Wall cabinet - modern models, selection features and placement rules (120 photos)

A kitchen without furniture is empty and uncomfortable. Therefore, comfortable and convenient furniture for the kitchen will fill it with a special homely atmosphere and harmony, make it multifunctional and rationally organize the space, hiding many things and kitchen utensils from prying eyes.

Wall cabinets occupy a significant part of a kitchen furniture set and play an important role. Basically, they are placed along the entire wall or corner wall cabinets are preferred, and the necessary household items are placed inside.

How to properly plan space in the kitchen

The layout of the kitchen allows you not only to place all the necessary elements in the most optimal way, but also to create coziness in the room. When developing a plan, you should adhere to the following rules:

1. Working triangle rule.
   According to it, the stove, sink and refrigerator should be placed not in a straight line, but in a triangular pattern. In this case, the distance between working points should not exceed 180 cm. Please note! This placement allows you to get the most coordinated kitchen scenario, when food goes from the refrigerator to the sink and then to the stove. There is no extra time spent.
2. The location of the sink is within 2.5 m from the riser. Otherwise, additional manipulations will be required, from tilting the water pipe to installing the pump. A washing machine and/or dishwasher should be installed next to the sink. The latter is placed on the left side of the sink when used by a right-handed person and on the right side when used by a left-handed person.
3. Place the stove at a distance of 40-180 cm from the sink and as close as possible to the gas pipeline (if available) and the ventilation hole. Between the sink and the stove you can place a work surface, the optimal width of which is 90 cm.
4. The minimum width of passages is 120 cm. In the case of walk-through kitchens, it can be increased to 130-150 cm, but should not be less than a meter.
5. The refrigerator should be closer to the sink than to the stove. Can be built into a single unit with a microwave and oven.
6. Overhangs are masked with shallow cabinets, and niches are converted into storage spaces.

Important! For safety reasons, a free gap is required on the side opposite to the stove, the width of which is at least 40 cm.

In a small kitchen, additional space can be obtained by choosing small-sized appliances.

Doors

For a small space, hinged doors may not be suitable for a cabinet, since if they are not closed, constant impacts cannot be ruled out. An excellent alternative is sliding doors, which are more functional and visually attractive.

You can buy designs not with doors, but of the open type. If, however, you purchased a cabinet equipped with doors, then they do not necessarily have to be opaque. Install glass doors to add maximum space to the room.

And if there is only one window opening in the room, then such doors will help add more light. With proper placement, lighting will help create coziness.

When choosing a cabinet, do not forget to focus on the palette, which will affect both the general mood and the desire or reluctance to stay in the room. Warm colors awaken the desire to eat, but cold colors suppress it.

To decorate a small room, purchase furniture with a light palette, this way you will add more light to the space and visually make it larger.

The filling of structures must also be determined in advance. First of all, these are storage systems located inside. You can give preference to corner metal structures, containers, drying, drawer dividers.

The sophisticated storage design allows you to keep your food and utensils in perfect order while still making them as easy to access as possible. However, it is important to understand that the filling can be quite expensive.

How to choose a cabinet for the ceiling

Ceiling cabinets are especially relevant in conditions of large space shortages, as they allow you to get additional storage space. At first glance, they may seem bulky, but in fact they can visually lengthen the walls. Their advantages also include the following:

• Protection against pollution. Since the high kitchen set is adjacent to the ceiling, there is no free space left for the accumulation of dust and grease fumes from cooking.
• Efficient use of space. Tall kitchen cabinets have more shelves for storage.
• Creating a complete image of the room. Tall cabinets cover the entire wall, so you don’t have to worry about decorating it.

Tall cabinets have quite significant advantages.
Note! The small gap remaining between the set and the ceiling can be masked using a cornice surrounding the perimeter of the room.

There are a number of disadvantages of this design:

• High price. Depends on the amount of materials used.
• Difficulty accessing the upper shelves. This problem can be solved in several ways:
  placing items that are rarely used at the top (kitchen utensils, jars with preparations);
• using the top of the cabinet for decorative purposes by installing glass doors and displaying decorative items;
• selection of a kitchen unit equipped with a special staircase.
• Visual overload. If there are too many high cabinets, then even in a large kitchen there will be a cluttered and heavy effect. This is especially true for furniture with dark facades.
• Difficulty in placement due to pipes and ventilation. Most often, this problem is resolved by installing a stretch or suspended ceiling.

The design also has certain disadvantages.
When choosing kitchen furniture, you should consider some requirements that it must meet:

1. moisture resistance;
2. resistance to temperature changes;
3. resistance to mechanical stress.

Note! You should only choose a kitchen set up to the ceiling if the room height is less than 300 cm.

What materials are wall-mounted kitchen cabinet models made from?

A variety of materials are used to make wall cabinets:

• Chipboard - cabinets made of this material belong to the economy class, but it is not recommended to purchase their designs - chipboard is short-lived, subject to deformation and does not look very attractive;
• Laminated chipboard is a higher quality modification of chipboard. Products made from it are more durable, resistant to moisture, have an impressive appearance and dirt, and are inexpensive;
• plywood - will cost more than laminated chipboard, but it is more durable. It is important that the material is covered with high-quality paint and varnish, then the cabinet will be moisture-resistant and will last a long time;
• MDF - combines high performance characteristics and aesthetic appearance;
• natural wood is a stylish and quite expensive material. Ideal for creating luxurious interiors.

When purchasing a kitchen cabinet made of wood, please note that it must have a high-quality coating with special compounds that prevent the furniture from deforming under the influence of high temperatures and moisture.

What to put in tall cabinets

Tall kitchen cabinets, especially in small spaces, should be easy to open. Therefore, you should carefully consider the choice of opening system, which may be as follows:

• Swing. The usual traditional option. Convenient for small wall cabinets, but requires free space for opening, which is not always practical.
• Lifting. Convenient when the compartment is large or there is a lack of space. For opening, in which the sash either entirely or folded rises to the top, elevator lifts, gas shock absorbers and other special mechanisms are used.
• Sliding. In this case, the door leaves, moving using roller guides, do not occupy any kitchen space. However, access to the internal contents of the compartments is limited.
• No handles. The facade of such a cabinet does not have handles, and the doors open with the touch of a hand. There are mechanical and electrically driven models.

How to extend service life - rules of care and operation

In order for wall-mounted kitchen cabinets to last as long as possible, a number of rules must be followed during their operation:

• avoid mechanical and chemical effects on the surface of furniture;
• Please note that the humidity in the kitchen should not exceed 70%;
• Wipe the cabinet from dust and dirt with a soft, damp sponge. The use of aggressive abrasives and solvents is not allowed;
• Avoid constant exposure of the furniture to sunlight - this can cause it to lose its color;
• For wood and varnish coatings, wax-based products must be used.

Clueless storage spaces

In fact, the upper part of the tall cabinets are kitchen mezzanines, on which things of the penultimate necessity are traditionally stored: rarely used equipment and utensils, ceremonial gift sets of dishes, supplies of tablecloths, containers and cans, and the like. On the one hand, it’s convenient that there is a place to put all these things. On the other hand, there is a high probability that you will no longer have to use anything sent so far away. That is, such storage spaces only motivate people to clutter their home.

It is better to store at the top those things that are used extremely rarely.

Closed vent

The kitchen unit box under the ceiling completely blocks access to ventilation. Even if you keep the ventilation grille open and decide not to connect the hood, the cabinets will block or significantly impede air circulation in the room. And ventilation will not help much here, since in the cold season (as well as during the day) it is extremely uncomfortable to keep the window open all the time.

A blocked vent may prevent air circulation in the room.

Risk of structural collapse

Ceiling cabinets are not only large in size, but also significant in weight, and therefore the risk of the entire structure collapsing increases. To avoid this, it is necessary to use especially strong canopies, and also trust the installation only to highly qualified specialists who can reliably assess the condition of the walls.

Note! You should order furniture exclusively from the factory, since a technologist works there who deals with the safety of the structure and also develops the features of its fastening.

Care should be taken to ensure the strength of the structure to avoid collapse.

Internal filling of the top row of kitchen cabinets

The filling of the cabinet is its internal structure. It is important that it allows rational and convenient use of the space inside the furniture.

To achieve this, use the following elements:

• shelves and drawers are standard solutions for storing kitchen utensils;
• Dish dryers are special plastic or metal racks on which dishes are placed. The kit also includes a special tray for moisture;
• U-shaped baskets are not only very convenient, but also able to withstand heavy loads. Suitable for storing household chemicals and kitchen utensils;
• rotating shelves - can be pulled out if necessary. Used for light items.

Please note that manufacturers usually supply cabinets with minimal contents, but many elements can be purchased separately and you can arrange the interior space yourself.

The filling elements of the kitchen cabinet are designed only for certain loads, which are:

• for shelves 15-30 cm long: 15 kg;
• for shelves 45-60 cm long: 12 kg;
• for shelves 90 cm long: 10 kg;
• for pull-out elements: 15 kg.

How to raise standard height cabinets to the ceiling

If you want to raise cabinets to the ceiling, you should consider the height of the room. If it is less than 240 cm, then this option is perfect. With a height of 240-300 cm, the set can be either high or low. However, in this case, the distance between the cabinet and the ceiling is still necessary, at least 30 cm. If the height of the room is more than 300 cm, then the cabinets do not rise to the ceiling, since this design is not only unaesthetic and cumbersome, but also not functional , since it is extremely difficult to fully use.

When decorating the ceiling with coffers, beams or other similar elements, cabinets abutting against it create visual confusion and unnecessary asymmetry. Therefore, if you have a beautiful ceiling, it is better to leave the set at the usual height. However, this does not apply to smooth and simple ceiling tiers. If they are slightly lower above the work area, then the top of the cabinets may rest against them.

It is advisable to make the ceiling smooth and without decorative elements.

Important! If you want to raise the kitchen set, you should take into account the age of the owners. For older people, tall cabinets can cause injury.

If the height of the kitchen space is between 240-270 cm, then there are two design options:

1. The cabinets are slightly below ceiling level. The remaining gap is closed with a decorative panel or cornice. In this case, the upper part becomes purely decorative.
2. Two-tier or double cabinets resting on the ceiling.

The gap between the cabinet and the ceiling can be filled with a cornice.
Double top designs are as follows:

• the levels are equal in height;
• the first tier is higher than the second;
• both facades are blank;
• the facades of the first tier are blank, and the second are glazed (often backlit), or vice versa;
• levels of equal depth;
• the second tier is deeper than the first, that is, it is a mezzanine.

If the room height is more than 270 cm, the optimal option is with two levels.

Note! Kitchens with a two-tier top should maintain symmetry to avoid creating visual chaos.

You can raise a standard height set in the following ways:

1. The cabinets are hung from the ceiling, and the junction is decorated with a cornice. Under them there are open shelves, which allows you to balance the composition.
2. A decorative panel in the color of the facade is mounted on top of the cabinets up to the ceiling. The joint is closed with a cornice.
3. The upper level is built on and has the form of cubic cabinets, mezzanines or open shelving.

You can increase the height of the headset in different ways.
A kitchen with tall wall cabinets can be a very convenient solution to save space and create a unique design. However, its arrangement should be approached thoroughly so that the room does not lose its coziness.

Installation of cabinets: stages of work

After completing the preparation of surfaces, it is necessary to proceed to the stages of installation of structures. First, we need to apply markings at the optimal height.

Choosing the height of the cabinets

According to the standard, many manufacturers recommend leaving a distance from the table to the beginning of the top cabinet of about 45 centimeters. At the same time, many repairmen and designers consider this arrangement to be incorrect, and call another, the most optimal distance - 50-60 centimeters.

In fact, there is no single rule - cabinets must be installed in such a way that a person can easily reach the highest shelf. Since the height of all people is significantly different, during installation you need to do the following: raise your hands up and mark on the wall the point where your fingers end - the top cabinet will begin from this point and this calculation will allow you to have free access to all other shelves.

Calculations must be carried out based on your height and the growth of other family members

There are also general principles for installing upper cabinets depending on the height of the residents. If the average height of household members is up to 160-165 centimeters, then the cabinet is installed at a distance of approximately 175 centimeters. If you are taller than 170 centimeters, the top shelf should be located at a height of about 185 centimeters. In some cases, cabinets are installed even at a distance of two meters from the floor.

When determining the exact height, it is necessary to calculate the distance from the floor to the highest shelf

Marking

The exact marking height will vary depending on the type of fittings chosen. However, the principle of performing the work will be identical in all cases:

1. After you calculate the exact location of the cabinet, you will need to draw a transverse line along the entire surface.
2. If the headset is located at a corner, you will have to start from the corner. If the cabinets are located in one line in the middle, then marks should be left from the beginning of the outer cabinet.
3. During the process, you must use a measuring tape and a water level. First you will need to place one point, and then determine the location of the second using a level.

A water level is a convenient but cheap tool that allows you to make markings on the wall in the best way.

After determining the location of the points, they will need to be connected to each other to get a line. For such purposes, you can use a ruler or any flat bar.

Important point! The most technologically advanced and accurate tool is a laser level. Thanks to this device, you can quickly apply markings, which is why experienced furniture makers prefer to use it. The only drawback is that such a tool is too expensive compared to other analogues.

Tools

During the work you do not have to use a large number of tools. The main thing is to prepare an electric drill with an impact mechanism, or it is better to immediately purchase a hammer drill. In addition, we will need the following:

• measuring tape;
• water level;
• hammer;
• screwdriver;
• screwdriver;
• a simple pencil;
• square;
• knife;
• metal knife.

It is necessary to prepare all the tools in advance

Examples of kitchen cabinets up to the ceiling in the photo