How to equip a kitchen?

The kitchen is the holy of holies in every home. Here we spend a lot of time, and not only for household chores, but also to communicate with our loved ones over a cup of tea or during a family dinner. In this article, we are going to talk about how you can transform your kitchen and make it the coziest place in the whole house.

1- How to Equip a Kitchen: Kitchen Furniture

Maybe we'll start with the basics - with the furniture. After all, furniture is what serves as the functional framework for any room, be it a kitchen, living room or bedroom.

Cabinet furniture

The basis of the foundation of any kitchen interior is cabinet furniture, which we often call "kitchen". All these cabinets and shelves are not so much for a pleasant entourage, because they help to manage the space well, as well as to organize the work surfaces and to store all the necessary household items: from dishes and household appliances to food supplies.

If large-scale changes in the kitchen are not yet included in your plans, you can update the interior, for example, with the help of a new sideboard or a new showcase. It can match the tone of the kitchen, or you can choose a contrasting model, which will become an accent in the kitchen set. Modern sideboard design is nothing like the bulky "Helgas" that were popular half a century ago and are still found in some homes today. Among their variety, you can find stylish models that will refresh the interior, while becoming an additional storage space.

Another idea to spice up your existing kitchen is to install a shelf. They come in different sizes, heights and installation methods, so you can find the right one even for kitchens with limited space. Certainly, the racks are more demanding in terms of their content. If you can store everything your heart desires in a sideboard closed by doors, then the open shelves of the rack oblige you to store beautiful dishes, appliances and decorative elements. You can be creative filling the holder and it will surely become a bright decoration of your kitchen.

Dining table

If the cabinets are the backbone of the kitchen, the dining table is the center. For him, we share a meal with the household, we communicate, we share the plans of the day or we tell how it happened. And we often receive guests at his place. In general, the meaning of this piece of furniture is much more strategic than we are used to thinking. Therefore, his choice should be approached responsibly.

Of course, a lot depends on the free space in the kitchen. Does the square accommodate a large table that can be surrounded by chairs on all sides, or will it need to be moved against the wall? By the way, its form will also depend on this. So, for example, in a small kitchen it is better to place rectangular or square tables - they will be more convenient.

In some cases, folding tables are also used to save space. The format of the old and good book tables will allow it to be stored compactly and used as an additional surface, partially furnished for family meals, and if guests come, it can be fully expanded and accommodate all those present .

And if the area allows it, the restrictions on the shape can be neglected. Perhaps you have long dreamed of a large "chivalrous" oval or round table?

Spacious kitchens allow you to use not only a dining table, but additionally, a bar counter. The counter, of course, can be supplied with a kitchen set, but they can also be purchased separately if your kitchen suits you perfectly, and only a bar counter is not enough for complete happiness.

Kitchen chairs

Of course, any table needs an addition in the form of chairs. And, of course, there is also a huge choice, for any kitchen and for any interior. Chairs, like other furniture, can match the overall style of the interior and can be used as an interesting accent. For example, choose lavender chairs for a classic light brown furniture set. Bold, yet interesting and unbeatable.

If space does not allow several full-size chairs, they can be replaced with folding chairs. Of course, they do not look so attractive and monumental, but for compact kitchens this is a good solution.

Stools are also an outlet for a small space. And they don't have to be standard and boring.

Well, if you've already opted for a bar counter (or have had one for a long time), you can't do without bar stools.

If you have babies at home, you need to make sure they are comfortable eating with their parents. For compact kitchens, booster seats that attach to a "grown-up" chair and don't take up much storage space, as well as hanging chairs that simply hang from the dining table, can be a great solution. In the latter case, it is important that the table is stable and has 4 support points, and that the top is not made of glass.

While of course classic high chairs or convertible chairs are more popular, they will also need more space.

2- How to equip a kitchen: Lighting

Indoors, as well as in photography, much depends on lighting. And the kitchen is where light is needed differently. There should be a lot of them above the work surface, and in the dining room the light can be arranged a little warmer and more subdued to add coziness. Using such a simple technique, you can also visually divide the kitchen into zones.

The work area, where the worktop, the sink and the hob or stove are located, is usually brightly lit. By the way, in the cabinet furniture itself, a point light is often mounted for this , as well as additional light sources under the overhead cabinets. If the available lighting is not enough or it is not provided above the table, then it can be arranged independently. For example, place a LED strip under cabinets. It's very popular now.

For more general lighting of the work area, you can use a spot which will give directional lighting.

Projectors are also perfect for these purposes. For quick installation of spotlights, you can choose surface mounted or fixtures on a mounting strip.

Above the dining table or bar, it is best to use softer, more diffused light. A chandelier, a flat ceiling lamp or the same spotlight will help achieve this. Particularly interesting are chandeliers-pendants or elongated spotlights for 3-5 shades above rectangular and oval tables, as well as bar counters. Round and square tables look more harmonious with simple chandeliers.

There is a small table and pushed up to the wall, you can make a choice in favor of a wall lamp. They can also play the role of an auxiliary light, if the main lighting is allocated to the chandelier, which is located in the center of the kitchen.

Smart lighting has a special status today. Its main advantage is the ability to create unique lighting algorithms and simply control them from your smartphone. And, for example, "smart" light bulbs can be used in any chandelier (the main thing is that the base fits) and change the glow temperature, brightness and even color . With such gadgets, you can create a suitable atmosphere in the kitchen with just a few clicks.

3- How to equip a kitchen: appliances

The kitchen appliance segment is so vast that it is almost impossible to cover it completely. Today we will not talk about built-in appliances , because it makes sense to think about their installation only at the stage of designing new kitchen furniture. We are talking about those household appliances that help us save time and effort, while not requiring complex installation.

Great Machines

There are such categories of household appliances, without which it is difficult to imagine a modern kitchen and life in general. First of all, this applies to the refrigerator and stove, on which we prepare most of the dishes. Have you ever seen a kitchen without a first or second?

But today's dishwashers are even less common. Although this does not prevent them from being present in the wish lists of many housewives. It would seem that the thing is not the most necessary thing in the kitchen, because you can still wash mountains of dishes by hand the old fashioned way, but how much can it save time, effort and, ultimately, money. To avoid the overall remodeling of the kitchen, a freestanding dishwasherwill do just fine. Some of them, by the way, have compact dimensions and can be placed simply on the table, so they can be placed even in a not very large kitchen.

Cooking Technology

Domestic appliances, which serve as an alternative to cooking over the fire and help us diversify our daily menu, have a special place in the kitchen. These, of course, include microwave ovens . They are used not only to quickly reheat or defrost food from the freezer, but also to prepare a wide variety of dishes, from basics to desserts. Interest in these devices is also fueled by various tricks and quick recipes shared by enterprising users on the Internet.

Multicooker can be called a lifesaver for housewives who do not like (or do not have the opportunity) to spend a lot of time cooking. In order to prepare a delicious lunch, all you have to do is dip the prepared food into the multicooker bowl, choose the appropriate cooking mode and go about your business. The beauty of this device is that it does not require the constant presence of the hostess and does an excellent job of cooking on its own.

For those trying to stick to a healthy diet, vaping will come in handy. Perhaps it is impossible to find a more healthy way of cooking.

Although electric grills may dispute that. Literally over the past year, this type of technique has simply become megapopular, and largely because it can also be used to prepare a variety of diet meals without a gram of oil. Additionally, many people find grilled foods tastier than steamed foods.

Kitchen helpers

Today, we rely on kitchen appliances for most laborious processes in the kitchen. For example, now hardly anyone uses whisks to whip protein in a cookie - it's much faster and easier to do this with a blender . And ideally - a multifunctional planetary mixer , on which you don't even have to stand. And in addition to liquid products, it does an excellent job of kneading any, even quite thick dough.

On a special account are kitchen machines , which are both Swiss and mower, as they say. In addition to the fact that it performs the function of a planetary mixer, such devices often provide a wide variety of attachments and, with a slight movement of the hand, turn into a multifunctional harvester. For example, such machines can be supplemented with accessories - juicers , meat grinders , grinders, graters and others.

True, it is hardly possible to place such a device in a small kitchen. In this case, the food processors come to the rescue , which take up much less space.

If a large number of attachments is not required, the combine harvester can be replaced with a multifunctional mixer. Such devices are often a classic hand mixer with a whisk and a separate bowl with a carving knife, with which you can prepare minced meat and grind nuts. And mixers take up even less space.

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Specialty appliances are usually designed for a specific function. Such devices cannot be found in every kitchen - they are chosen if a particular dish is often prepared in your family. For example, if you are used to having breakfast with toast with different toppings, then having a toaster will make the making process much easier. Or do you like to pamper your home with homemade waffles or nuts with condensed milk, like in your childhood? Then you can't do without an electric waffle maker or hazelnuts.

If you love homemade natural yogurt without "E-shek" or preservatives, then the yogurt maker will help you prepare it with maximum comfort. No more thermoses or checkered cans!

Tea and coffee lovers

What could be more comfortable than meeting up in a friendly atmosphere in the kitchen over a cup of aromatic tea or a coffee invigorating? If your family mainly prefers tea, to enjoy a pleasant drink, you need a kettle , a teapot and a favorite brand of tea.