What kind of furniture for the kitchen?

This is a difficult question that sooner or later all owners of apartments and single-family houses will have to answer. How then to approach this problem? What kind of kitchen furniture to buy? The key is the available floor space. All kitchens - of course, very conventionally - can be divided into spacious and those whose square footage is not the strongest point.

In small rooms, furniture maintained in light colors will work well. We are talking here not only about the timeless white, but also about various shades of gray. Why? It is about the effect of optically enlarging the space. Sunlight reflecting off the furniture fronts will make the kitchen visually larger than it really is. This simple trick is best used, among others, in studios.

In an easier situation are owners of separate rooms of more than 12 m2. In this case, you can afford absolute freedom of arrangement. No choice will be bad, and even black kitchen furniture with a matte finish will not cause an overwhelming impression. Customers also need to decide what the cabinets and other elements are to be made of. What kind of kitchen furniture to choose? The most popular materials are still solid wood and furniture boards. The kitchen has long since ceased to be seen in terms of a room used only for preparing meals. Nowadays, great emphasis is placed on making it a space decorated both aesthetically and functionally. On Internet forums, it is quite common to encounter the question "what furniture for the kitchen do you recommend?" What to pay attention to first?"

Furniture fronts

What to follow when choosing kitchen fronts? There are really a lot of options on the assortment market, which, paradoxically, does not make it easy to make a quick decision. These elements differ from each other not only in appearance, but also in strength parameters related to resistance to possible mechanical damage, moisture or high temperatures. So how to adjust the product to your needs? What kitchen fronts are recommended by specialists? Which types of kitchen fronts are the most popular?

Foiled fronts

From a technical point of view, these are fronts made of 16- or 19-millimeter pressed particleboard, the outer layer of which is additionally protected with PVC film already at the production stage. Fronts of this type are quite popular. They are available in many color variants, they look neat, and in addition they do not cost much - about 200 PLN/m2. Not without significance is also good resistance to damage. This type of kitchen fronts should not be installed in the immediate vicinity of stoves and ovens, because the film does not tolerate the impact of high temperatures very well.

Laminate fronts

Laminate is nothing more than decorative paper impregnated with thermosetting resin, which, as a result of the pressing process, is permanently attached to a particleboard core. Thanks to the high coefficient of hardness, laminate fronts are resistant to UV radiation, scratches and long-term influence of moisture. In this case, you do not have to worry about contact with high temperatures. Popular laminates are also valued for their anti-static properties. What are the downsides of this technology? Coatings only work well on perfectly smooth surfaces. Therefore, laminate furniture is never decorated with, for example, milling.

Painted fronts

This is a very popular solution. Furniture made of modern MDF boards is most often finished with water-based varnishes or - a better option - polyurethane varnishes. Applied in layers, the coating effectively protects the fronts from the dangers encountered in the kitchen. Varnishes are available in matte, semi-matte and glossy versions. Another important advantage is the possibility of choosing doors both smooth and milled, or with edge handles. Lacquer kitchen fronts are also the easiest to clean. Disadvantages include a relatively high price and greater susceptibility to scratches.

Acrylic fronts

This is one of the most durable solutions available today. Acrylic forms a hard and crack-resistant glossy coating. The most important advantage of such fronts is that, unlike competing proposals, they can be renewed by polishing - according to the manufacturer's recommendations, of course. The structure of the acrylic itself also means that fingerprints are not visible on the doors. In addition, the fronts retain their intense color for many years. Economic issues are also not without significance. Although it is not the cheapest of options, the price of about 300 PLN/m2 can certainly be considered attractive. What about the downsides? Unfortunately, only the surface of the front is covered with acrylic, not its edges. Therefore, to protect the entire surface of the cabinets, customers must additionally use aluminum edging or veneer.

Veneered kitchen fronts

All customers are well aware that solid wood kitchen furniture has its own undeniable charm. Their price, however, means that not everyone can afford such a purchase. Does this necessarily mean giving up on your dreams? It turns out that it doesn't. It is enough to decide on veneered fronts. They look very aesthetically pleasing - especially when the wood grain is highlighted with special oil or wax. Veneer is available in more than 100 different colors. However, veneered fronts must not be exposed to direct contact with steam from, for example, boiling water. This risks the material becoming detached from the surface of the furniture.