The quality of your kitchen

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Have you moved to a new apartment or, finally, decided to change the boring interior, not being afraid of the hackneyed, but still relevant truth - "the repair cannot be completed, it can only be stopped"? Go for it, you will succeed. Don't be a real Woman if you don't start equipping your house from the kitchen. As well as there is no real Man with you, if He has not already furnished your bedroom. But remember that you are starting to design one of the most important rooms in the house, where you spend a lot of time every day and, therefore, you should be comfortable here.

Today I will not tell you how to create a triad: a dining room, a living room and the kitchen itself in one space. This is a project for a fairly large room, but if that's what you have in mind, follow the tips for creating a kitchen area. Did you pick the day to start? Let it still be not Monday or Friday … So, just in case. Have a cup of coffee and get started. I advise you to start with careful measurements of the room and its plan. To do this, you do not need to finish design courses, a ruler and a pencil are enough. Calculate what and where you would like to put, take into account the shape and size of the room. And remember, the tops of the main "triangle" - sink, refrigerator, stove, - should not be at a distance of more than 1.5 m from each other. So that there are no problems with the layout - imagine how you will move through your new kitchen.

There are several options for arranging furniture in the kitchen: linear and angular or L-shaped (more often used in small rooms); parallel and U-shaped (require an area of at least 15 sq. m); free or non-fixed (area from 20 sq. m); island or peninsular (the "island" can be a stove, work or dining table, even a sink; the "peninsula" is usually represented by a bar counter). Remember, if the kitchen is lined up, it is better to place the sink in the center, and the stove and refrigerator on the sides, separating them with work surfaces. In large rooms, you can place the sink in the corner, which is the most rational.

Do you have a clear idea of what and where it stands? Great, make a list of appliances and pieces of furniture with dimensions.

It will be nice if an experienced male gaze helps to determine the placement of technical details on the plan: the location and size of ventilation, sockets, pipes … Now you are almost ready for a protracted march through shops and salons. In order to reduce the time spent looking for what exactly you need, it would be nice to know what materials the furniture for the kitchen is made of, because the room is with high humidity and temperature changes.

The lifespan of your kitchen directly depends on the materials. Let's talk first about the front of the cabinets (about the doors). They are made of wood, multiplex, MDF, chipboard (materials are listed in order of price reduction). Frame doors are also used, in which the frame is made of wood, and the insert is made of MDF or glass. The most durable, of course, are metal fronts (steel or aluminum with an anodized coating, which increases its wear resistance). Metal front panels are expensive and require careful maintenance. I would say that such cabinets are not for little hands - drops and splashes are very visible on the spectacular shiny surface.

Wooden facades are very good, but then you should buy furniture from trusted manufacturers. Have a chat with your friends - I'm sure some of them have already purchased high-quality furniture and will help with the choice. This is the best recommendation, because wood can crack and warp if not treated with special compounds to protect it from the environment.

The multiplex is also not bad, it is thin layers of wood of various species glued in different directions. It is less exposed to water than solid wood and does not deform.

But, if you are significantly worried about the cost, choose MDF panels (covered with PVC film or painted). They hardly deform over time, the most durable and environmentally friendly wood-based panels. However, particle board furniture can only be purchased if they are faced with laminate or melamine, and the seller can provide a hygiene certificate containing formaldehyde emission levels.

For work surfaces, you can use natural, artificial and synthetic stone, solid wood, laminated plates, metal, ceramic tiles, plastic. Granite is strong and durable, slightly susceptible to acids, but may not satisfy your needs with a small palette of shades. The marble countertop has a rich color scheme, and you will never get tired of looking at the scattering veins of a "living" stone. Travertine and marble are heat-resistant, but have a porous structure that will gladly absorb grease and wine spilled by an inattentive hostess.

Artificial stone is quite expensive, but strong and durable, it is lighter than natural stone, easy to process, hygienic and heat-resistant (it can withstand temperatures up to 2300C). Synthetic stone can also be more practical than natural.

Inexpensive coatings: laminate, ceramic tiles, plastic, differ in the way they are installed and used. Laminate deforms from high temperature; the tile does not like rough handling, and the plastic is easy to scratch, but it can withstand high temperatures and does not deform.

Who to buy from? The Russian market is saturated with kitchen furniture from Germany, Italy, Finland, Czech Republic, Poland, other European countries and, of course, domestic. Recently, Russian firms have been reducing the cost of furniture due to domestic assembly using imported equipment from purchased components. Domestic components are also gradually improving. The service life also depends on the country of origin: German kitchens are ready for 15-20 years of operation, it is not for nothing that they are one of the most expensive on the furniture market; Finnish people will stay with you for 10-15 years; Czech - 10 years. Kitchens assembled in Russia from imported components will delight you for 8-10 years. And the Italian beauties, charming with their original and frequently updated designs, are advised by manufacturers to change them after 5-6 years, so as not to get bored …

But no matter how different the kitchen furniture is (style, color, material used), the headset traditionally consists of three types of cabinets: floor-standing, wall-mounted and high speakers.

Do you cook well, love to receive guests and seat them at a table bursting with food? Or oh lucky lady, is there someone who loves to pamper you with a fine dinner, homemade cakes, exotic menu? Take care of him and yourself. The height of the base cabinet determines how tired the arms and lower back are during the next culinary experiment.

Its height can be adjusted just by changing the height of the legs. It's incredibly convenient if a baseboard box is placed under the cabinet, in which it is good to store baking trays and large dishes, but it must be fully extended for thorough cleaning. Another little secret is the bar stool, which is appropriate not only near the bar counter.

Tall cabinets can become a highlight of your kitchen, but it is better not to break the work surface with them, but to place them on the outskirts. If you dream of a built-in oven or grill, the best option is to place them in just such a cabinet. Buying built-in appliances is not included in your plans? Then store your kitchen utensils, dishes or food there. Corner cabinets with glass doors or open shelves are very beautiful - a good place for cute knick-knacks and favorite dishes.

Finally, let's talk about wall cabinets. Most often they have a standard height of 600 mm, but they can be 900 mm and much lower. You can additionally use mezzanine shelves. Wall cabinet doors look much lighter when glass is used. They can be hinged, like in floor cabinets, or rising upward, representing accordions and even "curtains" (imagine an enlarged bread bin with a door made of movable slats). But whichever wall cabinets you choose, they should not be reinforced below 450 mm from the level of the work surface. After all, you need to locate your little helpers somewhere - a microwave oven, a coffee maker, an electric kettle, a toaster …

The distance between the work surface and hanging cabinets is called an apron for a reason. Here, like in the pockets of your apron, on special brackets, you can place a microwave oven, spices on the shelves, and if you use a railing (metal pipes mounted on an apron), you will free up significant space on work surfaces and inside cabinets.

Ladles, mugs and cups can be hung on hooks, set up stands for small items, and place towels. Do not forget about local lighting, it will preserve your vision and sparkle of your eyes. But the main function of the apron is to protect the walls from grease, dirt, water.

When choosing a material for facing an apron, do not forget 2 easy rules:

1) ease of cleaning;

2) the color and texture of the apron must match the work surface.

Additional protection for your furniture is a decorative corner between the work surface and the apron, which protects the back surfaces of the floor cabinets from moisture.

If you love built-in appliances, the best option is to buy furniture and appliances from the same company, otherwise you will have to take into account on your own that the depth of appliances is usually 600 mm, and the cabinet should be slightly larger than the appliances themselves.

To make life easier for yourself and leave enough time for yourself, try to install various pull-out storage units, corner rotating elements ("carousels"), containers, baskets, trays. But it is not necessary to stuff furniture with only these devices, items that you often don’t use will feel great on ordinary shelves, and this will not affect your well-being in the least.

The choice has been made … Your beautiful kitchen is comfortably located on square meters of an empty room yesterday. You see your reflection in its shiny surfaces, but it doesn't live yet. You are the one who has to breathe the soul into it: arrange the dishes, turn on the stove and cook your first dinner in the new kitchen. But that is not all. You still have to work hard, because it must match you, decorate it. Anything you love will do: fresh flowers, porcelain trinkets, bright pottery, fancy compositions and, of course, the delicious aroma of cooked dishes.