Kitchen sets: types, selection and design

Despite the fact that the kitchen is one of the non-residential premises, it is unlikely that at least one modern apartment is able to completely do without it. You may not cook at home at all, but you still need to dine somewhere, store at least a minimal set of dishes, wash dirty dishes. A modern kitchen simply cannot exist without a headset, which is its main detail.

The concept of a kitchen set can be different for each person, but most often this term means a single, that is, a complete set of furniture that allows you to equip a kitchen with all the comfort. Roughly speaking, this is almost all kitchen furniture that can only be useful in this room, consisting, albeit of individual elements, but made in the general style.

If you ask an ordinary person what, in his understanding, the description of a headset looks like, he, most likely, will indicate that it is a range of cabinets for storing various products and utensils... This technique of furnishing the kitchen was not always used, and this is understandable - in the old days, the poor simply did not have an abundance of utensils, as well as money for good furniture, and most of the products should have been stored in the cellar, and not at home.

Therefore, kitchen sets should be considered the norm only for the last two centuries. - it was in the 20s of the last century that relatively wealthy Americans began to furnish their kitchens in this way. At first, of course, each sample was an individually made order, but the furniture factories that already existed by that time quickly caught the trend of popularizing the newfangled invention and began to produce such designs by the factory method.

Even if you have great taste and are able to select individual pieces of furniture so that they go well with each other, it still makes sense to buy a headset, since it will cost less, and most importantly, it will provide one hundred percent uniformity of appearance. The components of such a set are absolutely compatible not only in terms of design, but also in terms of size, because all that is required is to be sure that the set will fit into your particular kitchen.

Despite the holistic appearance, the kitchen set is by no means one piece of furniture - on the contrary, it consists of a large number of parts, the individual selection of which allows it to perfectly fit not only into the dimensions of a particular kitchen room, but also into the customer's personal ideas about comfort. The components of a typical kitchen set include:

• the lower part in the form of cabinets, shelves and pedestals - this is the main part, which the kit cannot do without, because it is with it that the assembly begins;
• upper part - hanging pieces of furniture, which are also found in almost every kitchen, they are closed cabinets with opaque doors or counterparts with fully open shelves;
• pencil cases - special tall and narrow cases, which can be used as vertical cabinets for utensils or as an additional "case" for equipment, for example, for building a refrigerator;
• movable furnishings extremely important for cramped kitchens, they usually represent multifunctional transforming tables, furniture on wheels, and in some cases even sliding partitions;
• independent furniture not built into the common frame - primarily tables and chairs, as well as sofas.

When deciding on the choice of a headset, it is important to be guided not only by appearance, but also by certain performance characteristics - it depends on how durable and practical your purchase will be.

There are not so many materials from which such furniture is made, which somewhat simplifies the task of determining the optimal option, but at the same time it must be remembered that almost any set is made of two types of material - one is used for the manufacture of the frame part, the facade is made from the other, that is, the front part.

The frame is the main part of the headset, its body, on which the strength and durability of the entire structure as a whole depends. As long as the frame part is held, in fact, the entire set also holds, especially if the facade is entirely made of the same material, therefore special attention should be paid to the main raw materials.

The following materials are used for the manufacture of the frame.

• Chipboard. Particleboards have been criticized in recent years, nodding towards more modern competitors, but this option remains the most common and affordable.For kitchen conditions in general, this material is also suitable, which is a shavings pressed under high pressure, depending on the manufacturer's approach, it can be simple flat plates or more complex curly elements created specifically for the headset of a particular model.

Chipboard is quite durable, such a plate is not afraid of moisture or fire, and it is also easy to decorative paint and does not cause difficulties during installation.

• MDF. This is also pressed shavings, like chipboard, but these boards are made using a slightly different technology - there are much less harmful resins here or even none at all. Higher strength and reliability is achieved through more careful pressing and heating of raw materials.

Experts say that good MDF is no worse than solid wood, but at the same time the price is significantly lower, and the durability is even higher! As befits a headset material, such a stove is indifferent to changes in temperature or high humidity, and even is well processed in order to give an unusual carved shape.

• Natural wood. This material is still given special honors in the furniture industry, and no modern materials can surpass the useful qualities of the solid wood.

Wooden products cost a lot, but the high price is due to their operational qualities: the furniture is very durable and completely clean from the point of view of the environment. Myself the material is not afraid of any external influences and is considered elite, it goes well with most popular design styles and, with age, can acquire an even more stylish appearance than at first. Wooden furniture can be properly refurbished if necessary.

Nevertheless, there are also enough potential disadvantages and we are not only talking about the highest cost - so, under the influence of sunlight, the tone of the wood gradually changes, and since the sun illuminates different corners of the same room in different ways, over time, the skew in shades will become obvious.

The above types of materials for the frame are relatively rarely visible from the outside: if we are not talking about natural wood, then the appearance of an uncoated headset is unlikely to be outstanding. For this reason, manufacturers resort to decorative cladding, which not only gives a product aesthetic, but also allows you to make it individual, unlike other models.

As in the case of the raw materials for the production of the frame, the material of the facade directly affects not only the appearance, but also the practicality, and the durability, and the cost of the furniture.

It is worth considering the options available as closely as possible.

• Film facade today it can be safely called the most affordable, and at the same time the most common. The demand is understandable, since the consumer is attracted not only by the low price, but also by the huge variety of assortment of PVC films, which differ in color and texture, the presence of embossing and the possibility of subsequent repainting. Such a finish in factory conditions can be beautifully glued even on a complex figured profile, itself the material is environmentally friendly, and is also not afraid of burnout and many other types of external influences and protects the frame material from them.

Almost any dirt from the surface of the film can be simply washed off, including with the use of detergents, but the state of the finish is too early and therefore it is not worth scrubbing it aggressively - there will be scratches.

• Plastic facade will cost the buyer a little more, but it is considered fashionable because it looks stylish and bright. The variety of choice here is also decent - the material is produced in sheets and in rolls, it can be glossy or matte, while in any case the plastic is heat-resistant and reliable.

• Veneered headset will appeal to connoisseurs of classic trends and natural woody interiors. Veneer is a prefabricated covering made of thin sheets of natural wood, each layer of which does not exceed 3 mm in thickness. On top of the veneer, varnish is necessarily applied, allowing you to choose between a matte and glossy surface, as well as extending the life of the surface.

The advantages of such a finish are mass - it is all the same natural wood, which is environmentally friendly and looks amazing, and at the same time, after scratches appear, the product can be sanded again, giving it a second life.

• Glass facades recently they have gained unprecedented popularity, and all because of the endless possibilities for aesthetic decoration - here you just have transparent doors, and colored, including stained glass, and matte, and embossed, and even with applied photo printing. Thanks to such a variety of design, glass looks appropriate in any style, and in interiors of techno and high-tech trends, it sometimes turns out to be simply irreplaceable.

Manufacturers produce several types of such material. Tempered and laminated options are in special demand, but in some cases it is more appropriate to choose triplex or acrylic glass. In any of the above options, the material is absolutely not afraid of moisture and does not absorb dirt, which greatly simplifies cleaning.

The set is inevitably tied to the walls, and yet even in an ordinary kitchen with 4 walls there are several alternatives for how exactly to place it. The convenience of being in the kitchen directly depends on this, not to mention culinary exercises.

When choosing, you should also pay attention to this detail.

• Linear option probably every person has seen it at least once in his life - this is the simplest solution in which all the components of the headset are located along one wall. It is generally accepted that for cramped kitchens this is the optimal solution that does not clutter up the space.

• Two-line headset is a direct answer to the question of how to organize a workspace in a highly elongated room, and if the door and window are also located on opposite narrow walls, then this is a completely uncontested solution. Furniture and appliances will take a place at once at two parallel walls and although you have to twist, on the whole it is convenient.

• L-shaped option furniture in recent years has gained particular popularity, because he suggests filling one of the corners with furniture, creating a working triangle - a tiny space in which you can reach anything in 1-2 steps. For such a layout, a long wall is chosen as the basis, along which cabinets and pencil cases are assembled, a sink is often sent to a corner, and a shorter branch is filled with something that does not fit.

• U-shaped layout while it remains a rarity and is more suitable for studio apartments, where the transition to the living room implies an absent wall, otherwise claustrophobia cannot be avoided. There won't be a lot of space here, because 3 of the 4 walls are occupied by the headset at once, and the designers advise each of them to give a separate function - food storage, cooking and washing. There is usually no full-fledged dining area in such a kitchenette, but still you should not give preference to such a layout in the smallest rooms.

• Island spread lately it can be considered a squeak of high fashion, but now it is suitable only for those kitchens that are definitely not deprived of squareness. The point is that the headset, traditionally located against the wall, is complemented by an island - a functional part that is located just in the middle of the room, without contact with the walls. You can take anything there - most often, for this purpose, they choose a cutting tabletop or a dining table, less often a bar or a buffet, but the most desperate owners are not too lazy to even carry out communications for arranging an island stove or sink.

If you do not want to completely tear such an element from the wall, make it a peninsula, leaning its narrow part against the wall (usually separately from the main part of the headset).

Choosing a complete set, you almost completely furnish your own kitchen in one fell swoop, and since the stylistic unity of the furniture is observed, it makes sense to immediately decorate the entire room in the same style.

Combined with the right finishing of the floor, walls and ceiling, you get a concept that makes the kitchen unforgettable, but for this you need to know the general rules for each direction and strictly adhere to them.

• Classic appreciates precise geometry, here all the lines are clear and correct. The linear layout of the headset, which in many ways has already become a thing of the past, is still appropriate here, since all alternative arrangement options appeared much later. At the same time, the rule according to which a linear set is usually used in small rooms does not work here - the classic design, in principle, does not allow excessive crampedness, it is designed for chic and, accordingly, an abundance of free space.

• Country in many ways echoes the classics, this is a kind of old village in the best possible way. Accordingly, there is also an emphasis on natural products, especially wood, which has traditionally been the main material for the production of anything in the countryside. Country music is never new, therefore a specially aged design (or a real rarity) will be very appropriate, and colors, like materials, should be in harmony with nature as much as possible.

The facades of rustic-style headsets usually do not imply outstanding delights, they are quite simple and allow only the old methods of decoration - wicker carvings and glass inserts "a la vintage".

• High tech is designed to resemble the future, and this is usually achieved due to the abundance of gloss and the presence of materials such as steel and glass.Any jewelry that is purely aesthetic in nature is inappropriate in this case, but pencil cases with equipment sewn directly into them, including several “floors”, are what will definitely add authenticity. Avid adherents of high-tech style usually start from the achromatic scale of black and white tones and shades of gray, but with an abundance of gloss, other color solutions are also acceptable.

• Minimalism, like hi-tech, is not at all tied to beautiful trinkets - on the contrary, the name alone suggests that a minimum of details for such a design is extremely desirable. The requirements for uniformity are so strict here that even a simple separation from the general mass, be it form, texture or color, is not allowed. At the same time, no one forces you to dwell on the achromatic scale - although it acts as a basis, extremely bright accents of orange, red, green or blue are not only not prohibited, but also welcome.

Minimalism, like hi-tech, requires that the technique be built-in, because thanks to this move, it does not get out of the general monotony.

As can be judged from the previous section, the shade of the headset is largely determined by the stylistic features of the design direction that you decided to give preference to. If the strict styles of the future like minimalism and hi-tech are more focused on monotony, then the same classics and even more colorful rustic style can allow for combined color solutions. In general, the headset can be of absolutely any color - both achromatic and bright.

It should be borne in mind that the headset will occupy a significant part of the visible space, which means that its color cannot be considered just an accent - it directly affects the overall gamut on the scale of the entire room. In this context, it should be remembered that in a kitchen setting, warm tones are more welcome, since, according to psychologists, they have a positive effect on mood and increase appetite.

Achromatic solutions in this regard are considered to be neutral, but an abundance of grayness or blackness can put pressure on the psyche, but cold shades are not used in most cases - they dull appetite and are overly associated with the bathroom.

With the help of the choice of color, you can slightly edit the size of the room, even if this happens only visually. It's no secret that light colors in the design allow you to "push" the boundaries of the room, therefore, this color of the headset is especially appropriate in a cramped kitchenette, where it will perform not only an aesthetic, but also a practical function.

Respectively, the abundance of dark tones gives a completely opposite effect - they seem to compress the space, therefore, only those owners who are lucky with a spacious kitchen should experiment with black or dark brown furniture.

It is quite difficult to objectively talk about fashionable headset models, since their names are not heard, and consumers usually choose furniture not only according to their preferences, but also in accordance with the dimensions of their own kitchen space. Therefore, it will be correct to say that it is not so much certain models that are in vogue now, but rather certain characteristics that are welcomed by the majority of potential consumers.

We have already mentioned above that a real squeak of fashion are still unusual for the layman samples of headsets with an island... For a large kitchen, this approach is good if you have come up with a non-standard application for the island, and it does not function as a banal dining table or worktop.By taking out the stove and the sink (or even both together), you create an original design of the room, and even greatly simplify the culinary exercises in the event that two people are busy preparing food in the kitchen at the same time.

Many modern consumers see the most stylish and beautiful idea of ​​arrangement in making the headset extremely simple. The minimalist vision of design in our time should be considered rapidly gaining popularity and it is possible that in the coming years this particular design will become prevalent.

It must be admitted that it can be quite difficult to achieve the utmost straightforwardness of lines in a kitchen with its abundance of heterogeneous furniture and appliances, but successful examples really look interesting and arouse admiration. Minimalist headsets are the best also in the sense that they are extremely easy to care for. - since there are no hard-to-reach places, it means that there is no place for dirt and microbes to accumulate, and there is simply nothing to break here.

For many owners of apartments in old buildings, the view is still no more important than the ability of the headset to fit into the tightest space. New models are often released with the expectation of new buildings, where the squaring of the kitchen can be decent, but leading manufacturers do not forget about compact samples that can not clutter up the space even in the kitchen of 4-5 squares.

This compactness is achieved through a few simple tricks, including the creation of cabinets with sliding doors, the use of "multi-storey" pencil cases for vertical embedding of small appliances in several levels and the use of corner sinks.

A good headset for the home should meet several criteria at once - at least, it should be functional and comfortable, while its quality should contribute to the durability of the product. Many aspects of the choice have already been considered above, but now we will focus only on those that have not yet been considered previously.

• Content. In most cases, a standard set is just a box, a frame with shelves and nothing more, while the needs of the kitchen would be better satisfied if there were drawers, dryers, special sections with hooks for hanging, special containers for storing dining rooms appliances or seasonings and so on. Of course, all this is sold separately, but purchasing a kit always gives two invaluable advantages: financial benefits and full compatibility of all parts.
• Legs. In the case of base cabinets, this detail is paid the least attention, and in vain - even too much depends on it. Firstly, the furniture holds on to them - as long as they are in order, you can not think about changing the situation. Secondly, the adjustable feet effectively solve the problem of uneven flooring - using the mechanism, you can level the skew. Most often, you can find one of two options for the material from which the legs for kitchen sets are made: plastic ones are good for their low price and ease of cleaning, chrome-plated ones look more aesthetically pleasing and are more durable.
• Door opening method. Some headset models are completely devoid of any doors, but in most cases this is impractical, if only because an accessible overview of the entire filling is unlikely to be linked to the idea of ​​comfort. Therefore, the doors are mandatory, but the question is how exactly they will open - this can affect both the cost of the product and the amount of space it takes with the doors open:

1. are most popular ordinary hinged doors, since they are simple and cheap, but in this case there can be no question of saving space, and if they are located at the top, it is possible to injure the head with a high degree of probability;
2. folding - these are the same swing doors, only in the vertical plane;
3. lifting are pulled up with the help of a gas lift, they almost do not take up space at all and are not traumatic, but they are quite expensive;
4. sliding doors are rarely used in headsets, because they need guides, and so they need a lot of free space on the sides of the opening opening.

Separately, it is necessary to comment on the choice of the manufacturer of kitchen sets. The name of the factory is unlikely to sound familiar to you, so they usually just indicate the country of origin. Each state is credited with certain stereotypes in terms of the production of headsets, and although they are in most cases true, you still do not lose your vigilance when choosing.

• Germans are obsessed with the high quality of their products, therefore the high cost should not be scary - it is justified. In this country they love modern style, but be careful - in Germany they do not know about our “Khrushchevs”, therefore they do not produce compact headsets.

• Italian cuisine must be stylish and elegant - this is the land of designers and exquisite handicrafts. In search of a classic headset, you should consider primarily the assortment of goods from Italy.

• Swedes and Finns They appreciate simplicity and practicality, their products are the very thing for a minimalistic kitchen design. At the same time, the northern peoples pay special attention to the environment, because their kitchens are more often than those of competitors made from natural materials.

• Russian and Belarusian cuisines in terms of quality - a riddle: you can get caught and a good sample, and consumer goods in the worst sense of the word. But fellow citizens offer their products at affordable prices, and they also have an adequate idea of ​​the typical dimensions of your kitchen.

The first example clearly shows how compact a corner kitchen can be - in a spacious apartment, it seems to be only a small part, but at the same time it remains fully functional.

• Here we see a vivid example of a working triangle, when everything you need is very close.

• The second example shows that the design of the headset can be anything and you can safely use even the brightest options for ideas. It looks fresh and stylish in the interior., and if, at the same time, the appliances are built-in, associations with the near future of your kitchen simply cannot be avoided.

• L-shaped kitchen usually appreciated for being a relatively small space can accommodate a huge amount of useful furniture and equipment... Just take a look at all these lockers - there are so many of them that the owners may well clean up the obsolete mezzanine. The peculiarity of the configuration of the room itself solves the question of what to do with the corner.