Some kitchens have a special niche under the window sill. It is also called the “Khrushchev refrigerator,” but not only Khrushchev kitchens are endowed with such a unique feature. There are niches under the window sill of different lengths in kitchens with loggias, as well as in new buildings. The owner has two options for how to equip it. Either make a cabinet under the window sill in the kitchen, or cover it with a deep countertop to act as a dining table. Installing any cabinet cabinet is a little more complicated, but more practical.
What is a niche under the window sill in the kitchen?
The winter refrigerator in the house is free space, which is formed due to thinner brickwork compared to the rest of the walls. The thickness of the outer wall is only one layer of brick.
A small kitchen somewhere in a cramped Khrushchev or Brezhnevka can hardly count on the title of a comfortable room.
To keep things cool, the kitchen cabinet has a ventilation hole to allow in air from outside.
You can leave the radiator under the windowsill.
Non-standard solution
In addition to the usual ones, there are many interesting ways to turn the “Khrushchev refrigerator” into a stylish piece of kitchen interior.
One of them is to arrange a car wash. At the same time, the internal space of the niche is perfect for placing water pipes.
Such sinks have many fans - it’s nice to wash dishes in front of a window where trees grow and you can see the blue sky.
However, before reconstruction, you should think carefully and weigh the pros and cons, because in this case, splashes and drips of soapy water will have to be constantly removed from the window glass.
Another non-standard solution is to install a home safe in the kitchen niche. The depth of the niche will allow you to place a fairly large safe box in it, and the massive brick walls will allow you to properly seal the external facade.
Features and advantages of a winter “refrigerator” under the windowsill
The location for the kitchen cabinet was not chosen by chance - this section of the wall under the window has the lowest temperature in the room in winter.
There are many benefits to having an extra refrigerator.
The advantages of a winter closet include:
- Multifunctionality, rational use of a small area. Kitchens in Khrushchev-era apartment buildings are quite modest, so the issue of saving space is especially acute. A cabinet under the window in the kitchen allows you to store supplies of cereals, canned food, and homemade preparations.
- Low temperature, including in the summer heat. Thanks to the design and placement features, the space under the window opening always remains cool.
- Possibility of redevelopment. If you don't need the cabinet as a place for food, it can be easily converted by installing a heating radiator or regular shelves for dishes.
In Khrushchev-era buildings, the window sill is not only very wide.
The only drawback of the cabinet is the low thermal insulation. With the onset of cold weather, heat leaks due to too thin doors. Therefore, if you decide to remodel, you need to take care of insulation using thermal insulation materials.
The niche under the window can be converted into an additional wardrobe.
Home and Garden
Stylish and comfortable home
How to do it right: 5 ways to decorate a window sill in the kitchen
In the fight for quality of life, all means are good. Even abandoning the standard window sill.
A window sill in a small kitchen is like a bike path for a motorist in a traffic jam. In ordinary life and in a spacious kitchen, it has every right to be empty, but in a tiny one, every centimeter counts. How to use a window sill in the kitchen? What nuances may arise when “reorienting” the window sill? And what non-standard ideas for refurbishment of a window sill exist?
1. Window sill in the kitchen as a work area
How to make a countertop instead of a window sill in the kitchen depends on the renovation budget and the dimensions of the kitchen. Let's start with the last one.
The standard height of the set (and its tabletop) is 85 cm. But sometimes it is made higher due to height-adjustable legs and an enlarged base. The correct height of the working area is 15 cm from the bent elbow. Please keep this in mind when ordering your kitchen.
So, if the height of the window sill is approximately equal to the height of the table top plus or minus a couple of centimeters, we simply continue the working area along the window. The battery at the bottom can be left open.
Advice:
Consider the width of the slopes when choosing the countertop that you plan to install instead of the window sill. And pay special attention to their material.
It is important that the tabletop does not get wet from condensation on the window; the end must be protected from moisture penetration. But if the wall is “wet” and also freezes, do not use a chipboard tabletop as a window sill. Better take an artificial stone.
If the window sill is higher than the table top
In this case, the “riser” between the upper and lower countertops is usually decorated with tiles or covered with a plinth, depending on the design of the kitchen. They make a wide window sill from the same material as the tabletop and use it as an additional shelf.
If the window sill is left in its original form, it is cut to the width of the slope. In the example in the photo, the height difference was used to insert ventilation grilles to circulate warm air from the radiators.
If the window sill is lower than the tabletop
The most obvious thing is to block part of the window opening with bricks and order a smaller window. But this solution is only suitable for a private home. If the building is multi-apartment, you will break the law by changing the architectural appearance of the building.
Of course, if the kitchen window opens onto a glazed balcony, changes in the facade will be invisible. But in any case, it will not be easy to agree on such changes, which means that in the future there may be problems with updating the registration certificate and selling the apartment. In addition, you will worsen the insolation of the room.
The simplest option from a technical point of view is to build a kitchen line on top of the window sill, leaving 10-15 cm so that the window sash can be opened for ventilation. The “groove” between the kitchen furniture and the window glass can be filled with potted plants. This may not be the most ergonomic option, but it is the most economical. You won’t have to change the double-glazed windows or make tricks with the furniture. However, in this case the window will not open completely. This will make it difficult to wash and will worsen fire safety.
If you were going to change the windows anyway, you can order a double-glazed window with a horizontal impost (frame element) at the level of the tabletop. The window will look like this photo, only the horizontal lintel and the edge of the countertop will match. Part of the glazing will be under the tabletop. If you have cabinets there, that’s okay, but you can also organize open shelves with natural lighting.
The advantages of this solution are that you do not interfere with the facade, the window opens, there are no cracks. The downside is that the amount of sunlight decreases.
Finally, you can play up the height difference, as was done in the project in the photo. The work area by the window is lowered to the level of the window sill. It’s not too inconvenient to cook there, but it’s quite possible to arrange storage areas and some kitchen appliances. At what height the microwave, toaster and kettle are located is not so important, but they take up a lot of space. The height difference is played up by the colored tabletop.
How to restore an old Khrushchev refrigerator
There are several options for redesigning the space under the window:
- Leave the winter refrigerator function. To reduce heat leakage, you can install dense doors with a thermally insulating layer of sealant. The vent can be modified by installing an inlet valve. To prevent cabinet doors from getting in the way when opening, they are often made sliding.
- Completely seal the niche. In this case, the surface is leveled and the free space is filled with brickwork.
- Make a regular wardrobe. The ventilation hole is sealed, the internal walls are finished with tiles or plasterboard panels. As a result, the winter refrigerator turns into an ordinary closet where you can store any household items. The niche is equipped with regular shelves or drawers.
- Move the pipes and connect the heating battery. Part of the internal volume of the cabinet is filled with insulation. The remaining free space is allocated for the radiator.
Making a full-fledged closet from a refrigerator under the window
To make a regular cabinet out of a winter refrigerator, which will become one of the parts of the kitchen set, you need:
- Insulate the wall. The best option would be to place a thermal insulation layer on the outside of the building. If for some reason this cannot be done, it is necessary to lay another layer of brick.
- Eliminate the possibility of cold coming from the street. To do this, the ventilation hole is filled with cement mortar or blown in with foam.
- Make niche trim. For this purpose, drywall or ceramic tiles are used.
- Install shelves and doors.
You can store pickling under the window.
During the remodeling process, you can also change the height of the window sill. It is important to carefully measure the parameters when ordering windows. You can also extend the window sill by making it a full-fledged cutting table.
You can make a table from a window sill.
More light!
Another interesting option has begun to gain popularity, when all the brickwork from a niche is removed and a double-glazed window is installed in its place.
This option is relevant for apartments whose kitchens face north and require an additional light source.
In this case, the double-glazed window can be small, repeating the dimensions of the niche, or have the shape of a circle (semicircle).
A large double-glazed window will add beauty to the kitchen interior if the kitchen window is “extended” to the floor by removing the brickwork.
This kind of work cannot be done with your own hands and you will have to invite professionals for repairs - finishing craftsmen and window installation specialists.
Some housewives will find a double-glazed window, like for a balcony door, inconvenient, because it will deprive them of the window sill area. However, the problem is easily solved by installing the same countertop as the kitchen unit.
How to make a heating radiator instead of a refrigerator
If there is no need for space to store workpieces or utensils, you can use the free space to install a heating radiator.
You can leave the radiator under the window.
To do this you need:
- Remove doors and shelves.
- Carry out insulation. To prevent condensation from accumulating on the wall, brick should be used as a thermal insulation layer. Only after laying it can you cover the niche with plasterboard. As a result, there should be a free space about 15 cm deep.
- Install the radiator. The location of the heating radiator under the window is one of the most optimal. The influx of warm air rising upward serves as a barrier to the penetration of cold from the window.
If there is an empty niche under the window sill, deepen it.
Use the niche for storing vegetables and canning
To avoid loading the refrigerator with vegetables in the winter, you can use this niche as a cold pantry. If necessary, insulate the wall a little so that during severe frosts the vegetables do not freeze. Replace shelves and front doors with more modern and practical ones. You can even use glass ones, the only condition is that there must be order so as not to spoil the aesthetic appearance of the interior.
Glazing instead of a Khrushchev refrigerator
The part of the wall under the window sill does not serve as a supporting structure, so it can be dismantled without damage. A large window is installed in the resulting opening from the top to the floor. French glazing will make the kitchen brighter. Additionally, you can install a door and equip a loggia.
You can make different designs for the refrigerator under the window.
This option will require not only significant costs, but also coordination with construction supervision authorities. Since such redevelopment affects the appearance of the building, it is necessary to obtain permission to demolish part of the wall before starting work.
You choose the design of your kitchen yourself.
Interesting options in the interior
Once a kitchen structure is installed, its design can be varied in all sorts of ways. If you don’t style the refrigerator as a kitchen set (as mentioned above), you can show your author’s imagination. Here, different options are already possible at the discretion of the master: this is pasting plastic doors with wallpaper (as an option, 3D photo wallpaper), and processing the doors along the edges with beautiful patterned strips (plastic or wooden).
Particularly creative individuals may be interested in artistic door painting and many other alternatives. You can choose an acceptable design style to suit the taste of the kitchen owner. This design, again with careful consideration of the issue, can easily and harmoniously fit into any interior of the room, giving it interesting notes.
Interesting examples of kitchen design with a niche under the window
In addition to the listed options for transforming a kitchen niche under a window, there are several more ways to transform a cabinet and fit it into the decor:
- Install the sink above the windowsill. The lower part of the cabinet is used for laying pipes. It is worth considering that when installing a sink opposite a window, splashes will constantly fall on the glass, so it will have to be washed regularly.
- Install an electric fireplace. This element can radically transform the look of a small kitchen and create a cozy atmosphere.
- Make a built-in safe. The space under the window is ideal for arranging a hiding place. The outside can be disguised in such a way that no one will guess about the existence of a hidden safe.
- Integrate household appliances. If space allows, you can install a small compact model of a washing machine or dishwasher in the vacated niche. You can also make a shelf for a microwave oven in place of a kitchen cabinet.
- Set up a minibar. Low temperatures and ventilation help create ideal conditions for storing drinks. You can also make a display case with transparent doors from the cabinet and provide interior lighting.
- Make a dining area. In this case, the niche is completely disassembled, and a large tabletop is installed instead of the window sill. It can be combined with a sink or used to install a hob.
Tips and tricks for use
Regardless of the use of the space under the window, you must follow the basic rules for using a niche:
- When carrying out insulation, do not leave space between the sheathing and the wall. Condensation will accumulate in it, which destroys the brick.
- If the ventilation hole is filled with polyurethane foam, the outside of the hardened composition must be cut off and plastered.
- If the cabinet serves as a winter refrigerator, you need to install tightly closing doors.
- The outer façade of the doors can be chosen to match the color of the kitchen unit to ensure the integrity of the composition.
A clean, tidy kitchen will always be attractive.
Many options for remodeling the cabinet under the window sill will allow you to rationally use the space and transform the interior of the kitchen.
The design and location of the niche make it possible to show your imagination and realize any ideas.
Bring your own kitchen design ideas to life.
Preparing the wiring diagram
To draw up a power distribution diagram at your dacha, you can use two options:
- classic - using a regular pencil and paper;
- modern - using specialized computer programs.
When performing work, it is not necessary to comply with established norms and rules. It is enough to accurately display the installation locations of switches, sockets, lamps, equipment, junction boxes, as well as the location of cable lines. It is first recommended to draw a schematic plan of a country house.
Electrical wiring diagram in a country house
