Kitchen-niche: photo, design features

The niche in the house room will not be a superfluous detail of the layout, if it is properly formatted and correctly used. Additional space is unlikely to be unclaimed, because it can perform practical functions or be a stylish interior detail. On how to design a niche in the kitchen, as well as about the peculiarities of the kitchen-niche, we will tell in this article.

Kinds and features of niches

For sure, many know that a niche is a groove in the wall of the room that can have different dimensions and shape. If the space in such a deepening is sufficient, it can be used for practical purposes, for example, to build furniture or equipment there, to equip shelves. There are also quite small niches, which, however, can also be used. With proper design and well-chosen backlighting, this interior element can embellish the design of the room, giving it an original touch.

There are 3 main types of niches:

1. Natural niches are grooves in the walls, which are the consequence of a certain layout. Such niches include, for example, openings under windows or depressions in the area of ​​the ventilation duct.
2. Designed niches are the designs specially created by architects at a stage of creation of the project of the house. It is assumed that such niches will play the role of pantries.
3. Artificially made niches are created by residents after the construction of the house and are designed to perform both practical and decorative functions.

As a rule, artificially made niches are characterized by the greatest beauty and originality, because they are created specifically to give a zest to the interior of the room. Such grooves can have an unusual shape, they are emphasized by a successful stylistic design and interesting illumination.

A niche in the kitchen can not be considered a lack of planning, because additional space can always be useful, especially given that the kitchen is a functional room. Particularly well if the niche is located in the working kitchen area, for example, over a sink or counter top. Even if such a cavity has small dimensions, it is always possible to place stands or shelves for utensils and kitchen utensils.

A larger niche is even more convenient to use. If its depth and height is enough, you can place a refrigerator, dishwasher or cupboard, equip multiple shelves for kitchen appliances, make a kind of pantry for spices and other non-perishable products.

Often a niche is used exclusively as a decorative element of design. In such a case, it is not located in the corner, but in the most prominent place, decorated in a special way, arranging a beautiful highlight that will emphasize the original detail. Special decoration is given to decoration niches like glass, metal, artificial or natural stone, wood, cork, etc. A niche can be covered with beautiful realistic wallpaper, or you can place a thin plasma TV in it.

Niches of unusual shapes always attract the eye. The top of the recess can be decorated in the form of an arch of classic semi-circular or carved Arabic types. The easiest way to make such a niche in the kitchen is from gypsum board - a material that is easy to attach to a wide variety of shapes. If you decorate the wall in the deepening with frescoes, stucco molding, art painting, etc., such a detail will become the main decoration of not only the kitchen, but the whole dwelling. The niche can be supplemented with small shelves, where vases, souvenirs, small figurines or sculptures will be placed.

Niche need not be alone. If the dimensions of the kitchen are large enough, you can make a combination of several small depressions and emphasize each of them with an original highlight. Horizontal niches can be drawn around the edge of a beautiful stucco - such a detail will become an element of the kitchen, made in the Italian style.

In kitchens with high ceilings, vertical niches will look great. If you place a shelf or a cupboard next to such depressions, and you can equip the niche with shelves, you can get additional functional space.

In what styles can you decorate kitchen niches

Owners of apartments and houses with a similar layout often wonder: how to beat a niche in the kitchen, so that it was not an unnecessary element of the layout, but was a stylish decoration of the design of the room. Each person can create a niche himself, showing imagination and creative talents, but we would like to tell about some basic styles in which such elements of a room can be executed. So, let's enumerate and characterize the types of design for the niches located in the kitchen:

1. The rustic style is a kind of rough type of country style. Among the elements of this design can be considered uncouth wood, wild, untreated stone, rough canvas and a minimal amount of small decorative details. To make a niche in this way, you should take care of its combination with the rest of the kitchen. Rustic style looks gruff, but gives the interior some charm. Thoroughness, reliability, durability - this is the first thing that comes to mind when you look at such details. The niche in the rustic style assumes the presence of a large number of shelves, which in themselves represent separate niches, as if cut in the wall.
2. The country, mentioned above, also looks natural and harmonious, but differs by more smoothed forms and accuracy. The interior, decorated in this way, resembles a cozy and lovely village house. You can fill the niche in the country style with wooden shelves, decorate them with embroidered napkins, arrange jars of spices, wicker baskets, clay pots, plates, etc.
3. Kitchen with a niche in the wall can be decorated in a classic style. This design, above all, implies practicality. The very niche is finished in tones, contrasting with the colors of the rest of the room. These grooves are often decorated with a semicircular arch, in which the hood is mounted. It is not recommended to distinguish a similar element with lamps, since the niche performs more practical than decorative functions.
4. Retro-style has grown fond of a modern man for a long time, because it gives you the opportunity to plunge into the past, ponostalgize about the past times, relax your soul from the noise and saturation of the everyday world. Characteristic elements of the retro style are paintings and photographs, products made of forged metal and brass, antique ceramics, objects made of copper, an artificially aged tree. A niche made in this style can be decorated with a picture or an old photograph hidden in a frame "under the old days".On the shelves you can place forged candlesticks, antique boxes, ceramic figurines and other similar souvenirs.
5. Modern style is good because it does not provide any framework. There is room for a flight of fantasy and bold experiments. Bright colors, a game with contrasts, a combination of elements from different styles - that's what modern design means. Often in kitchens with similar design, there are niches of unusual or asymmetrical shape that can be located in the most unexpected place, for example, under the ceiling or at the bottom of the wall.

The main ways to use kitchen niches

Those who have the luck to be the owner of the kitchen with a niche, can dispose of its additional space in different ways. Earlier we said that the groove in the wall can be used as a valuable decorative detail, which will bring to the interior originality and originality. However, many owners of apartments and houses prefer to use space for practical purposes, especially if the kitchen has small dimensions and each square centimeter in it is particularly valuable. Let's look at some of the niche options in the kitchen interior:

1. If the niche is small, narrow, unsuccessful or filled with communications, some prefer to simply get rid of it by hiding the groove with the help of drywall sheets. In this case, there is no need to select special kitchen furniture or make it to order, because in the presence of flat walls any furniture of standard shape will do.
2. In a small niche, you can arrange a safe. On the one hand, space will be used for profit, and on the other hand, it will be disguised and will not interfere with the arrangement of furniture. To make a hiding place in a niche, it should be sewn and trimmed from the outside with the same material as the walls, for example, with ceramic tiles. One of the tiles will serve as a door to the hiding place, and instead of the handle on it you can fasten the hook for towels and potholders.
3. If the niche is high and wide, it can easily fit the refrigerator. In the event that pipes and communications pass through the deepening, they will have to be moved to a different place to begin with, where the shell will be located. After the refrigerator takes its place, kitchen furniture can be built in one line.
4. Kitchen with a niche in the corner can be equipped with a large cupboard for dishes. Such a cabinet can be made to order, having executed it in the sizes corresponding to the dimensions of the niche. The closet in the kitchen is convenient in that it can hide most of the dishes, small kitchen appliances and various utensils.
5. If a work area is placed along the wall with a niche, cutting into the recess of the countertop, additional space can be used to place a microwave oven, a dish grate, etc. In this case, the countertop will have to be made to order.

Useful advices for the arrangement of kitchens with a niche:

1. Before you start the repair in a kitchen with a natural niche, first you need to find out whether any communications are present in the groove. If the niche is intended to be used only as a decorative detail, communications can be hidden under drywall sheets. But if a refrigerator or cabinet is installed in a niche, it is better to move pipes and communications to another location.
2. If you do not dare to transfer pipes from a niche, be sure to check their condition and strength. After all, if there is a leak somewhere, new furniture will have to be disassembled.
3. Please note if the wall in the recess is not a part of the vent box. If so, it is better not to drill holes in it for mounting furniture or shelves. To begin with, it is desirable to sew the wall with plasterboard or wood, and then fix the fastening elements in this protective layer.

Features of niche lighting

If the niche in the kitchen is located under the window, it may not need additional illumination. Some styles of the interior also do not assume the presence of fixtures in the wall recess. But in many cases well-chosen and correctly arranged lighting makes from a niche the present design detail. Thanks to the illumination of the niche, you can give an interesting shade, besides, the items hidden in the depths of the shelves will always be clearly visible. Let's consider some subtleties of illumination of wall niches:

1. If you decided to install lamps in the niche, make sure that their brightness was moderate and did not exceed the brightness of the main lighting in the kitchen.
2. The most successful option for lighting niches are spotlights or LEDs. They can be arranged in different ways, for example, only in the upper part of the recess, only on the sides or on the entire perimeter of the niche. Using an LED strip, you can highlight each individual shelf.
3. The shade of the glow also plays an important role and should be chosen according to the style of the room, as well as the mood that you want to create. Soft yellow rays will become part of a cozy home atmosphere, pinkish light is useful for romantic dinners, scattered white glow will be appropriate in high-tech and minimalist kitchens.
4. If the niche is decorated with paintings or photographs, without lighting in this case is indispensable. In this case, the rays from the bulbs should be directed exactly so that the images in the photo or canvas were selected in the best way.
5. Illumination in the niche looks appropriate in the case if the space is filled with porcelain, glass or metal products. Streams of light, refracted on glossy surfaces, beautifully reflected and sparkling, giving a niche spectacular view.
6. When using LED strips, you can change the hue and intensity of the glow, choosing the one that best suits your mood.

Kitchen-niche

This type of kitchen has taken root in small apartments, the areas of which are not enough to make a full-fledged functional room. If you isolate the kitchen from the hall by a wall, both rooms will be sufficiently cramped and small, but if you make a kitchen in the studio apartment, the space will visually increase and the room will seem bigger.

Kitchen of this type will not have large dimensions, however, it will fit the most necessary: ​​a stove, a cooking table, a sink, a small refrigerator. Techniques can be embedded in specially ordered furniture to save extra space.

The kitchen-niche in this case will be rather a working area, whereas the dining area will have to be moved to the hall. An excellent solution for a small family can be a bar counter with a wide table top. First, the rack will visually zonirovat apartment in two separate rooms, while not hiding the space and not creating a tight effect. Secondly, behind a wide table-top it will be convenient to have breakfast, lunch and supper.

You can decorate a kitchen-niche in a small apartment in different ways. Many prefer to perform it in the same style as the main room, although with regard to the walls and the floor, they can be done in contrasting colors, so that the kitchen and the hall do not look the same. If you use more muted tones in the design of the kitchen - this will help to hide it, make it less noticeable than the main room. You can, on the contrary, highlight the kitchen-niche with bright, juicy, light colors.

It looks great in the studio apartment, kitchen-niche, separated not only by the bar, but also by a large aquarium. Such an aquarium attracts attention and becomes the main highlight of design, while performing the practical function of dividing the common room into two zones.

Kitchen-niche, photo:

Examples of niche design in the kitchen.

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