Any furniture always needs one or another fitting. Its production is a fairly mobile industry in which it is necessary to constantly monitor trends in its development. In this regard, the question remains of which hardware companies are the most reliable and popular in our market.
The main thing is about quality!
Five years ago, furniture makers and users had experience using Chinese Boyard and Polish GTV fittings: the first breakdowns, failures, and the need for adjustment occurred after three to four years of using the furniture—mostly a couple of hinges out of two to three dozen in a furniture set .
These are hinges manufactured eight years ago. During this time, materials and technologies have been improved (similar to smartphones and gadgets). Therefore, today the quality of Boyard and GTV hinges is 6-8 years of reliable operation, and their availability and prevalence make it possible to quickly and easily replace and update them.
The quality of fittings from manufacturers Hettich, Blum and TBM - judge for yourself...
They will be discussed in this article. Introduction, brief description.
history of the company
The Boyard furniture fittings company registered its trademark in Russia in 2003. At the same time, she began the process of branding at the international level. The choice of the main direction of assortment policy was preceded by a survey of several hundred Russian furniture enterprises.
As a result of the research, the dominant plastic at that time was replaced by metal. Boyard offered the market the first collection of metal door handles. But he offered them to the market at the cost of plastic.
This unique offer ensured Boyard's success. According to the survey results, 96% of furniture manufacturers know Boyard brand fittings, and they know them as quality products.
Hettich (Germany, Kirchlengern)
Today, the German company Hettich is rightfully considered the quality standard in the production of furniture fittings. The company has ensured its reliable existence by being the main supplier of fittings for the largest furniture manufacturers. The first branch in Russia opened in 1995.
Hettich fittings do the invisible work, hidden behind the scenes.
But, thanks to Hettich fittings, the shelves in the chest of drawers do not fall out, and the doors in the closet open smoothly and without squeaking.
The company's products are highly reliable, durable and belong to the premium class. A huge selection of products allows any client to choose everything he needs.
Pull-out fittings
Pull-out fittings ensure easy opening of drawers and optimize the work space as much as possible. Kitchen furniture, living room and bedroom furniture can be equipped with guide structures.
The guide fittings provide a high level of comfort and convenience. Constant improvement of designs has led to the production of a variety of guide systems characterized by high quality and smooth movement.
The user can easily move boxes of different sizes and weights using the guides. Which can be based on a roller or ball mechanism.
The boyard hardware catalog is constantly updated with new types of fasteners, furniture ties, and pull-out fittings. Among the guides, a new group of mechanisms has recently appeared - Reverse guides.
Blum (Austria)
Second in our top is Blum. The fittings are popular among furniture manufacturers in many countries around the world due to their high quality and elegant design. In its assortment you will find various retractable systems, lifting mechanisms, drawer opening systems, including electric drives, and much more. At the moment, the company's branches are present in almost all countries of the world. In addition, the manufacturer does not cease to constantly introduce new technologies designed to make our lives easier. But this also means that the price for the products of this company is not the most pleasant.
New products
The furniture fittings market competes in technologically advanced, original and functional solutions for kitchen furniture. Therefore, Boyard offered a new solution to the Russian market - a series of lifting mechanisms AeroFlap, AeroLoft, AeroSplit for wall cabinets. This boyard fittings are presented as a collection on the company’s official website.
The collection includes three systems: vertical AeroLoft, folding AeroFlap, folding Split. The Aero line was developed by Boyard together with the leading Italian furniture and accessories factory. The components are made in Europe.
Boyard released the Aero series at the peak of demand for lifting mechanisms among end consumers. Today, design solutions for kitchen furniture are very developed and continue to improve. Aero is an excellent solution for those who want to make their life comfortable and modern.
IS THERE LIFE WITHOUT BLOOM?
Very often in kitchen furniture showrooms I hear a question to managers from people who are looking at furniture - “Are your hinges bloom?”
At first glance, this is a bit of a strange question, but if you think carefully, high-quality kitchen fittings are the key to its durability and comfortable use. And this, you see, is a very important factor, because good cuisine is not a cheap pleasure.
So, let's take a close look at the internal equipment of the kitchen, try to understand why this increases the cost of kitchen furniture so much in the end, and whether it is possible to live without additional devices at the present time.
The topic of today's conversation: “IS THERE ANY LIFE WITHOUT BLOOM?”
When a new “METHOD” appeared in IKEA, I specifically went there to carefully examine everything, take photographs and make a full-fledged material about all the nuances of this new product. Read HERE .
That’s when I specifically focused my attention on the fact that in the new Method, Ikea is again using BLUM hinges, although many predicted that they would leave this manufacturer. But it didn't happen. Why was this so important to everyone? Probably, everything is simple - for many years, fittings from BLUM have received general recognition and are now strongly associated with the concept of QUALITY .
Quality=durability. And the long-term use of fittings in the kitchen is a hundred times more important, even compared to an ordinary wardrobe. Well, count for yourself how many times a day do you open the cupboard with cups or pull out the drawer with spoons? Did you count? Now compare this with the results of your closet with your favorite dresses. I think the comparison would even be inappropriate.
Why Bloom? Here, too, everything is quite simple. There are not many good and well-known manufacturers on the hardware market. Or rather, any specialist will immediately and without thinking name them all... two: BLUM and Hettich. And manufacturers, as a rule, either choose one of this pair or work with two at once, depending on what needs to be done (this is about furniture now) and what the customer asks for.
Quality=durability. And the long-term use of fittings in the kitchen is a hundred times more important, even compared to an ordinary wardrobe.
For me, both companies are approximately equivalent. Hettich is more expensive, in some areas significantly more expensive. But here it all depends on personal preferences, in fact.
I can also add to the list the company GRASS (an international company with German roots), the Italian company FGV, which has established itself as an excellent manufacturer of furniture fittings, as well as the German company KESSEBÖHMER.
Of course, there are also Chinese manufacturers, but I’m not good at them, so I won’t mention them. I have no doubt that when the X hour comes for you - buying a kitchen, you will most carefully study the issue of fittings manufacturers.
But in the kitchen you won’t be satisfied with hinges alone... And the next important link in the “convenient-beautiful” chain is everyone’s favorite drawers, with smooth extension.
In the old (and long-forgotten times), when we had no idea about modern drawers, the painfully familiar situation of searching for a pan in the farthest corner of the cabinet turned into spontaneous cleaning of it. Because while you take out all the dishes that were in the “first row” in order to find a saucepan from the “third echelon”, you will understand that the shelf needs to be wiped, the walls need to be washed, and then you will find there... in the depths a completely forgotten lid from your beloved frying pan that you “buried” in your thoughts a couple of years ago... Sound familiar? If not, then you are already a child of modernity. But we still remember this.
But now this is almost a thing of the past, and everyone who plans a kitchen today is very well versed in the concepts of “the drawer pulls out 100 percent” or “the drawer doesn’t pull out the way I WANT.”
Now we operate with such concepts as TANDEMBOX from Blum or InnoTech from Hettish. Let's take a closer look at the drawers and baskets that replaced the usual shelf in the kitchen cabinet.
What is the main advantage of a modern drawer? The fact is that when you open it, you can see absolutely everything that is inside it! And this is the most important achievement of progress. Look:
by Bloom
The most important thing in using a kitchen is ergonomics and convenience! If I open a drawer and immediately see where and what I have, I don’t have to turn over mountains of pots to get the one I need, it’s easy for me to navigate in an orderly space - this is one hundred percent the key to my eternal good mood in the kitchen.
Modern drawers today can be selected according to the desired dimensions, both in width and height. Each manufacturer will offer you a box either with full side walls, or with convenient rail holders, which can also be adjusted in height, depending on your need.
There are drawers that combine two materials in the side walls: metal and glass, which is also very convenient.
Each manufacturer will also offer a variety of dividers for the interior of the drawer. Agree that it is super convenient when your molds, pans, and lids are not all mixed up in a “heap,” but occupy exactly their designated place inside the box.
Bloom
Every element of the kitchen's internal contents is carefully thought out by the manufacturers' designers and engineers. Even for such a seemingly insignificant task as storing spoons and forks, you will be offered several solution options:
- If you want a separate insert (usual) tray - please! Integrated? Also please. Made of plastic, wood, metal... With or without additional dividers. Everything is just for your convenience, without which we cannot imagine life.
https://ergobox.com.ua
Every owner of a kitchen with a corner cabinet knows that the CORNER is the most useless place in which what we do not use will forever lie because it is the most DIFFICULT to ACCESS.
And if I understand that when planning a dream kitchen for a customer, I cannot escape the corners, then I know for sure that the next task for me will be choosing the most suitable mechanism for the corner design in a particular project. Because today there are more than ONE such solutions, and they are all very good, so you just need to choose the best one for yourself at the moment, and depending on its choice, build the kitchen further...
Every owner of a kitchen with a corner cabinet knows that the CORNER is the most useless place, where things that we don’t use will forever lie because they are the most DIFFICULT TO ACCESS.
Agree that such solutions are not only very convenient, but beautiful... very beautiful.
by Bloom
I won’t be able to talk about every element that is currently on the furniture fittings market in one article. There are a lot of them. We are only touching on the most famous solutions from well-known manufacturers.
Therefore, I will gradually move on from beautiful boxes to baskets. They also occupy a respectable position in the kitchen equipment market. Baskets are generally cheaper than boxes, they are lighter and sometimes more convenient, and sometimes there is no alternative to them.
Let's remember everyone's favorite bottle maker. ABOUT ! I remember the times when they just appeared, and it was the most desired thing in the kitchen... Now I install them only in case of the most EXTREME need, because in fact, this expensive device (and of good quality it really costs a lot) is often not needed .
www.itkt.ru
Solutions such as mesh baskets instead of drawers can be a good alternative for storing kitchen utensils, and the cost is sometimes lower than well-known tandem boxes - this is a note for housewives.
https://zov-piter.ru
The only BUT is that when choosing from a CHEAP position, make sure you don’t go wrong! High-quality baskets should be made of good steel, not sag under utensils, not dangle when the facade moves, and should also be equipped with a smooth movement when closing.
https://markess.ru
To compare the cost between boxes and baskets, you can visit IKEA:
position price as of April 4, 2022
The choice is up to you. But I would think first of all about the functional purpose of each shelf in my kitchen and then make the final decision in favor of baskets or drawers.
Pull-out shelf systems for the upper tier of furniture, opening systems. Various shelves for storing spices, bottles, glasses and so on... everything is designed and produced just to make your kitchen the most convenient for YOU!
https://markess.ru
But we must clearly understand that each such addition increases the cost of your future kitchen! Therefore, when planning different pull-out shelves, handleless opening systems, drawers in the plinth, you are also aware that the kitchen will cost as much as a good Mercedes.
We will also compare the cost of a cabinet with simple shelves and a cabinet with drawers using the example of IKEA:
I specifically selected equal positions in terms of dimensions and façade finishing. As you can see, the cost is two times different. And we don’t have ONE cabinet in our kitchen, there are many more. Therefore, I want to share the following tips with you:
- Never shred your kitchen cabinets! In most situations, it is better to install one cabinet of 60 cm than two of 30 cm. Yes, projects are different, and you need to look at each case individually. But practice has shown that consolidating furniture, firstly, looks stylish and modern, and secondly, it saves the budget for the kitchen. Let's compare IKEA again:
The positions are equivalent. Only a cabinet of 40 cm (width) costs 11 thousand rubles, and a cabinet of 80 centimeters (width) costs 14 thousand. The arithmetic is simple - two 40 cm cabinets will be much more expensive than one 80 cm.
The same goes for the rest of the fittings: the more small cabinets you have, the more hinges, closers, trays and other things...
- Never turn down a convenient corner design!
Save on anything, on an unnecessary bottle holder, on a drawer, on giving up an additional basket, but not on the “MAGIC CORNER”, then you will thank you a hundred times. There are things you should never skimp on!
- Plan for expensive drawers where they are really needed (for example, storing spoons and forks), and replace them with mesh baskets when they are also equally convenient and practical.
- Skip the expensive dish drainer if you have a dishwasher in your kitchen.
by Blum
We take dry dishes out of the dishwasher, and the task is to put them in their place in the cabinet. Therefore, it is much more convenient to provide a full-fledged drawer with smooth movement for plates and cups, and in addition to it, purchase holders for plates (IKEA also has them).
I foresee the question - do I wash it with my hands... Well, yes.. I also sometimes wash the service from LFZ with my hands, wash it, immediately wipe it thoroughly and put it in its rightful place in the sideboard. All other dishes were purchased with the condition of future washing in PMM. And I advise you. Also, a special silicone mat for drying dishes will not be a superfluous purchase; it is very cheap and can be taken out as needed.
And plan to store plates in the lower level of the furniture - this is also much more convenient to use.
- Before ordering the top tier of cabinets with the “UP” opening system, think about how you will close these cabinets, how convenient it will be for EVERYONE in your household to use it.
I have an example: the owner really wanted a kitchen with doors going up. I ordered it. But now, every day, when she returns home from work, the first thing she does is go to the kitchen and close all the cabinets - her little son can open the door, but is completely unable to close it.
by Bloom
- carefully consider the storage system under the sink
Very often, this cabinet is either used for a trash can, or for the installation of water filters, which occupy the entire usable area of the cabinet. But if neither one nor the other is in your case, then I advise you to pay attention to special baskets for installation under the sink, which are designed to USE EVERY CENTIMETER for storage. These mesh shelves are very convenient for storing dishwashing detergents, sponges, gloves and other things...
https://www.komplekttorg.ru
- carefully consider your waste storage system.
Especially if it is customary in your area to separate waste. I put a trash can under the sink only in case of emergency and absolutely no other way (for example, the kitchen is very small). When the kitchen allows, the trash can is placed in the cabinet next to the sink, but if you imagine that the sink is the center, then to the right of it is the trash can, and to the left is the PMM, or vice versa, depending on whether you are left-handed or right-handed.
It seems like I gave out all the advice from the bottom of my heart. All you have to do is study even more carefully the capabilities of all manufacturers of fittings and other components for your dream kitchen. Choose all the most important ones, which you cannot live without, and plan for yourself the best, most comfortable and practical kitchen in the world!
Good luck with the renovation!
How to choose a lifting mechanism
When choosing a mechanism for the kitchen, several factors should be taken into account:
- size, weight and shape of facades;
- design features of cabinets;
- ceiling height and the presence of a suspended ceiling, built-in lamps;
- the presence of a cornice, and the degree of overhang above the wall cabinets;
- style in the design of the kitchen set;
- height of household members.
Folding lift
A folding lift consists of two doors that, like a book, fold up and in half. The peculiarity is that it can be fixed in any position.
These mechanisms are mainly used in linear kitchens. The use of these mechanisms provides good access and visibility, and eliminates contamination of the façade during its constant opening and closing.
Disadvantage: The folding lift cannot be used in a corner kitchen.
Cost: about 4000 rubles.
Vertical lift
This type of lifting mechanism is good for high facades, as well as for solid facades.
The mechanism rises above their body. The vertical lift has a soft-closing function and can be locked anywhere. It is used for the upper and lower tiers.
Cost: from 2400 to 5000 rubles.
GTV (Poland)
The GTV concern is located in Poland, not far from Warsaw. In the assortment you will find everything you may need: from basic products (handles, hinges, legs, etc.) to ready-made retractable mechanisms, etc. GTV products are exported to many countries around the world, and the number of regular customers of the company is constantly growing.
Mechanical lifts
The most common mechanism is a gas elevator. It smoothly raises and lowers the facade, but does not allow it to be fixed at a certain angle. Peculiarities:
- often fails;
- low cost;
- lack of closers;
- ease of installation.
The price of boyard fittings starts from 50 rubles.
Popularity of lifting mechanisms
The secret of popularity lies in practicality. In kitchen sets they take up little space, at the same time, they correspond to the spirit of the times.
Aero mechanisms operate not on the basis of already familiar ones, but on the basis of a spring mechanism developed by the best designers in Germany. The spring base ensures dynamic mobility and smooth movements.
In addition, the spring mechanism significantly increases the reliability of the structure and the service life of the lifting mechanisms. It is the spring that makes it possible to fixate at each point of the trajectory of movement.
All Aero mechanisms are made in strict, laconic colors and have a flat and ergonomic shape, both the body itself and the levers. Therefore, the new lifting mechanisms do not draw attention to themselves and do not violate the unity of style, as evidenced by reviews of boyard fittings. The mechanism remains invisible in the interior of the furniture.
Another advantage of lifting mechanisms is their lightness, ease of installation and adjustment. There is an adjustment key in the body of each mechanism, so the buyer can make all the necessary adjustments himself at home.
TBM (Russia, St. Petersburg)
Third place in our ranking is occupied by a Russian company from St. Petersburg, specializing in its own production of furniture fittings, mainly from metal. By the way, in addition to furniture fittings, they produce window and door components, as well as paint and varnish materials. However, the presence of several areas of production does not prevent the company from occupying a leading position in each of them. Today, under the TBM sign, there are more than 10 brands, each specializing in its own area (Firmax, Cosma, Huwill, FGV, ALPHALUX, Veroy and others).
Aero line
All three mechanisms from the line allow you to save significantly and organize your workspace as comfortably as possible.
- Aeroloft is ideal for tall cabinets, upper cabinets and recessed niches.
- Aerosplit and Aeroflap are suitable for tight spaces with low ceilings. These are safe lifts. The special hinge design prevents pinching of fingers.
Aero lifting mechanisms are a joint development with an Italian company, which is fully adapted for the Russian market. This is a good solution for organizing kitchen space and living spaces. After all, places where people spend a significant amount of time should be cozy, comfortable and convenient.
