With the combination of the kitchen and living room and the increase in work space, bar counters of various models are increasingly appearing in the interiors of apartments and houses. From window sill bar counters in small spaces to huge kitchen islands. In this article we will tell and show what a bar counter for a kitchen can be.
Photo: theroom-studio.com
Photo: theroom-studio.com
Project authors: Ilya Khomyakov, Svetlana Khomyakova
Project authors: Ilya Khomyakov, Svetlana Khomyakova
Options for bar counters in the kitchen
Kitchens of this type are included in projects for furnishing apartments, cottages, country houses, summer cottages, office canteens, and restaurant kitchens. This arrangement is suitable for almost any interior style. For corner formations, you can select any shades, colors, lines, textures and materials. And the bar counter can simultaneously serve as a dining table and a place for temporary storage of kitchen utensils. A properly selected bar counter helps to properly organize the space.
Corner kitchen furniture set with an adjacent light high stand Source avatars.mds.yandex.net
Mini
Miniature dimensions of a high surface are equipped on a leg or 2 metal supports. The tabletop is not massive - it is almost half as thick as the worktop. There are no sides or large decorations. Such models do not take up much space and look weightless. It is enough to attach a cup holder or other life hack to a metal support pipe.
Small kitchen with a small high bar counter Source kaspiysk.kuhni-na-zakaz.pro
With base
The base of the stand is similar to a cabinet table. The design has great functionality, because inside it you can store various utensils or dishes (if the stand is not stationary). Such models are often made in the form of a full-fledged continuation of the headset. They have the same table top and body.
A massive bar counter with a base looks bulky against the background of the headset Source mykaleidoscope.ru
Bunk
The surface of the rack is divided into two tiers. The first level is floor, the second serves as a shelf hanging over the lower tabletop. The element is mounted on supports made of chrome-plated steel or decorative plastic pipes. Less commonly, sides and supports made of laminated chipboard are used for this. This option is perfect for families where short or frail family members live - children, elderly people, disabled people.
Corner kitchen in a classic style with an attached two-tier bar counter Source stemcellglobal.info
Mobile
The mobile bar counter provides additional comfort during its use. Such options are made on special supports to which rollers are attached. There must be locks on the rollers so that the structure maintains its stability when stationary.
Small corner kitchen with a small mobile bar counter Source smartyofficiel.com
Semicircular
This type of counter is great for corner kitchens in large or medium-sized spaces. Installation along the edge of the working part of the kitchen unit is carried out at a lower level - 10-12 cm. The stand consists of one tabletop, which goes around the table-cabinet along the edge, and a pair of supports made of a metal pipe. More people can be seated behind such a counter.
A semicircular two-color bar counter creates the illusion of a two-tier model Source dom-kuhni.com
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of bar counters in corner kitchens:
- Ergonomics. Doesn't take up much space. Solves the issue of saving space for arranging a dining area.
- Multifunctionality. At the same time it serves as a furniture accessory, a beautiful interior element, a delimiter, an additional work surface and a dining table.
- Compactness. The space under the countertop can be easily equipped with modern storage systems where you can store small kitchen utensils.
- Convenience. The small surface area is ideal for a quick snack. In the morning you can comfortably drink a cup of coffee or have a snack between lunch and dinner.
- Layout. With an elongated design, it is easy to divide the space into different zones - work, dining, and a relaxation area where the sofa will be placed. It is ideal for studio apartments.
- Style and presentability. The original shape, lines, shades, materials and decor are a modern and stylish addition to the kitchen set.
The bar countertop is an additional work surface in the kitchen Source inrosstroy.ru
Inside the bar counter there are shelves behind the facade for storing dishes Source zov-v-ekaterinburge.ru
The bar counter divides the room into two rooms - the kitchen and the living room Source vestnikao.ru
Design Tips
You can purchase a simple design and then make a design that matches the interior with your own hands. Bars made of chipboard and cheap materials can be covered with film to match the color of dark wood. Plastic is often coated with water-repellent paint. Real wood should not be decorated with anything, but you can complement it with metal parts with a gilded surface. A steel cabinet looks natural only in rooms decorated in modern styles.
A special protective film is glued to glass and mirror surfaces, and individual elements are painted. The owner of the premises independently chooses the appropriate method of decorating the bar. But it is important to remember that it is its contents that should attract attention - beautiful bottles with expensive and high-quality alcoholic drinks.
Bar cabinets with soft or sharp shapes and edges will fit into any room, store containers of alcohol for a long period and allow the owner to demonstrate his taste and style to guests. The design will definitely attract attention and become a real decoration of the room.
Ideas for the location of the headset and bar counter
Several options for how to successfully place a bar counter and kitchen unit in the corner of the room:
- stands separately - the island is 10-15 cm higher than the working surface;
- merged with the main working surface;
- adjacent to the headset on the side;
- adjoins in a cascade - on the side with a protrusion forward;
- goes around part of the working area in the side part of the table-cabinet;
- installed along the wall - the distance from the wall is at least 50 cm;
- attached to the wall like a console.
The counter is often placed opposite the corner kitchen. It can be adjacent to the wall or stand from it at a comfortable distance for the seat.
The bar counter stands separately from the corner kitchen unit Source kutskokitchen.com
The bar counter is flush with the kitchen countertop Source mykaleidoscope.ru
The bar counter is merged with the window sill, arranged opposite the kitchen unit Source kakpostroit.su
The kitchen counter adjacent to the kitchen unit has a second lower tier Source darionnk.ru
The bar counter-console is installed along the wall separately from the kitchen unit Source homeli.ru
Rules for organizing a corner kitchen
To make a corner kitchen with a bar counter look decent, you need to take into account all the subtleties of combining them or combining them close to each other. For projects where the bar counter is merged with the countertop of the kitchen work area, the material of both countertops is the same. This will help maintain balance and harmony in the unity of the details.
The bar counter and tabletop are made of the same material Source kuhny58.ru
Rules for placing corner kitchens with bar counters:
- A place near blank walls where there are no windows, niches, heating radiators or doorways.
- A corner cabinet consists of shelves placed between two side cabinets.
- The best place for washing is in the corner - this is where drain pipes and water pipes are most often placed in apartments.
- The corner space allows you to choose a wide or two-section sink.
- If space allows, you can place a washing machine next to the sink.
- The borders of wall cabinets and floor cabinets are sometimes combined on the sides by a system of open rounded shelves.
Corner kitchen with counter installed against blank walls with a small protrusion in the corner Source forema.ru
The kitchen furniture set is rounded, a separate cabinet will fill the corner space Source i1.photo.2gis.com
Corner single sink in the corner of the entire furniture ensemble Source kuhni-v-spb.com
Corner kitchen with a bar counter and a two-section sink occupying the corner Source vestnikao.ru
The washing machine inside the bar counter is hidden behind the door Source remont-samomy.ru
Open shelves on the sides of kitchen furniture can serve as a place for decoration. Source gooz.ru
In private homes, it is allowed to install corner sets so that the sink is located directly opposite the window, under which there is no radiator. The battery is moved to the side by 80-100 cm. Designers and developers of apartment buildings cannot deviate from the standard - they place heating radiators under the windows. It must be remembered that the distance from the heating radiator and refrigerator cannot be less than 1 meter.
Kitchen with a bar counter and a sink opposite the window in a country house Source i1.photo.2gis.com
Functional Features
Such designs differ in their characteristics and design. Modern manufacturers offer different models:
- corner;
- similar to an ordinary wardrobe;
- with a glass showcase;
- with built-in lighting;
- with thick doors that protect the contents of the bar from sunlight;
- expensive options with musical accompaniment.
A bar cabinet, which can be placed in the kitchen or living room, allows you to store a collection of expensive alcoholic drinks.
A corner bar cabinet for the kitchen can have a special built-in wine rack in which bottles are stored in accordance with all requirements. Some models look like a bar cabinet with counters and sections. There are miniature cabinets that can be placed in small apartments. Despite its minimal size, the furniture can accommodate a significant number of bottles. These designs are suitable for those who use alcohol as needed and do not collect it.
Due to its functionality, a bar counter-cabinet for the kitchen is necessary for those who collect alcoholic beverages - collectors, connoisseurs, and those who like to throw parties at home. Glasses, glasses, shot glasses and wine glasses will be stored in special sections, which is very convenient and rational.
A corner bar cabinet for the kitchen can have a special built-in wine rack in which bottles are stored in accordance with all requirements.
Some elements complement the functionality of the cabinet:
- hinged door;
- interior lighting;
- mirror surface of the shelves.
The door can be used as a table on which it is convenient to place glasses with drinks. The lamps installed inside the bar emphasize the graceful shapes of the bottles and unusual shades of glass. A mirror visually enlarges the space of the furniture and plays with light rays on glasses and wine. A built-in bar cabinet will decorate the interior of any room - kitchen, living room, bedroom.
Small kitchens
You can arrange a kitchen with a bar counter in a small room using a simple technique - modify the corner set so that part of its countertop is 10-12 cm higher than the main working surface. This can be done using any supports - wooden balusters, metal pipes. The supports can be vertical or inclined.
Small corner kitchen with a small low-level bar counter Source zakaz-kuhni-minsk.by
Large kitchens
Spacious rooms provide more opportunities to implement design ideas. Here, the bar counter could well be a free-standing island or an attachment on floor supports to the working part of the furniture set. The shape of the letter “G” can smoothly transform into “P”, thus turning the corner kitchen into a more spacious and functional option.
Spacious kitchen with a massive bar counter Source krot.info
Rounded tabletop: how convenient is it?
The rounded shape of the stand is an option that is available only to rooms with a large square footage and sufficient free space unoccupied by furniture. The most important advantage is originality, which will distinguish the kitchen interior from similar ones. In addition, the unusual shape allows you to add another seat.
Comfortable round tabletop
In a studio apartment
For space-dividing stands, an accentuated approach is used - the color of the material should be different, not merge with the set, but at the same time organically combine with it. The height of such a counter is much higher than that which is combined with the surface of the kitchen furniture. If you ignore the difference in shape, height and shades of the material of the bar counter, then it will not serve as a delimiter.
Corner kitchen with a separately equipped bar counter in a studio apartment Source remont-samomy.ru
Examples of interior styles, colors for kitchens with a breakfast bar
The kitchen set and counter in a classic style should look conservative and have smooth lines. They are made in light warm colors from natural materials or adapted to natural wood. They use artificial stone, solid wood or chipboard - laminated chipboard. Household appliances are partially or completely hidden behind cabinet fronts. Wood carving, mosaic inlay, paneling, and moldings are welcome as decor.
Corner kitchen in a classic style with a built-in bar counter Source vnk-online.ru
Corner classic kitchen set with a separate standing bar counter Source vestnikao.ru
A high-tech kitchen is distinguished by its laconicism, perfectly smooth, glossy surfaces and lack of decor. The choice of materials mainly falls on countertops made of stainless steel, plastic, artificial stone, and tempered glass. Decor with chrome elements, frosted or clear glass. The lamps have a simple modern design. All electronics are of the latest generation. It is installed using a built-in technology system. Shades - from metallic to plain cold or bright.
Corner kitchen set in high-tech style with a separate wooden bar counter Source giulianovars.ru
Small corner kitchen in high-tech style with a bar counter in black and white colors Source design-homes.ru
The Art Nouveau style direction allows for the presence of different materials for furniture - natural, synthetic, combined. The kitchen arrangement is close to minimalism with accents. Elements of luxury are normal for modernity. Therefore, a tabletop set and a bar counter made of natural stone or solid wood will be in place. The color palette is extensive - warm shades harmoniously combine with cold ones, faded ones with bright ones.
Corner kitchen in Art Nouveau style in lilac and white with a separate bar counter Source dizainvfoto.ru
Materials used
Many different materials are used to make bar structures. The most popular among manufacturers:
- expensive wood species;
- plastic and metal;
- chipboard;
- mirror and glass.
Wooden models are considered durable and of the highest quality. These are high-quality, elegant and massive structures, their cost is the highest. Wood does not require many decorative elements and artificial processing of the upper part of the material. In a modern style, cabinets are made of plastic and metal. This furniture is usually black, white, silver or steel in color.
Built-in models are mounted in upholstered furniture or a wall, but at home, a bar cabinet in the kitchen looks especially interesting.
Chipboards are cheap products that look like natural wood. The material is used to create inexpensive and simple furniture. The designs are easy to use and have no frills.
The bar must be carefully looked after, avoiding contact of surfaces with moisture. Otherwise, the furniture will not last long. Mirrors and glass parts are used only for individual elements; the entire cabinet cannot be made from such fragile materials. Glass and mirror shelves and doors visually increase the interior space of the bar, allowing the owners to admire the assembled alcoholic collection.
The bar must be carefully looked after, avoiding contact of surfaces with moisture.
Some parameters depend on the material:
- price;
- simplicity of functionality;
- type of furniture;
- lifetime.
A correctly chosen wardrobe will not only decorate the interior of the room, but will also emphasize the style and taste of the owner of the room and tell guests about his financial situation.
Be sure to pay attention to the color scheme of the room’s interior.
