12 tips for arranging the sill-table in the kitchen

Do you want from anywhere to find at least a bit of useful space in your small kitchen? This is possible if you use a window sill - replace it with a countertop and integrate it into the working or dining area. From this article you will learn how to do this as efficiently as possible, what technical nuances need to be taken into account when altering, and what variations of the sill-tabletop are.

General rules for reworking the sill-top and practical tips

1. The main condition for the arrangement of the sill-tabletop of any configuration - air around the radiator should circulate freely.

The heat from the battery should go up unhindered to the window, and the cold air from the window - go down. Otherwise, the kitchen will become cold and damp and, even more dangerous, the kitchen windows will start to fog. If the latter happens, then the slopes of the window, and then the walls of the kitchen will be covered with mold.

What to do? If you plan to use the sill as a table or cabinet with open shelves, then for a normal It is sufficient to make a few holes in the air exchange or to install a ventilation grille as shown in these photo-examples.

If you plan to equip the sill sub-tabletop with cabinets, then their doors should have perforations or grid inserts, as, for example, in this photo.

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See also: How to use windows in kitchen design

1. Keep in mind that the sill-top and, especially, the built-in cabinet above the radiator (even with latticed doors) will worsen the heating of the kitchen (2-3 degrees). Compensate for the loss of heat can be due to the installation of an additional radiator or a system of warm floors. In addition, the battery from under the windowsill can be moved to another location on the same wall or adjacent wall. The transfer of the radiator ideally requires an agreed project and thermal calculation, but in practice it is often sufficient for the management company to agree at home. And one more nuance - since the transfer / replacement of the battery requires the shutdown of the riser and drainage of water, this should be handled in the non-heating season.
2. The window should be higher than the window sill-countertop not less than, see
3. To avoid the formation of mold on window slopes, do not forget to treat them with an antiseptic primer. And that the slopes can often be cleaned from random spots and splashes, they should be dyed with moisture-resistant paint.
4. On the window-sill-top in no case can not install the stove. First, it is prohibited by sanitary and building codes, and secondly, it's just impractical, because the splashes of oil during cooking will certainly be on the windows.
5. When planning to leave the battery under the window-sill, it is highly advisable to cover it with a decorative screen, paint it in a bright color or in the tone of the wall. However, sometimes it is enough to replace a large and obsolete radiator with a more compact and modern one.

1. Due to the proximity of the window and the abutment to the outer wall, the sill-top must be made of a super-wear-resistant material. Ideal option - artificial stone, which is not afraid of moisture or culinary work, and, moreover, it allows you to create a seamless surface. In the event that the outer wall of the kitchen freezes and flows, the windows are prone to fogging and indoors sometime "Bloomed" the mold, it is worthwhile to reinsure and choose to equip the sill-countertop is artificial a rock.

1. No matter how you arrange the space under the window, it should be well illuminated. For this, wall sconces or hanging lamps can be used. If the window sill-table works as a bar counter, then the hanging lamp can be hung at a height of 70 cm from its surface. Lamps above the working area can hang and higher, the main thing is to place them directly above or in front of workplace, and not behind it (otherwise the person standing behind the countertop will simply close the light from his lamp back).

1. The window above the window-sill-top is most practical for decorating with cassette blind curtains, fastening directly to the sashes. Also for window decoration, all kinds of short curtains are suitable: Roman curtains, standard rolls, horizontal blinds, curtains-cafe or classic curtains.

1. Sometimes, to squeeze the maximum out of the mini-kitchen, you need a sill-top with a canopy of irregular shape. So, for example, it can narrow in the zone of increased traffic (say, in a refrigerator) and expand where it is more spacious.

It is also very good when the corners of the window sill are not sharp, but rounded.

1. When arranging the working window sill-tabletops, the search for an embedded The dishwasher is of a suitable height; most models of PMM are designed for the height of the lower tier kitchen 82 cm.
2. If the window sill has very wide slopes, then its new countertop (and the cupboards and, probably, a sink offered to it) should preferably be narrowed. After all, if you add the depth of a wide window sill to the depth of a standard 60-centimeter countertop, you get too much distance from the window to the edge of the table.

Options for equipping the sill-tabletop

The window sill-counter can be arranged and used as:

• Working area with a sink under the window;
• Working surface for preparation of products (without washing);
• Dining area or bar for breakfast and snacks;
• Additional storage space for machinery, products and utensils.

Let's consider each of these options in more detail.

Sill-top as working surface (without sink)

The conversion of the window sill into the table top allows to increase the working surface with a minimal clutter of the kitchen, it makes it possible to cook under pleasant daylight and with a view to the window. Also, the window sill-tabletop assumes a bonus-the ability to use it as a bar table or equip the podium with additional storage spaces. However, there are disadvantages at the window working surface:

Since most often the windowsill-tabletop implies a union with the suite, the question arises: what if the height of the window sill and the kitchen floorcases do not match? Here are a few solutions:

• If the window sill is above the pedestal headset, then everything is simple: the kitchen top and cabinets line up under the window. In this case, the gap between the window sill and the table top is protected by the same material with which the apron is trimmed or covered with a ventilation grill. The canopy of the window-top in this case can be cut off, the sill should be replaced with a shield in the tone of the countertop and used as a shelf.

• If the difference between the window sill and the curbstones is not large, the kitchen furniture is adjusted to the window sill due to the base and legs, less often due to the height of the pedestals and the build-up of the floor height. Here are a few useful figures:

• If the sill is below the kitchen furniture, then it is more difficult to remodel it into a table top. The most radical way is the following: the window sill is built to the height of the furniture, and the window is set to a smaller size. However, this is possible only in a private house, and in a city apartment such interference in the bearing wall and facade of the building is prohibited. However, if the window goes to the loggia, then it is legally possible to "pick it up" legally. The second way: the size of the window opening does not change, but the window design changes - it is supplemented by a horizontal impost (an additional profile of the frame). As a result, the lower part turns out to be deaf and closes the cabinet, while the doors on the sill open as usual. Outside, the deaf part of the window can be hidden behind a balcony balcony pot.

The third and simplest way: the kitchen is simply installed on top of the windowsill (see. photo below), and the niche formed behind it is used to store household chemicals or houseplants. Unfortunately, this solution is not ideal: you can not open the window open, the niche will not be so just clean, insolation of the premises will deteriorate, and from the standpoint of fire safety the idea is not too is successful. However, these inconveniences are not so critical.

And finally, the fourth way: the windowsill and furniture are combined, but they are not adjusted to each other in height, but the kitchen countertop is adjusted for them. You can beat the difference between surfaces in different ways. For example, different levels of the kitchen can simply be faced with the same countertops. As a result, the interior will be at least not as harmonious, but in general it will look good.

Also, different levels of the kitchen can combine a single table top with invisible seams (in this case it must be made of wood, and preferably made of artificial stone of contrasting color).

Window-sill-top with sink

Window-sill-top with a sink - this is the most desired, complex and costly in the implementation of the project of alteration. In addition to the problems described in the previous chapter, the issue of supplying water and drain pipes to the window is added. In addition, the sink in the windowsill even brightens the home routine with pleasant lighting and views of the surroundings, in practice it is not always convenient. Firstly, if the window slopes are not too wide, the window will often splatter. Secondly, the sink mixer will prevent the windows from opening.

And here are other useful tips for arranging the sill-tabletop with a sink:

• It is desirable that at least one window leaf is opened by 90 degrees, then you can easily clean the window completely. To do this, place the sink not in the center of the opening, but closer to the edge.

The exception is the tricuspid windows - in this case the conch is placed opposite the central blind flap.

• To the windows as little as possible to get a splash of water, choose a deep sink, and mixer is better to choose with a medium or deep spout.
• If possible, it is necessary to install a collapsible (with bayonet mount) instead of a conventional mixer. Such models are more expensive, but they allow you to open windows of the window-sill open-ended without problems.
• Since there can not be a cabinet for storing dishes above the sink at the window, it should be provided on the side of the sink or under it. For the same reason, a sink should be chosen with a wing for drying utensils.

Sill-counter as a dining area or a place for snacks

To change a window sill in a bar rack or a dining table is the easiest - just replace it countertop, add to it one or two pillars or a table (if necessary) and choose suitable chairs. As a result, the dining area is compact, well lit and very cozy.

• Keep in mind that from the front edge of the window sill-bar to the radiator / wall should be a distance of at least 25 cm, otherwise they will rest on the legs of those seated.

• The shape of the window-sill may have an irregular shape as shown in the photo below.

• If the window sill is too low, the countertop of the bar rack can be set to the desired height using brackets or supports.

• A table on the basis of a window sill may be part of a single kitchen line, lined with G-or P-shaped.

• How to make a dining table-sill with your own hands? Just set the flip wall table on the same level as on the photo below.

Read also: All about the kitchen with a bar counter.

Sill-top with small storage system

As on the windowsill-tabletop, so under it you can store things, products and equipment.

• Ideally, there should not be anything on the windowsill except for a couple of light and small objects. After all, his clutter will diminish the lighting of the kitchen and introduce a sense of disorder into the interior. However, when the kitchen is very small, there is nowhere to go - you have to use the window sill as a store of culinary gadgets.

• If there is a radiator in the cabinet under the window sill, then it is undesirable to store the products in it, as they will deteriorate faster in the heat. But in the closet with the battery will feel good things utensils - appliances, molds, pans, etc.

• Under the sill top, you can equip a small storage system, for example, from open shelves or cabinets.

Window sill-table with own hands

When the repair in the kitchen is already done, and the sill requires alteration, it's easiest to attach a folding table to it. The design will be compact and mobile - if necessary, it can be folded into a narrow shelf. You can buy a similar table in a furniture store (for example, in Ikea), and you can do it yourself with the help of our photo-master class.

For work you will need:a sheet of large thickness plywood, a jigsaw, self-tapping screws, a primer, a paint, a matte varnish or wax (preferably), brush, level, screwdriver, puncher, wood hacksaw, as well as furniture card loops 2 pcs. and piano loops 1 pc.

Instruction:first cut the table top of the desired size and shape (for example, it can be a rounded rectangle or semicircle). Then the support and its base are cut out, if desired, decorative perforation can be cut in the leg. Then the ends of the blanks are ground, all the details are ground, and then painted, covered with varnish or wax. In the next step, the foot is connected to the base (on the piano loops), and the table top - with a narrow rectangle (to card loops). Finally, the support is installed on the wall, and then the table top is attached to it (three self-tapping screws).

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