Are you the proud owner of a spacious kitchen?Well, congratulations! But the arrangement of a large space has its pitfalls. What type of layout is best to choose? How to choose the right equipment? All this is in our article. We have already talked about the arrangement of small spaces more than once, but today our article will be useful for the happy owners of spacious kitchens that are not at all constrained in square meters. Of course, this allows you to relax in planning the space of the room, without fear that some item may not fit, which means you will have to lose functionality. But do not relax, because even a spacious room can be spoiled by irrational planning or choosing the "wrong" equipment. Therefore, in order for your kitchen to be at its best, we suggest you familiarize yourself with several important points that you need to know when arranging a large kitchen.
Selecting the ideal layout
In a small kitchen the layout is dictateddirectly by the geometry of the room itself, and we can only adapt, choosing the lesser of two evils. But in a large area, although there is no such problem, it is sometimes quite difficult to navigate which layout will suit you best. Therefore, in order to make the right choice, you need to know all the popular options: Double-row layout. Most often, it is used in a walk-through room or in a kitchen combined with a living room and dining room. Moreover, from an ergonomic point of view, designers recommend placing the hob and sink in one row, and cabinets and a refrigerator in another. At the same time, the open door of the refrigerator should not block the passage, and the minimum distance between the rows of furniture should be at least 120 centimeters.
Linear layout.The arrangement in one row is not often used in large kitchens, and this is understandable. In conditions of an abundance of space, such a solution would be rational only for a narrow room, where there is no other way out. Although sometimes a linear layout can be found in kitchens with an open plan, where the entire kitchen set is located on one side, and the dining table and chairs on the other.
U-shaped layout.Three walls are used here, and the main thing here is that the owners have unimpeded access to all three parts of the kitchen. Not a bad option for a large room, but again, do not forget that the minimum distance between parallel rows should not be less than 120 centimeters, otherwise the U-shaped arrangement will cause more inconvenience than benefit.
L-shaped layout.This is the most common arrangement of furniture and appliances in modern kitchens. It is universal and perfectly suits a room of any shape and purpose. Moreover, there is always room in a free corner to arrange a dining area there.
Island layout.This can be a kitchen with any of the above-mentioned layouts (although more often U- and L-shaped), which is complemented by an island in the center of the kitchen area. Most often, the island is a massive table with a work surface, a built-in sink and a stove. Moreover, it has become difficult to imagine a modern spacious interior without this element. In its absence, a feeling of incompleteness is created, as if something is missing. As for the sizes of the islands, their dimensions are completely different, the main thing is that the hostess in the kitchen can get items from any point of the table without much effort and acrobatic tricks. When installing the island, you need to ensure that there is at least a meter of free space on each side around it. And in combination with a bar counter, this is already a whole system that reaches a new level of comfort and practicality.
Choosing the right equipment
When choosing household appliances for your home, modernConsumers focus on two key issues: how it will look in the interior and how it will work. And if you are the happy owner of a large kitchen, then the range of possibilities is quite large, as are the sizes of the future equipment. It is important to find the optimal combination of design and functionality. In recent years, household appliances have gone from being just an assistant in the kitchen to an integral part of the interior, and often its central part. Let's not forget about technologies, the rapid development of which has transferred kitchen appliances from the category of "apprentices" to independent chefs. Therefore, the main task for the buyer now is to choose equipment that will look beautiful in the interior and work perfectly. And it is best to start an exciting adventure called "new kitchen" with the choice of equipment and with an understanding of what devices are needed, where they will be located so that it is convenient to use them in the future from an ergonomic point of view. And it is important to make this choice before the stage of renovation work, so that the builders bring out all the necessary communications to the right places. It is advisable to do this with a qualified and experienced designer when designing your kitchen space. Our opinion: - It is necessary to take into account that the refrigerator, microwave oven, oven and some other devices need ventilation, which means that the gap between their back wall and the furniture should be at least 10 centimeters. For built-in appliances, this point is already provided by the manufacturer, but still be careful. The cost of the kitchen depends on whether the household appliances will be hidden behind the facades and under the countertop or will remain uncovered.
Fridge.When choosing a refrigerator, you must first of all start from your needs. We must understand what we want to get, what set of functions and characteristics the selected object should have, so that owning and using it brings benefit and pleasure. And of course, its external style should fit into the overall interior of the room. Oleg Lapin, Sub-Zero & Wolf: - First, you need to decide on the size of the future refrigerator. We take the "number of people in the family", remember the "volume of the average purchased basket", multiply it by the number of purchases for a certain period of time, add "hobbies and habits" (if any) in the form of hunting, fishing, mushroom or berry picking, do not forget about the "guest factor", mix everything thoroughly and get an understanding of what size the refrigeration part should be, how big the freezer part should be, whether an ice maker or a cold water dispenser is needed. In a kitchen with a large space, you can not really count centimeters and buy a refrigerator with a "full set", as well as a capacious interior. But secondly, it is important to think about what kind of refrigerator will externally match your interior. Now manufacturers offer a wide range of design solutions for equipment. This can be a free-standing device in steel, various colors and styles, covered with denim and leather, with different configurations and arrangement of chambers and different in overall dimensions. And if all this motley assortment does not fit your classic, for example, style, then you can choose models on which you can hang kitchen facades - and the device will disappear into the kitchen interior. Again, now manufacturers offer a wide range of models, both combined devices with a refrigeration and freezer chambers "in one", and these chambers separately. And also small refrigerators in the format of pull-out drawers, which are built in under the countertop and are often used as additional options in the kitchen, as well as in bedrooms, offices, bars. We must not forget about the reliability of brands, the quality of materials, and the technologies used, since there is little pleasure in the immediate need to replace a faulty refrigerator.
Built-in oven.Nowadays, it is rare to see the old version of the stove, where the stove and oven are combined into one item. Their separation allowed us to create a more rational and ergonomic environment in the kitchen interior, plus now you can build the oven into the cabinet at chest level, so that you don’t have to bend over every time, checking the dish or taking it out of the oven. Oleg Lapin, Sub-Zero & Wolf: - Guided by our preferences and culinary habits, we choose a modern hearth - an oven. We must remember how and what we cook, on what modes, for how many people, how often... Do we know how to cook at all or do we need automatic programs to help us. Do we bake a turkey for Christmas, and a rack of lamb for the holidays, or is our most "weighty" dish a small charlotte? Based on such an analysis, we come to an understanding of the required size of the working chamber and begin choosing from a huge variety of brands offered, paying attention to materials, quality of performance and reliability, the proposed functionality and additional "features", such as automatic programs, self-cleaning functions, telescopic guides, a temperature probe for roasting meat, a stone for making pizza. And again, we choose the design of the devices that harmonizes with the design of your interior. If you plan to cook often in your large kitchen, then you can buy double ovens and prepare, for example, for receiving guests much faster. And they look impressive.
Hob.Contrary to popular belief, the hob does not necessarily have to be placed directly above the oven. It will fit perfectly anywhere on the countertop, and unlike a single oven, which could not be pushed against the wall, the hob fits elegantly on the countertop and becomes its logical continuation, without gaps and dirt accumulations. The hob will also look great on the island, located in the center of the kitchen area. Induction hobs are rapidly gaining popularity now. And although they require high-quality cookware, safety, energy savings, excellent appearance, simple and precise control, as well as ease of maintenance make them incredibly attractive innovative household appliances. We recommend paying attention to the world-famous manufacturer of equipment Sub-Zero & Wolf, which pleases with its good range of induction hobs.
Extractor hood.Hoods are designed to eliminate unpleasant odors, excess steam, splashing fat, and anything that can interfere with the creative process from the kitchen. They also help illuminate the work surface and, again, are part of the interior. Manufacturers offer us a wide variety of these devices both by type (wall-mounted, island, built-in countertops) and by design. In large kitchens, an island work area and a corresponding hood above it will be a convenient and stylish solution. And since the space is significant, it is worth considering hoods built into countertops next to the hob or stove as an additional means of air purification. There are also professional-size hoods: they are powerful, impressive in shape and size. In a small kitchen, they will look a little bulky, but in a large room they will add a certain flavor and will perfectly cope with their direct function. Oleg Lapin, Sub-Zero & Wolf: - There are two main types of hoods:
- Mode of air removal - when all the collected air goes outside the kitchen space through the air duct,
- Circulation mode - when air circulates in space, getting rid of odors with the help of a carbon filter.
The first option is preferable (although moredifficult to implement), since the noise during operation is much lower, and regular replacement of the carbon filter is not required. Another main selection criterion, in addition to the type of hood and operating mode, is its power, that is, what volume of air the hood can take from the room in a certain period of time. According to sanitary standards, the air in the kitchen should be changed 10-12 times per hour. Therefore, based on the volume of the room, we select a hood of the required power.
Also, happy owners of a large kitchen canafford a whole wine cabinet or the dream of many millions of people - a full-fledged coffee center. In the first case, all wine lovers will get a special corner in the kitchen, which they can be proud of and surprise your guests with. And a coffee center will make the life of every coffee lover more beautiful, and now the morning will become more cheerful than ever. Oleg Lapin, Sub-Zero & Wolf: - When choosing equipment, rely on your wishes and preferences, since it will be your assistant and should fully satisfy your wishes so that a simple cooking process turns into a real culinary feast.
subzero-wolf.ru, pinterest.com, Michael Neumann, Rob Klein
