Kitchens with finesse Small, sloping or narrow - solutions

Kitchens with finesse Small, sloping or narrow - solutions

Kitchens with finesse

Small or unfavourably shaped kitchens have to be particularly well planned so as to not only look chic but also live up to the needs of everyday life. This applies to not only the storage space but also the cooktop and extractor. Do you cook every day or only on a less regular basis? For a large family or just for two? On your own or with others?

The answers to these questions determine how you should design your kitchen. You need storage space for your food, ideally in clearly organised drawers. Those who cook a great deal, value customised cooktops with a powerful extractor, which should ideally remain invisible, like the BORA cooktop extractors, which directly suction cooking vapours away downwards. There are, however, a few basic design principles that should be followed for all smaller kitchens to make them both usable and spacious. Light-coloured walls and unit fronts are the best choice as they make the room seem larger than it really is. By opting for a cooktop extractor, you no longer need a visually disruptive extractor hood and gain up to 30 percent more storage space. Don’t use too many different materials. For small kitchens, a maximum of three different materials for the floor, walls and kitchen units is ideal as uniformity and continuity create a sense of space.

SMALL KITCHENS look bigger when harmoniously designed.

If your kitchen is only a few square metres in size, you need to think compact. The sink, bin and dishwasher form a useful triad. A BORA cooktop with an integrated cooktop extractor in exhaust or recirculation mode provides room for an additional wall unit.

A narrow sink and a dishwasher with a width of just 45 cm are fully functional and save space. They are plenty large enough for a one or two-person household and free up additional storage and worktop space.

When it comes to the cooktop, however, you should not make any compromises.

The BORA Classic system, for instance, offers individually customisable, powerful cooktops with an effective downdraft cooktop extractor. This eliminates the need for an extractor hood, enabling an extra wall unit for crockery and the like to be installed in its stead. Have as few things lying around as possible as the room will otherwise quickly appear cluttered and seem smaller than it actually is.
 
Tip: flush-integrating the cooktop and sink into the worktop creates a harmonious appearance that suggests spaciousness. A sliding door instead of an inward opening one saves valuable centimetres.

KITCHENS WITH SLOPING ROOFS should use the full room height for cupboards.

Often, it is simply impossible to install a classic extractor hood under the sloping roof in a kitchen. And if you do manage this, it messes up the way the kitchen looks. The dynamic BORA duo of a cooktop and downdraft cooktop extractor is the perfect solution.

Make the sloping roof your friend. It must in no way hinder your workflow. Here, it acts as a design feature. Thanks to the uniform colour of the unit fronts and work area, the kitchen counter looks like a single, triangular piece of furniture. The cooktop and cooktop extractor are flush integrated and located in a well-lit alcove in the middle segment.

The BORA cooktop extractor installed between two cooktops effectively extracts vapours and odours. Clear visibility and head room are furthermore both retained. To create extra storage space, the wall units stretch from the gable right down to the worktop. Domestic appliances like coffee machines or toasters can therefore be stored away within easy reach rather than being left cluttering up the place. Those able to incorporate multiple floor units into their design should have drawers in at least some of these. These are ideal for storing pans, crockery and food stocks.

KITCHENS WITH A DINING AREA ensure optimum use of the space.

If you want to integrate a dining area into a small kitchen, creativity is required. Practical solutions where the table forms part of the kitchen are particularly popular. A BORA cooktop with an integrated cooktop extractor preserves the homely feel.

It would be a complete shame to disrupt the elegant look of the kitchen with a bulky extractor hood. The BORA system enables you to create your very own, personal cooktop and, thanks to the integrated, powerful extractor, you no longer need a visually disruptive hood. When opting for a kitchen island, a connection is automatically guaranteed if the same unit fronts and materials are selected as for the kitchen counter.

NARROW KITCHENS look wider when opting for high-gloss finishes.

In narrow kitchens, it is not only the side walls but also the front of the room that should be used. This visually truncates the room, combating the narrow feel. Light colours, plenty of natural light and good organisation are further ways to ensure success.

A wall of floor-to-ceiling units on one side of the kitchen not only offers ample storage space but also enables you to install an oven at eye level. Do not install wall units or an extractor hood on the other side or an unpleasant chimney effect will ensue. Using the front wall of the kitchen for top cupboards and an oven or sink truncates the room and brings the cooking and preparation zones closer together so you do not have to wander up and down the kitchen as much. The installation of a BORA cooktop extractor is particularly ideal for narrow kitchens as its technology is hidden behind the floor units without the cupboards or drawers needing to have their depth reduced. High-gloss surfaces have a mirror-like effect and give the impression of width.

Kitchens don’t always have the ideal layout proportions. Or they have to fit into a confined space and under a sloped roof. After all, over 70 percent of kitchens in Europe are less than eleven square metres in size. BORA cooktops with an integrated cooktop extractor therefore solve a problem: they replace bulky extractor hoods. We look at impressive ways to create dream kitchens in four challenging situations.

text: Silke Sevecke