Kitchen interior with breakfast bar

Long gone are the days when the Russian counter in the kitchen was just a fad. Today, the swearing counter in the interior is a multifunctional home decoration item that allows you to become an alternative to a bulky dining table in a small kitchen, and in a spacious studio kitchen you can effectively zon the space, highlighting the kitchen segment in the living room without cluttering the room. The kitchen bar is no longer associated with a relaxed atmosphere, cocktails and parties. This is a concise and effective way to organize a place for short meals, and in some cases the only way to design a dining area within the kitchen. This is an additional surface for the implementation of working kitchen processes and an interesting detail in the design. The bar counter can organically fit into the existing image of the room, and become its accent, a highlight of the interior.

All variations of the kitchen interior cannot be listed, but the main points that indicate the feasibility of equipping the kitchen with a bar (or its simplified counterparts) can be highlighted. So, it makes sense to install a kitchen rack in case:

• your modest kitchen area should include a dining area. And there is simply no place to set up a table, nor is it possible to organize a dining room in a separate room;
• the kitchen is a room combined with the living room and the bar counter will become not only a place for eating, but also an element of zoning of space;
• you have space (separate or as part of a spacious kitchen) for setting the dining table, but you need a surface for organizing short meals (breakfast, coffee breaks, afternoon snacks). The presence of the bar eliminates the need for serving a large table in those moments when there is not enough time for this;
• you like the modern and interesting appearance of the bar, among your household there are no elderly people, or small children who would have difficulty sitting on swearing chairs or stools.

If you decide to choose a kitchen design with a breakfast bar, then you will have many opportunities for design, as the design itself, and additions to it. The bar counter can be either part of a finished furniture solution for the kitchen, or it can be the result of custom-made work. Of course, designers recommend making a bar counter according to your size and in accordance with the main outline of the design of the kitchen - so the design will become a harmonious part of the design of the kitchen. But even among ready-made solutions, you can find the best option that meets your requirements for workmanship, dimensions and price category.

If you still think that the pillar is a rectangular countertop, raised 100-115 cm above the floor, then you are only partially right. There are a lot of variations in the performance of racks, both in the choice of form, worktop material, and in relation to the rest of the kitchen furniture, in height and depth. The bar counter can be part of an island or a peninsula, be a stand-alone module, or be made in the form of a conventional console on legs-stands or be built into the kitchen. Options are limited only by the imagination of the designer, the amount of free space in the kitchen and the financial possibilities of the owners.

Bar counters are single or multi-level.Its countertop can be a continuation of the surface of an island or a peninsula or it can be an independent plane, which is located one level higher or be integrated into the facade of a furniture module. Execution options depend on your preferences, the growth of the owners and the execution of the kitchen furniture with which the counter stands in the ensemble. It is important not only to choose the dimensions of the structure correctly, but also to take into account ergonomics, because being at the bar counter top should be not only convenient and comfortable, but also safe for health. In particular, these factors are important for those who organize the design of the bar counter as a dining surface.

The length of the countertop of the bar is 45-60 cm per person. Of course, in conditions of colossal space saving, this unspoken rule can be neglected, but the distance of less than 45 cm for each household (even slender) ceases to be comfortable and ergonomic.

The round bar is suitable for kitchens with a small margin. The advantage of this form is not only the original appearance, but also the ability, if necessary, to add an additional seat without any loss in comfort.

One of the most common bar counter designs is continuation of the countertop or integration of the independent surface of a kitchen island or peninsula. The island is most often used in kitchen spaces of medium and large sizes, the peninsula is also suitable for kitchens with a modest area.

In addition to its obvious function (organizing a place for meals, quick snacks or taking drinks), the bar counter in the kitchen studio can serve as an element of zoning. It can conditionally separate the kitchen segment from the dining room or the kitchen from the living room. In both cases, there is no need to resort to other methods of zoning - furniture plays a major role.

For a small-sized kitchen, in which the installation of a full-fledged island or peninsula as a base for organizing a bar is not possible, there is a way to organize a simple and concise version of the surface for meals. Extending the countertop of a kitchen unit in a linear or parallel layout of a furniture ensemble, you can get a small, but quite comfortable dining area.

Another way to organize a small surface for meals is to embed a console between two vertical planes. These walls can be artificially created borders of a niche or may initially be a feature of the geometry of the kitchen. In any case, for small rooms this way of preserving the dining segment within the kitchen may be the only possible and optimal.

The bar counter, or rather the dining console, can be just a countertop resting on the floor or cutting surfaces of the kitchen unit. If there is not enough free space in the kitchen space, but at the same time there is the possibility of organizing a zone for meals at the window - this coincidence cannot be missed. Especially if a beautiful landscape opens out the window. Crampedness in square meters will not be felt so much if during the meal you look at the street, where it is easiest to feel the space.

It is worth noting immediately that there are no canons for choosing the material of the countertop for the kitchen rack. The surface can be made of the same material as all countertops of the kitchen set or radically differ. Even the style of performance can be different. The piquancy of the furniture ensemble will be brought precisely by the difference in the processing method, color scheme or the choice of raw materials for the manufacture of counter tops and kitchen islands or peninsulas.

The following materials are widely used for the manufacture of countertops for bar counters:

• tree;
• metal (most often stainless steel, less often - aluminum);
• glass;
• plastic;
• laminate;
• natural or artificial stone;
• ceramics.

The bar counter can be a great accent. For example, in a kitchen space done in bright colors, the dark counter top will be a contrast, attracting everyone's attention. No less effect can be achieved if you add color differences and textural features to the difference. Light glossy countertops of the furniture set will be an excellent background for a bar counter made of dark wood or stone with a colorful natural pattern.

If you need a harmonious, calm and even laconic version of the design of the entire kitchen sector, then use the same material for the execution of the countertops of the bar counter as for the other cutting surfaces. Ideally, the countertop for eating simply continues the working surface of the kitchen set.

In a country-style kitchen space, a solid wood worktop will look more than appropriate. Some rustic design can emphasize the stylistic features, without prejudice to the comfort of the zone for short meals (and in some cases the only place for eating).

Laminated countertops can be presented in a wide range of colors. Any picture can be hidden under a glossy film - from a spectacular imitation of wood or stone to your family portrait. Of course, such an element of the interior is simply doomed to become the focal point around which the whole design concept is built. To maintain harmony, it is better to use such a noticeable print on the countertops in only one place - on the bar counter.

A worktop made of artificial or natural stone is a "classic of the genre." Such surfaces add a degree of luxury to the entire kitchen interior with their appearance. If you choose a stone (or its spectacular imitation) with an outstanding natural pattern, then it is better to use one breed for the countertops of the kitchen set or for the dining surface of the counter.

The glass top, raised above the main surface on short racks, is light and weightless. For the contemporary style of kitchen design, such a finishing touch will be a luxurious point at the end of the offer. Of course, toughened glass of large thickness will cost a lot, but durability, strength and a respectable appearance will more than pay off the costs.

There are many variations on the performance of bar stools or stools. They can be made of metal or wood, plastic or woven from vines, rattan. Upholstery can be present both on the seats and on the backs of structures. Footrests for convenient positioning of the legs, armrests, the ability to adjust the height of the seats and the angle of inclination of the backs - there are a lot of upgrade options for this traditional piece of furniture for bars. But in a living space, the choice of the model of a bar stool or stool depends on the style of interior design, the level of comfort that the owners need and their financial capabilities.

If your kitchen counter is a full-fledged dining table and a lot of time is spent at the meal - bar stools should be as comfortable as possible. Not only a soft seat, but also the presence of a backrest (for some and armrests) is a prerequisite. But the comfort of staying in the kitchen space is a risky event for those who constantly diet and count calories. On comfortable chairs, you can sit at the counter for longer and eat more than you could get enough of. As always, the "truth" is somewhere in between - when choosing bar stools or stools, be guided by the habits and lifestyle of households.

One of the universal options for the execution of bar stools in a kitchen decorated in a modern style is a design with a metal (often chromed) frame and leather upholstery of the seats (and backs, if the counter is designed for all types of meals). This practical and outwardly attractive ensemble will last a long time and will not cause trouble in cleaning surfaces.

For the traditional style of kitchen design, a set of wooden chairs with a back will be an ideal companion to the bar counter. Such models may have soft seats and backs and slightly curved legs. The color scheme for such bar stools can be sustained in the general outline of the design of the kitchen or become its bright accent.

If the kitchen area with a breakfast bar is part of a combined room, in which there is a dining room and a living room, then the best option for creating a harmonious image of the whole space will be the choice of bar stools and chairs for a dining group from the same collection. A single color scheme and material choice will help to balance the multifunctional interior, without depriving it of uniqueness, because the design of bar and dining chairs will differ.