The bar counter has long been considered a luxury item associated with numerous parties, noisy companies, spacious halls. Today this design solution is present in the most ordinary apartments, solving the zoning of large and small kitchens. This material is a collection of ideas and recommendations regarding the installation of a bar counter in the kitchen.
Zoning Options
A bar counter is often used in the kitchen to divide a room into zones. With its help, you can highlight the cooking area, dining area and relaxation area. Depending on the design of the bar, it can be used as an additional work surface, a place for eating or a place to store kitchen utensils.
There are some of the most popular options for introducing a bar counter into the interior. One of the most common solutions is to install a bar in a studio apartment. As a rule, it comes in the form of a continuation of the corner headset. In this version, this design technique has an important function of zoning space. A partition divides the studio into a kitchen and a living room.
In the case of a closed kitchen, the counter is most often intended for eating or is used as a work surface. This option is most suitable for spacious rooms. A small kitchen can also be complemented by a bar area. There are techniques that allow you to integrate a bar into the kitchen or window opening. With the help of such a layout, you can not only make the interior of a small kitchen more interesting, but also significantly save space. So, for example, a wall-mounted bar counter can easily play the role of a dining table, while the installation of a dining group is not necessary.
Features of the kitchen-living room
Choosing the future design and dimensions of the bar, it is necessary to take into account the area of the room, the height of the ceilings and the place where it will be installed. If we are talking about a kitchen with a breakfast bar combined with a living room, in addition to aesthetic moments, a number of technical requirements should be calculated. First of all, it concerns the choice of hoods for such a kitchen. Since we are talking about cooking in the open, in order to avoid the spread of odors throughout the apartment, you must install the most powerful hood. Definitely, a built-in appliance is not suitable for such a room, because it does not cover the entire cooking area and is low-power. For the studio’s kitchen, it is worthwhile to install an extractor hood, which in its overall dimensions will exceed the surface of the stove (the standard size of the stove is 60x60 cm, the hood should be selected with a width of 90 cm). This technique will increase the efficiency of the device. In addition, separately hanging hoods are not only a useful appliance, but also a stylish accessory that can successfully complement the design of the living room kitchen with a breakfast bar.
The main indicator is the performance of the hood. By productivity is meant the volume of air in cubic meters divided by the hour of operation. So, in order for the hood to work as efficiently as possible, you need to select the correct engine power, which will correspond to the size of the room. There is a universal formula: the area of the kitchen x to the ceiling height x by 10. For example, the area of the kitchen is 12 m 2 , the ceiling height is 2.4 m. Total: 12 x 2.4 x 10 = 288 cubic meters / hour. As for the studio apartment, it is necessary to add 20-30% to the final value.
Integrated window sill
When it comes to small kitchens with a breakfast bar, every centimeter of usable space must be used as rationally as possible. A good idea in this regard can be considered the transformation of the window sill into a bar counter, which will serve as an additional work surface and dining table. This solution will make the corner kitchen, even the smallest, as functional as possible, install all the necessary equipment, make the interior interesting and outstanding.
When installing a bar counter on a windowsill, it should be remembered that this surface will succumb to moisture, sunlight and temperature changes, so the material of the countertop must be durable and high quality. There are several options for integrating the rack into the windowsill. Some of them are so simple that you can make a bar for the kitchen with your own hands. One of the simplest solutions is to put the countertop canvas on the window sill, making the protrusion as deep so that you can comfortably sit behind such a surface, the height of the bar in the kitchen in this case will correspond to the height of the window sill. Such a design can be with an empty bottom or may have additional kitchen modules at its base. Another option is to install a mobile stand. Special fastening of the tabletop and legs will allow you to fold it under the windowsill if necessary.
Classical kitchen-living room with a bar counter
Classical design involves following certain traditions in creating the interior. The kitchen with a corner bar counter in the classical style provides for a headset with figured facades, openwork lattices, stained-glass windows. As well as a lot of decorative details, textures and colors that convey the atmosphere of Provence, country, rococo, etc. It would seem that in this ensemble the bar counter is an absolutely superfluous item. Fortunately, modern designers offer many relevant and at the same time sophisticated ideas on how to incorporate a bar counter into a classic interior.
In order to make the bar perfectly fit into the classic interior, it is best to order it with the kitchen. This will allow, for example, to sheathe the base of the rack with the same facades of which the furniture is made, while creating a harmonious ensemble. The two-level bar counter can be supplemented with cornices and balustrades from the headset, which allows you to create a single concept of classic cuisine. Extremely elegant designs look at the base of which there are several modules with stained-glass windows and lighting. They are more airy. A successful addition will be accessories specially designed for classic bar counters. They are made of a material that imitates antique gold, bronze, aged metal, etc. Instead of bar tubes or additional cabinets, it is possible to install a winery in the base of such a rack. This is not only a functional solution, but also a very interesting design technique.
Kitchen Cafe
Today, cafe-style kitchen design is gaining popularity. This design solution is especially well combined with the classic facades of the kitchen. It will help to realize the interesting idea of a kitchen with a breakfast bar combined with a living room. In order to stylize the kitchen space as a cozy coffee house, it is necessary to use the appropriate materials, textures, decor details in the wall, floor, window cladding, etc. The interior must have brickwork, or its imitation, plaster, the floor in the dining area can be supplemented street tile coating. The furniture will create a special atmosphere: a round table on one leg, small sofas, wicker or forged furniture, chandeliers resembling street lamps, open shelves, slate board, open wine cellar. The decor should use interesting signs and posters, a large coffee machine, vintage and antique objects.
A mandatory element of the kitchen-cafe will be a bar counter that simulates a counter in a coffee shop. It is best to install a tall structure with tall bar stools. The design of the bar may include holders for glasses, cups and bottles. Brick, stone or materials that imitate them will look good as the foundation of the structure.
Bar counter in a modern interior
The most successful bar counter fits into the interior in the Art Nouveau and hi-tech style. Thanks to many modern materials, it has become possible to produce the most unusual designs of bar zones. So, for example, thanks to acrylic, which is easily subjected to all kinds of processing, it is possible to make a bar counter of absolutely any shape (in the form of a wave, drop, zigzag, etc.). The price of a bar for the kitchen will be above average, but the practicality and durability of the material will justify the costs. You can set the bar on the corner kitchen in such a way that from the L-shaped set to turn into a U-shaped. This technique will greatly enhance the functionalism of space and the ergonomics of the kitchen.
In the case of modern style, the transition angle from the headset to the stand does not have to be made straight. Thanks to the radiused facades made of flexible MDF, this line can be made smooth and rounded. A good solution would be the use of various types of lighting, frosted and glossy glass, chrome-plated accessories in the design of a modern bar counter. If we are talking about a kitchen-living room with a bar counter, at the base of which additional headset modules are installed, a mini-bar can be integrated into such a model. With its facade, it will go into the recreation area, which will provide quick access to soft drinks and save space in the refrigerator.
Island kitchen
Modern design allows you to choose a completely non-standard approach in the layout of the headset. More and more popular are kitchens with an island - a stand-alone construction, usually made of the same materials as the set itself. Obviously, such a design solution is suitable for large rooms, because it is necessary to ensure sufficient distance between the island and the main headset, as well as convenient access to the island from all sides. Corner kitchen in combination with the island part of the most functional layout. This arrangement of furniture provides the correct ergonomics of the kitchen and an effective "working triangle".
This design is multifunctional, in addition, it will save usable space and money spent on a separate bar counter. The layout of such a module can be completely different. As for the functionality, the hob, oven, sink can be installed on the island. The island with a bar can be used as a storage place or an additional work surface. Thanks to the installation of such a module, it becomes possible to zone the space of a large kitchen or to separate the kitchen from the living room in the studio apartment.
The island with a bar can be monolithic or multi-level. In the first case, the bar is installed flush with the main surface, in the second - on a hill. The base (bottom) of the island rack may be empty, or may consist of additional modules for storage, open shelves, cells for bottles.
Bar counter material
The bar counter consists of two main parts: countertops and the jay itself. The choice of materials for these structural elements will depend on what the final price of the bar counter for the kitchen will be. The exact cost is difficult to name. For example, the simplest ready-made design for a small kitchen can also be purchased for 5000 rubles. At that time, the cost of racks made to order varies quite noticeably and starts from 13 000 rubles. per sq. m
The classic interior obliges you to approach the choice of materials with special attention. Very harmoniously, in combination with a classic kitchen set, the bar counter from a natural tree looks. A similar piece of furniture is the personification of luxury and good taste. For the manufacture of a bar counter made of natural wood, it is worth choosing hardwoods: oak, beech, birch. Among the shortcomings are the high price and the need for regular thorough care.
Acrylic is considered to be a durable universal material, which can be used both in the manufacture of countertops for bar counters and supporting structural parts. Acrylic is easy to process, which makes it possible to make radial, rounded, curved elements from this material. Thanks to this feature, it is possible to create a kitchen design with a C-shaped bar counter. Acrylic constructions are an ideal option for a kitchen in a modern style. Among the advantages - a rich color scheme (the surface can be plain or imitate stone, glossy or matte), versatility, strength. The material is easy to restore. The main disadvantage is the high cost.
The most budgetary will be a bar counter, in the design of which bar pipes and a tabletop made of chipboard are used. Chipboard is a material that is widely used in furniture manufacturing. The popularity of chipboard is associated with its low cost and a large selection of colors and textures. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the fact that this material is subject to mechanical damage and moisture. Using chipboard in the manufacture of countertops for a bar counter, you need to make sure that the plate is completely covered with plastic, the edge is securely fixed to the end of the canvas.
Bar counter size
There are a number of recommendations regarding the optimal overall dimensions of the bar. The standard height of the bar in the kitchen is 110 cm, if the owners of the house are taller than average, the design should be increased to 120-130 cm. How comfortable it will be to sit at the counter depends on the correct choice of chairs. For a bar counter 110 cm, the optimal height of the chair is 75-80 cm, for 120 cm and above - 85-90 cm. The length of the countertop is determined based on the rule - a comfortable space for one person is 60 cm. Accordingly, the minimum length will be at least 120 cm. Depth countertops standard - 60 cm.
Accessories for bar counters
Today, manufacturers offer a wide selection of accessories, fittings and components for bar counters. Thanks to these things, the functionality of the structure increases, additional systems for storing dishes, products, and drinks appear. It is especially important to use additional accessories for multi-level racks, since this technique will allow you to effectively manage your free space.
As a rule, accessories for bar counters are made of metal or metal in combination with high-strength glass. In this case, the metal can be chrome-plated, matte, stylized as bronze, copper, antique gold. Round and trapezoidal shelves for fruits, glasses, seasonings are attached to the central bar tube; hangers for kitchen utensils and towels; various designs for bottles.