lighting of the dining area (a ceiling lamp descending above the table or a voluminous wall sconce).

The last point is very important - good lighting of the table where the family dinner is held, gives the home atmosphere a piece of bright sun, fills it with warmth and comfort. In addition, psychologists assure that well-lit food looks more attractive, awakens appetite, and disappears from plates better.

When decorating a limited space or choosing lamps, you should not get carried away with defiant details, it is better to choose a calm style design.

A few transparent hanging shades, as an option for overhead lighting, will perfectly fulfill the necessary function, give a modern accent to the interior of a narrow kitchen, but will not burden a small space. Particularly interesting against the general background may look large-sized "light bulbs Ilyich" or techno-lamps.