Kitchen-living room in Scandinavian style, how to take into account all the nuances

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Open plan living spaces have remained popular for many years. Often this allows you to visually expand the meager footage. And sometimes it is the individual whim of the owner. Whatever rooms you decide to combine, it is important that it is beautiful, functional and comfortable.

Many people think about the financial side of the issue, as well as how practical it is in each specific situation. Let's try to figure out how not to miss all aspects of such an experiment.

Which rooms are most reasonable to combine?

It’s unlikely that anyone will like to see their household members taking a bath; it will be problematic to try to fall asleep if, for example, your significant other needed to work at night, and sleeping with the lights on is not your thing. But no one would think of arguing that the kitchen and living room are the two parts of the apartment whose, so to speak, rhythms of life most coincide.

In the morning, you can type an article on your laptop, while another tenant is planning to fry pancakes. This will get your day off to a pleasant start rather than the other way around. But here another question arises. What design is allowed? Modern, Romanesque, Baroque, loft or industrial... Eyes run wild, and thoughts do not concentrate at all with such an abundance of choice...

Finishing materials for the kitchen in the Scandinavian style

Plastic or drywall are not suitable as finishing materials. The style is known for its environmental friendliness, and therefore only natural materials are appropriate:

tree;
brick;
stone;
ceramics;
glass;
metal.

Therefore, it is best to cover the walls and ceiling with paint or plaster; in extreme cases, you can use wallpaper. Parquet is ideal for flooring, but laminate is also suitable.

Scandinavian style, like any other ethnic style, is based on the use of natural materials

In order to save money, it is allowed to use high-quality imitations of natural materials

Scandinavian style is a celebration of light, which is lacking in the northern countries. A kitchen in Scandinavian design will appeal to those who love maximum light and space with a minimum of furniture and decor.

But our answer is Scandinavia!

And that's why:

Space for imagination and expanse of territory are two main tenets of the style.
The restraint and severity of a chilling mentality in tandem with the courage inherent in the heroes of folk tales.
Comfort is the head of everything, and light is the neck that sets its coordinates.
Cost-effectiveness and ergonomics are what Scandi has been highly praised for more than once!

Well, let’s take a closer look at the plan for implementing a kitchen-living room in the Scandinavian sense. Let's start with each component separately.

When designing a place for preparing and eating food, and receiving guests, you need to focus on the following subtleties:

The main features of the Scandinavian style in the interior of the kitchen-living room

Unlike many other national varieties of design, the Scandinavian style in the interior of the kitchen and living room is not an ethnic design of the premises. The trend was formed in the conditions of a harsh winter and a small number of bright sunny days, which is why such a room is always light and warm.

This leads to the main features of the Scandinavian style:

The basis of the composition is white. This is the only way to achieve maximum illumination from rooms where the sun rarely shines.
All materials are natural. Wood with its natural texture is most often used here.
Furniture often seems eclectic - in addition to the basic set in the same style, over time, more modern or, conversely, vintage things appear in the kitchen-living room, as if they had just been discovered in the attic of a great-grandfather’s house. Scandinavian style is for living, and most people gradually surround themselves with the things they love.

Natural forms are welcome - for example, an untouched stump or driftwood.
In such an interior, a lot of textiles are always used - warm, cozy, woolen, knitted. Plus, there are carpets, napkins, bedspreads, pillows, but not thick curtains, but light curtains! All for the sake of warmth and light.

In addition to obvious features formed by climate characteristics and national preferences, the multifunctional Scandinavian interior cannot be ignored. In such an environment there is always plenty of storage space - drawers, cabinets, shelves. Moreover, they can be either hidden or open to public view.

No upper cabinets - a mistake

Many photographs show kitchens without wall cabinets, but with open shelves. And this is the standard for Scandinavian style and looks stylish and easy.

But I’m always for maximum practicality, so here are a couple of ideas to think about:

The best hood is built-in because... does not take up space, does not collect dust, and is cheap. But when there are no cabinets on top, problems begin: how to hide the pipe outlet from the hood, which model will look good on an empty wall, etc. In some photos there is no hood at all, which cannot be called a thoughtful solution.
A wall cabinet with a drying rack for dishes is usually made without a bottom wall so that dampness does not stagnate. Where to store wet dishes when there is nothing on top?
Under cabinet lighting looks cool. Especially when the backsplash is made of tiles, because... gives beautiful shadows. Do we refuse?
The apron usually goes under the hanging drawers; without them you will have to somehow decorate the ends of the tiles.
Are you sure that there is enough storage space and are you ready to give up the most convenient ones? After all, constantly bending over to get something from the bottom drawers is a dubious pleasure.

In general, if you like more austere options, look at a bunch of photos in the article about a kitchen in the neoclassical style - there is less wood, but the perception is similar.

Briefly speaking:

I advise you to do it with a full-fledged top, at least over the stove and sink, and open shelves according to the residual principle. And if you’re not convinced, read my article on how to choose a kitchen - it’s also about the tempting cost of hinged fittings with closers for upper cabinets and the lack of need for handles. You can also see a bunch of built-in minimalist options in the material about high-tech kitchen design.

Adaptation for the kitchen-living room

A typical apartment usually has a small kitchen, and the Scandinavian style, which is undemanding in terms of space and budget, is ideal.

But now the trend is to create a combined kitchen-living room (and this is the right decision), but there are problems with it:

You probably don't want to see kitchen utensils and clutter when you're in the living room area.
There is rarely dust in the kitchen because... There are only curtains made of textiles (about curtains in the kitchen and how to hang them on a window with a balcony), and people spend little time. But the living room generates dust. And it will settle on all open objects.

If you do not deviate from the canons of the Scandinavian style, all that remains is to make the kitchen a corner, organizing parking for equipment and utensils:

But because We don’t have the task of pedantically following the rules; we can borrow total built-in features and closed storage areas from modern kitchen design.

Open options (but keep in mind that in reality all the jars and mugs are not exactly the same at an equal distance from each other):

Closed options:

Clear doors give the same open effect while being more practical, although I wouldn't use them in other styles.

But the coolest option is in the next paragraph.

Scandinavian style kitchen up to the ceiling

Yes, in almost every material, starting with kitchen renovation in Khrushchev, I advise you to do it up to the ceiling.

This is the optimal solution for many reasons. Plus, you understand that modern kitchens in Scandinavia often differ from what we see in the photo and may look like this:

If you like this design, you will find many examples and ideas in the article about a white kitchen with a wooden countertop.

You can always implement:

Low ceiling - extend the upper cabinets all the way.
The ceiling is 2.7-3 meters - we add 1 more line of drawers (based on the mezzanine principle) or make a step in the headset area.
High ceiling - we make a niche and build it into it.

With bar counter

For some reason, counters are rare in Scandinavian kitchens and this is an oversight. I have already described a ton of advantages of a kitchen with a bar counter.

A wooden or wood-look chipboard tabletop will fit perfectly into the interior and there are a bunch of bar stools with thin legs.

The color of Scandinavian cuisine

As in other cases with Nordic housing concepts, the range is restrained. Grey, blue, white, beige, black in any variations. Note that the same quality corresponds to the decor as a whole.

Accessories, as usual, have the correct geometric shape and position. They are placed on the floor, tiny tables, walls alone or in a set with a lamp, which in the evening will sparkle with special colors and replenish the sun’s rays lost with sunset. Sometimes the ceiling is also decorated, also in combination with artificial lighting or as an independent unit.

It is useful to know that you should not use tension or hanging varieties, as they undermine the very idea of eco-style. Often a regular plastered and lightened ceiling is used, without any additions. However, the occasional inclusion of rebellious elements is highly appreciated!

A rug with an animal pattern or an embroidered maple leaf, colored but not colorful pillowcases, curtains the color of a young and juicy rose, blinds, Roman “curtains” - this and all sorts of accents you have the right to place in this field.

In addition, if you don’t want to end up with excessive coldness, diversify the environment with a countertop or other furniture in dark shades against the overall snow-white background.

Finishing and materials used

Properly selected materials for finishing walls, floors, and ceilings will make the kitchen not only comfortable, but also warm, conducive to relaxation and pleasant cooking. Saturated colors are not excluded. These can be stools, tabletops, an apron. Scandinavian style is ideal for small kitchens and is similar to minimalism. Natural materials provide special comfort. When creating an aesthetic design, surface texture plays an important role.

Ceiling

The clearest expression of a Scandinavian interior can be achieved by decorating the ceiling with wide beams made of natural wood. This method of finishing borders on loft design. You can make it decorative with the help of original lighting fixtures, relief plaster, and special panels.

The ceilings of small kitchens in Khrushchev-era buildings must be white. You can apply paint or plaster to them. Stretch ceilings in light colors are also a suitable option, especially for problematic, uneven surfaces. Matte and glossy models will fit perfectly into any environment.

Installation of plasterboard ceilings will allow you to create original figures from spotlights. It is easy to hide communications between the base surface and the main plane. Slatted siding will look good in a kitchen of any size.

Walls

In Scandinavian design, frills will be inappropriate when decorating walls. The simplest possible finishing will create an excellent base. Various accessories and other interior items will highlight the neutral background. Smooth white walls can be diluted with brickwork or tiles with this imitation. For a studio kitchen, you can use this technique in different areas.

A simple and practical wall covering is plaster or paint. You can hide defects and uneven surfaces using non-woven wallpaper or fiberglass-based roll materials. Textured designs on Swedish-style walls will look good. You can make one wall next to the dining table, bar counter, or decorate all kitchen surfaces with moderate patterns as an accent wall.

Floor

It is better to choose a coating that is warm and natural. These can be massive wooden boards in light colors or bleached plank elements. Parquet and laminate with a single-strip pattern are also suitable. It is better to refuse linoleum, no matter what its color and pattern, otherwise it will immediately spoil the overall picture of the Scandinavian style.

An advantageous design technique is to combine floor coverings according to the zones of the room. You can put tiles or porcelain tiles next to the kitchen unit and work surfaces; the rest of the kitchen can be finished with wood. The baseboard must be high and must match the color of the wall.

We advise you to study - What is the assignment of ownership rights to an apartment in a new building, types and risks

Apron

The part of the wall above the worktop should have a special covering - an apron. An interior part that protects against splashes and stains during cooking can be made of various materials. The following options will fit perfectly into the Scandinavian style:

"Boar" Tiles imitating brickwork. Thanks to the variety of shapes and design solutions, it can look different. The main distinguishing feature is the edges beveled at an angle of 45 degrees. Pairs perfectly with wallpaper and plaster.
Wooden panels. They are resistant to high temperatures, have an original appearance, and are easy to clean. The material can be bleached, artificially aged, or photographically printed.
Mosaic. The original design of the apron is suitable for both linear and corner kitchens. The color is white and all its shades. You can decorate the surface in monochrome style, with patterns or lay out a picture.
Glass surfaces. White tempered glass wall panels are often used. Do not overload the decorative material with a complex print. If desired, you can add a light ornament or highlight it with a warm shade.

Sophistication of equipment

To prepare a variety of dishes you need a spacious area. The technical equipment is certainly rich. Of course, built-in equipment will be an ideal solution; here it is important not to skimp and understand what you cannot do without, or rather, what will make your life easier. Choose metallics, even something related to space. But bright colors, sea green or marsala, are not suitable in a particular situation. Leave it to other little things.

Who is suitable for Scandinavian style?

Such interiors are good for people seeking tranquility and coziness, natural warmth and comfort. It will look best in spacious apartments, studios or country houses with plenty of space. But small rooms with a large window are also suitable for its implementation. An abundance of light shades will bring light and visually increase the area. This can be used if the home is small, but you want to fit a lot in and at the same time maintain the illusion of space.

This style is definitely not suitable for those who strive for brightness, originality and uniqueness. Scandinavian interiors are laconic and restrained, there is little uniqueness in them, and rich colors can be present in rare decorative elements.

Those who are not used to keeping their home in order should also refuse such finishing. Although the direction allows for slight negligence, it should not cross the line.

Careful selection of storage areas and devices

Don't be afraid to combine both accepted types: open and closed. After all, if all the shelves and racks reveal their contents, this will create “visual noise”, a feeling of chaos and disorder. Plus, who doesn't love to enjoy sweet little secrets in the nooks and crannies of their home? In addition, the vessels themselves, jars and flasks, boxes for containing products and devices will not get boring when they are original and special. Make them from an unusual texture, include among the standard objects a bag resembling the hat of a fairy-tale hero or a container with gifts from Santa Claus. Go for it!

Appearance

Modern Scandinavian cuisine looks harmonious in a collaboration of stone, natural or artificial, wood, which in turn can also be imitated, and ceramics. It is practical, calm and dynamic at the same time, can be linear, angular or parallel. Choose according to your needs. What can be said about the living room in the Celtic concept?

This room in our case is permeated with warmth and reminds us of frosty countries overnight. Minimalism, clear color schemes and warm, soft blankets on plain sofas are the first things that come to mind when talking about this room. What makes it functional and versatile? And what makes a chef's main refuge different?

Firstly, cooking ends at this stage. Nothing more than eating and talking over a cup of tea is allowed. Secondly, storage spaces take on a different appearance and content. Most of the shelves are closed, and the use of space and technology vary. In addition, this section of the apartment combines the qualities of a business office, a dining room, a reading room and, sometimes, a bedroom. This often happens in studios or other individual circumstances.

Kitchen-living room design ideas in Scandinavian style

There are many options for decorating a kitchen-hall in a Scandinavian style. The photographs below can serve as an excellent source of inspiration when selecting materials and color schemes for the kitchen-living room.

Zoning

The most important point is an unquestioningly clearly defined boundary. Without identifying zones according to their functions, you will end up with confusion, not cozy housing. This can be achieved by alternating or changing finishing materials, a certain arrangement of furniture, and, in fact, furniture. The most obvious delimiters are often wall and floor coverings.

It is clear that they can be seen with the naked eye! However, sometimes it is chosen to build small partitions made of glass, transparent or sparsely decorated, or bookshelves, which suggest placement on the sides of a sweeping entrance.

Another “highlight of the program” is a comfortable recreation area, pre-allocated by one of the above facilities. For example, a sofa bed will help save a couple of square meters, place books or candles nearby, everything that calms you down and a pleasant evening in the company of yourself, or someone more interesting, is guaranteed.

You don’t have to think that folding furniture is always cheap and cheerful. Choose a model with high-quality and beautiful design and even with an orthopedic mattress for a healthy sleep. You will understand that even such a piece of furniture has the ability to look respectable. A couple of chairs nearby are not prohibited, but be careful. Clutter is our worst enemy!

If we're talking about sleep, let's discuss cabinets. Since everything is clear with kitchen ones, what can we say about the same ones for clothes? Let's answer the pressing question of all fashionistas and mothers of large families... Yes, it is possible and even necessary to arrange a small dressing room! Neat, with shelves, containers, everything within moderate limits.

Remember we mentioned variety when it comes to storage? So, this will just add some spice to the general pot. Imagine, sometimes you can also place culinary delights prepared for the winter in the same way!

Kitchen furniture and storage systems

The Scandinavian design style is considered to be one of the most neat, practical and discreet. Natural white tones with small bright splashes are suitable for such kitchens. Hanging cabinets and work areas are always the first to catch the eye, so they must fully comply with the design direction.

The best option for the facade is solid wood. It must be made of hardwood (oak, beech, ash). You can take a chipboard slab as a basis and cover it with veneer and multi-layer paint. For budget small-sized kitchens, you can use more economical options as a coating - film with imitation wood texture or painting, chipboard.

The suitable color for the kitchen set is white gloss. You can diversify it with a rough texture, veins, interspersed with a different tone. Open storage systems, characteristic of the Scandinavian style, are often used instead of wall decor. They should be compact, light and no frills.

The final touch

Pay attention to details. Not only should they be stylized to match the decor in distributed areas, but well-chosen fittings and mechanisms will ensure the beauty and ergonomics of the entire environment rolled into one.

Imagine sitting down on a nice bar stool to have a snack, and it doesn’t rotate or even immediately falls apart due to poorly screwed components. Or that the entrance or adjacent door creaks and does not open well. Will you have a desire to relax and part with the burden of the past day in such conditions?

We think the answer is negative, and therefore it is better to take care of all sorts of little things in advance, place each figurine in its own appropriate location, so that tomorrow it does not fall on someone’s head and cause grief. Each participant in the actions in the kitchen-living room, which we are talking about now, should become an element of one big poem, an ode to light, comfort, practicality and safety!

What really unusual accessories are allowed to be used in our context? Consider decorating with firewood arranged in rows under the TV and deer antlers above it. The floor or tabletop can be lined with coins, not with motley mosaics made of ceramics and other available materials.

Sometimes, instead of transparent and frosted lamps, monochromatic colored lamps are chosen. Don't forget about the greens! Large or miniature, either will bring freshness and lightness. And, as always, naturalism is encouraged and quality artifacts are not off-limits.

We hope that the presented written work will be useful for you, if you do not consider yourself bold enough for your own grandiose ideas or, on the contrary, there are so many of them that they have merged together, without skillfully placed accents, we offer a selection of photos of Scandinavian kitchens that are easy to implement! We wish you good luck in your endeavors!

Color spectrum

The favorite color of the Scandinavian style is white with all the court shades. Ivory, boiling white, ecru, linen, cosmic latte, marshmallow, smoky - this is only a small part of its retinue, not to mention the possibility of combining them.

Walls of this color will be a wonderful backdrop for wooden and accent elements of the interior.

But Scandi, as we have already said, is very democratic, so light beige, gray, olive, blue and even soft pink walls will not be a violation. One of the walls or the partition dividing the kitchen-living room will be decorated with an accent wall with a floral print on a white or other light background.

In Scandi interiors, black and white zigzag, zebra or checkerboard patterns are often found on vertical and horizontal planes.

In second place after the main color in terms of the amount of space occupied is light wood, with a clear visibility of the wood texture.

The kitchen work surface, parquet flooring, dining table, book table and other “horizontals” will be complemented by wall panels, cabinets and bookshelves of the same color and texture.

Third place is occupied by black or dark brown elements - chairs, coffee table, lamp shades and household appliances.

And finally - rich accents. Our northern style especially loves yellow inserts, but they can be supplemented or replaced with another bright color - blue, red, light blue, purple, green.

For accents in the kitchen, utensils, appliances, furniture, aprons and fresh fruit are used.
Bright elements of the living room will be sofa cushions, furniture upholstery, carpet, cords and lamp shades, and other details.

These photos demonstrate how they enliven the kitchen combined with the living room.

White color in the kitchen-living room and more

Only white in the kitchen area is not the right solution, because the cooking area should be practical. In the living room, you also shouldn’t decorate everything only in white, this is a living space and therefore it should be cozy. Therefore, other colors and textures take part in the arrangement of room design.

Looking through photos of a Scandinavian-style kitchen-living room, you will notice that there are wooden elements here and there in the interior. This includes solid wood furniture, flooring, wooden beams, and ceilings.

Since Scandinavia has forests, it is widely used for home improvement. With its help, an excessive amount of white is balanced, so the Scandinavian living room or kitchen is both bright and cozy.

The kitchen-living room is also given color with the help of contrasting colors. Green, brown, of course black and gray colors. They can highlight furniture, curtains on the windows, a carpet on the floor, paintings on the wall, a kitchen apron, chairs or pillows with a blanket on the sofa. The role of small objects should remain within the framework of minor decoration.

In addition to the cold snowy color, the Scandinavian kitchen-living room is also characterized by other light colors: beige, light blue, mint. In some cases, white can be excluded altogether, preferring, for example, milk. It makes rooms look warm and cozy.

A brick wall is another important sign. The TV area in the form of a red or white brick wall will clearly hint at the stylistic decision. Another option is a partition between the kitchen and living room. This emphasis works well, as it also carries a functional load.

If you make an ornament on the walls, then it will be exclusively natural: flowers, petals, etc. This kind of wallpaper should not be glued everywhere; its role is accentuated; it should not occupy a large area on the wall. For example, if they are used to cover a niche in which a TV will be hung, such a solution is acceptable.

Gray

If white seems too banal or you are afraid that it will be “like in a hospital” (which is not the case), then gray is an interesting option. From light gray to almost black, this color offers a risk-free choice.

He is still absolutely neutral because... does not contain anything other than white and black in different proportions, which means it does not conflict with other shades.