Kitchen furniture - how to choose a set tailored to the specifics of the room and the needs of the user

Choosing the right kitchen furniture set requires taking into account many factors that affect the functionality and ergonomics of the kitchen. A ready-made kitchen furniture set, although convenient in terms of assembly and price, does not always correspond to the specifics of a particular interior. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse in detail the layout of the room, its square footage, the location of the installation connections and the daily use of the kitchen before deciding on a particular model.

A set of kitchen furniture should take into account the working arrangement of the so-called triangle: fridge - sink - hob. Only then will cooking and preparing meals be convenient and will not require unnecessary movement. It is also worth taking care of the appropriate length of the worktop - at least 80 cm between the sink and the cooker, to be able to prepare ingredients comfortably.

In ready-made furniture sets, it's crucial to check the spacing between base and top cabinets. A corner cabinet can be a very good choice in kitchens with an 'L' layout, but only if it has access to the contents - via pull-outs, swivel mechanisms or shelves on runners. Without this, the space in the corner becomes useless. The kitchen cabinets in a suite should also have adequate depths - not only to accommodate crockery and utensils, but also to provide access to stored items without having to rearrange them.

Hanging cabinets are another important element - they should be a minimum of 30 cm deep and suspended at a height of about 50-60 cm above the worktop. In kitchens with a small working area, it is worth considering wall cabinets that reach all the way to the ceiling to increase storage space without interfering with the down draft.

The material of construction is also important - ready-made kitchen furniture sets are manufactured from laminated board, MDF or, less frequently, wood. MDF with milled lacquered fronts offers the most possibilities in terms of design and colour matching. Keep in mind, however, that by opting for a ready-made set, you are limited to certain dimensions and configurations, which can make it difficult to make full use of the kitchen space.

Kitchen furniture sets are available in linear, corner and modular options. It is worth considering a modular set, which allows you to compose the layout of the cabinets yourself according to your individual needs - both in terms of width and number of drawers, cargo cabinets or display cabinets.

A well-chosen set of kitchen cabinets is not only about aesthetics - it is above all about specific solutions: the right number of full-extension drawers, quiet closing of hinges, handles that make it easy to open even with wet hands, as well as the right height of the worktop - ideally suited to the height of the user.

Kitchen cabinets - variety of storage systems and efficient organisation of space

Kitchen cabinets are the furniture elements that are most responsible for the logical arrangement and easy access to food, crockery and accessories. The right choice and arrangement of cabinets has a direct impact on the organisation of the workspace, allowing chaos to be minimised and maximum use to be made of the available space, especially in a small kitchen.

In modern kitchens, different types of cabinets are increasingly being used - from classic base cabinets to wall cabinets to tall built-ins. Tall cargo-type uprights act as a larder and are particularly popular in columnar kitchen furniture. Thanks to their multi-level baskets and braked runners, they allow products to be conveniently stored vertically, without having to be stacked deep into traditional shelves.

Kitchen cabinets in the form of full-extension drawers provide control over all contents - from cutlery to pots and small accessories. The presence of dividers, non-slip mats and organisational systems are now standard in modern kitchen furniture, making it much easier to keep things tidy.

Extended corner systems are another solution that improves space management. In kitchens with a non-standard layout, multi-level systems or telescopic shelves with rotating segments are used, which work much better than traditional single-shelf cabinets. This is particularly important when planning a set of kitchen cabinets, as a lack of access to the depth of the cabinets results in unused space.

It is also worth looking at wall cabinets with gas lift systems or scissor hinges. These types of solutions allow fronts to be opened without colliding with neighbouring furniture, which is important in kitchens with compact cabinetry. In addition, such mechanisms increase the durability of the fronts and improve the smoothness of use.

In the case of made-to-measure kitchen furniture, storage systems can be fully optimised - from the hanging height of the cabinets to their spacing and depth. In pre-fabricated kitchen sets, you need to carefully check that the placement of shelves and access to the interior corresponds to your actual needs. Manufacturers now offer different cabinet heights, allowing you to better match the cabinets to the type of kitchen - such as an annexe in a bedsit, an open-plan living room with kitchen or a narrow kitchen in a block of flats.

Kitchen cabinets also play a role in the aesthetics of the entire arrangement - the division into horizontal and vertical fronts, their method of opening and handles influence the perception of the space as tidy or overwhelmed. For this reason, push-to-open systems that dispense with handles and achieve visual coherence are becoming increasingly popular.

It is also a good idea to tailor storage systems in kitchen cabinets to the type of things stored - separate cabinets for spices, dry goods containers, recycling and detergent storage systems make it possible to separate clean and 'work' areas. This is especially important when planning a whole set of modular kitchen furniture - choosing the right solids and their fittings is just as important as the design of the fronts.

Custom-designed kitchen furniture - the advantages of made-to-measure furniture over ready-made sets

Designing kitchen furniture to your own specifications is a solution that allows you to fully adapt your kitchen furniture to the layout of the room and your individual habits. Unlike off-the-shelf kitchen sets, which are manufactured in strictly defined sizes and layouts, bespoke kitchens allow you to make full use of the available space - even in unusual places such as alcoves, roof slants or low knee walls.

The biggest advantage of bespoke furniture over ready-made sets is the ability to completely customise the dimensions - both the height and width or depth of the individual pieces. This allows the user to decide whether the worktop should be 86 cm or 95 cm high, as well as to plan the number and layout of drawers or shelves according to the frequency of use of specific products and accessories.

In addition, made-to-measure kitchen furniture allows full integration with white goods - both in the case of classic oven or dishwasher installation and less typical solutions, such as warming drawers, pillar-mounted coffee machines or side-by-side fridge-freezers. In ready-made kitchen sets, full installation of large appliances is rarely available - and thus the kitchen loses visual coherence and functionality.

Another aspect in favour of choosing kitchen furniture to your own design is the possibility of using advanced technologies and unusual finishing materials. Acrylic fronts with increased scratch resistance, matt surfaces with anti-fingerprint coating, HPL laminates or solid wood - these are just examples of elements that can be included in an individual design. Ready-made kits usually offer a limited colour palette and standard materials, which does not allow you to distinguish your kitchen or adapt it to the character of the entire home.

Custom-designed kitchen furniture also gives you more control over ergonomics. Examples include internal organisation systems that can be tailored to the exact dimensions of the items stored - from deep pots to spice sets. The use of full-extension slides, pull-out baskets in narrow spaces or concealed drawer bases are solutions that are almost exclusively available in made-to-measure cabinetry.

The ability to lay out the entire kitchen in terms of work zones is also important. Custom-designed kitchen furniture makes it possible to divide the space into clearly defined segments: preparing, washing, cooking and storage. Ready-made sets often force the user to make compromises - for example, the sink and hob are too close to each other and the fridge does not fit in the designated space.

Custom-designed kitchens also offer greater design potential - they allow you to hide plumbing elements, build in slants, create customised display cabinets or open decorative shelves. These types of solutions are rarely found in ready-made kitchen furniture sets.

Although made-to-measure kitchen furniture is usually more expensive than ready-made sets available from an online shop, the investment brings long-term benefits - both in terms of convenience of use and durability of materials. What's more, by opting for a kitchen built-in designed from scratch, you can easily adapt it to changing needs, such as the arrival of new white goods or a change in the number of household members.

How to optimise your budget when buying kitchen fittings - without sacrificing durability and usability

A tight budget does not have to mean sacrificing robust solutions. The key to wise purchase planning is to focus on the basic components that have the greatest impact on durability and comfort of everyday use. One such component is the worktop - it should be resistant to moisture, heat and abrasion. It is worth investing in a laminate with a good abrasion resistance class, which is much cheaper than stone or conglomerate and, if properly installed, will last for many years.

Another consideration is runners and hinges. Even in economical systems you can find models with a brake and full extension - they increase convenience and reduce the risk of damage to fronts. If such options are not available in a given set, it is worth investing in replacing them before installation, which will significantly improve the comfort of use.

Instead of looking for the cheapest set with as many cabinets as possible, it is better to focus on the modules that you will actually need. Minimalism in the choice of furnishings not only reduces the cost, but also makes it easier to keep things tidy. Open shelves can partially replace closed modules, and a properly laid out work layout reduces the need for excess storage.

It is also good practice to avoid seasonal trends that can quickly become visually old. Instead, opt for neutral colours and simple forms. If the aesthetics of the interior need to be refreshed over time, replacing the fronts themselves is much cheaper than buying the whole set again.

Many online shops offer sales of series that are ending in production. This is an opportunity to find quality products at a lower price - the condition is to carefully check the dimensions and compatibility with your own kitchen layout beforehand.

See also: Kitchen furniture - matt or gloss?