The desire to increase the area of the room by using or adding a loggia is typical for the monasteries of city apartments, especially the old layout. To do this, the balcony is combined with the bedroom, a kind of bay window is formed in the living room, and they try to organize the kitchen space on the loggia.
However, a kitchen on a balcony or loggia is a very expensive and complicated undertaking.
Is it possible to move the kitchen to the balcony?
The layout of the kitchen with access to the balcony is a very good solution. By making maximum use of the balcony space, you can create a functional room. But the partition can be demolished only with the permission of the governing bodies. A balcony is a remote structure located behind a main wall and cannot support heavy weight; it is prohibited to move a kitchen onto it. The loggia does not extend beyond the wall and can withstand the same load as other rooms in the apartment, so you can use it to create a kitchen space.
About flowers
The idea of combining a kitchen with a loggia is very good, especially if you choose the right color scheme. You can use light yellow shades or even light green. To create a certain perception, you can combine matte and glossy surfaces.
Using a monochrome palette with bright red accents can make your space look bold and crisp.
You shouldn’t shy away from using dark-colored kitchen units in your interior. If you skillfully combine it with a light finish, you can achieve a pleasant effect, as in the photo.
Don’t forget about the important purpose of the kitchen – eating. Therefore, the choice of color should take this nuance into account. After all, it is known that some shades stimulate the production of gastric juice, while others do the opposite. So, cold shades reduce appetite, and warm shades increase it. Therefore, for most ladies the first option will be more relevant.
Pros and cons of arranging a kitchen on a loggia
Before starting the remodel, you need to think through all the pros and cons of arranging a kitchen on a loggia. Main advantages:
- Expanding the kitchen area by moving cabinets and large household appliances.
- Convenient use of the sink, work surface and hob near the window due to high-quality natural light.
- When designing the transition zone in the form of a beautiful arch with lamps, a beautiful visual effect is created.
- The loggia is often decorated with a dining area, separated from the main room by a bar counter.
- The appearance of additional sources of natural lighting in the kitchen.
For small kitchens, moving the kitchen to the loggia is an excellent solution that allows you to change the layout of the kitchen space.
Flaws:
- Carrying out complex installation work that requires high costs - insulation, strengthening, cladding, re-equipment.
- Obtaining consent for redevelopment, which is a difficult stage.
- Not any repair work is allowed, for example, you cannot move a balcony wall because it is load-bearing.
Legitimation procedure
As you know, certain manipulations during repairs can only be performed with the permission of the relevant organizations. For example, you cannot touch a load-bearing wall. If you make a passage in it or destroy it in some other way, serious negative changes in the design may occur, which can lead to very unpleasant and even disastrous consequences. Therefore, unauthorized alteration of the layout is a risky path, and it can also lead to fines if such a fact is detected by regulatory authorities.
How to get permission to convert a loggia into a kitchen
After the consent is received, the conditions are checked by Rospotrebnadzor and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. And finally, you can go for planning permission from the management company, to which you need to provide all the collected documents and the final layout of the layout.
Approval is a tricky step, so here are some helpful tips:
- After approval of the work by the technical inventory department, it is necessary to coordinate the repairs in the kitchen with the listed authorities.
- Posting a copy of the permit on the front door to reassure neighbors.
- Window installation is carried out without obtaining permission.
- Drawing up an act on carrying out hidden work only in the presence of an inspector from the housing commission.
- Carrying out repairs in the warm season to obtain high-quality insulation.
- Installation of safety valves in case of installation of a hood.
Redevelopment project
Conclusion
Relocating a kitchen is a painstaking process that requires mandatory prior approval and the participation of many specialists. During repairs, you will need to contact the BTI, the Moscow Housing Inspectorate, the management company, and sometimes Mosgaz and Mosenergo.
Before starting the redevelopment, we recommend that you contact APM-1 for a consultation so that you have a clear understanding of what stages are important not to skip and what preliminary work in the apartment needs to be done in your case, because each redevelopment is individual.
Leave a request for a free consultation on apartment redevelopment
Zamyatin Dmitry Alekseevich
Zamyatin Dmitry Alekseevich
General Director of LLC "APM-1" Design workshop PEREPLAN.
Education: Higher technical (Master's degree from Moscow State University of Civil Engineering)
Specialization Coordination of redevelopment of commercial and residential real estate in Moscow and St. Petersburg
How to make a kitchen on a loggia
When all the documents have been collected and consent has been received, they move on to arranging the kitchen on the loggia. It consists of several mandatory repairs.
Enlargement of the loggia
Increasing a small balcony area occurs in several ways:
- Placing glazing along the parapet at a distance of up to 30 cm. This is not a difficult job and does not require coordination with the governing bodies.
- Extension of the base of the loggia slab. This is a very difficult process that requires a lot of money, time and safety assessment from specialists.
Standard size balcony with seating area
Insulation and glazing
The level of thermal insulation on the balcony should not differ from the level in other rooms. When insulating, the space is “eaten up” by about 10-15 cm, so it is better not to do this on small loggias. For insulation, use basalt wool or polystyrene foam. Since when moving a kitchen it is not allowed to place radiators on the balcony, they are replaced with warm floors or electric convectors. Glazing involves the installation of metal-plastic windows with double or triple glazing.
Transfer of communications and devices to the loggia
The oven and gas stove cannot be moved onto the loggia in a manner that complies with safety regulations. Therefore, instead of them, an electric stove or electric hob is installed. You can move the sink if you first obtain permission to do so. This is the best solution, since the sink and worktop are located in a comfortable place. All necessary communications are carried out during the repair stage.
Finishing
The last stage of moving the kitchen to the balcony is finishing - external and internal. It depends on the design of the remaining rooms in the apartment. Tile, linoleum, and laminate are often chosen as floor finishes. To visually increase the area of the loggia, the coating is laid in a diagonal direction.
The walls are finished with panels, plywood and plasterboard, followed by painting or gluing. When moving the kitchen onto the loggia, choose moisture- and heat-resistant materials. The surface of the ceiling is finished with plaster, paint, wooden slats, or a stretch fabric is used.
If there is sufficient window sill area, it can be used in several ways:
- Like a kitchen table with stools or high-backed chairs. The main advantage is snacks with a beautiful panoramic view.
- Storage space designed in the form of shelves, drawers, pull-out sections.
- Place for drying dishes.
It happens that the window sill on the balcony is reduced to the minimum size, and all the listed areas are placed in other places.
Arrangement of kitchen areas
A good solution for small kitchens is to move the dining area to the balcony. This will not only expand the area, but also create a beautiful design. Panoramic glazing looks beautiful. Here you need to make high-quality lighting located above the table.
Arranging the kitchen work area on the loggia involves moving all electrical appliances. Before doing this, you need to think about the location of the outlets in advance. If the partition is not completely removed, it is used under the bar counter.
The bar counter with a comfortable seating area on the balcony looks beautiful. To do this, the window sill is converted into a tabletop, and bar stools are installed. If space allows, install a small sofa or chairs with a coffee table. For small kitchens, a good solution is to place the refrigerator on the balcony. Due to this, square meters will be freed up.
Sewerage
Laying sewerage on a loggia is the most labor-intensive. A kitchen-loggia cannot do without a drain, and it may be located far from the sewer riser, so you will have to drain it through the entire apartment.
The main problem and feature of laying sewer pipes is the mandatory requirement to maintain their uniform slope. If you hide this pipe in a box, it should be quite high, so that, moving away from the sink in the highest position, the pipe gradually drops to the level of the entrance to the sewer riser, being in the box throughout its entire length.
When laying a sewer system during a major overhaul, you can make grooves in the walls for laying the pipe or mask it with plasterboard.
For a kitchen drain, a 50 mm pipe is considered optimal. As it should be when laying a sewer system, sharp turns should be avoided here, trying to make them smoother, and where this is not possible, it is necessary to install an inspection through which blockages are removed. In this case, the slope of the sewer pipe per meter of length should be within 1-2 cm.
Cold glazing of balconies and loggias with aluminum profiles
Forged balcony railings
Ideas for moving the kitchen to the loggia
The relocation of the kitchen is influenced by the size of the loggia and the possibility of installing furniture and equipment on it.
Full transfer
A complete transfer is possible if permission is received to demolish the partition between the kitchen and the loggia. Major work is being carried out to install water supply and sewerage pipes, mounted in the floor or covered with a special box.
The placement of kitchen furniture and equipment depends on the dimensions of the loggia. The most comfortable option is to install the sink, stove and countertop along the window. In this case, a U-shaped kitchen set is installed, which uses the space more efficiently. Another way is to place household appliances, a sink and a stove near one wall, and a refrigerator and work area near the other.
Partial transfer
When partially moving the kitchen, the balcony door is removed, but the partition is not affected. You can make a bar counter or tabletop out of it. The result is a room divided into two functional zones. Often kitchen appliances that are easy to connect, such as a freezer, refrigerator or microwave, are placed on the balcony. The spacious area is equipped with cabinets or shelves where rarely used kitchen utensils are stored.
Rest zone
The balcony is decorated brighter than the design in the kitchen, a sofa or armchairs, a small table for tea parties are installed, shelves, flowers, and paintings are hung. You can also equip a bar counter by the window with a pair of high chairs.
Relocating the dining area
Transferring the dining area from the kitchen to the balcony is arranged in two different ways:
- Installing a bar counter and high chairs along the window. This option can accommodate up to 4-5 people.
- The location of the table in the balcony opening above the window sill. This method is suitable for families of up to 3 people.
Storage space
The main task when organizing storage is to properly insulate the balcony. If you want to store food or preserves, you should not get carried away with floor heating. Often, to maintain the desired temperature, it is enough to carry out high-quality glazing. It is important to control humidity as not all foods can withstand moisture. Suitable for studios where the previous balcony space is converted into a comfortable kitchen niche.
Decoration Materials
The choice of finishes for a kitchen with a balcony is no different from a regular kitchen space. Materials should be practical, match the color and texture with the rest of the interior, and be easy to clean.
Floor
Tiles are often used for flooring. This is a durable, wear-resistant material; the tile can easily withstand temperature changes, heat, and is not afraid of water. The weak point of such a floor is the grout; it is in the seams that dirt accumulates and mold can occur. To avoid this, the seams must be treated with water-repellent agents.
Laminate flooring is also good for the kitchen. It can be combined with tiles or stone, for example, in the area of the apron there is tile, and on the balcony with the dining room there is laminate. The most affordable flooring option is linoleum. It easily spreads onto the floor, and there is no need to pre-level the base. Linoleum can be easily installed without dismantling the old floor.
Kitchen design options on the balcony
Equipping a kitchen on a loggia is a single stylistic idea. When properly decorated, the result is a beautiful design, endowed with charm and convenience. Not completely relocating the kitchen means that the balcony is part of the room, so its style should be consistent with the main room. When completely moving the kitchen area, you can choose any direction of interior style. Since, most often, a balcony is a small space, they choose the style of minimalism, loft, or hi-tech.
Loft style decoration
For a small loggia, a mini-kitchen set with open upper shelves and narrow cabinets up to the ceiling that do not waste a lot of space is suitable. The window sill is converted into a tabletop or hob. This kitchen can comfortably accommodate up to 3 people.
Unusual solutions
Non-standard solutions are also possible on the balcony. For example, you can move the sink and washing machine onto the loggia. Due to the small size of the bathroom, a washing machine is often installed in kitchens and takes up quite a lot of space.
You can also build an impromptu laundry area on the balcony, install a washing machine, electric dryer and ironing board there. A small balcony space is also well suited for a secluded office or an area for homework for a schoolchild or student.
