Functional furniture can greatly facilitate the cooking process. Various baskets and shelves make it faster and easier. Drawers for the kitchen will become real assistants to the housewife.
One of the modern design solutions is retractable systems for kitchen furniture
With them, there is no need to constantly rummage through deep cabinets. The possibilities of such objects go far beyond traditional understanding. In this publication we will consider in detail the features of retractable systems, their types, and advantages.
Pull-out systems are a great way to optimize your workspace
Nuances of the storage system
The main principle of arranging things in the kitchen is to put everything you need closer and what you use less often is further away. Utensils and utensils for daily use, spices and seasonings are usually located above and below the work surface. The countertop itself should be empty and located between the stove and the sink.
For storage, built-in elements in furniture (most often in kitchen units), as well as a variety of boxes, baskets, and trays are used. Professionals advise giving preference to one large drawer/box rather than two smaller ones. This way the interior space will be used more effectively.
It is better to hide similar items or equipment with the same functionality in one place. When storing food, you need to familiarize yourself with the product environment, choosing the right container. Some fruits and vegetables may require special handling.
Methods for arranging retractable systems in the kitchen
Retractable models designed using advanced technologies have a wide variety of designs. Everything is done to make the most of the kitchen space, including narrow partitions, space under the windowsill and sink, corners and walls. No one is surprised anymore by narrow and wide pencil cases, divided into cells, for small things. Or tall structures with shelves for spices, oils, bottles and jars built into the gap between the pencil case and the refrigerator.
Retractable systems are available in three main ways.
Types of boxes
No storage system is complete without drawers. There are several types of chests of drawers:
- Drawers for the kitchen. The most popular option. It has proven itself as a convenient and reliable storage method. However, great importance is also given to the choice of high-quality fittings.
- Folding models. The storage space is located in a drawer that opens if you pull one of its walls towards you. With this option, no space is required to open the door.
- Floor mounted cabinets. Mounted separately.
- Structures in the form of a rack. Boxes easily fit between sections
- Boxes made of other materials
All of these types can come in a variety of sizes. The parameters depend on the size of both the room itself and the length, width, height of the set where they will be built. Typically the width is up to 90 cm and the depth is up to 50 cm.
Location of retractable systems in corners
To make full use of the available space, owners choose “L”-shaped and “U”-shaped, broken kitchen layouts. And the question immediately arises: how to use angles most efficiently? Drawers of a special design allow you to solve the problem brilliantly.
The curved facade and the figured lower part of the drawer completely follow the line of the set, without breaking out of the general style. And the quality of the arrangement and storage of kitchen utensils remains high, allowing you to easily add or remove the necessary items.
Kitchen units with top drawers
Such models are widespread. There are many photos on the Internet or furniture catalogs with different ideas for the arrangement of top drawers for the kitchen. Often it is in one of them that an integral element of the kitchen is located - a dish dryer.
It should be spacious, durable, and consist of several tiers. Other boxes are used for storing food, allocate space for a bread bin, install a microwave oven and carry out an exhaust hood. On top of the cabinet you can put boxes with spare dishes and items that the owners rarely use.
There are different mechanisms for how the cabinet will open. There are also options with and without handles.
A set with several upper modules is an excellent solution for small kitchens or studio apartments.
Guide mechanisms
When making a box with your own hands, in addition to the materials, you need to decide on the guides. Typically, ball and roller systems are chosen. They differ in the type of fastening and the sliding principle:
| Photo | Description |
| Ball The system provides smooth, silent operation and does not cause problems during operation. Fully extends the drawer and can withstand increased loads. There is a possibility of adjustment.
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| Roller guides They have limited movement and do not extend the drawer completely. They are noisy. To reduce this effect, you need to choose rubberized rollers.
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Kitchen without wall cabinets
If the room is spacious and you don’t need to save it, then a kitchen without top drawers will look great. The absence of wall cabinets is one of the modern design trends. Typically, island kitchen models are chosen for it, in which part of the set is separated from other furniture.
A kitchen without top elements looks stylish and impressive. No need to worry about running out of storage space. In addition to wall cabinets, there are plenty of ideas on where to hide items.
- With such a kitchen set, instead of the top drawers, you can install a shelf, hang a picture, or decorate it with other decor. Different types of railing systems would also be appropriate.
- With them, a pipe is attached to the wall above the tabletop. Holders, hooks, or the kitchen utensils themselves are attached to this pipe.
- With an island model, the set, additional storage boxes are also made on the island.
Kitchen drawers: types of designs
There are four main designs for cabinets - each of them has its own characteristics and is not suitable for all spaces.
Below we will tell you more about each design.
Mounted
As a rule, they are installed on the upper level of the kitchen unit - they usually store dishes, groceries, seasonings, and teas. The doors of such cabinets are usually lightweight and are installed with special closers: you can open such a cabinet without much effort. Wall cabinets are often used to install hoods.
Sometimes you can find kitchens without upper cabinets, but such models are used very rarely due to their non-functionality.
The entire design of such furniture consists of three elements: the frame of the cabinet, the internal filling and the facade. The frame must be durable, the filling must be functional, and the facade must be pleasant and fit into the design.
You can buy such lockers in three types: open, closed, mixed.
Open cabinets are the most common. This is an ordinary kitchen cabinet with shelves - they often store spices, display decorative elements, flowers or fruits. In this case, the front part is missing - and you should carefully consider the filling of the cabinet.
Often open cabinets are just a few elements in the main kitchen array. With their help, you can dilute a solid wall of cabinets and make the design more attractive and varied.
Open kitchen cabinets are also often installed above the sink - you can put dishes in them immediately after washing.
Floor-standing
If you want to make a kitchen without upper cabinets or you need more space for kitchen utensils, use base cabinets. These are more massive and voluminous pieces of kitchen furniture: cabinets with 2 doors are often used.
Floor-standing modules most often store cooking utensils: frying pans, pots and other large items. These cabinets are also used to place furniture there—it’s convenient to place a stove or washing machine there. Also, these kitchen cabinets are used as a support for the countertop.
Some more options for using these kitchen cabinets:
- You can place a trash can there;
- Using cabinets you can hide means of communication;
- There are options for placing a tray for cats or dogs in a floor cabinet.
Note that the design most often lacks rear walls - they are replaced by the wall against which the cabinet leans.
Corner
It is worth buying such cabinets for the kitchen if you have an L-shaped or U-shaped layout. You will have 1 or 2 corners to place corner cabinets or drawers.
Note that this is a good way to save space in the room. Often, a trash can is made in the bottom drawers of corner layouts, and a sink is placed above it.
Pencil cases for the kitchen
A pencil case is a large closet that occupies the entire space from ceiling to floor. Moreover, it can have either one continuous swing door or several doors.
The convenience of such kitchen cabinets is that you will have the opportunity to store large items indoors. Moreover, you yourself can plan what size each section will be.
Another option for using a pencil case is to place a refrigerator in its upper part. This way you will have all the products at eye level.
So, you can combine the location of the oven, dishwasher and cabinets in a single unit.
How to use the corner zone
Every kitchen has corners. There is no need to leave them empty. The following options are available:
- In the corner area we install a separate rack, cabinet or pencil case. In some cases, even just shelves will do.
- In the headset, corner retractable systems are built into the design. Such boxes open using two sides of the corner at once. They are roomy and stable. Suitable for storing both light and heavy items.
- Carousel design. It consists of several sections that rotate 270 degrees around the mount. Suitable for any angles. Installed both on the inside of the furniture and on the outside.
- “Magic Corner” mechanism. It is attached to the door of a corner box, consists of several sections, and rolls out in a certain direction. A useful idea, but expensive.
Horizontal arrangement of retractable systems
These include both familiar drawers, familiar from childhood, and more intricate designs:
- shallow but wide pencil cases built under the edge of the sink or hob. Their advantages are the variety of shapes and the ability to extend to the very end, revealing a view of the entire contents;
- several drawers or grids hiding behind one cabinet door or the elongated front of the bottom, largest drawer;
- grids and carousel mechanisms made of plastic and glass, which are built into cabinets.
Horizontal drawers are built not only into the lower tier of kitchen cabinets. Often, a tall and deep cabinet-cabinet is allocated for this design, which saves space. Pull-out systems are also located in the lower part of hanging cabinets, under large household appliances.
Kitchen table
A table with drawers for the kitchen will be useful both in a small room and in a large room. In the first case, it allows you to save space, in the second it will become an additional storage space.
The main point when purchasing such a table is that the drawers should not be a hindrance to the person sitting at it. It is convenient to store cutlery or napkins. There are also folding table models.
In the middle there is a cabinet with drawers. When assembled, it can be used for cooking or simply as a floor cabinet. Then the table is transformed, additional parts are pulled out on the sides, at which you can comfortably eat.
What types of retractable kitchen elements are there?
Retractable structures work easily and naturally, thanks to advanced mechanisms. When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the material from which the fittings are made, the build quality and trouble-free operation. It is advisable to purchase certified products from familiar brands. In turn, responsible manufacturers of kitchen furniture enter into contracts only with trusted partners.
Where else to hide inventory
In addition to the set and table, there are non-standard storage spaces in the kitchen.
- Kitchen sofa with drawer
- Ottomans
- Wall hooks
- Open shelves
- Additional cabinets and shelving
- Allocation of space for a separate storage room
Proper organization of a storage system in the kitchen is a combination of functionality and aesthetics. The main elements are cabinets, boxes, and other containers.
You can either buy ready-made drawers for the kitchen or place an order for individual sizes. If you think everything through well, everything in the kitchen will always be at hand, and rarely used equipment will be reliably tidied up.
Vertical arrangement of retractable systems
These designs are also called “bottle holders,” but you can store anything in them, from cans of cola or vegetable oil to household chemicals and cleaning supplies. They are distinguished by their small width and considerable height.
This is an excellent, optimal option for a small kitchen or a room with a non-standard layout. Manufacturers often offer ready-made kitchens with vertical structures built into lower or upper cabinets. They also allow you to close the gaps between cabinets and walls or the refrigerator in case of an error with the dimensions or the purchase of a modular kitchen. Separate systems on wheels are also sold.
