Many would agree that the most popular place inany home is a kitchen. Here the whole family gathers for dinner or just drink tea. Of course, I want this room to be cozy and comfortable. The kitchen should be not only beautiful, but also functional. A very important part of the interior is a kitchen apron, which in many respects contributes to creating the mood of the whole room. From what to make an apron in the kitchen, so that it is practical, modern and stylish, consider next. And also we will find out what modern ideas exist and what materials are used for this.
What should be a kitchen apron
First, a few words about what a kitchen apron is.
Kitchen apron is considered part of the wall betweenworktop surface countertops and hinged kitchen cabinets. As a rule, this area captures the wall, which is located next to the stove, sink and work desk.
What requirements must meet the modern apron for the kitchen:
- Easy to wash. So, the material of the apron should not be a "sponge" for dirt, but should be easy to clean.
- To be resistant to moisture. Since this area is always exposed to water and steam, high humidity.
- To be resistant to temperature extremes. Since water can be not only cold, but also hot, like dishes. Remember that the apron has an effect and a hot plate.
- The apron must be from hygienic materialsin order to avoid the proliferation of bacteria.
- Durable and resistant to mechanical damage.
- Beautiful and original. Must be in harmony with the general interior of the kitchen.
From what to make an apron in the kitchen so that it meets these requirements, we consider further.
What materials are used for kitchen apron
Currently, a very large number of finishing materials, let's call those that are used to design a kitchen apron:
- Fake diamond.
- Tile.
- Mosaic.
- Plastic panels.
- Mirror surface.
- Glass.
Modern Kitchen Apron Ideas
Here are some of the original ideas for the kitchen apron:
- The tile is used in marble or granite, large sizes, and is laid without seams. The table top is also marbled.
- Contrast solutions. Select several types and contrasting colors of the tile. Suitable for styles such as high-tech, country, eco-style.
- Pattern in the form of an ornament. Use separate elements of the apron, decorative border, vertical and horizontal stripes. The combination of white tiles with a pattern on the tile.
- Use of metal mosaic.
- The original combination: mosaic and white tile on the apron. The kitchen will attract attention with bright tiles or drawings, and also such a solution will dilute the white monotony of this room.
- Combining smooth tiles with mirrored.
- Drawing volumetric images on a tile.
- Frosted glass in combination with retrostyle.
- Mirror surface as one cloth, and cut into rectangles, bricks or geometric shapes.
Next, we consider the wall aprons for the kitchen using modern materials.
Ceramic tile kitchen apron
Очень часто используют такой вид отделки, как tile. In the kitchen an apron of such material is considered very practical and hygienic. Currently, there is simply a huge selection of tiles, from cheap and budget options to expensive Italian tiles from leading foreign manufacturers.
We note the positive aspects of such a finish:
- Easy to clean, practical material, allows the use of any cleaning products.
- Resistant to moisture.
- Lasting.
- Heat resistant.
- Does not absorb fat, resistant to any alkaline and acidic solutions.
- Large range of tiles allows you to make a choice in favor of any interior.
- The tile can be of different shapes, sizes, different textures, with a pattern or not.
What are the disadvantages of using tiles:
- It is difficult to lay, if there is no skill, it is better to turn to the master. Tedious and dirty work. Additional expenses for solution or glue.
- When changing tiles, it will take a lot of time and effort to split it. This is extra time and money.
If this method does not suit you, and you have not yet decided what to make an apron in the kitchen, consider the tile-mosaic option.
Mosaic Tiles
If you want original and uniquedesign, you perfectly fit tile mosaic for the kitchen on the apron. The advantages of this decoration are similar to the advantages of ceramic tiles, since they are made of the same material, but there are still some special features:
- You can upload not only a variety of pictures, but also photos.
- It is easy to achieve a harmonious combination with the interior, pieces of furniture.
- It is resistant to temperature extremes, moisture and mechanical damage.
- It is almost not visible splashes of water, fat.
The disadvantages include the fact that laying the apron in the kitchen of mosaic tiles will take a long time. This is a very time consuming and lengthy process, requiring large investments and the availability of skills.
Mosaic, as a rule, implies the use of several colors, often more than three, but this is not acceptable for any room design.
You can use any detergent to wash this surface, as the mosaic can be:
- Ceramic.
- Glass.
- Smalt
- Mirror.
- Metallic.
Only a mosaic with a pattern applied on top and a mirror should not be washed with abrasives.
The smalt mosaic has amazingproperties, emitting a mysterious light, while it tends to change its shade depending on the lighting, which gives the room originality. The mosaic tile for the kitchen on the apron of smaller elements looks more eccentric than the larger elements. If you want to lay out a mosaic of pieces of different sizes, it is better to invite a specialist.
Consider another type of popular material for the kitchen apron - it is plastic.
PVC Kitchen Apron
A plastic apron in the kitchen is chosen by those for whom practicality and relatively low repair costs are important.
Plastic can be used not only for the kitchen apron, but also for walls and ceilings.
PVC panels are made of solidpolyvinyl chloride extrusion method. Ethylene, chlorine and hydrogen are involved in the chemical process. The material is considered environmentally friendly and safe. As part of the presence of stabilizers, which prolong the life of the plastic.
There are these types of PVC panels:
- Wall sheets of a width of 15 cm and a length of 2.6 m.
- PVC lining. Plastic strips of a width of 10 cm. Can be made under simulating natural materials or patterns.
- Glossy or matte panels from 80 cm wide and up to 405 cm long. It is convenient to apply a pattern to such areas, when joining almost no seams are visible.
Pros and cons of plastic
The PVC apron for the kitchen has the following positive aspects:
- Easy to install. The walls do not require special training.
- Available at a price.
- Resistant to moisture.
- Easy and easy to clean.
- Large selection of drawings.
- You can also apply a drawing by yourself or paste it with a self-adhesive film.
If you decide to make a plastic apron in the kitchen, you need to know its negative sides:
- Do not check the material for strength, it is easily pierced with a fork or knife. A pinpoint enough to damage the wall.
- It should not be installed in the immediate vicinity of a stove, oven, as at high temperatures the material is easily deformed, and when burning emits toxic substances.
- Easy to scratch or damage with a chemical.
PVC apron for the kitchen can be mounted in two ways:
- Directly panels are fixed on the wall.
- A special frame is prepared on the wall to which the kitchen apron is attached.
Consider another option that is becoming increasingly popular. This is a mirror surface.
Kitchen apron with a mirror surface
Зеркальная плитка заметно расширяет пространство kitchen and promotes uniform lighting. At the same time, it requires high-quality styling, and before this a wall must be carefully prepared, since its slightest unevenness or cracks will cause damage to the mirror web.
What are the advantages of a mirror apron:
- Perfectly reflects the light.
- Heat and moisture resistant.
- When using detergent easy to clean. Resistant to all types of household chemicals.
- The material is environmentally friendly and safe. Does not allow fungi and mold to multiply.
- Durable and reliable.
- Enough long life.
- Originality finish.
If you chose the mirror option, when you decided what to make an apron in the kitchen, you need to know the negative aspects of this finish:
- High cost compared to other materials.
- Difficulty in styling, requires hard work and skill.
- The complexity in cleaning the surface, requires daily care. Do not use abrasives.
- The material, if it is not hot, is very fragile and sensitive to shock and mechanical damage.
When choosing a mirror apron for the kitchen, it is necessary to take into account its size, number of windows, placement of the interior.
The mirror apron can consist:
- From mirror panels. This can be one big panel. Allows you to create a feeling of large space, while there should not be extra things, objects that create the look of a mess.
- From a mirror tile in the form of a brick or a tile, but at such variant dirt accumulates at the joints. Finishing can be matte with a geometric pattern or in the form of broken glass.
- From mirror mosaic. A mosaic of pieces of different sizes and shapes looks very original.
The mirror surface can be used for styles such as techno, loft and modern.
Glass apron for the kitchen
One of the innovations in modern design is a glass apron in the kitchen.
It should be noted that the glass must be heat-resistant or triplex, the thickness of not less than 6-8 mm.
Drawing on glass can be done in the following ways:
- Photo printing. The picture is fixed by UV irradiation. This image can not be changed, it is quite durable.
- Paste the glass with vinyl film with the image you like. This option is short-lived, as the film may peel off. Easy to remove and stick another drawing.
- You can use the wallpaper. ABOUTни наклеиваются непосредственно на стекло.The disadvantage is that after fixing the glass between the wall and the apron there is a space where moisture can penetrate, which will spoil the aesthetic look, but at the same time, the wallpaper can be easily replaced with new ones.
- The painted monophonic glass - stimalit. Glass after applying a special paint undergoes a special heat treatment. The image is reliable and durable.
- Also glass can be transparent or matte. On such glass you can apply any pattern by sandblasting or using silk-screen printing. The surface can be made of satin, textured.
This design has its advantages:
- It is an environmentally friendly and safe material.
- With careful treatment will last a long time.
- The glass apron is the most hygienic.
- It is simple and easy to care for.
- It does not lose its qualities and is not deformed under the influence of acids, salts, food coloring, fats, oils.
- Resistant to high temperatures and moisture, which allows it to be placed near the stove or sink.
- It is easy to assemble and dismantle.
- A large variety of solutions.
Glass apron for the kitchen has its drawbacks:
- Although it is easy to clean, it will have to be washed much more often to maintain a neat appearance.
- With improper care and careless use, the glass can be easily scratched.
- Not every style is suitable apron of such material.
- High price.
It is very important to fix the apron correctly.
Glass apron fixation and care
If we talk about an apron made of glass, then for mounting use the following options:
- Using fasteners.
- With the use of adhesive materials.
Крепить необходимо стекло на подготовленную flat wall, otherwise it may crack. Experts do not recommend mounting the canvas more than 2.5 meters, in this case the installation process is much more difficult. You can use several smaller canvases, the joints will be almost invisible.
You can also make the backlight of the glass apron, and the kitchen will noticeably change.
To look after such an apron is not at all difficult:
- First, wipe it with a dry and soft cloth from dust.
- Then apply a glass cleaner and wipe first clockwise, then counterclockwise.
- At the end, be sure to wipe the glass dry. First wipe vertically and then horizontally.
If the glass is wiped regularly and abide by all rules of operation, such a kitchen apron will last a very long time and will always attract the attention of guests and delight the household.
We install sockets on an apron
Of course, the kitchen should have the required number of outlets. And on the kitchen apron can not do without them. Here are some guidelines for installing them in the kitchen:
- Do not install the outlet above the stove or sink.
- The sockets on the kitchen apron are installed 1-1.5 meters from the floor.
- It is recommended to install the outlets deep or with special plastic protective covers.
- Before the apron is installed, holes are cut in the wall under the sockets and wiring is done.
- If the glass apron, the manufacturer must produce an apron according to the proposed scheme with the holes for the outlets.
- When placing sockets on the apron, it is recommended to do this at the edges of the working area.
- Above the worktop installation of outputs is allowed at the level of 10-30 cm.
When choosing what material to make a kitchen apron, you need to consider that it must meet the following simple parameters:
- Resistant to moisture exposure.
- Easy to care for.
- To withstand high temperatures.
- Have an attractive and aesthetic appearance.
When choosing, be sure to pay attention tocolor, texture, whether the material is suitable for the general interior of the room. And, of course, it is necessary to acquire all materials for finishing from the checked and reliable producers. You can review this customer reviews before. If you take into account these simple recommendations, then after repair the kitchen will shine with a new light.
