"How to make your own kitchen more comfortable?" - this question is asked by all the owners at the stage of repairing this room. It is especially relevant in cases where the apartment is located in old houses, where there is a very small kitchen (6 sq. M). Stalinka, Khrushchev and economy-class housing have always been small in size, so there was no need to talk about installing newfangled kitchen sets and appliances in such apartments. In order to increase the space, designers offer to expand the boundaries of small rooms, combining small rooms with each other. One of these solutions may be to combine a balcony with a kitchen. How complicated is this process, what kind of work does it include, is it necessary to obtain permission for such redevelopment? All these and other issues related to the expansion of the kitchen due to the balcony space will be considered in our article.
Advantages and challenges of redevelopment
Using a balcony room as a kitchen has several positive aspects at once:
- kitchen becomes more spacious and functional;
- let much more sunlight into the room;
- improves sound and heat insulation in the apartment due to glazing and insulation of the balcony.
Among other things, combining a balcony with a kitchen opens up many options for optimizing free space. Such a room can be arranged in several ways, it can be a kitchen:
- canteen;
- bar;
- living room;
- greenhouse.
However, in addition to the positive aspects, the combination of a balcony with a kitchen is associated with several unpleasant moments.
As for the design of combined rooms, there are no restrictions, but the redevelopment itself should be carried out exclusively with the permission of the authorized bodies. Otherwise, the work performed will be considered illegal, and if the owners decide to sell the apartment, they will have certain difficulties.
It should be noted that paperwork is a very long, nervous and costly business. Do not forget about the cost of the repair itself and the interior decoration of this space.
Where to start
So, let's say you have a small kitchen (6 sqm or a little more) with access to a balcony, and you want to combine both rooms. Where to start?
First of all, you should find out if it is possible to dismantle the balconyblock. If the wall in the opening is a load-bearing wall, it will not be allowed to be completely removed. In this case, you can remove only the doors to the balcony and the window, and arrange the remaining window sill in the form of a bar, table or shelf.
You can get permission or a ban on such actions at the BTI. If the result is positive, you can order a new kitchen project, which is subsequently agreed with the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the SES. It usually takes about 6 months to process the necessary documents and includes the following steps:
- Request for the issuance of a technical plan of an apartment in the BTI.
- Drawing up a project for the redevelopment of an apartment (to be agreed with the author of the project of the house itself). To do this, you need to contact the construction and design organization that developed the house plan, or a local expert organization.
- The finished plan is being coordinated by the Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
- Next, you need to contact the Housing Office, which will issue permission for redevelopment.
- After the dismantling of the partition, BTI employees come and draw up an appropriate act on changes in the layout of the apartment. When the work is completed, you can go to the BTI to get a new housing plan.
As you can see, the redevelopment process is very troublesome, but considering that in the end your small kitchen with access to the balcony can become the most attractive place in the apartment, any difficulties are worth it.
What is strictly forbidden to do when combining a balcony and a kitchen
Kitchen redevelopment must be carried out in strictin accordance with the established rules, which read as follows:
- You can not transfer heating radiators to the balcony. They are installed on the nearest wall in the kitchen. Since the balcony space is very small, it does not require the installation of separate heating. It is enough just to insulate the walls and floor. An electric heating system can be used to heat floors.
- It is not allowed to install household appliances on the balcony. Such projects are rarely approved.
- You can not take out a gas stove on the balcony. This is against safety regulations, so such a project will never be legalized. Moreover, the work surface should be close to communications, so such a transfer will require a lot of hassle. The electric panel can be placed on the windowsill.
The above requirements slightly limit the owners in arranging the balcony area, therefore, thinking about how to enlarge the kitchen due to this space, you should immediately create a furniture layout plan.
Design options for the opening between two rooms
As it has already become clear, combining a balcony with a kitchen can be done in two ways:
- with the complete elimination of walls, windows, doors and sills;
- without dismantling the concrete partition (when only doors and windows are removed).
If the redevelopment involves the demolition of the wall, the owners need to be prepared for the laborious and messy process of removing it. During dismantling, the main thing is not to violate the integrity of the outer walls of the house. Brick partitions are carefully dismantled, andpanel cut out with a grinder or smash with a jackhammer.
If you decided to leave the window sill, such a redevelopment of the balcony will not cause any particular difficulties. All that needs to be done in this case is to decorate the opening beautifully and make a functional piece of furniture out of the remaining wall.
Stages of work
Combining a balcony with a kitchen includes the following steps:
- Glazing of balconies with two- or three-chamber double-glazed windows. These works are carried out in the first place, since after the dismantling of the balcony opening, cold from the uninsulated space will penetrate into the apartment. In order to better retain heat in the room, experts recommend leaving only one opening sash, and even better, remove the windows on the side walls.
- Dismantling the partition. At this stage, the doors to the balcony, the window are removed, and the window sill is removed (only if there is a permit for such work). If it is planned to install heavy furniture on the territory of the loggia, the base should be strengthened. For this purpose, you can install metal supports that are fixed to the wall and the edge of the concrete base.
- Floor insulation. It is very important here that the floor level on the balcony and in the room be at the same height. Often, several leveling layers of cement are poured. Next, a system of underfloor heating is laid on a concrete base, a screed is poured, on top of which ceramic tiles are laid.
- Wall insulation. All existing slots and holes are blown out with mounting foam, after whichthe selected insulation material is laid.
- Installation of interior walls. A crate made of wooden slats or a metal profile is mounted on the insulation. Drywall sheets are attached to the resulting base using self-tapping screws.
- Further, the loggia, combined with the kitchen, is finished with selected materials and decorated to match the style of the kitchen.
No one limits your imagination here. On the additional area you can put a cozy sofa and put a table for eating. Please note that large windows allow a huge amount of sunlight, so to make your stay as comfortable as possible, do not forget to purchase curtains for the balcony.
Which materials are best used to insulate a balcony
Insulation of the loggia space should be given special attention, since the quality of work depends on how comfortable a person's pastime will be in this area. It is desirable that the loggia, combined with the kitchen, be insulated both from the outside and from the inside.
From the side of the street, the balcony is insulated with polystyrene foam or mineral wool, after which it is sheathed with metal siding. If for some reason external insulation cannot be implemented, every effort should be made to ensure that internal thermal insulation compensates for this shortcoming.
When choosing insulation material, it is recommended to give preference to fire-resistant and heavy-duty options. Please note that polystyrene is not suitable for these purposes, as it is very easyignites and releases harmful substances into the air.
The best materials for insulating kitchen walls are:
- cork tree (not subject to mechanical stress, fireproof);
- mineral wool boards (easy to install, high thermal insulation properties);
- extruded polystyrene foam (greatly retains heat, is not susceptible to moisture).
The above options do not "eat up" the space of the room, which is very important for owners of small rooms.
Design Ideas
Each owner chooses the design of a kitchen with a balcony, taking into account their individual needs and desires. Someone may like the idea of a mini-bar, someone will arrange a dining room on the territory of the loggia, and someone will like the kitchen-living room. We will look at the most popular and practical options for using attached space.
Dining area. This is the most logical and most requested balcony design. Often the area of the kitchen does not allow it to be used as a dining room, so you can place a dining table on the territory of the former loggia. Furniture is chosen depending on the style of the kitchen. It can be a round table complemented by elegant high-backed chairs or a compact glass table with wooden legs. In the divided version, the former window sill can be arranged in the form of a countertop, which will play the role of a full-fledged dining table
Recreation area. This kitchen design with a balcony is used onseparate spaces. In place of the former loggia, a cozy soft sofa or comfortable armchairs are installed, which are complemented by lamps, a TV and a coffee table. Such a space is designed to relax after a feast, read books or watch your favorite movie. This is where blackout curtains for the balcony can come in handy, which will contribute to an even more comfortable stay
Work area. In this option, they try to free the kitchen area from all necessary furniture and appliances. The tables on which food is prepared are transferred to the balcony space, and the hob is mounted in the former window sill. In the vacated space, you can install a sofa, chairs, a table and everything that was so lacking before the redevelopment
Useful Design Solutions for Shared Space
Combining the kitchen and the loggia, you discover the opportunity to realize the most daring design solutions. After you finally decide for what purpose the extra space will be used, you can start creating your own interior design.
The style of such a kitchen can be completely different, from discreet minimalism to glamor saturated with bright colors. It is important to observe only one main rule here: the loggia and the kitchen should be decorated with the same finishing materials and in the same color scheme.
If there are differences in floor level in the places where the balcony block was located, they can be arranged in the form of a small podium that will delimit differentzone assignment.
From the remains of the walls, which are located on both sides of the opening, you can make a rounded arch or columns with imitation of stucco.
Windows can be decorated with roller blinds, Roman shades, tulle and other fabrics that match the overall style of the room.
Small Kitchen Tips
At the end of this topic, I would like to highlight some practical tips, using which you can make your small kitchen more comfortable and practical.
- When designing your kitchen interior, try to give preference to white and milky colors. They will visually expand a small space and make the room fresher.
- If the door leading to the balcony or other rooms opens into the kitchen, change it to a retractable design. It will not take up useful space and will allow you to install functional interior items in these places.
- When choosing kitchen furniture, give up swing cabinets. Better opt for lifting mechanisms.
- If eating takes place in the kitchen, equip it with a folding countertop and folding chairs. For stationary tables, it is recommended to choose chairs with a low back, which will not interfere with hiding them under the table.
- Curtains for small kitchens are best chosen in light colors. Here it is more appropriate to use an airy fabric or vertical blinds.
Conclusion
In this article, we examined in detail all the stages that every apartment owner goes through,decided to remodel the kitchen. To some, this process will seem very troublesome and time-consuming, and someone will seriously think about redevelopment of their own kitchen. In any case, apartments with large balconies give us the opportunity to use the extra square meters to good use. In this case, it is absolutely not necessary to start a global repair. Sometimes it’s enough just to decorate the balcony space beautifully, and it immediately becomes the main attraction of the entire interior. We hope that after reading our article, you have received answers to all your questions.
