Kitchen with a bay window in a panel studio: 3 layout ideas

Architect Anastasia Kiseleva proposed three options for the layout of a 10.5 square meter pass-through kitchen with a balcony. A renovation expert Maxim Dzhuraev evaluated what kind of approval would be needed for each variant.

Anastasia KiselevaARCHITECTStudio Interior Designer 'Prodizain'. Each new project for Anastasia is a new acquaintance, inspiration and interesting discoveries.Short Info

Flats in panel houses of series I-155 are characterized not only by a beautiful semicircular bay window but also by a large kitchen even in studios. The standard layout assumes two entrances – from the hallway and from the living room. Depending on family preferences, you can leave the kitchen pass-through or block one of the openings to isolate or combine the space of the dining room and living room. The balcony door should also be taken into account, which reduces the number of furniture arrangement options.

If it is planned to keep both entrances to the kitchen, then an optimal choice would be a spacious angular kitchen cabinet with space for installing a dishwasher and convenient storage drawers. The area of 10.5 square meters even allows preferring a tall cabinet with built-in appliances without significantly reducing the working surface. In the opposite corner from the cabinet, you can place a medium-sized dining table.

A variant with an entrance to the kitchen only from the corridor will allow placing the food preparation area and dining room in one space without using the living room area. It is better to prefer a linear cabinet. Although it is smaller in size, it will perfectly fit a refrigerator, cooktop, sink, and dishwasher. Meanwhile, there will be enough space in the center of the room for installing a large dining table that can be disassembled up to eight seating places.

If you have decided that the bay window was created specifically for an oval dining table, and the kitchen is only for cooking, then you can visually combine the space by using a wide opening and installing a door into the hallway. This creates an ideal spot for an L-shaped cabinet with a bar counter. Its length is longer than that of the angular one, and the counter allows communicating with family and cooking simultaneously. You can use an island range hood or built-in it into the countertop near the cooktop. Between the refrigerator and sink, a full-size dishwasher with a width of 60 cm will fit perfectly.

Expert opinion of Maxim Dzhuraev: despite significant differences in all three projects, each of them can be coordinated according to a simplified scheme, requiring only a sketch. However, all layout options assume moving the stove, and if it is gas-powered, such changes need to be approved in the territorial management of AO Mosgas, where not every layout can be legalized. For example, they may refuse approval if the distance between a gas stove and sink or between a gas pipe and communications is less than 30 cm. This should be considered when selecting kitchen furniture and appliances.

On the cover: design project by Julia Trintsova