Masonry heater – what should be noted?

Some time ago, masonry heaters were present in every kitchen. Nowadays they are somewhat rare, but there is a trend to build them, especially in rooms arranged in traditional, rustic style. Before you build your own, you should remember some important facts.

First of all, you should take care of systems needed to install the heater. Gas piping, electricity wiring and ventilation should be in perfect condition. You should also remember, that the systems connect with the heater through the ceiling, not the floor. Another factor is the look – in most cases masonry heaters are used to cover unwanted wall or to divide to rooms, i.e. living room and the open kitchen connected with it. As such, the heater should be decorated and aesthetically finished. Another thing is the cooker hood – the heater has to have one and you need two ventilation shafts to install it. They should be already planned in the building process. They should be permeable of course, otherwise the smoke won’t be properly drained. The last thing worth noting is the chassis – ceramic tiles matching the overall kitchen style would be the best.

Photo by Susan Serra, CKD 

Stone floor in the kitchen

Stone flooring is still in fashion and doesn’t lose its charm. Most often, they are used in living rooms, but they can be successfully implemented in the kitchen. Before you use such type of flooring in your kitchen, you have to know what materials will be the best.

The ones with low effacing factor and low humidity absorption are recommended. Granite, marble and travertine have such properties, but the latter two have to be prepared properly before use. Granite is the best, as it is resistant to stains, scratches and impact. Its structure also cannot be penetrated by grease. Furthermore, it absorbs sunlight, conducts and accumulates heat. In turn, marble is hard and durable, but its water absorption factor is huge, which means that it should be impregnated. Waterproofing process makes the stone resistant to moist penetration which could create stains. Travertine is the least resistant stone, as its porous structure is prone to absorb dirt and water. It can be used of course, but it should be impregnated first.

Those three materials are the best for floor finishing. Unfortunately, they are quite expensive, so you can use quartz-granite conglomerate tiles, which also look great and are much cheaper.

Photo by Chalon Handmade

How to place your household goods in a kitchen?

Photo by Kendyl Young

Proper placing of household goods in a kitchen is extremely crucial, mainly because it may affect the comfort of the room's use and the speed of work that is carried out inside. So we have to learn some rules which we have to obey while installing new equipment.

First of all it is necessary to design the structure of the room in a way which resembles the letter L, C or U. It will help you properly develop the space, with the centre of the kitchen free of equipment, allowing you to roam freely around the room. Secondly, the fridge, the sink and the cooker have to create a so called work triangle. It derives from the order of the tasks that are carried out in the kitchen. Once we take the products out of the fridge, we wash them, then cut and finally boil or fry.

Thirdly we have to ensure that the distances between pieces of equipment are appropriate. They can not be too long or too short. It is best if the fridge is located from the cooker not farther than 2,5-2,7 m. The fourth rule says that the worktops between the equipment should not be shorter than 40 cm, with the optimal length of 80-100 cm.

Small kitchen – ways to save space

Photo by Susan Serra, CKD

Sometimes it is difficult to fit all the equipment we would like in a small kitchen. So why not learn about a few ways that will help us save some space.

Instead of buying a large heating plate, we should choose a smaller one or get a special cover that you can put on the plate, creating additional working space. It is wise not to buy any large household goods. When it comes to dishwashers and ovens, it is better to choose the built-in type products. Also, once we decide on getting a dishwasher, we should give up on buying a two-chamber sink and a draining board, as they will only take too much space.

We should organize all the free spaces in the cabinets under the sink, e.g. by installing shelves and drawers. If we are able to do so, we should lower the height of kitchen cabinets, and put as many hanging cupboards on the walls as possible. What is more, cabinet sockets can hold various flat items, such as baking trays, frying pans and saucepans. It is advised to install a deployable table, where we will eat our meals, or to mount one on the kitchen island, if such an option is available.

As you can see, there are plenty of possible ideas. Obviously you do not have to follow every instruction, but at least choose the ones, that will work in your kitchen. The only thing we should remember is not to overdo it and create a functional interior, comfortable in use.

The wall above the worktop - what material should be used?

The wall located above the worktop is exposed, therefore there is the danger of dirt and stains appearing on the surface. Therefore you should use specific materials that will withstand the percolation of moisture, dirt etc. Among all of the products available for purchase, the noteworthy ones are listed below.

The wall located above the worktop can be decorated with bricks or glass panels that have a decorative pattern. In modern interiors granite or quartz surfaces are used for the inner cladding. Some have very interesting and beautiful patterns, colours, shades and textures, which could perfectly suit your already installed stone worktop. More importantly, you could use glass panels of tempered glass, ceramic tile, natural stone such as travertine tiles or panels for other unique designs, suited for modern and traditional kitchens. Whereas, people who want to get the effect of sterility should choose to attach steel sheets to the wall, with high resistance to acid.

Photo by TownePost Network

Kitchen as a one piece of furniture? It’s fully possible!

Manufacturers of kitchen furniture come up with even greater ideas. Recently one of the companies decided to create a piece of furniture, which will allow all to fit all of the kitchen equipment. It seems impossible, though it really isn’t! It is of course a piece of furniture, which is shaped like a tower and has rotating parts within, so that each needed accessory, or equipment may be easily accessed when preparing meals.

This wall unit takes very little space, and is divided into two zones, "warm" and "cold". You can use it to store both, equipment and food. In addition, it includes an island a breakfast bar and a table. The product is ergonomically designed and extremely functional, so it will certainly suit many people, who seek a more practical and functional kitchen designs. 

Photo by Paragon Apartments

Materials used in manufacturing kitchen cabinet fronts

Kitchen units fronts are the most representative parts of our furnishings. When entering the room they are the first thing that catches our attention. That's why they should be made esthetically and from good quality materials. The most common raw materials used in production are as follows: wood, laminated chipboard, varnished, acrylic, film covered and veneered MDF boards, glass. Each of the before mentioned materials is characterized by different finish and durability, which is the marker of their final look and fatigue strength. 

Photo by  thekitchendesigner.org