To hide or not?
“As a rule, the decision to hide the refrigerator or not is made by the customer,” says designer Olga Shapovalova. “Since he will be using the refrigerator, it’s up to him to decide what is more important – beauty or comfort.” As a rule, free-standing refrigerators are more spacious and can hold more food. But if the kitchen space is limited by square meters, and you don’t want to focus on the refrigerator, it is better to hide it behind the facades of the kitchen unit - the harmony of the interior will not be disturbed.
“When making any decision on a project, be it the type of wall decoration, lamp or equipment, I always ask myself questions “in the footsteps” of Vitruvius: benefit, durability, beauty,” says designer Marina Novikova. – For a kitchen combined with a living room, it’s definitely worth hiding the refrigerator behind the facade. In the case of a separate kitchen, you can look towards free-standing models.”
How important is the volume of your refrigerator to you? Is there a need to fit enough ingredients to prepare a three-course meal seven days a week? Or do you not cook at home, and in the refrigerator there is at most morning yogurt? If the family is large, it would be more appropriate to opt for a spacious free-standing refrigerator. For example, the Miele K 20,000 series models have a large working chamber volume, which means they can accommodate more products: even a baking tray with baked goods can fit in them.
Freestanding refrigerator K 20.000 Miele
“It all depends on the specific task,” says designer Victoria Kiorsak. – Sometimes the kitchen must perform several functions at once, including serving as a place for receiving guests. In this case, it is logical to hide all the built-in appliances behind the cabinet doors so that there is no hint of the kitchen area left.” On the other hand, there are situations when you need to emphasize the purpose of the kitchen, and in this case, a free-standing refrigerator will set the right accents in the interior. “Now, with the development of kitchen technology, the process of cooking has become not only simple, but also exciting, and people often invite friends just for this process - to cook something together. In this case, it’s right to leave kitchen appliances in plain sight,” reflects Victoria.
Kitchen appliance brands actively support our passion for the culinary arts and include in their lines refrigerators that are not just modern and beautiful inside and out, but also functional. Thus, for free-standing Miele K 20,000 series refrigerators, you can adjust the lighting according to the height of the glass shelves (to avoid glare), and choose a model in one color or another. The brand's assortment includes refrigerators with stainless steel panels (thanks to the special CleanSteel coating, such a surface requires minimal maintenance); metal panel in classic white or stainless steel color; a glass panel in obsidian black and brilliant white, as well as a Blackboard edition with a graphite board surface. Such a refrigerator can be not only an accent element of the interior, but also a communication center. You can write down recipes on it and leave notes with reminders and pleasant wishes to each other.
Refrigerator K 20.000 Miele Blackboard edition
Features and prices
TYPE OF INSTALATION | ROOM VOLUME (m3) | DELIVERY TIME (days) | POSSIBLE EQUIPMENT | PRICE |
monoblock type | 3-10 | in stock | winter package; enhanced protection; a frequency converter; with oil separator; in vertical design; in a mobile configuration; in explosion-proof version of production. | 58,000 rub. |
split system | 67,000 rub. | |||
with remote condenser | 2-4 | 77,000 rub. | ||
water cooled | 2-7 | 88,000 rub. | ||
monoblock type | 10-20 | in stock | 67,000 rub. | |
split system | 71,000 rub. | |||
with remote condenser | 2-4 | 84,000 rub. | ||
water cooled | 2-7 | 95,000 rub. | ||
rooms with a volume of more than 20 m3 are subject to individual calculation |
Kitchen combined with living room
Modern kitchens are experiencing a rebirth. The usual division into rooms is no longer relevant: the new space should be maximally adapted to the needs of the owners, be flexible and multifunctional. The kitchen is now not just a place for cooking, but also a living space for meeting guests. Integrated into the living room, it hides behind the facades. Cabinets without handles, a minimum of parts and modules that can be combined with each other, which can be assembled depending on your own needs, are important components of the image of a new kitchen.
“The living room, as a room, is more important than the kitchen,” Olga Shapovalova is sure, “so if we are talking about a kitchen combined with a living room, I build a refrigerator into the furniture in order to completely remove the emphasis from it.” The designer’s new project is a small apartment in a historic house, where two spaces, kitchen and living room, are combined. Thanks to a special niche, the refrigerator was completely leveled with the wall - the kitchen became almost invisible.
Refrigerator K 20.000 Miele
Built-in refrigerators are a current trend in modern design, and it is not necessary to give up quality in favor of beauty. Thus, built-in Miele refrigerator-freezer combinations guarantee optimal storage conditions: the PerfectFresh Pro zone allows you to store food longer than usual, and the DynaCool dynamic cooling system distributes temperatures evenly: the fan circulates and distributes cold air.
General rules for choosing a place for a refrigerator
When choosing a place to place an electrical household appliance, the presence of a free outlet is important. The optimal distance for its location is up to 10 cm from the floor level. If you frequently experience power outages, additionally install a stabilizer.
IMPORTANT. The refrigerator cannot be connected via an extension cord.
It is not recommended to install the unit next to a wall or other surface. It must be positioned so that there is a free space of 2-3 cm on the sides, and at least 15 cm between the back surface and the wall. These conditions must be met, because The surfaces of the refrigerator must be cooled in a timely manner, otherwise it will lead to malfunction.
When placing the appliance on the same level as other pieces of furniture, make sure that the gap remains at least 10 cm. This will ensure that the door opens freely.
Also pay special attention to the floor covering. Where you plan to install the unit, the floor should be free of cracks and sudden changes. Do not install it on carpet, carpet or other surfaces that easily absorb moisture.
Adjust the height of the refrigerator using the legs. Place the device at a slight angle back, which will ensure that the door closes independently under its own weight, and will also help drain water into a special reservoir.
ADVICE. Special pads on the legs or anti-slip stickers will prevent the body from moving.
Despite the size of the kitchen space, there are places where it is strictly forbidden to place a refrigerator:
- Near an electric, gas stove or heating appliances. A constant temperature difference will not have the best effect on the functioning of the unit.
- In the washing area. Increased humidity levels in the “wet” zone can lead to malfunctions of the device.
- In a place exposed to direct sunlight. Placing the refrigerator in front of a window contributes to overheating, after which it can quickly fail.
The ideal option is to place the refrigerator in the kitchen, close to the cutting area. If dimensions allow, place a small refrigeration device directly under the countertop.
Interior style
“Free-standing refrigerators, in my opinion, look cool in a modern interior,” says Marina Novikova. Such refrigerators are good, functional, they have more volume, but stylistically they are not always suitable. Built-in ones are good because they are easy to hide and blend into the interior, but they are smaller in volume. This conflict is resolved differently in each project, depending on the wishes of the customers, the style and layout of the space.
“I often include built-in refrigerators in projects; I don’t like to focus attention on this item,” admits Marina. – But in one of the latest projects we installed a free-standing refrigerator. It was black, covered with slate paint, and I couldn’t even imagine anything else there. Everything is individual."
Refrigerator K 20.000 Miele in a modern interior
In short, the more modern kitchen appliances evolve, the wider the possibilities for interior designers become, and our lives become more comfortable and simpler. It's only the beginning.
Using vinyl stickers: stylish, cheap, creative
The beauty of vinyl stickers is their affordability and ease of use. They are sold in various places: from boutiques offering art supplies to hardware stores. The design options are also different.
To realize a grandiose idea, you can use the services of a printing house, but in this case, making your dream come true will cost more. Simple elements can be easily cut out from regular self-adhesive paper. For convenience, you can use templates, stencils, and curly scissors.
Collapsible chambers made of refrigeration sandwich panels
Cameras from Polair and Ariada have become widespread. Let us immediately note that Polair cameras are of higher quality, in our opinion (the panels fit into the grooves more easily, both right and left door openings are possible). At the same time, Ariad cameras are slightly cheaper.
When ordering a camera, you receive a set of sandwich panels, which are connected to each other using tongue-and-groove technology, the corners of the walls are connected using corner elements. The kit includes a swing door equipped with a handle and a lock (an emergency button is also installed so that you can exit the cell even if the door is locked from the outside).
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The camera is assembled in the following sequence. First, the floor of the chamber is assembled. The floor panels of the refrigeration chamber are laid out on the floor of the room (they are easy to distinguish from the rest, on one side they are covered with galvanized iron). The joining seams are coated with sealant and the panels are connected to each other. You can help with a hammer through a wooden block.
When the floor is assembled, the assembly of the walls begins. From any angle. Assemble a right angle (using two wall panels and a corner element). We pre-coat the seams with sealant.
When the angle is assembled and installed, we assemble the chamber hay. We start from the set angle and move in a circle. We close the walls.
We install the ceiling. This is the most difficult thing, since it is necessary for the wall tenons to fit into the grooves of the ceiling panel, and the angles between the walls will not be 100% straight. You can't do this without an assistant. You will have to try to align the tenons with the grooves.
Finally we hang the door. The camera is ready.
Video from Polair with step-by-step assembly of the refrigerator compartment:
Here is a table with prices for warehouse items of Polair cameras. The thickness of the panels is 80 mm, insulation is FoamPolyUrethane.
Model | Dimensions, mm | Retail price, rub |
KHN-2.94 | 1360*1360, h=2200 | 45 800 |
KHN-4.41 | 1360*1960, h=2200 | 54 860 |
KHN-6.61 | 1960*1960, h=2200 | 63 630 |
KHN-7.71 | 1960*2260, h=2200 | 73 500 |
KHN-8.81 | 1960*2560, h=2200 | 75 140 |
KHN-11.02 | 1960*3160, h=2200 | 86 200 |
KHN-11.75 | 2560*2560, h=2200 | 87 150 |
Do-it-yourself refrigerator: radically different methods
Taking care of keeping food fresh for a long time is the price to pay for the opportunity to have it in large quantities. This question is relevant not only for those who own a small company that sells them, or a farm: even a standard home freezer is sometimes not able to accommodate all the “goods” that the owners bought after making their next raid on the stores. Purchasing new equipment is an alternative that attracts few because of the considerable amount that will need to be “thrown away.” The least expensive way to give yourself the necessary unit is a do-it-yourself refrigerator. Bonuses include savings and the level of energy consumption that the owners are free to choose.