Choose a kitchen set wisely

The kitchen is the most functional and responsible building in any home. No one will dispute the popularity of this loaded room. That is why, when planning to repair a kitchen space or replace a furniture set, we approach the issue with special care. If you are now at the stage of choosing a kitchen ensemble of storage systems and work surfaces, then this publication can be very useful.

First of all, you need to decide whether you will purchase a “ready-made” solution for the kitchen space in the form of standard modules, from which you can make the most suitable composition for your room or prefer an order to make furniture personally for the size and characteristics of your kitchen. Recently, our compatriots are increasingly choosing the second option. At a cost it comes out not much more expensive than modular modeling of furniture for the kitchen, but at the same time it allows you to take into account all your preferences for the choice of material, texture, color palette and models of kitchen cabinets.

Before thinking about color schemes and the location of work areas, do a little research of your kitchen room, marking it on paper or making parameters in a special designer program with the following contents:

• evaluate the space in terms of geometry for the standard form and symmetry of the room;
• make the necessary measurements - find out the length of the walls and the distance between them, measure the height of the ceilings and the length of the lengths from the floor to the windowsills (if any), measure for yourself the values ​​of door and window openings;
• find out the sizes of non-standard protruding elements or niches (if any) - mark utilities, sockets, flues and other auxiliary systems.

Based on the data obtained, it will be possible to decide on the layout of kitchen surfaces. Depending on the size and shape of the kitchen, a corner, single row, parallel layout, with or without an island, may suit you.

Then determine what kind of household appliances you plan to integrate into the kitchen. For someone, a hob and a dishwasher are enough, but someone needs a stove, oven and microwave. There are a considerable number of our compatriots who are forced to sacrifice the useful space of the kitchen for installing a washing machine. Even at the planning stage, you can "figure out" exactly how much space this or that household appliance will occupy; the dimensions of most kitchen appliances can be easily found on the Internet.

When planning a kitchen, do not forget to use the triangle rule for the location of the three main working centers of the kitchen space - a refrigerator, sink and stove. By alternating these three most important components with work surfaces, you can achieve an ideal, ergonomic arrangement of the most important segments of the kitchen.

When designing the future kitchen on paper or in electronic form, do not forget about the location of outlets and connecting all communications. When placing kitchen cabinets, consider the position of the fully open doors of storage systems and household appliances.

The standard height of the working surfaces, ergonomic and comfortable for most housewives in our country with an average height of 85 cm. But manufacturers can change the height, depending on the needs of the hostess (most often it is women who stand at the working surfaces of the kitchen and use built-in appliances). But even non-standard heights of the lower tier of the headset usually do not exceed a value of 90 cm.

As for the upper tier of the kitchen, Russian manufacturers usually use heights of 36, 72 or 92 cm. The depth of the wall cabinets is usually standard - 30cm. The distance between the upper and lower levels of storage systems and work surfaces usually ranges from 50-90 cm. It all depends on the height of the ceilings of your room, the growth of the hosts and basic ergonomics - the position of the upper tier should be such as to protect you from head bangs on the lower part cabinets.

Most kitchen sets (manufactured both by domestic manufacturers and foreign) have the same height over the entire length of the work surfaces. But most doctors recommend placing countertops at different levels, so that the load on the back changes when changing the working surface. Moving from the stove to the sink, for example, you unload the back, changing the position of the body.

Currently, the difference in the cost of domestic kitchen sets and those produced abroad is significantly reduced. This is due to the fact that most of the furniture of domestic assembly is produced either with imported equipment or the parts themselves are imported from Europe. In this regard, the quality of Russian furniture has increased significantly.

But only you decide which manufacturer to choose in the end. Most Russian factories produce compact kitchen modules, designed for packaging in small kitchens. Foreign kitchen sets are more designed for spacious rooms.

Consider the size of your kitchen when choosing a manufacturer. Luxurious Italian furniture in a classic style, for example, will not look appropriate in a modest-sized kitchen. For small rooms it is better to stay in a modern style or a combination with country style.

The facade of the kitchen furniture is its front part, we can say that these are cabinet doors. The overall impression made by your kitchen will depend on how the facades of the kitchen set look like, which texture, color, decor will have. You can hang different facades on the same frames of kitchen furniture and thus radically change the look of the kitchen.

From the point of view of aesthetics, you will choose facades according to the principle “like, don't like”. If you are not ready to make a complete repair of the kitchen, but you want to update the situation (or already need it), in this case you can simply replace the facades of kitchen cabinets. Such castling will not take much time and will save you about half the budget, which usually goes for a full replacement headset. Although, it must be recognized that it is the facades of kitchen cabinets that occupy a key place in shaping the cost of furniture.

Currently, the facades of kitchen cabinets are made of the following materials:

• solid wood;
• MDF;
• Chipboard;
• glass;
• plastic;
• combination of various materials.

In addition to the decorative impression that the facades create, they must meet certain technological requirements. Kitchen furniture is subjected to heavy loads - temperature changes, high enough humidity, ingress of drops of fat and water, frequent mechanical stress (opening and closing doors). Not to mention the fact that kitchen facades, along with countertops, take the main blows to protect furniture.

Among the main technological and operational requirements for kitchen facades, the following can be distinguished:

• moisture resistance;
• resistance to temperature extremes (especially near hobs, stove or oven);
• strength and durability (resistance to sagging);
• simplicity in leaving;
• resistance to mechanical stress.

Natural material for the manufacture of furniture will always be out of competition in many ways. The main disadvantage of such raw materials for the production of kitchen cabinets is the high cost.

For classic facades, solid wood is the most suitable option. A warm, cozy atmosphere created by woody shades of kitchen facades can revive any room. But it is important to consider that such headsets are not for modest, small kitchens. In such spaces, a classic solid kitchen will look too bulky.

An analogue of solid wood - a veneered facade, is increasingly used for the manufacture of modern kitchen sets.

Among the furniture made of natural wood, there are solid and paneled facades. Whole products are very expensive to manufacture. The fact is that wood, requires special care, reacts sharply to humidity and temperature changes. Wood is prone to cracking and warping over time. To avoid such consequences, facades made of solid wood must be treated with expensive antiseptics and varnishes.

A facade with a pannel in this respect is simpler and cheaper. Such products are made as follows - the frame of the facades is made of solid wood, and the inner filling (pannel) is made of MDF or particleboard veneer. Such combinations make it possible to reduce the cost of the production process and, accordingly, the final cost of the product. On the other hand, the diaper prevents the deformations that occur with massive wood over time. Outwardly, it is almost impossible to distinguish a massive facade from a paneled one, and only professionals can do it.

The advantages of solid wood facades:

• environmental safety for humans and the environment;
• durability with proper care and a lean attitude;
• noble and expensive appearance;
• solid wood outside fashion and trends.

Disadvantages of kitchen facades made of solid wood:

• high cost (some wood species are very expensive);
• accurate care (in no case should you use aggressive chemicals for cleaning and abrasive substances);
• there is no possibility of manufacturing facades of complex shapes (with curves);
• reaction to long-term exposure to direct sunlight (darkening of the surface);
• absorption of moisture and odors;

We can safely say that MDF is currently the most common material for the production of facades in our country. And there are several reasons - MDF facades are very durable, they are stronger than even natural wood, they have a high level of resistance to moisture and temperature extremes. In addition, the features of MDF production technology allow you to create facades of almost any shape.

There is another facet of the popularity of MDF - the possibility of facing facades made of this material with various coatings:

• PVC films;
• enamel paints;
• natural veneer;
• plastic.

Using various materials for covering MDF facades, you can create products for any stylistic trend - from classic to modern style.

Kitchens with enamel painted facades look colorful, rich and bright. When painting kitchen facades, the same technology is used as for automotive painting. The MDF board is first primed, then several layers of paint are applied, each of which is completely dried and sanded, then the product is varnished and polished. Not only its appearance and presentability, but also its strength and durability will depend on how many layers of paint will be applied to the facade.

Advantages of MDF kitchen facades painted with enamel paint:

• huge color palette (any shade and brightness level, even gradient filling is possible);
• a large selection of coatings - matte, glossy, metallic, pearl, chameleon surfaces;
• ease of care (wash with damp sponges using chemicals);
• resistant to absorption of odors and moisture;
• the ability to manufacture facades of any shape (with rounding, concave and convex);
• durability.

The disadvantages of such products include the following:

• high cost - painted facades are more expensive than their counterparts with PVC film and plastic;
• low resistance to mechanical damage - shocks can easily form chips;
• fingerprints are visible, traces of drops even of pure water;
• burn out under direct sunlight.

Pasting of facades made of MDF with PVC film is the easiest and cheapest way to make kitchen furniture. The facade is glued with MDF according to the principle of lamination in a press with the application of an adhesive composition. PVC film can be of various colors, including the ability to imitate some types of wood.

Advantages of facades covered with PVC film:

• low cost;
• simplicity in leaving;
• resistance to abrasion and mechanical stress;
• rich palette of colors;

Cons of MDF facades with PVC film:

• from the picture of a film imitating wood, it is immediately clear that this is not a natural material;
• peeling of the film from the base of the facade is possible (especially near stoves, ovens and hobs);
• in the sun burn out.

The frame made of MDF can be inserted filling made of:

• Chipboard;
• glass;
• mirrors;
• plastic;
• rattan.

The advantages of frame kitchen facades:

• affordable price;
• frame facades are lighter than analogues from solid wood and MDF;
• the possibility of using various materials for decoration, which contributes to the realization of the imagination of both the designer and the customer;
• ideal for facades with glass inserts.

Disadvantages of frame facades for a kitchen set:

• difficulty in cleaning;
• suture joint profile;
• all the disadvantages of coating with PVC film (if the facade is not veneered);
• loosening of the facade with a weak fastening of the frame;
• wear resistance is the lowest of all the options presented.

The choice of shade for the kitchen set depends on your idea of ​​the final result of the repair. How would you like to see your kitchen - calm or dynamic, tonic, bright or tender and bright?

We bring to your attention several useful tips from designers on choosing a color palette for a kitchen ensemble:

• within one kitchen set, do not use more than two colors;
• if the kitchen set has two shades, it is better to choose a lighter tone for the upper tier of cabinets;
• only one color of the headset should be dominant (if more than one tone is used for furniture);
• for small rooms it is better to choose solid colors of calm, neutral shades;
• for small kitchens, the light gamut will be most effective (white and its shades visually expand the space);
• if the kitchen is bright, the wall decoration should be calm, neutral and vice versa.

Color affects our mood, condition, performance and even health. And in the kitchen we spend a lot of time (especially the hostess). Therefore, the color solutions of the kitchen set must be taken seriously, because part of the facades of furniture for the kitchen occupy most of the space of the room for cooking.

How many people - so many opinions. Lovers of snow-white kitchens have existed at all times and the popularity of all white options for kitchen furniture is only growing. Our compatriots quite recently most of them believed that a white kitchen is too easily soiled and labor-intensive option. But many coatings of kitchen facades in the light version show the highest rates in simplicity and frequency of care.

For small kitchens, the white color of the facades of the kitchen set may be the only possible way out for the visual expansion of an asymmetric or complex shape space. Not to mention the fact that white is easy to combine with decor, textiles and household appliances of any color.

In addition to white, there is a wide range of pastel shades that can create a calm, peaceful atmosphere for the kitchen. Psychologists recommend that housewives, who constantly monitor weight and diet, use calm, soft shades of blue, light green, mint and turquoise to decorate their kitchens.

The black and white version of the kitchen or a combination of a black shade with any other bright color will bring a lot of dynamism and even drama to the kitchen. But choosing such combinations is recommended only to owners of fairly spacious kitchen facilities. A contrasting interior created by a combination of dark and light shades always looks advantageous, attractive and modern.

The red color for a kitchen set is usually chosen by people who are active, emotional, and even impulsive. Bright colors of the kitchen will awaken you every morning, and keep you in good shape throughout the day. But it is important to remember that red shades contribute to the stimulation of appetite. If you are constantly dieting, then the bright red color that dominates the kitchen space is not your option.

The yellow kitchen will please you all year round with a warm and sunny atmosphere. Even in cloudy weather, your room will be bright, joyful and fresh. Usually such shades are chosen by cheerful optimistic people.