Types of accessories
Kitchen furniture experiences constant stress. Therefore, the fittings for it must meet certain requirements.
When choosing, you need to pay attention to the material used for its manufacture, cost, number of operating cycles, warranty period and manufacturer.
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All fittings can be divided into front and fastening. The first group consists of handles, locks, edging materials and various decorative trims.
The second - elements for fastening shelves, various types of screws, inset or internal hinges, and ties.
Varieties
Kitchen fittings are auxiliary elements that complement and improve pieces of furniture. Such details include fasteners, closers, hinges, handles, lifting and sliding mechanisms - everything that ensures the convenience and functionality of a modern kitchen set. In addition, fittings are an integral part of the aesthetic component.
Facial decorative elements
The façade elements serve mainly for decoration. However, such details also contain certain functionality. For example, kitchen handles are not only part of modern design, but are also used to open doors. Due to the fact that facial decorative elements are constantly in sight, the main requirements that they must meet are durability and aesthetics. Kitchen fittings of this type include:
- pens;
- edging materials;
- hooks;
- decorative overlays;
- locks.
Particular attention is paid to furniture handles. The materials used for such parts are very diverse: metal, plastic, wood, glass, earthenware, ceramics. The color range is limited only by the designer’s imagination, so it is possible to choose beautiful modern fittings for almost any kitchen interior. The most popular options for furniture handles: staples, rails, buttons, sinks, rings, mortise.
Staples can have different shapes. Kitchen handles of this type are among the most common due to their practicality, reliability, and ease of installation. Most often, products are made from metal alloys. Rails are a type of bracket. In appearance they resemble a strongly stretched letter “P” of small height. Such furniture fittings are often used in modern minimalist and high-tech styles.
Mortise handles are round, oval, rectangular. To install them, a hole is cut out on the front of the kitchen drawer, the shape of which is determined by the model of the part. The main advantages of mortise handles: compactness, stylish appearance, space saving.
Drop pens are compatible with any style. The part is attached with a screw and a leg, having a single connection with the facade of the kitchen cabinet. This element of fittings is made in the form of flat or three-dimensional geometric shapes: circles, ovals, balls, cubes.
A modern design solution is the complete absence of visible handles. You can bring it to life using technology that allows you to open the door by pressing.
Pens
Edge materials
Hooks
Decorative overlays
Locks
Furniture legs
Kitchen floor cabinets are attached to the walls, creating a floating effect, and installed on a base or on legs. Most often, adjustable supports are used for mounting cabinets. The advantage of this design is that the position of the kitchen furniture can be adjusted even if the floor is uneven.
Options for kitchens without upper cabinets, photos of possible designs
Furniture supports are made of plastic, chrome-plated metal alloys, and less often of wood. Kitchen plastic legs are usually round or square in shape. The color of standard furniture supports is black, brown or white. Plastic legs can be closed with a special furniture plinth, which is attached to clips.
Metal supports also act as an independent decorative element. Since such furniture legs are visible, the shape and coating are selected so that they match the interior of the kitchen. Most often these are chrome-plated parts of round, square and rectangular shapes. Wooden legs are rare and are usually carved elements of luxury designer furniture.
Kitchen Adjustable Plastic Feet
Metal supports
Base
Railings
They are a bar on which hooks or shelves are placed for accessories, dishes, and decorative elements. Using such a modern storage system, you can make the most of your free space and conveniently place kitchen utensils so that the essentials are always at hand. Most often, roof rails are made from chrome-plated pipes. They are horizontal, vertical, hanging.
Horizontal rods are suitable for small kitchens. Most often they are mounted on walls or on the bottom of hanging cabinets. Hooks, shelves, and utensil holders are hung on such roof rails. Vertical storage systems are placed along the kitchen wall, and also connect the work surface or bar counter to the ceiling. The shelves are attached to the pipe installed in this way. Hanging rails are attached to the ceiling. Such a system is most appropriate in a spacious kitchen. Place a hanging bar above the work area.
Horizontal railing
Vertical
Suspension
Dampers
Literally into Russian the German word “damper” is translated as “muffler”, “shock absorber”. The main function of the device is to extend the life of furniture. Thanks to the shock absorber, the attractive appearance of the facades and the functionality of kitchen cabinets are preserved.
The range of shock-absorbing devices is quite wide. The simplest damper that prevents the door of a furniture set from hitting the wall is a rubber gasket. Such fittings for kitchen furniture are easy to make and install with your own hands.
More complex modern mechanisms ensure smooth opening and soft closing without popping. Based on their operating principle, dampers are divided into two types: pneumatic pistons and gear mechanisms. Devices of the first type provide slow, silent closing of kitchen cabinet doors. In addition to shock absorption, gear mechanisms fix the position of the door in different positions.
Classification of kitchen cabinets, characteristics of the main varieties
Pneumatic piston
Gear mechanism
Guides
The retractable mechanisms that kitchen drawers are equipped with must be as silent and durable as possible. Previously, boxes were installed on slats, but this was not very convenient. Firstly, such structures could not withstand heavy weight, and secondly, they made a loud sound when opened. When using modern metal guides, these problems do not arise.
The types of retractable structures are presented in the table.
| Name | Description | Advantages | Flaws |
| Roller | The steel skids on which the boxes are mounted are moved by rollers coated with rubber or plastic to reduce noise. | The simplest and most cost-effective option | Produce more noise, maximum load up to 20 kg, incomplete opening of the drawer |
| Ball (telescopic) | Second generation mechanism popular among professional furniture makers | Maximum load up to 60 kg. Wear resistance, noiselessness, full opening of the drawer | Inseparable design |
| Metabox (metalbox) | Metal side walls on roller guides | Simplicity and precision of installation | Maximum load up to 25 kg, no noise when moving |
| Tandembox | The most advanced system to date based on ball guides hidden in metal side walls. | Load 65-80 kg, smooth, silent opening, modern design, full opening, ease of installation and adjustment. | High price |
A wide selection of different types of retractable structures allows you to make any furniture set as convenient as possible. Additionally, you can install a closer that will ensure smooth closing of the drawer. The durability of the guides depends on the thickness of the material, which ideally is at least 1 mm.
Roller
Ball
Metabox
Tandembox
Loops
There is a wide range of furniture hinges on the modern market. In order to choose the best option, you should pay attention to the manufacturer, the thickness of the product, type of fastening, material, purpose of the loop and its functionality. Among the most common are hidden, overhead, transforming, self-closing hinges.
Hidden loops get their name because they are placed in a pocket that is not visible from the outside. Aesthetics is the main advantage of this type of fittings. Disadvantages include the impossibility or difficulty of removing the door from the box in some cases, which leads to difficulties during transportation. Overhead hinges are easy to install. They can be attached to the door with simple self-tapping screws without preliminary preparation of the surface of the canvas or complex measurements.
Transforming hinges look like overhead ones. The main advantage is the ability to open the door 170 degrees. Self-closing hinges are a type of overhead hinges. They are equipped with a closer function. The closing moment in such hinges is provided by a spring or sliding plane.
Hidden
Invoices
Transformable loops
Self-closing
Lifting mechanisms
Lifting mechanisms lift cabinet doors, hold doors in the upper position or any other specified point. Modern fittings allow you to move, fold or rotate the façade. Depending on the design solution, you can choose designs of different types of mechanisms. The most common are spring lifts and pneumatic gas lifts.
Basic elements, styles and colors of kitchen furniture, arrangement methods
For economy class kitchen sets, mechanisms based on spring brackets are most often used. The disadvantages of this design include the inability to fix the sash at the required height when ajar. The gas lift mechanism is driven by air pressure. Compressed gas placed in a sealed cylinder provides lift.
Spring lift
Pneumatic gas elevator
Baskets
In the kitchen, baskets of a wide variety of purposes and sizes are used: narrow bottle holders, roll-out wide basket shelves, carousels, retractable columns or pencil cases. A wide range of shapes allows for efficient use of space, providing practical options for storing accessories and drying dishes.
Cargo - mechanisms with a mesh body structure that are attached to the facades - are becoming increasingly widespread in modern kitchen sets. Retractable narrow baskets are divided into several tiers, which allows you to conveniently place:
- bottles;
- towels;
- detergents;
- containers for bulk products;
- kitchen appliances;
- dishes
Cargo is the name of a company that was one of the first to begin producing various types of retractable nets, but now the word “cargo” is used to describe similar products from other manufacturers.
Roll-out baskets-shelves
Carousels
Retractable columns
Handles - a decorative part of kitchen furniture
The design element in kitchen furniture is primarily the handles. Based on their form, they can be divided into several types:
Staples are the most common option. They can have an arcuate or regular U-shape. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Attaches securely to furniture using two screws.
- Railings are a straight or cylindrical crossbar. Holders-brackets are used as fastening. The choice of type depends on the design style of the kitchen.
- Buttons. Its head can be of the most varied shapes (from oval to flower). This type of handle is somewhat old-fashioned, so it is suitable for appropriate sets (Provence, country). They are not recommended for use on large drawers, as they are less durable than brackets and rails.
- Wood or metal, plastic and glass are used as materials for handles. Wood is now used much less frequently. Such options are sensitive to dampness, are difficult to clean and are unlikely to suit modern kitchens.
Metal models are most in demand. The material is an alloy of aluminum and copper, less commonly bronze and brass.
Color range - the natural color of the metal or its protective coating. Most often it is gray or yellow, or stylized as natural gold and bronze.
Upward movement
Photo: "Maria". Facade with lifting mechanism
Photo: “Likarion”
For upper tier cabinets, it is more convenient to have facades with lifting mechanisms (Blum, Hettich, etc.), which tilt upward smoothly and silently. This way, you have access to the entire interior of the cabinet, and the open door does not interfere with your work, and you are not afraid of bumping into it. The design of the facade depends on the type of lifting mechanism.
Folding. Equipped with this mechanism, the high facade folds and rises. Moreover, it can be adjusted so that the door is fixed in an intermediate position that is convenient for you, or it closes immediately.
Folding. The door with such a mechanism tilts from the bottom up, freezing at the top point in the visor position. The folding mechanism is most often used in wide wall cabinets located under the kitchen ceiling.
Vertical. In a model with a vertical mechanism, the door moves forward and rises up parallel to the facades, revealing the entire interior space of the cabinet. However, when designing furniture, it is necessary to calculate the distance from the top of the cabinet to the ceiling so that the door can open completely.
Turning. In this embodiment, the door rises upward and is located horizontally, at right angles to the facade. This is a classic lifting mechanism, when installing which you need to ensure that the door in the open position is high enough (but not at head level).
SAVE SMARTLY
Often, when ordering a kitchen, we begin to agonize over what we can save on. And we make the method of opening doors an object of economy, choosing budget swing doors and abandoning advanced mechanisms that guarantee more comfortable use. The “stuffing” is indeed not cheap (sometimes it is equal to the cost of furniture), but saving on it also comes with a side effect. Of course, there is always a chance to update old cabinets and install new mechanisms on them. But at the same time, you may have to change the facades. In addition, not all companies undertake such alterations.
Dampers
To soften the impact when opening and closing doors and drawers, damper systems are used. They are installed on door hinges and make the process quiet and smooth.
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This property remains throughout the entire period of operation, so kitchen furniture retains its beautiful appearance and functionality for a long time.
Dampers are characterized by a variety of shapes and designs. These systems may operate using pneumatic pistons or gear mechanisms.
In both cases, they provide soft and easy closing with just one touch.
Loops
The most durable and high-quality materials are used to make modern hinges. The assortment pleases with design solutions, variety of shapes and colors.
The loops differ:
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- by the number of hinges (four or seven hinges). They make it possible to open the doors or move them to the side;
- according to purpose (depending on the material from which the furniture is made);
- according to the installation method.
The surface of the hinges can be matte, mirror, textured, enameled or artificially aged. The best solution for any style is chrome-plated hinges, as well as those with a coating that imitates the color of gold, bronze, and copper.
Types of kitchen mechanisms
Kitchen systems are used to make it easier to use cabinets, drawers and other furniture. These systems are divided into several types depending on the principle of operation:
Figure 2. The second type of closers is attached directly to the cabinet itself.
- Closers. They are a spring mechanism in an oil or gas capsule. Allows you to close the cabinet smoothly and silently. They look like regular door hinges (Fig. 1) or a special device that is attached to the top of kitchen cabinets (Fig. 2).
- Lifting mechanisms. They allow not only to smoothly and easily open horizontally oriented doors and facades, but also to securely hold them in the desired position (Fig. 3).
- Draw-out mechanisms (Fig. 4). Used to construct full-extension systems - horizontal drawers, vertical cargo, countertops, cutting boards, ironing boards. They allow you to simplify the operation of kitchen furniture and gain full access to all parts of the drawers.
Manufacturers try to equip all modern furniture models with such elements. This is no longer considered a luxury, but a necessity in terms of comfortable use of the kitchen. The cost of the mechanisms is not very high compared to the overall price of the furniture.
In addition to the systems listed above, designed for opening doors and drawers, kitchen mechanisms include auxiliary moving elements - remote shelves, rotating glass holders, central and bottle shelves and glass hangers.
Lifting mechanisms
Modern kitchen furniture is represented by cabinets, the doors of which can open upward at different angles.
Lifting mechanisms are used for this. These systems can be designed as spring structures or as pneumatic lifts.
Functional fittings include closers, docking elements, baskets, metaboxes, and retractable mechanisms.
The range of kitchen accessories today is so diverse that it makes it possible to create a perfect and special image of the room, without forgetting about quality and safety.
Boxes instead of drawers
Do you still use bulky drawers that squeak when opened? It’s high time to replace them with modern retractable systems. Nowadays, the following options for filling the kitchen are at the peak of popularity:
- Metabox is a steel retractable complex on rollers.
- Tandembox is a retractable system of the same type, but on ball guides and with a chipboard bottom.
- Space Corner is a corner box in the shape of an inverted letter “M”.
- Drawers for vertical storage of items.
- “U”-shaped drawer for the sink.
The side guides of the metabox are its walls. Due to their thinness, they take up minimal space. This means that all the free space in your closet is given over to kitchen utensils. Literally every centimeter is used.
Despite the thinness, the steel sides of the metabox are very strong. Filling drawers up to 25-30 kilograms is acceptable. An important detail: the metabox extends 3/4 of its length, so little-used items are placed deep inside. An excellent option for a small kitchen - compact even when extended.
Unlike the metabox, it extends to its full length. If you like all the contents of the box to be visible, this is what you need. Thanks to the reinforced design, the tandembox's load capacity reaches 50 kilograms.
You choose the height of tandemboxes and metaboxes yourself. Do you like every thing to have its own place? Then order many small retractable systems. Prefer to stack pots and pans one on top of the other? Then your option is large drawers half a closet high.
Makes the cabinet 2.5-3 times more spacious due to its unusual configuration. Now you don’t need to rack your brains about how to organize the filling of a corner cabinet in the kitchen - Space Corner will solve this problem easily and elegantly.
Skimmers, rolling pins, ladles - usually all this is stored horizontally. Therefore, chaos occurs in the boxes every now and then. It is difficult for you to find the right thing under a pile of others and it is difficult to pull it out, which spoils your mood and disappears the inspiration to cook. And all because the correct filling of a box for long items is vertical. So the necessary thing immediately catches the eye and is obtained without unnecessary movements. You save time, energy and nerves at the same time.
Developers of modern kitchens could not ignore one more area of free space - the space under the sink. Usually it is empty, but today you can occupy it thanks to another know-how - a drawer on roller guides. Its shape is designed so that it smoothly curves around the sink and at the same time accommodates a maximum of accessories.
It would be logical to place detergents, rubber gloves, sponges, and cellulose wipes under the sink. Now you don't have to reach or bend over for them - they will be within easy reach.
The listed retractable mechanisms for filling the kitchen are reliable and durable, withstanding a record number of opening and closing cycles. All systems are equipped with closers, and tandem boxes are also compatible with electric drives such as Servodrive. To open the drawer, you need to lightly touch it, after which it will gently slide out on its own. When you have both hands occupied, just touch the front with your elbow and the box will smoothly roll forward.
