How to Choose a Kitchen: 7 tips and use professionals

How to properly plan space in the kitchen

The layout of the kitchen allows you not only to place all the necessary elements in the most optimal way, but also to create coziness in the room. When developing a plan, you should adhere to the following rules:

1. Working triangle rule.
   According to it, the stove, sink and refrigerator should be placed not in a straight line, but in a triangular pattern. In this case, the distance between working points should not exceed 180 cm. Please note! This placement allows you to get the most coordinated kitchen scenario, when food goes from the refrigerator to the sink and then to the stove. There is no extra time spent.
2. The location of the sink is within 2.5 m from the riser. Otherwise, additional manipulations will be required, from tilting the water pipe to installing the pump. A washing machine and/or dishwasher should be installed next to the sink. The latter is placed on the left side of the sink when used by a right-handed person and on the right side when used by a left-handed person.
3. Place the stove at a distance of 40-180 cm from the sink and as close as possible to the gas pipeline (if available) and the ventilation hole. Between the sink and the stove you can place a work surface, the optimal width of which is 90 cm.
4. The minimum width of passages is 120 cm. In the case of walk-through kitchens, it can be increased to 130-150 cm, but should not be less than a meter.
5. The refrigerator should be closer to the sink than to the stove. Can be built into a single unit with a microwave and oven.
6. Overhangs are masked with shallow cabinets, and niches are converted into storage spaces.

Important! For safety reasons, a free gap is required on the side opposite to the stove, the width of which is at least 40 cm.

In a small kitchen, additional space can be obtained by choosing small-sized appliances.

Designer lamps for a fashionable interior

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In the photo: Stylish bar stools for the kitchen

Below we will look at the shapes, designs and even specific brands and models of trending lamps in the interior design of kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms.

Cascading waterfall style chandeliers for island accent decoration

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In the photo: Fashionable furniture for the kitchen and living room with capitonné upholstery

Cascading chandeliers are now at the peak of popularity. They are the most sought-after design solution for accents.

Luxurious Argent chandelier by Terzani made of gold glossy flakes

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In the photo: Design project of a kitchen-living room with a mirrored ceiling

The collections of the Terzani brand include many ultra-fashionable lamps. But Argent have become truly iconic!

Luxurious Italian chandelier for the focal point of the dining area

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In the photo: Design project of a light kitchen with gold accents

Italian design is undoubtedly leading in the world of lighting.

Asymmetrical jellyfish chandeliers Stream from Terzani

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In the photo: Interior design of a kitchen-living room with designer chandeliers

Another stunning lamp from Terzani Stream collection is ideal for both neoclassical and art deco.

Silver chic Argent chandelier model from Terzani for the dining room

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In the photo: Fashionable chairs for the kitchen in blue

Another example of using Argent from Terzani.

Openwork Moroccan metal lamps for the kitchen

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In the photo: Beautiful blue kitchen with a wooden dining group

Ethnic lamps are also popular in Russian interior design. They look very authentic in Provence style interiors.

Parametric design with a futuristic lighting atmosphere

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In the photo: Black kitchen with sliding doors to the living room

Modern and stylish interior, tastefully decorated!

Profile lighting systems for modern interiors

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In the photo: Interior of a fashionable kitchen-living room with a blue sofa

A practical and very stylish solution for ceiling design.

Built-in lighting for the buffet area in the kitchen unit

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In the photo: Interior design of a modern kitchen-living room

A great idea for lighting the kitchen unit itself.

Asymmetrical chandeliers with Argento ball-shaped lamps from Eichholtz

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In the photo: Beautiful furniture for the kitchen-living room

Argento from Eichholtz are very popular in modern design projects in neoclassical, Scandinavian and minimalist styles.

How to choose a cabinet for the ceiling

Ceiling cabinets are especially relevant in conditions of large space shortages, as they allow you to get additional storage space. At first glance, they may seem bulky, but in fact they can visually lengthen the walls. Their advantages also include the following:

• Protection against pollution. Since the high kitchen set is adjacent to the ceiling, there is no free space left for the accumulation of dust and grease fumes from cooking.
• Efficient use of space. Tall kitchen cabinets have more shelves for storage.
• Creating a complete image of the room. Tall cabinets cover the entire wall, so you don’t have to worry about decorating it.

Tall cabinets have quite significant advantages.
Note! The small gap remaining between the set and the ceiling can be masked using a cornice surrounding the perimeter of the room.

There are a number of disadvantages of this design:

• High price. Depends on the amount of materials used.
• Difficulty accessing the upper shelves. This problem can be solved in several ways:
  placing items that are rarely used at the top (kitchen utensils, jars with preparations);
• using the top of the cabinet for decorative purposes by installing glass doors and displaying decorative items;
• selection of a kitchen unit equipped with a special staircase.
• Visual overload. If there are too many high cabinets, then even in a large kitchen there will be a cluttered and heavy effect. This is especially true for furniture with dark facades.
• Difficulty in placement due to pipes and ventilation. Most often, this problem is resolved by installing a stretch or suspended ceiling.

The design also has certain disadvantages.
When choosing kitchen furniture, you should consider some requirements that it must meet:

1. moisture resistance;
2. resistance to temperature changes;
3. resistance to mechanical stress.

Note! You should only choose a kitchen set up to the ceiling if the room height is less than 300 cm.

Choosing a color palette for the headset

Kitchens are not always spacious. Because of this, owners want to feel spacious and breathe deeply. Usually in such cases, experienced designers select a light palette (gray, white or any pastel tone), because they can blur the boundaries of the walls and visually increase the space.

If you are lucky with the scale of the room, then you can play with dark colors. Designers recommend using various variations of green, brown, cream and red shades.

A cool blue shade is used exclusively for kitchens that face the sunny side, but in kitchens that face the shady side, bright yellow, orange and red shades usually predominate.

It is worth noting that the choice of colors for your kitchen depends only on you. Do not rely on the opinions of designers - the designer should guide you, and not make the kitchen according to your wishes.

What to put in tall cabinets

Tall kitchen cabinets, especially in small spaces, should be easy to open. Therefore, you should carefully consider the choice of opening system, which may be as follows:

• Swing. The usual traditional option. Convenient for small wall cabinets, but requires free space for opening, which is not always practical.
• Lifting. Convenient when the compartment is large or there is a lack of space. For opening, in which the sash either entirely or folded rises to the top, elevator lifts, gas shock absorbers and other special mechanisms are used.
• Sliding. In this case, the door leaves, moving using roller guides, do not occupy any kitchen space. However, access to the internal contents of the compartments is limited.
• No handles. The facade of such a cabinet does not have handles, and the doors open with the touch of a hand. There are mechanical and electrically driven models.

Clueless storage spaces

In fact, the upper part of the tall cabinets are kitchen mezzanines, on which things of the penultimate necessity are traditionally stored: rarely used equipment and utensils, ceremonial gift sets of dishes, supplies of tablecloths, containers and cans, and the like. On the one hand, it’s convenient that there is a place to put all these things. On the other hand, there is a high probability that you will no longer have to use anything sent so far away. That is, such storage spaces only motivate people to clutter their home.

It is better to store at the top those things that are used extremely rarely.

Advantages and disadvantages

Designing a kitchen without upper cabinets causes a lot of controversy. Some find this solution modern, while others prefer classic headsets. Single-tier kitchens have their advantages and disadvantages that are worth considering.

ProsCons

Closed vent

The kitchen unit box under the ceiling completely blocks access to ventilation. Even if you keep the ventilation grille open and decide not to connect the hood, the cabinets will block or significantly impede air circulation in the room. And ventilation will not help much here, since in the cold season (as well as during the day) it is extremely uncomfortable to keep the window open all the time.

A blocked vent may prevent air circulation in the room.

Trend or not trend?

Just a couple of seasons ago, “topless” headsets could have been called a modern trend. Today, they have not lost their relevance, but have significantly lost their positions in the top popular design techniques.

It would be most logical to call this headset configuration one of the many possible options. Its relevance should be considered based on many factors, including:

• area of ​​the room and the entire apartment (or house);
• lifestyle and preferences of owners;
• selected style;
• required and desired storage volume.

Risk of structural collapse

Ceiling cabinets are not only large in size, but also significant in weight, and therefore the risk of the entire structure collapsing increases. To avoid this, it is necessary to use especially strong canopies, and also trust the installation only to highly qualified specialists who can reliably assess the condition of the walls.

Note! You should order furniture exclusively from the factory, since a technologist works there who deals with the safety of the structure and also develops the features of its fastening.

Care should be taken to ensure the strength of the structure to avoid collapse.

How to raise standard height cabinets to the ceiling

If you want to raise cabinets to the ceiling, you should consider the height of the room. If it is less than 240 cm, then this option is perfect. With a height of 240-300 cm, the set can be either high or low. However, in this case, the distance between the cabinet and the ceiling is still necessary, at least 30 cm. If the height of the room is more than 300 cm, then the cabinets do not rise to the ceiling, since this design is not only unaesthetic and cumbersome, but also not functional , since it is extremely difficult to fully use.

When decorating the ceiling with coffers, beams or other similar elements, cabinets abutting against it create visual confusion and unnecessary asymmetry. Therefore, if you have a beautiful ceiling, it is better to leave the set at the usual height. However, this does not apply to smooth and simple ceiling tiers. If they are slightly lower above the work area, then the top of the cabinets may rest against them.

It is advisable to make the ceiling smooth and without decorative elements.

Important! If you want to raise the kitchen set, you should take into account the age of the owners. For older people, tall cabinets can cause injury.

If the height of the kitchen space is between 240-270 cm, then there are two design options:

1. The cabinets are slightly below ceiling level. The remaining gap is closed with a decorative panel or cornice. In this case, the upper part becomes purely decorative.
2. Two-tier or double cabinets resting on the ceiling.

The gap between the cabinet and the ceiling can be filled with a cornice.
Double top designs are as follows:

• the levels are equal in height;
• the first tier is higher than the second;
• both facades are blank;
• the facades of the first tier are blank, and the second are glazed (often backlit), or vice versa;
• levels of equal depth;
• the second tier is deeper than the first, that is, it is a mezzanine.

If the room height is more than 270 cm, the optimal option is with two levels.

Note! Kitchens with a two-tier top should maintain symmetry to avoid creating visual chaos.

You can raise a standard height set in the following ways:

1. The cabinets are hung from the ceiling, and the junction is decorated with a cornice. Under them there are open shelves, which allows you to balance the composition.
2. A decorative panel in the color of the facade is mounted on top of the cabinets up to the ceiling. The joint is closed with a cornice.
3. The upper level is built on and has the form of cubic cabinets, mezzanines or open shelving.

You can increase the height of the headset in different ways.
A kitchen with tall wall cabinets can be a very convenient solution to save space and create a unique design. However, its arrangement should be approached thoroughly so that the room does not lose its coziness.

Bottom line headset

This includes all furniture standing on the floor. Heavy objects and a variety of household appliances are stored here.

Let's take a closer look:

• A column-shaped cabinet is an excellent option. It is installed on both parts of the working area. The design can be to your taste. The main thing is that it matches your interior.
• Refrigerator-cabinet is the trend of this year. Doesn't stand out from the rest of the furniture. In addition, you can choose any color of the refrigerator. This is precisely its distinctive feature.
• A dishwasher is an indispensable item in the household.
• An oven is available in every kitchen. The household appliances market represents a huge range of products. You can choose any one to suit your taste.
• Decorating the dining area - firstly, it is a table for eating. You can choose any shape: round, square, triangular, or even prefer a bar counter. Secondly, the table decoration is a tablecloth.

Examples of kitchen cabinets up to the ceiling in the photo