The kitchen is the room in which the furniture is most at risk of quickly losing its original appearance. This is no coincidence: during cooking, drops of fat and water get on the apron, so you should make sure that it lasts a long time. An excellent solution would be to decorate the kitchen apron with a high-quality wall panel. We'll talk about how to choose it in this article.
Variety of wall panel models
Decorating a kitchen using wall panels is an economical and practical option for transforming a room. Modern finishing materials greatly speed up and simplify the repair process and perfectly mask unsightly walls.
By purchasing this type of finishing for renovation, you can decorate the kitchen according to your taste and preference, choose the desired color, tone, pattern, texture. And you will spend a very small amount of money.
Each type of panel has its own pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages. Panels imitating patterns of wood, natural stone, and brickwork are always relevant and in demand.
Venetian plaster
Venetian plaster is most often used to decorate the so-called kitchen apron and other areas near the work area. This finishing material is suitable for interiors in the style of classicism, Provence or eclecticism.
Mineral particles in the plaster after drying make the walls rough and iridescent in different shades.
The material can be chosen for malachite, marble, granite, quartz and other stones. There is also a choice of the coating itself; it can be glossy, metallic or matte.
Design panels
The finishing material is selected taking into account the ideal combination with the countertop and kitchen furniture facades, with the color of the dining table and decorative elements.
Particular attention in the design of walls is paid to the color scheme. If the color of the apron and tabletop match, the design looks expensive and stylish. Before carrying out the planned renovation, you need to look at new design developments and photos of wall panels for the kitchen.
Among the huge assortment, choose panels to suit your interior. A paneled kitchen will look completely different. The products will highlight the advantages of the kitchen and will look perfect in any interior.
Brick kitchen apron
Imitation brick finishes are often found in kitchen designs. Although initially it was typical only for lofts, now brick is used in many modern interiors. Most often, such aprons are made in white - they look discreet, but at the same time not as simple as ordinary ones.
Different types of panels
Wall decoration, depending on the characteristics of the interior, is made with products of different colors and textures, made using different technologies. To carry out budget repairs, panels made of plastic, laminated chipboard, plywood and MDF, and affordable and varied PVC are used.
To decorate luxury interiors, metal, glass and wood panels and artificial stone are used. Installation of wall panels in the kitchen can be done with your own hands, without professional skills.
Walls and even ceilings are decorated using tile, slatted, and sheet products.
Wood-effect kitchen apron
If you want a wooden panel, but are not willing to spend a lot on it, the best solution is an MDF panel. It exactly imitates wood texture and is inexpensive. Good MDF panels are practically indistinguishable from their natural wood counterparts.
Practical MDF panels
Sufficiently dense, strong, durable MDF kitchen wall panels are inexpensive. Mold does not grow under them, they are not afraid of scratches or other minor damage. They tolerate sudden changes in temperature and humidity in the room, and are washed without much effort.
Laminated waterproof panels are recommended for the kitchen. They have an aesthetic appearance, perform a protective and soundproofing function, have a wide variety of colors, do not deform from moisture, and are installed quickly and easily.
Laminated finishing material is not inferior in appearance and practicality to ceramic tiles, but costs much less. Even an inexperienced craftsman can install the cladding.
What to consider when choosing?
When purchasing material for cladding ceilings or walls, pay attention to the following aspects:
- the correct geometry of each canvas - without waves or distortions;
- uniformity and quality of coloring, color saturation of all lamellas;
- absence of chips, cracks, scratches and other damage;
- matching pattern.
To purchase high-quality finishing materials, go to a large hardware store. This will help you avoid buying defective PVC lamellas and problems with them - from unsatisfactory results in repairs to the release of harmful substances into the air.
The photo shows sheet plastic for ceramic tiles
Protective layer for panels
In production, MDF panels are covered with plastic, film or painted with acrylic paints and secured with several layers of varnish. The plastic coated panel is more durable. The waterproof surface is easy to care for using various detergents. It is not advisable to clean the film coating with aggressive cleaning agents.
Photo printing is applied to the base coated with paints in different ways and covered with varnish. Nowadays, wall panels with photo printing with a 3D effect are often installed.
In the kitchen, thanks to the original cladding, a unique three-dimensional picture appears. Thematic designs give the kitchen a special charm and sophistication.
Similarity to ceramic tiles
Kitchen wall panels made of PVC resemble ceramic tiles in appearance. Lightweight polyvinyl chloride is easy to install and wash off from dirt, and does not deteriorate from exposure to moisture. The material does not deform due to sudden temperature changes, but it is easily damaged due to careless use.
It’s easy to choose the optimal and desired option for your interior in the desired color and design among the huge assortment offered in shopping centers and online stores.
Products made from polyvinyl chloride have low prices; even a novice craftsman without construction experience can install them in the kitchen, with little time and effort.
The facing material is sold in rolls, square tiles and elongated planks of various standard sizes and models. Plastic panels are popular and in demand; they are often used for kitchen renovations on a budget.
Installation of wall panels
The facing material is attached to the wall using a frame or frameless method. The surface of the walls with plastic wall panels for the kitchen are connected using liquid nails or glued with glue.
Before installing the panels, you need to decide on the location of the apron, take measurements taking into account pipes, wiring and other communications. It is necessary to purchase material with a small reserve for trimming for kitchen furniture, sinks and other interior elements.
For frame fastening it is necessary to make a sheathing of slats. In this case, the wall panels in the kitchen are attached with self-tapping screws or screws with decorative caps.
Installation of any panels must begin from the corner. To work, you will need simple tools: a marking pencil and a building level, drills and an electric drill, a stationery knife and a tape measure.
Features of installing panels
A standard panel has a length of 3 m and a width of 60 cm. To install the apron, it is necessary to cut the sheet according to the calculations made, taking into account utilities. Frameless installation is most often practiced.
Before installing the panels, you must definitely get rid of the old finish and level the surface of the walls, get rid of crumbling plaster using a hammer drill.
Special glue is applied to the walls using a notched trowel for better adhesion of the panel to the wall. The seams are sealed with adhesive. Finishing can continue up to the ceiling, in which case the product must be secured under the ceiling plinth.
Many models are available with locking fastenings, which provide a strong connection between the joints between the sheets.
Wall cladding from small parts
Wall panels come in not only large sizes. Products of small configurations connected to each other can protect against contamination, maintain cleanliness and an aesthetic appearance.
Waterproof and vapor-proof materials come in the form of slatted panels that can be installed in a horizontal or vertical position. These are elongated planks up to 30 cm wide and up to 370 cm long.
Tile panels are available in different square side sizes. Models of small-sized panels are installed not only in the standard way, but also diagonally.
Flexible stone - environmental friendliness and wide possibilities
Flexible stone comes in the form of wallpaper or tiles and is not plastic or rubber. This is a very thin section of natural sandstone, which was applied to glass canvas.
Flexible stone has many advantages, the main one being environmental friendliness. Other advantages of the material:
- easy installation work;
- fire safety;
- has moisture-repellent properties;
- light weight, so the material is securely attached to a vertical surface;
- It does not require special care;
- The flexibility of the material will allow it to take the desired shape.
Perhaps the only drawback of flexible stone is its high cost, from 1,500 rubles per 1 square meter of material.
Lining can be used to decorate the kitchen and dining area
Combined kitchen tiling
The kitchen is more often renovated than other rooms. The owners pay special attention to the decoration of the walls. I want the coating to be wear-resistant and durable, with an attractive design and aesthetic appearance. Sometimes it is difficult to combine all these requirements in one room.
Heat-resistant and moisture-resistant panels are required above the stove and sink. The apron sets the main direction of the kitchen style. To finish all the walls of the room, you can use lining, slatted panels or PVC panels.
The design of this material can be different; choosing the material for your interior will not be too difficult. Durable and reliable plastic combines well with tempered glass panels or polymer panels. You can combine different panel models while maintaining the same color scheme.
Panels for kitchens of different sizes
For small kitchens, it is worth choosing light-colored panels so that the cladding does not “eat up” the already small space. It is advisable to choose colors with a small pattern or use plain light panels.
In spacious kitchens, you can allow the kitchen to be decorated with wall panels with a large pattern or pattern, and you can choose a darker tone. This solution gives the interior elegance and sophistication.
How to choose a pattern and color?
The choice of colors, textures and types of prints on the panels is comparable only to wallpaper - there are options on the market for every taste! Thanks to this, you can realize any interesting ideas.
- Plain. Look like painted walls, practical and stylish.
- With imitation material. The higher quality the print, the more natural the result will look. There are stone, wood and metal designs.
- With a repeating pattern. The same image on all planks, which, when assembled, imitates tiles or other finishes.
- With composition. Several elements represent a single picture - a landscape, a still life, an artistic canvas.
The photo shows an apron made of plastic with imitation wood
The choice of plastic panels for the kitchen depends on the size of the room. Small designs, light colors for small kitchens, large prints and dark colors for spacious ones. Materials with a glossy sheen make the room appear larger, while matte materials do not affect the visual size.
They also start from the style: imitation metal will fit into minimalism and high-tech, brickwork into loft and scandi, natural wood into classics.
The photo shows PVC sheets with a brick pattern
