Make a refrigerator under the window in the kitchen. Khrushchev or refrigerator under the window. How to prevent cold weather and get the most out of it?! Refrigerator under the window

19.04.2020

It is interesting that the refrigerator in the kitchen under the window can have a variety of definitions in the name, and this will depend not on its functionality, but on the region or locality where it was equipped.

So, in Kolyma it will be a Kolyma refrigerator, in Magadan - Chukotka, in Sverdlovsk - Ural, and those who managed to live under the unforgettable Nikita Sergeevich call it Khrushchev. However, such a device serves the same purposes regardless of the region in which it was made.

What can be done with the refrigerator under the window

In houses built under the N.S. Khrushchev housing program and in some other, less popular projects, a niche is provided under the windows for radiators (obviously in order to save space).

But, as you know, the Soviet people were inventive, and in this place, having shifted the heating battery to the side, some equipped a winter refrigerator, the principle of cooling in which was more thin wall and its cooling in the cold season. Such a device has its positive and negative points, which we will consider below.

Positive and negative sides of the refrigerator under the window

A cabinet in a niche under the window, which performs the functions of a refrigerator or cellar in winter, is useful for saving space in an apartment or pantry. The thickness of the wall of the house is on average 60 cm, and the design recess of the niche is 15 cm, and therefore this part of the wall is much colder.
In houses of this type, well masonry is usually used, where slag is poured into the voids as a heater. Given the characteristics of this masonry and the type of filler, the wall in this area can be made even thinner by knocking down the plaster and dismantling a number of bricks.
But radiators are specially installed under the windows - this is required by the instructions, because in this case they are most effective. Warm air from the battery, rising up, creates a kind of invisible insulation that blocks the path of cold streams from the side of the window glass. Therefore, if you move the radiator to the side, then you kind of remove the transparent blanket and open the way for the cold.

How to deepen the niche under the window yourself

Let's try to make a refrigerator with our own hands in a niche under the window, and for this, first of all, we need to knock down the plaster to get to the masonry. If we go deeper, don't let the fact that this bearing wall, because the part that is under the window has nothing to do with this - there is a concrete lintel above the window that preserves the integrity of the supporting element.

In the schematic drawing, you see the principle of well masonry - this is what the wall of your house looks like in section, only the voids are filled with slag to insulate the house. If you wish, you can deepen the niche by dismantling the part of the masonry that is inside the house, making the wall thinner by another 20-25 cm, then in the rest you will get only 25 cm, but it can be thinner.

In order to make it easier for you to navigate in the thickness of the wall, take into account the parameters of the brick, so the brick is always 250 mm long and 120 mm wide (along the bed). Only its thickness changes (height along the poke and spoon): a single brick has a thickness of 65 mm, one and a half - 88 mm and a double - 138 mm. But, in this case, the width and length are important for you in order to understand what will remain for the wall thickness when disassembling a part of the masonry.
Let's say you took apart inner part masonry, knocking down parts of the bricks laid with a poke (across the masonry), in which case you will only have the width of the brick, but the remaining partition must be plastered with cement-sand mortar (not putty!). When dismantling the masonry, cracks and gaps can form on the outside, through which moisture can penetrate, which freezes in winter and tears off the putty on the inside of the wall. After cement, you can putty the wall with a thin layer, and immediately use satengypsum (finishing putty).

But such a device as our impromptu outdoor refrigerator will have one significant drawback - condensation on the walls. This will happen due to the temperature difference between the room and the street, because a thin partition on the outside will be cold. Therefore, in order to facilitate the maintenance of our refrigerated cabinet, it can be lined with ceramic tiles inside.
Tiles are best installed on a plastered base using tile adhesive. If you live in the northern regions of Russia and sub-zero temperatures are possible in this cabinet, then it is better to use universal frost-resistant glue for installation. For example, the Ceresit CM 11 mixture has not yet caused any complaints.

Advice. You do not need to puzzle over which tile to choose for the interior lining of the refrigerator cabinet - the most basic requirement for tiles in this case will be its smooth surface. Therefore, without any doubt, you can buy the cheapest and even defective tiles, as well as use waste, for example, leftovers from bathroom renovations.

Refrigerator doors

Of course, if the refrigerator doors are identical to the kitchen facades, then this will best option for the interior of the room, and if you made a set to order, then you do not need to order some of its parts separately. You can even negotiate with furniture makers for installing facades on a refrigerator - this, of course, has its own price, but professionals will do the work.

Conclusion

It is unlikely that you will find such a device in any photo or video presentation of an apartment as the refrigerator described above. But do not forget that we make presentations in a European way, but we live as before, in a Soviet way, using a variety of opportunities for home improvement. Good or bad - you decide!

The refrigerator compartment, located under the kitchen window sill, can be found in almost all Khrushchev apartments. Many housewives find such a food storage compartment quite convenient and practical. But its original design, which was invented back in the 20th century, does not fit into the modern interior at all and requires some improvements. Correcting the situation will help the high-quality finish of the refrigerator under the window, which is easy to do on your own.

The idea of building a niche under the window arose in the last century. The reason for this was the shortage of household appliances. Not every family could afford to buy a refrigerator. In addition, the models produced at that time were quite overall and did not fit at all in size to the small Khrushchev kitchens.

Engineers - designers have found a way out of this situation. The option of a refrigerator built under the window has become an excellent economical solution.

A rather spacious niche did not take up space in the kitchen. Used it to store food winter time. A thin brick wall inside the locker made it possible to fill the space with cold at low air temperatures outside. Thanks to two tightly closing doors from the side of the kitchen, the necessary mode was maintained in the compartment.

Nowadays, such niches are often called Khrushchev refrigerators. For hostesses of small kitchens, a spacious cabinet under the window is just a godsend. It can store preservation and other non-perishable products. At the same time, the refrigerator compartment does not take up any space in the kitchen.

Advantages and disadvantages

The refrigerator under the window is a simple and easy-to-use structure. Its use has many advantages:

the design of the refrigeration compartment is built into the wall, thereby saving space;
in winter, at a sufficiently low temperature, you can use a niche as a freezer;
no electricity costs;
ease of maintenance and cleaning of the refrigeration compartment.

A convenient niche under the window for storing food is quite easy to do with your own hands. In addition, its construction and repair does not require a lot of expensive materials.

The disadvantages that mainly relate to the old Khrushchev designs include:

temperature changes contribute to the formation of moisture in the refrigerator compartment, which subsequently leads to the appearance of fungus and mold;
it is possible to store perishable products only in winter at a sufficiently low air temperature outside;
when using a built-in cabinet as a freezer, cold streams penetrate the room, contributing to a decrease in its thermal insulation.

Due to the constant accumulation of moisture, the niche must be cleaned regularly. Old refrigerator compartments are completely unsuitable for modern interiors kitchens. But all the shortcomings are easy to fix with the help of modern building materials.

Finish options

A niche under the kitchen window sill is an additional storage space. You can improve the design of such a compartment and make a more modern refrigerator compartment or make a complete redesign of the compartment and use it as you wish.

Improved Designs

There are a lot of options for finishing the opening under the window. Most often, such quite practical interior elements are made from spacious niches:

Cabinet for dishes and other kitchen utensils. A lockable additional storage compartment will never be superfluous, especially in a kitchen with a small area.
French window. Since the brick partition is not a carrier, you can simply remove it and make a large beautiful window to the floor. High-quality double-glazed windows will help save heat and create good sound insulation. The French version of the window will completely transform the kitchen space and give the design an aesthetic look.
Niche for heating appliances. Partially laying brick wall you can make a recess for installing a radiator. This design will additionally provide warmth to the kitchen. At the same time, the battery, hidden in a niche, takes up less space. Instead of a radiator, you can use an electric fireplace. It will not only warm, but create an imitation of fire, which will give the room a more comfortable touch.
Department for dishwasher. The problem of small kitchens is the installation of additional household appliances. The niche under the window is great option to install a dishwasher. To implement this plan, it is necessary to conduct electrical power to the window and organize the supply and drainage of water.

There is an option to reconstruct the compartment under the window into a cabinet with a sink. This requires replacing the old window sill with a wider model and installing a sink in it. The niche under the window will serve as a compartment for the summed up communications.

Redevelopment in the closet

The easiest and most practical way to make a closet from the compartment under the window. For its construction it is necessary:

dismantle the old wooden box;
clean all internal surfaces from dirt, dust and treat with a primer;
according to the dimensions of the niche, it is necessary to build a new inner cabinet box and doors from MDF or chipboard panels;
insulate the inner walls of the opening with heat-insulating material;
insert a new box with shelves into a niche;
close all cracks mounting foam.

This option is available if external insulation walls. If not, then laying one layer of brick is recommended.

You can make a locker yourself or pick up a ready-made one in a store. Also a good option is a plastic box with hermetically sealed glass doors. Thanks to the insulation in such a compartment for storing kitchen utensils, moisture will not accumulate.

Refrigerator Reconstruction Technology for Food Storage

In Khrushchev's brick multi-storey buildings, the wall thickness, according to building codes, is 51 - 64 centimeters. Moreover, the lower the apartment is, the wider the masonry. The thickness of the wall in the opening under the window, which was used as a refrigerator, is 45 centimeters.

During the construction of such houses, slag was used to insulate the walls. It was filled into the gaps between the rows of bricks. Ventilation holes were often left in many niches.

To build a good Khrushchev refrigerator, in which there will be no excess moisture, it is necessary to carry out a complete reconstruction of the old niche. At the same time, its external design is a rather important stage. The whole process of finishing the refrigerator can be done independently.

Preparatory work

In order for the refrigerator to be spacious enough, you should initially remove a layer of plaster and one row brickwork. At the same time, horizontally located concrete lintels should not be touched, since they are the load-bearing elements of the wall.

After the release of the internal space, the thickness of the partition going out will be 25 centimeters. Then it is required to clean the entire inside of the opening from dirt and dust.

Screed

When the niche preparation process is over, you can start leveling the walls. For this, a cement-sand screed is used. It allows not only to level all surfaces, but also to close the gaps present in the masonry. After the mortar has completely dried, the walls must be coated with a primer.

Building putty and gypsum mixture for interior work is not suitable, as it is not able to withstand the effects of frozen condensate. For air circulation, leave air vent on which the protective grille is put on.

Insulation of the outer wall and interior space

The best option is to insulate the refrigerator from the street. Expanded polystyrene is used to create external thermal insulation. Slabs of this material are laid on a previously leveled wall surface. Permissible difference - no more than 1 centimeter.

Expanded polystyrene - material for external thermal insulation

The material is attached to a special construction adhesive and additionally fixed to the wall with dowels. All joints are hermetically sealed with sealant or polyurethane foam. From above, expanded polystyrene is reinforced with mesh and finishing.

In order to save space in the refrigerator compartment as much as possible for internal thermal insulation, sufficiently thin heaters with a low level of thermal conductivity should be used. Such qualities are possessed by rolled foil isofol and foam text.

The warming process is carried out in the following sequence:

Cut the foam sheet to the size of the back inner wall niches. In the prepared material, make a hole in the shape of a cone at the level of the ventilation passage, which should go out with its narrow side to the street. To adjust the temperature in severe frosts, it is equipped with a special handle in the form of a loop.
Prepare heat-insulating material for the surface under the windowsill.
Secure all cut foam sheets with liquid nails or construction foam.
On top of the glued insulation, fix isofol with a thickness of up to 10 millimeters. These foil sheets also decorate the side walls.

Close all joints of the material performing the screen function with special adhesive tape.

To maintain the temperature in the winter refrigerator, you can use a small fan that is installed in the vent. Such a device would allow forcibly suppressing cold air in the refrigeration compartment, and also protect it from stagnation inside.

Door insulation is also important. Their internal thermal insulation is carried out using foil isofol. This is not only the walls of the doors, but also their frames.

decorative trim

When choosing the interior lining of the refrigerator under the window and selecting the material for the doors, one should take into account not only practicality but also aesthetic qualities. The following materials are well suited for finishing a niche:

Ceramic tile. This option is ideal for interior decoration. Laying tiles should be done with an adhesive mortar with frost-resistant properties. Ceramic products with a pattern imitating natural stones look especially beautiful.
Plastic. It can be lining or sheets of plastic material cut to size. When choosing a facing product, its strength and quality should be taken into account.
Drywall. To finish the interior space, only moisture-resistant sheets are used. From above they are impregnated with a primer and covered with paint.

In order for the winter refrigerator to have an attractive appearance and harmonize with the surrounding interior, you should pay attention to the choice of doors. You can make them yourself or order the necessary design from the masters. Good for decorating doors

Metal-plastic. Doors made of such material are sealed, which allows you to completely protect the room from the penetration of cold air. For winter refrigerators small size suitable design with one sash. For sufficiently large niches, it is better to install doors made of two canvases.
PVC. Such sashes can be made independently or ordered from masters involved in the manufacture of furniture. The sliding door design made of PVC or aluminum panels will look original.
Glass. Transparent doors look beautiful in combination with LED lighting. special notes in modern design can be made using tinted glass doors.

The finished design of the winter refrigerator can be made to order. The material and color scheme of the product is matched to the overall interior of the room.

A convenient cabinet for food storage built into the wall will never be superfluous in a small kitchen. With the help of modern building materials, you can turn an old Khrushchev refrigerator into a practical and convenient kitchen design element. BUT simple design such a product allows you to do all the work yourself.

Old five-story buildings, designed more than 60 years ago, still occupy at least ten percent of the country's total housing stock. They were designed to meet the minimum household needs, so they did not differ in special comfort.

Years passed, the well-being of the people grew, and the inhabitants of these "Khrushchev" began redevelopment, as some design ideas became obsolete, in particular, a thin outer wall under the window in the kitchen, which served as a cold pantry. And now every house has refrigerators, so there is no need to have a built-in closet with this function. And the apartment owners began to transform and transform this corner of the kitchen.

There are a lot of options and ideas for the rational use of even such a small space. After all, the kitchens in the apartments of those projects have a very small area - from five to seven square meters. But no matter how tiny it is, you need to try to make it more comfortable and functional, because it is here that all family members spend most of their time.

The main task in the design of the kitchen is the organization of a comfortable working area for cooking and at least a small dining area.

Today we will look at some interesting and useful tips, which will help you decide how to more rationally use a niche in the kitchen.

1. Use a niche for storing vegetables and preserving

In order not to load the refrigerator with vegetables in the winter, you can use this niche as a cold pantry. If necessary, insulate the wall a little so that during severe frosts vegetables are not frozen. Replace shelves and front doors with more modern and practical ones. You can even use glass ones, the only condition is that there must be order so as not to spoil the aesthetic appearance of the interior.

2. Store things and objects in a niche

Depending on how you organize the space around this niche, you can store both very popular things and objects there, and vice versa. If it will be Free access to it, then place those items that you use constantly. Suddenly access will be limited, it is very convenient to put there everything that you use rarely or seasonally. But in any case, such an additional cabinet will be able to free you a table or hanging shelves. At the same time, it is desirable to insulate the wall so that cold air does not penetrate into the apartment. Such a niche can be done both with open shelves and with closed ones.

3. Install the battery in the niche

This niche can be used as a place for a radiator, after insulating the wall thermal insulation materials. If you place it in the depth of the vacated space, you can not only solve the problem of heating the apartment, but also significantly save space.

4. Replace the window sill with a work area with a sink

If you manage to transfer communications, then instead of a window sill, put a countertop with a sink. Such a solution will be rational and convenient, not only will there be more space immediately, but the working area itself under the window will be well lit, and the interior will change - it will become more fashionable and stylish.

If you decide on this kind of redevelopment, you need to take into account some of the nuances. For example, the width of the slopes, in order not to place the sink too close to the window, in order to avoid rising humidity and mold. In no case should such innovation interfere with the opening and closing of the window.

5. Replace the window sill with a work area countertop

There is a more rational option, when instead of a window sill, only a working area with spacious shelves or drawers is installed. In this case, it becomes possible to free up a lot of space, since the curbstone of such a table will be in a recess, which will allow you to hide more kitchen utensils.

6. Set up a comfort zone for eating

It is good to use this area as a dining area. You can remove the shelves and niche partitions, this will help free up legroom under the table, as well as for chairs or stools.

There are many original variants for the transformation of the dining table-windowsill. It will be a classic rectangular table, round or figured, or maybe a spectacular bar counter - it's up to you. The main thing is that it harmoniously fits into the interior of your kitchen and takes up a minimum of space.

Depending on the available space, you can choose which surface design to use - stationary, reclining, folding or retractable. The last three are more suitable for those who have a very small area of \u200b\u200bthe kitchen itself.

Look at a selection of original design solutions for the design of a niche under the window and the area around it.

Winter Khrushchev refrigerator and a selection of modern technology. All questions of food storage in a small kitchen 5-6 meters.

Small-sized ones have been forcing our citizens to show miracles of ingenuity for more than a decade. In attempts to somehow equip 5-6 squares of the area, engineering ingenuity, a creative look at things and a remarkable design talent of the owners develop. But every year the number of necessary household appliances increases, and there is no more space in the kitchen. Now the hostess has nowhere to turn around in a tiny room, not to mention the fact that the whole family can gather at the same table in the evening. turns out to be the most difficult test on the way to the comfort and functionality of a small kitchen. The unit of standard sizes is simply not included here, and the architects of the last century offered an unusual way out. They became the so-called Khrushchev refrigerator.

Is there any benefit from the "under-refrigerator"?

Here we are talking not about the full-fledged technology that we are used to seeing in stores. Designers of small-sized apartments left the Khrushchev refrigerator to the residents as compensation as a food storage area. This is an ordinary wall with a thin back wall in half a brick and ventilation air. It “works” for cooling only in winter, but in summer it may well take over the functions of a mini-pantry.

If you started repairing and redevelopment of the kitchen, something will have to be decided with this niche. Today there is enough suitable models refrigerators for more convenient and reliable storage of perishable products - we will talk about them a little later. But is it worth giving up the already existing additional space?

Sometimes it’s worth it if you need a refrigerator under the window in Khrushchev less than the heat in the house. In this case, it is better to fill the niche during the renovation of the kitchen with good insulating material and close it, for example, with drywall for further finishing. Another option is to completely fill the recess with bricks, leaving 12-15 cm for installing a heating radiator.

It is not difficult to get rid of a refrigerator niche during repairs in the kitchen, but in light of the obvious lack of space, it is better to look for a more practical use for it. Let's consider several possible options:

Embed a cabinet under the kitchen window or install appliances there that are not afraid of being next to a cold wall. It is still better to insulate a thin partition, and seal the vent with at least mounting foam.
Destroy the lintel completely, replacing it with a large French window. There is little benefit from this decision, and coordination at the BTI will be needed, but in a small kitchen it will become much lighter.
Leave everything as it is, removing the doors, and turn the window sill (by the way, very roomy) into a countertop. Then the niche will allow you to comfortably sit at the console table, freeing up legroom.

Those who consider the Khrushchev refrigerator useful addition in a small kitchen, you have to improve it, not limited to cosmetic repairs.

Redoing the niche under the window

Cold enters the niche in winter through the vent, but it is better to cut it off from the kitchen side by installing a modern metal-plastic profile with a double-glazed window. Manufacturers of window systems make all designs only for specific sizes, so there will be no problems with the order. Call the measurer to inspect the niche, and in a few days they will deliver to your house and install nice doors for your refrigerator.

Choose better design with one sash, since the profile width is large enough, and in a double-sash version, the frames will take up too much space. Instead of glazing for a niche, you can choose opaque plastic inserts. The main thing is that there is a heat-insulating layer between them. Complex fittings are also not needed here, so the whole structure will cost relatively inexpensively - about 10 thousand rubles.

An excellent solution for a kitchen cluttered with furniture and appliances is the sliding doors of the niche-refrigerator. They are no less reliable and easy to use, but do not require a lot of free space to open. In any case, it is worth putting good locks and closers on hinged doors or sliders so that in winter the cold does not penetrate into the apartment through leaks.

The niche-refrigerator should only be insulated from the kitchen side. To maintain a low temperature in it, it is impossible to insulate a thin partition, and even more so, it is impossible to close the ventilation duct.

In the process of repairing the Khrushchev refrigerator, you can perform and interior decoration niche walls. For sheathing, hygienic plastic is best suited: it is easy to clean, does not absorb dirt and is inexpensive. Just remember that when the temperature drops, PVC becomes brittle and can burst from careless handling. Therefore, choose panels for exterior cladding - street siding, although not without the same drawbacks, is thicker than interior PVC and therefore will last longer. It will be more convenient to use a cold "pantry" under a window with lighting - here it is advisable to throw in a low voltage of up to 24 V.

More cheap option repair - just replace the old doors that cover the refrigerator niche and hang facades that echo the design kitchen set. Again, you will have to take measurements in order to order or make new sashes with your own hands. In this case, you will need to install a door-type mounting box, as well as lay it with foam rubber or silicone sealant, excluding blowing from the inside.

And if you need a normal refrigerator?

A niche under the window for storing food is good, but you can’t do without a really freezing unit in the summer. So that the equipment can fit even on small kitchen in Khrushchev, you will have to find smaller models or custom designs. It is worth considering the following options:

Sometimes the purchase of new equipment is not provided for by the family budget and you have to somehow place the unit that is in the kitchen. To find a suitable place for him, you will have to carefully consider the layout of the room even before the start of the repair.

Most often, the refrigerator is placed at the very entrance, although this creates a feeling of even greater cramping. But, at least, it does not prevent the hostess from cooking, so in the conditions of Khrushchev's cuisine, this option can be considered acceptable. However, it is better that it be a low model "growth" of about 1.3-1.5 m, that is, below eye level.

If the refrigerator is too bulky, you can push it into the far corner by the window so as not to overload the room. But this method is not suitable for all owners of small-sized kitchens. When it's in the house gas stove and in addition to it a column, this zone will be occupied by fire hazardous appliances, communications and chimneys. Theoretically, it is possible to move the equipment, but for this you will have to order a change in the project and coordinate it with the relevant services.

The relocation of the refrigerator to the wall opposite the linear set leaves enough space for work, but the dining group can no longer see a spacious corner in the kitchen. Such option is suitable only for a small family, which is enough for a tiny table, sandwiched on three sides, or in the case when the dining area can be organized in the adjacent living room.

A radical solution that removes all issues not only of lack of space for a refrigerator, but also of usable space in general, is the demolition of partitions. The kitchen, combined with the living room, becomes more spacious and roomy, and the whole apartment in Khrushchev is comfortable. But such a grandiose repair requires a considerable investment of effort and money.

The paradox of Khrushchev's cuisine is the need to have two refrigerators in such a cramped room. Moreover, one of them can be fully used only in the cold season. In such conditions, it is more logical to convert the niche under the window into a small pantry, and entrust the storage of perishable products to modern compact equipment.