Color
For visual zoning, both smooth transitions and contrasting color accents are used. To delimit the space, walls, floor or ceiling in the kitchen are decorated in richer shades than in the living room or vice versa.
To achieve the perfect balance that will unite the room into a coherent whole, you can use black and white combinations or ideas using chromatic colors. For complete harmony in the interior, you should very carefully choose the palette and at the same time take into account all the nuances, such as the shade of furniture items, household appliances and other things.
Finish material
You can make zoning using different floor coverings. For example, a work area in the kitchen is decorated with tiles on the floor, while parquet or soft flooring is used for the living room. A great combination would be laminate and tiles, linoleum or stone.
Visually highlighting a certain area will help wallpaper with a different pattern, color or texture, painted walls, a combination of plaster with wall panels, and so on.
To create conditional boundaries in the interior of the kitchen and living room, the carpet allows, which also gives the atmosphere of completeness and thoughtfulness. It is mainly used to designate the reception area and add additional comfort to it.
Multilevel constructions
The simplest zoning option is multilevel ceilings. This decision creates a fairly clear division that is striking. Most often, two-level drywall structures are chosen for this.
Equally impressive, but more complex zonal demarcation is obtained through the construction of the podium. Such an elevation should be as strong as possible to withstand the weight of people, furniture and other things. Too high podium structures, for convenience they are equipped with special steps.
Shelves and cabinets
As a physical demarcation of the kitchen and living room, it is especially appropriate to arrange end-to-end shelving with a large number of shelves that can be filled with magazines, books, beautiful dishes and other accessories. Such structures do not interfere with the penetration of light, they look very easy and do not overload the room.
For a thorough zoning of the kitchen from the living room, a classic or compartment wardrobe, characterized by the functions of a full-fledged wall, is suitable. A double-sided model is placed in the room, containing a huge number of things, or a conventional structure is placed, the reverse side of which can be decorated with wallpaper.
Curtains and screens
Regular curtains, translucent curtains, curtains made of threads, glass beads or bamboo canvases will help to zone the room. A huge advantage of such a division of the room is the lightness and mobility of the curtains.
In modern design, to give the atmosphere a certain transparency and weightlessness, rope models are used that do not interfere with movement in space. Thanks to fabrics with a soft texture, the kitchen and living room are filled with special comfort. In order for the smells coming from the kitchen to be less absorbed into the textiles and not penetrate into the hall, you should take care of installing a powerful hood in advance.
Wooden, plastic or plasterboard screens of various sizes and heights become an excellent element of zoning. For example, for a spacious room, it is appropriate to install a more voluminous structure, and in a small-sized kitchen-living room it is better to have a compact and laconic model that folds like an accordion, which can be easily removed or moved to any other place.
Partitions
Various partitions perform several functions at once in addition to zoning. They not only represent additional protection of the living room from the kitchen, but are also an excellent decorative element and support between the ceiling plane and the floor.
In apartments with an old layout, instead of a partition, a part of the wall is left, and in modern buildings, plasterboard or wooden structures are erected for zoning.
In order to visually lighten the space and give the interior additional charm, transparent glass partitions are suitable.
Sofa
With such zoning, special attention is paid to the size of the sofa structure. The product must have such parameters that the passage from one section of the room to another remains free.
A sofa with armchairs perfectly distinguishes between the kitchen and the living room, while not burdening the situation. It is better if the upholstered furniture will have easy-to-clean, practical upholstery.
Island
This option allows not only to clearly divide the two-zone space, but also to add additional comfort to the interior, since the island element is an important part of the kitchen set and forms a convenient working triangle for the hostess.
Lighting
Various light sources in the form of spotlights, chandeliers, sconces or floor lamps can serve as visual zoning.
Spot lighting around the perimeter will be especially appropriate for the working area in the kitchen, the chandelier will ideally fit in the dining area, and wall, floor and table lamps are suitable for a relaxing place in the living room.
In a room with a low ceiling as a zoning, an area with a bar or table can be decorated with ceiling pendant lamps with long cords.
Bar counter
A fairly common solution is a dividing element in the form of a bar counter separating the working area with a kitchen set, stove and refrigerator from a resting place with a sofa and armchairs.
This design is especially appropriate in the interior of a small-sized room or studio-type apartment, since it simultaneously zones the room and provides an additional work surface or even replaces a full-fledged dining table. Thus, it turns out to achieve the most functional and ergonomic design.
Arches and portals
An interior arch or portal perfectly copes with the creation of a clear line between the zones. This design does not overload the kitchen and living room, does not interfere with a free view and does not spoil a single interior composition.An open arched passage for zoning, can be constructed from different materials and differ in a variety of shapes.
Wide passages in the interior of the kitchen-living room can be decorated with asymmetrical semi-arches or more complex structures, which are equipped with practical niches, shelves and other decor.
Sliding doors
Sliding mobile structures are considered very popular in modern design. A variety of materials are used for their manufacture, such as wood, plastic or glass.
Glass models for zoning have a truly stylish look, to which a huge variety of design solutions can be applied. For example, they are made in the form of stained-glass windows, decorated with photo printing, spraying, ice patterns, sandblasting ornaments or imitation of water drops.
Original separation solutions
As an element of zoning, the use of various decorative items is appropriate. For example, you can highlight the border between two areas using tall or low potted plants or flowers.
A non-trivial and boring solution is the installation of a narrow and oblong aquarium. By changing the lighting, it turns out every time to set a new mood for the room.
Columns with various finishes, which are perfect even for a small room, will become a very unusual way of zoning.
The easiest way to zoning is to use mirrors. This option is considered quite effective, since mirror canvases, due to their high reflective properties, allow you to enlarge the room and enhance the effect of presence.
A natural, original, a little rough, but cozy interior, both in an apartment and in a private house, will allow you to create ceiling beams or supports. These architectural details not only perfectly zone the kitchen-living room, but also add a special character to the atmosphere.
A double-sided fireplace built into the partition will perfectly fit into the combined space and create a comfortable atmosphere for the whole family.
Some layouts require a round, triangular or rectangular bay window. This ledge can comfortably accommodate a dining group or a recreation area.
Photo gallery
Thanks to imagination and a creative approach to zoning, you can miraculously transform the space of the kitchen combined with the living room and achieve free and easy redevelopment.