Modern kitchen furniture is replete with its diversity, and it is often quite difficult to make the right choice. On how ergonomic and quality the furniture will be, its service life, as well as the convenience of cooking, a comfortable stay in the dining area will largely depend. In our article, we will consider the main parameters that you need to pay attention to when choosing furniture for the kitchen, and the photo gallery will demonstrate the best examples of ready-made environments.
What kind of furniture is needed in the kitchen
Faced with the task of choosing furniture for the kitchen, you need to decide what is needed for a particular family so as not to acquire unnecessary furnishings. If the family has decided to cook a lot and tastes good, a high-quality arrangement of the working area will be required: the purchase of a spacious multifunctional kitchen set with many shelves, drawers and nightstands, as well as compartments for accommodating various equipment.
For a bachelor monastery, you can choose furniture that is less bulky, in a minimalistic direction, where there will be the most necessary compartments with a countertop, a nightstand for dishes, drawers for various little things.
In some families, the kitchen plays the role of not only the room where all sorts of culinary masterpieces are prepared, but also the territory for family or friendly gatherings. In this case, you need to try to allocate enough space to equip the dining area with a spacious table and seating. You can even install a small folding sofa, which will be a great place for an overnight stay for a late guest. It is better to separate the dining area from the working one using different zoning methods (differing in the decoration of the walls, floor, ceiling shape, lighting, etc.).
A frequent subject of a modern kitchen interior is a bar counter. Fashion for her came to us not so long ago, but quickly gained popularity. Depending on the size and shape of the kitchen, it can act as a successful element of zoning space, combine a working and dining island, or even replace a table for eating.
The choice of furniture depending on the layout
The decisive role in the arrangement of the kitchen space is played by the size of the room, as well as its layout. Before buying furniture, you should immediately consider the presence of windows, niches, the location of the doorway. Often, in modern interiors, there is a tendency to combine the kitchen with the living room, which gives much more opportunities for placing all the necessary furniture.
Furniture for the working area
Depending on the characteristics of the room, you can choose a headset that, with its shape, is the best fit into the environment. The modern assortment offers various furniture options: with clear lines or smooth bends, high pedestals for the ceiling or compact storage systems. Among all the diversity, one can distinguish the main types of headset installation, which are optimally suited to certain room conditions, namely:
Single-row is a good option for small rooms where a working wall with cabinets and appliances occupies an area along one of the walls. As a rule, in the central part there is a stove, from which countertops on different sides lead to the sink and refrigerator. A washing machine, microwave oven and other appliances can be built into the furniture;
Double-row - is the placement of work surfaces, cabinets and equipment along two parallel walls. This situation can be found in spacious long (rectangular) kitchens.It should be noted that the optimal distance between the rows should be at least 1.2 m, which will ensure ease of movement during cooking;
U-shaped - similar to double-row, but has another end side, combining the side. This is the most capacious type of arrangement of all necessary pieces of furniture and equipment, typical for spacious kitchens;
L-shaped - it is also called angular. Such a set is perfect for small kitchens, allowing you to effectively use two walls and an empty corner area between them. Here you can organize roomy storage places, install an angle sink, pull-out, rotating drawers.
Another popular type of arrangement of kitchen furniture is island. It is appropriate in large spacious kitchens of private houses or studio apartments, as it requires the availability of appropriate space. The idea is to have, in addition to a headset with storage systems and equipment, a separate "island" that can be used for various purposes. They place a hob, sink or combine the working area with the dining area.
Furniture for the dining area
When choosing a headset at the same time you need to consider the arrangement of the dining area. In a studio apartment, it can be located in the living room, and in other cases it is necessary to correctly position it in the kitchen. In any case, the furniture for the dining area (table and chairs) should match the style and color palette of the overall design.
If the set is linear, it can flow smoothly into the dining table (bar) by the window, or the food intake area is placed along the opposite wall, marking it by some zoning method. In two-row kitchens, the dining table most often takes place near the window, in the U-shaped headset the table can be one of the sides, etc. There are quite a few accommodation options, the main thing is to place the furniture so that cooking does not interfere with its reception.
For small kitchens, a transformer dining table will become a good help, the surface of which, when folded, occupies a small space, and when unfolded, it becomes a spacious table for a large company. You can also make to order a surface built into the kitchen, which can be easily extended if necessary.
Materials of manufacture
In the production of modern furniture, including for the kitchen, various materials are used, such as wood, MDF, particleboard, glass, metal, and sometimes plastic. Speaking of what material it is better to purchase a headset and dining group, it is worth considering their individual elements.
Frame
The internal "skeleton" of the kitchen wall can be made of wood, however, it is worth considering that the material is afraid of conditions of high humidity and high temperatures, so it will require special treatment. Also, its high cost does not testify in favor of wood, so often the frame is made from more unpretentious chipboard and MDF, the cost of which is much more affordable. Although, if we talk about the rich classic design of furniture for the kitchen, wood here will be the most appropriate option.
Facades
The design of the facades uses a lot more materials. In addition to the considered wooden, MDF and particleboard surfaces, you can find planes made of plastic, glass and metal. MDF boards can be coated with a special enamel that gives durability to the product, or with PVC film - a more economical but impractical option. Sometimes chipboards are pasted with plastic, the quality of which depends on the processing method. It, as a rule, has high resistance to humidity, ultraviolet conditions, and also has an extensive color palette. The most short-lived and, therefore, the cheapest type of coating is laminated chipboard, which is acceptable for temporary use.
Glass furniture will give a special lightness to kitchen furniture, which has been held in high esteem for many years.Often there is a combination of aluminum profiles with plastic, glass, wooden inserts.
Countertop
The choice of material for the countertop is a separate issue, because it is here that the majority of kitchen processes take place, therefore the surface is constantly exposed to mechanical stress, moisture, and pollution. An ideal can be called a stone countertop, which easily withstands all the hardships of a kitchen routine. The stone is not affected by all of the above negative factors, has a long service life and excellent aesthetic properties. However, the high price of such a piece of furniture limits its consumer demand. A replacement can be an artificial stone, which has the same practical properties, but costs much less.
An excellent tool for modern kitchens can be a stainless steel countertop with a long service life. On sale there are also tabletops made of glass and natural wood, which have a special appeal, but require quite careful handling. The best combination of price and quality is a laminated countertop made of chipboard and lined with plastic. The cover is highly resistant to any influences and a wide variety of patterns, including imitating stone, wood, etc.
Kitchen furniture color
Modern kitchen sets are characterized by a wide variety of color palettes, suggesting the most conceivable and inconceivable options. If the purchase of furniture is considered at the stage of repairing the room, its color can be selected according to the general color concept of the walls, ceiling and floor. You can also come up with a harmonious combination of two or three colors in the interior. The choice of palette depends on the personal preferences of the owners, but it is worth considering that dark furniture will visually make heavier and less space, so for the decor of small rooms it is better to give preference to light shades. The purchase of furniture elements in colorful tones that add extravagance notes is typical for large kitchens, while for small-sized ones it is better to give preference to lighter shades of light green, blue, peach, etc.
According to psychologists, a particular color can significantly affect a person’s appetite. The colors of ripe fruits, such as orange, green, yellow, remain preferable for the kitchen, and you need to be extremely careful with red, purple, and marsh colors, as they help to reduce appetite (although for people who are overweight, this option may be the most profitable )
Kitchen furniture style
In conclusion, let’s say a few words about styles, because furniture is one of the main elements that form the overall design. Classical cuisine is characterized by the use of natural materials in light shades. Here, wooden rounded facades with carvings, milled elements, gilding and other delights will look great. The fittings are made of expensive materials (brass, ceramics, bronze), and the countertop is made of natural or artificial stone.
The furniture in the Art Nouveau style is simplistic. There are no excesses, and preference is given to surfaces that are easily cleaned from contamination. The set, as a rule, is located along the walls to leave as much free space as possible, and, of course, can not do without a bar.
Modern minimalism in the kitchen is the presence of only the most necessary pieces of furniture, built-in appliances, clear lines of the facades (glass doors that demonstrate the interior of the cabinets are not welcome here), a white or beige palette.
In the Provence style, kitchen furniture should be made of wood or, in extreme cases, MDF. Moreover, preference is given to antiqued surfaces having abrasions, cracks (can be made artificially).Forged elements, wicker armchairs and chairs, open shelves in the headset with decorative utensils, cabinet handles made of copper and iron are appropriate here.
Loft kitchen furniture is made of wood, glass and metal. Most often, the headset is only the lower tier, and the upper one is replaced with open shelves that remain half empty and perform a decorative function.
Furniture for the kitchen - photo
More options for furniture for the kitchen can be seen in our photo gallery. It contains a variety of options for headsets and dining elements that will give a lot of clues and inspiration. Enjoy watching!