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It is a mistake to assume that a budget kitchen is all about old-fashioned design and poor quality. In fact, modern technologies make it possible to create wear-resistant and durable materials for different wallets.
Budget Kitchen Design Options in 2022
A budget kitchen differs from an expensive one, first of all, in finishing materials. For the manufacture of furniture, chipboard is most often used. This material is quite strong and durable, and also not as expensive as MDF or solid wood.
The tabletop and apron can be made of laminated chipboard or plastic. The furniture manufacturer also matters. Kitchens created by well-known foreign brands are much more expensive than those produced by local companies.
If the budget for kitchen renovation is limited, you can abandon the individual production of the headset. Ready-made modular kitchens can significantly reduce costs, as they are produced in series. You just need to carefully consider how to arrange the furniture so that it looks good in the room.
Another aspect that will help save money is the equipment of the kitchen. It is important to soberly assess which equipment and accessories are really needed, and which ones will be a waste of money.
For example, a built-in refrigerator is much more expensive than a stand-alone one. The same applies to the rest of the appliances: microwave, hob and oven.
Budget small kitchen design
In miniature rooms, it is better to use a light color palette, as it visually expands the space. It is also important to think carefully about the functionality to ensure maximum comfort and an attractive look. For example, the window sill can be expanded and “turned” into a dining table, thereby saving space.
A kitchen set to the ceiling is now in trend, but its cost is several times higher than that of standard-height furniture. Therefore, if there is no need for a large number of storage spaces, you can refuse high upper cabinets.
Budget corner kitchen design
L-shaped kitchen is convenience, ergonomics and compactness. In its corner, you can place a lot of dishes and other kitchen utensils, but at a cost this form is more expensive than a linear one.
If installing a corner kitchen is the only right decision, and the renovation budget is limited, you will have to save money on something else.
For example, “smart” door opening mechanisms are quite expensive when the doors swing open up and not to the side. By replacing such a system with familiar hinges, you can significantly reduce the cost of the kitchen.
It is also possible to order regular drawers instead of those equipped with a hidden drawer system. High-quality furniture handles are another significant cost item that can be easily abandoned. Facades that open with a light touch can now be found in almost any furniture showroom.
Budget design of the kitchen-living room
In most cases, the kitchen-living room is a spacious room, so many interesting ideas can be realized on it. For example, install a kitchen island, but such a decision will lead to a significant increase in the cost of the project. To get an additional work surface, it is better to put a small bar counter. It will cost a lot less.
Illumination inside kitchen cabinets also looks spectacular, but if you are on a limited budget, you can do without it. If you still want to fill your kitchen with various gadgets, you can prepare a place for them, and buy and install them later.
Budget kitchen studio design
The studio is a kitchen, living room, bedroom and other rooms combined into one space. Here, all functional areas intersect with each other, so creating a cozy and eye-pleasing interior is much more difficult than in a traditional apartment. To make the room look harmonious, you need to decorate the studio in one stylistic direction.
If the renovation budget is limited, it is better to decorate the interior in a Scandinavian, minimalist or eco style. They do not imply expensive finishes and active decor, unlike, for example, the classics. You can abandon the upper part of the kitchen set, replacing them with open shelves.
budget kitchen design with sofa
The sofa in the kitchen can perform two functions: to be a place to eat or to relax. In any case, it adds coziness and comfort to the space. There are many ways to install a sofa in the kitchen. In an elongated room, it can become a continuation of the kitchen set, and in a square room, it can be located in the corner. Also, the sofa looks good by the window.
The material for the kitchen sofa should not be easily soiled or even waterproof. Perfect for leather models. A more budget option is eco-leather. And to make it easy to sit down at the table and leave it, it is better to put a sofa without armrests in the kitchen.
Popular questions and answers
“First of all, you need to answer the question: “Why do you need a kitchen?”. Perhaps you are a person who chooses coffee and toast for breakfast, does not dine at home, and in the evening after work has dinner at a cafe near work. In this case, you do not need a large kitchen with spacious storage systems. It is enough to have a 2-burner hob, a small refrigerator, a kettle or a coffee machine.
Perhaps you are a housewife. You have a big family and you cook a lot. Then, to implement all your needs, you will need a large number of appliances, storage systems, a refrigerator with a large freezer, and a comfortable wear-resistant work surface.
Or maybe you, following current trends, are an adherent of “ready” food delivery services or use the “sports nutrition rations” service that supplies you with food for several days. The main function of the kitchen here is the heating of food. In this case, you need a good roomy fridge and microwave.”
Anna Moskatova, interior designer:
“Don’t give up on a variety of lighting. With the help of light, you can create different moods in the same room. For example, place a small pendant light directly above the dining table. Its soft and warm light will create coziness during family dinners in the evenings.
Be sure to add LED lighting above the countertop. First, cooking is much more comfortable on a well-lit surface. Secondly, if you turn off the rest of the light, such a backlight will create a decorative effect. It will look beautiful both at a romantic candlelit evening and with friendly gatherings in the kitchen.
If you like to have a lot of light in the room at any time of the day, add a row of spotlights along the kitchen unit and along the walls.
“Based on your lifestyle, decide what you can definitely give up. Why do you need extra appliances or a storage system in the form of hanging cabinets. Modern design is inexorably moving towards minimalism. Therefore, act on the basis of your real needs and tasks.
What to do if you decide not to hire an interior designer? The scheme is as simple as possible: make yourself measure the room with a tape measure. It is important to indicate the existing water and electrical outlets and indicate the heights of their location on the plan. Search the Internet for kitchen options that best reflect your wishes. Contact the manager in a specialized kitchen furniture showroom, or visit the Kitchen department in a building hypermarket. There you can get acquainted with the choice of materials, contact a specialist who will collect the most suitable option for you and calculate its cost.
The most expensive part of the kitchen set is the facades. Accordingly, the smaller the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe facades in the kitchen, the lower the cost. Another significant consumable is work surface materials and an apron. Their choice is very large, as well as the range of prices. If you do not want to spend extra money on the kitchen, think about optimizing this particular position.
Drawers, closers, elevator mechanisms will also lead to an increase in the bill. Convenience or the need to fit into the budget – the choice is yours. The technology market is also oversaturated with a proposal for every taste and budget. I advise you to choose the middle price segment in order to get away from the surprises that you may encounter when choosing cheap equipment.
Anna Moskatova, interior designer:
“It is worth focusing on quality materials for kitchen fronts. There are many factors in the kitchen that can quickly turn a new, beautiful kitchen into an untidy and shabby one.
Moisture constantly accumulates in the sink area. Steam is released during cooking. Hot air comes out from the stove and oven. So that this impact does not affect kitchen furniture, you need to choose trusted manufacturers based on the feedback and experience of friends. The most budgetary facade material is chipboard laminated with film. But even such material can last for many years if the choice of the manufacturer is made correctly.
The same goes for kitchen countertops. You should not save and take thin countertops, which will quickly swell from moisture and become chipped. It is better to take a moisture-resistant durable countertop made of 38 mm chipboard, which will retain its original appearance for a long time.
“If you bought a “secondary” with a four-meter kitchen, but dream of a spacious kitchen-living room, you won’t do without significant alterations. It is important to contact qualified professionals in order to get a good result. Yes, there will be a lot of redoing, and in addition to cosmetic repairs, a redevelopment approval project will be required. But isn’t the dream worth the effort?
As for the rest of the cases, it will be inexpensive to transfer the water outlets and bring out the sockets in sufficient quantities. It is important to think through all the details of the project well before starting repair work. And then the spent forces, money and time will be justified. You will surely be pleased with the result.”
Anna Moskatova, interior designer:
“Of course, you can get by with cosmetic measures. For example, change individual elements: replace the tiles on the apron, instead of outdated curtains with patterns, hang more modern plain ones. Even if you change the furniture handles to more elegant ones, you can significantly improve the overall look of the kitchen – the style lies in the details.
Recently, in one interior public, I saw a great example of this approach: an old kitchen with reddish-brown wood-like facades and green shabby walls from Soviet times was transformed beyond recognition. The walls were painted light gray, and the green tiles were replaced with gray-white marble textured panels. At the same time, the kitchen facades, which seemed outdated, seem to have also changed: on a neutral light gray background, they began to look more contrasting and noble.