When you are looking for ways to save space in an apartment kitchen, one option that comes to mind is to use a stove and fridge under the window. Is this a viable option though? Can you really put a stove on top of a window? While the idea of placing a stove on top of a window might seem like a great idea, most apartment kitchen designers tell us it’s not a very good idea. Here is why.
The first thing that most kitchen designers will tell you is that the area where a stove sits is not one that is particularly well insulated. This means that the heat that rises from the stove top and the window area cannot meet at a single point. As a result, both the occupants of the apartment and the heat source have to suffer. This means that when the stovetop is placed on a window, the heat source has to rise up through the windows, effectively burning the occupants out.
While many people would laugh at the thought of a stove being placed on a window, the fact of the matter is that there are a number of practical reasons for doing so. One of the most obvious is to save on air conditioning costs. When you are cooking on an open flame, you are essentially cooking in a hot room. When the room is closed, you are effectively putting air conditioning units inside the kitchen. Installing a stove under a window can actually make rooms much cooler in the summer months, especially if you have a small kitchen with little natural air circulation.
A second, related reason is purely aesthetic. In most cases, the position of windows makes them visually appealing. That doesn’t mean they’re perfect, however. When looking at kitchen decor, you may notice that the placement of the windows play an important role. If your kitchen has rounded edges or overly busy glass, you may want to consider removing it.
Even when your kitchen is oval, there are ways to keep from making it look overcrowded. When looking at kitchen decor, consider the proportions of the space. In general smaller kitchen spaces tend to be more cramped, so placing a stove close to a window may actually create a worse situation. On the other hand, large kitchen spaces with plenty of room around them can actually help the flow of movement in a room. If a stove is right by a window, it may become almost impossible to move around the area. Unless you plan to move frequently, such an arrangement is not optimal.
Before installing a stove, you should also consider its placement relative to the other appliances and fixtures in the kitchen. If it sits too close to the back of the stove, the heat may escape causing the entire room to overheat. You may end up using the space for other purposes and not realize how much you are using it. On the other hand, if the stove sits too far away, it can actually block the natural flow of air in the kitchen, causing the kitchen to become uncomfortably warm.
Finally, you need to think about your own personal preference. For example, if you have young children, you may be concerned about their safety. If this is a concern, then you should avoid placing a stove too close to windows or directly in front of them. On the other hand, if you have an extremely high tolerance for heat, you may want to install a stove close to windows. The only real test is to sit inside the kitchen and see for yourself.
Of course, the question “can you place a stove under a window?” can only be answered by you. No matter what type of stove you decide to use, or where you decide to place it, you will almost definitely be pleased with your choice. Many people find that placing a stove on their kitchen decor makes their kitchen more efficient and easier to cook in. You can also find that placing a stove close to windows makes preparing food easier, because cooking becomes less of a chore and more of a fun experience.