A comfortably furnished kitchen not only makes cooking easier, but also provides a wonderful atmosphere for spending evenings together with the family. You can choose a kitchen set made from a wide variety of materials, decorated in the most aesthetically attractive way.
An excellent option to make the interior especially interesting and stand out is furniture finished with plastic. This is a fairly practical and reliable material.
But even in this case, you need to carefully select the highest quality models. And we will tell you what to pay attention to.
Advantages and disadvantages
Kitchens with plastic facades are known for their advantages:
- attractive and fashionable appearance;
- high strength;
- resistance to steam;
- variety of designs and colors;
- affordable price.
The disadvantages of headsets include:
- change in color of the facade with constant contact with direct rays of the sun;
- areas where dirt accumulates at the junction of plastic and edge;
- loss of attractive appearance over time for aluminum and polymer edges.
A plastic kitchen has more positive than negative qualities. Because of this, they are in demand among buyers.
What kind of plastic coating can there be?
Plastic for the kitchen is available in several options, from acrylic to PVC film.
Plastic acrylic kitchens in the photo
PVC furniture
Sets with plastic facades are cheaper than furniture made from natural materials, they are not afraid of constant temperature changes and are made in a variety of colors. The only disadvantage of PVC is that it is difficult to maintain (with a matte texture) and the possibility of deformation of the applied decorative pattern on the surface of the furniture.
Acrylic panels
The modern and multifunctional material is characterized by a long service life, during which it retains its original appearance. The advantages of the material include:
- increased strength and resistance to scratches, steam and water;
- no burnout effect;
- uniform gloss;
- long-term operation - from 30 to 40 years.
Experts considered the negative properties of acrylic panels to be the frequency of cleaning (removing fingerprints), high cost and the possibility of using only for smooth and solid facades.
Acrylic panels
Acrylic film
This material is inferior in characteristics to sheet acrylic, but is more resistant to temperature transfers than PVC film. Acrylic film comes in a variety of colors, and can also imitate wood or other materials. There are options with a plain surface or photo printing. The facade can be matte, pearlescent or glossy.
HPL plastic for high pressure cladding
It is a durable and reliable composition and has a high cost. HPL plastic has high resistance to unstable temperatures, moisture, and mechanical damage (scratches). The material has good hardness and rigidity characteristics.
Medium and cold pressure CPL plastic
Among experts it is considered less convenient; its structure is similar to leatherette. Negative qualities of CPL plastic include fading in the sun and scratches under mechanical stress.
The low level of strength is also reflected in the price - the material is cheaper than HPL plastic. Appearance does not meet expectations.
CPL plastic
Modern color options
The color range of kitchen sets is endless: from snow-white to charcoal black. Each of the well-known styles requires the purchase of a set of a certain color, combined with the shade of the walls.
High tech
The design requires a minimum amount of decor; two-tone solutions with contrasting or similar shades are welcome in kitchens. Furniture should have clear lines, radius or straight fronts.
Classic style
Classics and plastic do not combine if the surfaces do not imitate wood: oak or walnut wood. You can use beige, brown or white shades, but you should not combine more than 2 colors.
With a classic style, choose matte rather than glossy solutions. The fittings should fit into the overall concept and look like old gold, silver, copper or bronze.
Classic kitchens made of plastic in the photo
Loft
The style requires a large number of glossy surfaces: glass, metal or plastic. To get the maximum effect, it is better to purchase acrylic options.
Minimalism
The combination of simplicity and practicality does not tolerate excessive decoration and pretentiousness. Furniture can be cream, milk, honey, coffee or pearl shade. It should have sliding structures and matte surfaces.
Minimalism in the kitchen
We do it ourselves
A large selection of high-quality semi-finished products for the manufacture of kitchen furniture allows you, if necessary, to make a plastic facade for the kitchen yourself.
- To start work, you need to prepare a facade blank from MDF or chipboard, plastic for the surface of the facade, PVA or Kleyberit glue, a press (it can be made using clamps and a durable plate larger than the blank). For edging you need an aluminum profile or PVC tape.
- The MDF blank is cut 20 mm larger than the required size.
- The cut slab must be thoroughly washed, degreased and wiped.
- Glue is applied to the thoroughly dried MDF surface and a sheet of plastic is laid, which is rolled tightly with a rubber roller to remove excess glue and air bubbles.
- The glued facade is placed under a press for the time necessary for the glue to completely harden according to the instructions.
- After the plate with plastic is removed from the press, it must be cut to the size of the opening for the front door. It should be taken into account that it will be necessary to install edging on the edge. For an aluminum profile, the actual size of the cut facade should be 3 mm less than the required size for installing the door.
- The edge is carefully milled and an installation groove is made. Liquid nails are applied to this groove and the prepared aluminum profile is installed. For complete installation, you need to gently tap with a mallet.
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In order for the profile to fit well at the corners, it is necessary to saw it at 45 degrees in these places. After final assembly, the corners of the facades edged with aluminum profiles must be carefully processed with a file.
Models with photo printing
They help create unique interiors. In addition to ready-made options, you can order any design from the manufacturer or apply your own photo to the cabinets. The set will automatically attract attention, which will allow you to ignore the decoration of the rest of the room.
Classic photo printing options include:
- photos of fruits and flowers, landscapes and abstractions - with a plain tabletop;
- black and white variations - when using the classic style;
- images of flora and fauna, various hieroglyphs - for adherents of the Japanese version;
- photographs of birds, plants, cities or coffee are used for Art Nouveau.
The basis of photo printing is acrylic film. It is quite moisture resistant and practical.
Corner set with facade photo printing
Decorative qualities and color palette of plastic facades for the kitchen
Thanks to a wide palette of colors and textures, plastic facades can be used for any interior style. They can be:
- glossy;
- matte;
- mother-of-pearl;
- mirror (with special coating).
Please note that manufacturers offer coatings that imitate other materials - for example, metal, wood or even glass.
Thanks to modern technologies, a variety of designs and patterns can be applied to plastic. 3D images that imitate three-dimensional elements—decorative stucco molding, milling or carving—are widely popular.
To create a unique interior design, photo printing is used, which allows you to obtain facades with unique designs.
Which is better – matte plastic for the kitchen or glossy?
After choosing a suitable kitchen set, the owner is faced with the question of the features of its surface:
- Gloss – looks better, has a beautiful appearance, and its shine attracts attention. This material has a serious drawback - even superficial scratches will be noticeable, not to mention handprints. This option is not suitable for families with small children, for whom it is difficult to explain the fragility of a smooth surface. As a result, in a short time the kitchen will resemble something that has been used for a long time, and it will have to be replaced.
- Matte does not evoke a festive mood with its appearance, but is more practical in many respects. Matte plastic does not show stains, scratches or fingerprints (example: Italian Phoenix kitchens). Designers consider the negative properties of this option to be difficult to maintain - you will have to spend more time cleaning the facades.
Kitchen sets with printed patterns deserve special attention. The images look unusual and elegant, but they are not advisable to use in miniature rooms. The drawing will emphasize the modest size of the room.
Combination of matte and glossy surfaces in the headset
Types of plastic kitchens
The furniture market offers kitchens with two types of plastic facades:
- Made from chipboard panels (chipboard), where all facades are lined with plastic. More budget option.
- With facades made of MDF panels lined with plastic. The option is more expensive, but also of higher quality.
In both versions of the production of kitchen sets, the ends of the kitchen doors are processed almost identically. There are several options:
- aluminum profile;
- postforming (this is the name for processing two ends with plastic, and the other two with PVC edges);
- finishing the ends with acrylic edges (a more practical, but more expensive option).
The edges at the ends of the furniture not only prevent moisture, steam, mold, etc. from accessing the internal panels, but can also decorate the kitchen set if you play a little with their color. For example, if the facades of a kitchen unit are covered with bleached oak colored plastic, then the wenge colored edge will emphasize and decorate each door, the kitchen will look more expensive and more solemn.
Care Tips
To increase the service life and visual appeal of a furniture set, it is necessary to follow a number of rules:
- eliminate sudden temperature changes - the product easily tolerates temperatures from +10 to +40 degrees;
- do not expose the set to the open sky;
- protect it from exposure to direct sunlight;
- quickly remove any spilled liquid - if the base is of poor quality, it will swell over time;
- Of all types of frames, give preference to aluminum - it is considered a durable option;
- get rid of contaminants in a timely manner;
- When washing, use special polishes for plastic surfaces and soft fabrics;
- remove fat from the facade with ordinary liquid soap or dishwashing detergent;
- use a hood with sufficient power so that fumes do not settle on light-colored cabinets.
Manufacturers of the kits do not recommend using aggressive or bulk care products, alcohol compounds, solvents, acetone or turpentine. When washing, do not use hard brushes or sponges - they can scratch the coating.
A kitchen set made of high-quality plastic is considered durable, beautiful and comfortable. Before purchasing furniture, you need to really evaluate the room (size, illumination and sun exposure) and only then choose matte or glossy options. Proper care of your headset will prevent it from quickly aging and becoming shabby.
Features and rules for caring for a kitchen set with a plastic facade
Plastic panels are low maintenance, however, careful handling of them will significantly extend their service life.
When choosing a cleaning product, pay attention to its composition. For plastic it is not recommended to use:
- abrasives - they can abrade the surface, depriving it of its shine;
- chlorine - in high concentration it will lead to discoloration of the surface;
- Oven and stove cleaners are too aggressive.
You should also use alcohol-containing household chemicals with caution - they cause the coating to fade. To make sure the product is safe, first apply it to an inconspicuous area of the headset.
The best way for daily care of plastic facades is to wash them with warm soapy water. A soft cloth is moistened in it and the panels are wiped. Then they are wiped dry.
