Which apron in the kitchen is better to choose?

How to protect the walls in the kitchen from various pollution and at the same time create a unique interior? A kitchen apron perfectly copes with this task. In the working area, it is simply necessary! If you approach the design with a good sense and arrangement, you have no idea what an incredible effect you can achieve. Therefore, let's take a closer look at how it is better to choose an apron in the kitchen, from which it can be made?

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What is an apron in the kitchen for?

A kitchen apron is a part of the wall located between the hanging cabinets and countertops, as well as near the stove. This decoration borders the working area in which the housewives are engaged in direct cooking. The purpose of this coating is to protect the wall from various contaminants, the traces of which are sometimes quite difficult to remove.

Important! Wallpaper or plaster is not intended for a kitchen apron, as soot, grease, various smells are easily eaten into these finishing materials.

The surface of the kitchen apron should be as suitable as possible for the kitchen conditions that come from its purpose. In addition, the decoration of the work area is an excellent field for design decisions, ideas that can transform the room, make it unique. It will be very pleasant for any housewife to cook food in a beautiful, stylish setting.

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Finishing requirements: how to choose a practical and beautiful kitchen apron?

Which apron for the kitchen is better to choose - will be able to suggest the criteria by which it must meet. In addition to its aesthetic, interior function in the room, the apron must cope with the practical role, and therefore - be useful.

We list the main requirements for this kitchen decoration:

1. Resistance to various temperature conditions. Swings can be quite noticeable. So, the wall at the stove is exposed to high temperatures as a result of heating. And in the area near the sink, for example, lower temperatures are characteristic due to the use of cold water.
2. Moisture resistant. Another important point, as the kitchen always has a high level of humidity. Steam, the constant use of cold, hot water have a strong effect on finishing materials.
3. Unpretentiousness in leaving, cleaning. The cooking process is regular and daily, so the surface of the kitchen apron gets dirty quite quickly. In order not to increase the time spent in the kitchen due to lengthy cleaning, the materials should be easily washed and cleaned.
4. Hygiene In conditions of high humidity, temperature extremes, it is necessary to avoid the appearance and growth of bacteria and fungi. Therefore, finishing materials must be of high quality and hygienic.
5. Resistance to mechanical damage. Systematic cleaning of the kitchen apron should not ruin or scratch its surface. In addition, the kitchen uses a large number of small household appliances, sharp and cutting objects, their contact with the wall should not leave marks.
6. Harmonious design. The design should be in tune with the overall interior of the kitchen, combined with furniture and textiles. Stylish decor will make the room beautiful and spectacular.

Having examined the important requirements for this coating, let's find out what is the best way to make an apron in the kitchen, what are the pros and cons of a particular material.

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Varieties of Kitchen Aprons

A variety of materials are used to decorate the walls in the working area, which allows you to choose the most successful option, based on the desired result and financial capabilities. Manufacturers offer both traditional building materials and rather innovative and innovative solutions. For example, cork made of bamboo. How to choose an apron for the kitchen and what types of them can be distinguished?

Ceramic tile

This is the most popular finishing material for a kitchen apron. What is the reason for this prevalence in use? Everything is explained by a huge number of advantages:

• High hygiene tiles. There are practically no pores in it, and therefore harmful bacteria and fungi do not have the ability to multiply.
• Moisture resistance and heat resistance. Steam, water - not terrible for ceramic finishes. And it is fire resistant, which is important in open fire near a gas stove.
• Easy care. Grease and dirt are not absorbed into the ceramic surface, and simply removed with a sponge. You can not be afraid and use various detergents.
• Durable material with a long service life. The tile is very difficult to spoil, it practically does not scratch and is not amenable to mechanical damage.
• A variety of styles and types of this building material. You can easily select ceramics for the design of your kitchen - from the exquisite Vintage style to the ultra-high-tech.
• The color scheme is also not inferior in many options. Tiles can be decorated with beautiful ornaments and drawings on the kitchen theme, or have a neutral design.
• The texture can be smooth and glossy, or have a matte surface and roughness. Ceramics can perfectly imitate natural stone or wood.
• Tile has an affordable price and its wide range. Thus, you can purchase tiles in proportion to your budget.

Important! Design experts recommend choosing a small tile, for example, 8x8 or “bricks” 5x10, or 5x15 cm.

Ceramic cladding allows you to diversify and decorate the interior of the kitchen. You can install a decorative frieze around the perimeter of the apron - these are narrow strips of tiles that complement the finish composition. This solution allows you to visually expand the plane of the apron, and the contrast will add volume.

The surface area is small, and you can afford to use more expensive materials and design ideas. Manufacturers are ready to offer a variety of panel tiles, sockets, combined ideas, imitation of natural materials, etc.

Important! The use of ceramic tiles allows you to give the interior an original image due to the styling method itself.

There are also disadvantages, however, very few of them:

• Before facing, the surface of the walls must be carefully leveled and prepared.
• The installation of ceramics is a rather complicated process, and it is best to entrust it to a specialist in this field.
• The presence of tile joints, which may be subject to the accumulation of dirt and harmful microbes. However, this issue can be solved by the selection of high-quality moisture-resistant grout.

Mosaic - a stylish option

What is the best apron in the kitchen? A very effective and original way to decorate the work area is a mosaic. The beauty and incredibility of the design will make your kitchen truly excellent.

In addition to a beautiful aesthetic appearance, mosaic has several advantages:

1. Hygiene material.
2. Moisture resistance, heat resistance and wear resistance. These indicators are no worse than those of ceramics, or porcelain.
3. Design. A huge assortment and variations in the performance of the mosaic. An opportunity to lay out the most unthinkable patterns, ornaments and drawings.Create an entire composition from pieces.

Important! The elegant elements of the mosaic can be made of ceramics, glass, metal or mirrors. The most recommended tile size: 5x5 or 7x7 cm.

Glass mosaics are most optimally combined with kitchens in a modern style, and for matte facades or “wood-like” - they recommend ceramic.

What are the disadvantages of this method of finishing a kitchen apron?

• Expensive finishing material.
• Time-consuming and painstaking installation. Laying the mosaic is a very scrupulous process. For the work to be done efficiently, only the services of a professional will be required, which is also quite expensive.
• Care. Since the mosaic consists of many small tiles, this will entail a large number of joining seams. This complicates surface care.

Important! Professionals advise to process the joints with sealant, as well as periodically update the grout.

Currently, there is an alternative to piece mosaic, manufacturers offer ready-made sheets of various sizes. They are easily trimmed to give the desired size, and they are attached to the wall using a special solution.

MDF panels

How to choose the apron for the kitchen set the most suitable? Here, panels from MDF will be the best assistant.

Important! MDF is a fiberboard with an average density of 4-10 mm. Its surface is covered with a matte furniture film, and since most often such panels are produced by manufacturers of kitchen worktops, this material goes well with furniture.

Due to the MDF panels, the effect of a single integral coating is achieved. The tabletop smoothly passes into the wall, and due to the profile for the corners, this transition is barely noticeable, since it is installed between them and decorated in the same style.

What are the advantages in using such panels?

• Low price.
• Easy installation. The panel is attached to the wall using liquid nails or metal staples. Since the process is quite simple, such panels are easy to dismantle if necessary.
• The absence of tile joints, like ceramics or mosaics, which does not require special care. It is easy to clean.
• They do not require a perfectly flat wall surface - on the contrary, they contribute to concealment of defects.
• Moisture-proof material, resistant to various temperatures.
• Durable to mechanical damage.

We outline a few drawbacks of this design of the kitchen apron:

1. Short-lived material with a short service life.
2. It is not recommended to use such panels near an open flame, as the material may ignite. This is especially true of the area near the gas stove.
3. Limited range. The design style of such panels is rather narrow and differs in its simplicity. Most often, manufacturers imitate marble and granite, much less often wood or bamboo.

Plastic panels

You can choose an apron for the kitchen from plastic panels. They began to be in demand due to their budget and simple installation using profiles.

What properties is characterized by this finishing material:

• A smooth surface is elementary in care and cleaning.
• Very inexpensive material, has various color schemes and ornaments.
• A simple installation that you can do yourself.

But there are enough disadvantages of plastic panels:

• Under the influence of sunshine it may turn yellow, the ingress of fat also contributes to the deterioration of appearance.
• It deforms from high temperature, which categorically does not allow the possibility of their installation near a gas stove.
• It reacts to dampness and changes in volume, so part of the working area at the sink is also unfavorable for plastic panels.

Important! If you decide to decorate the kitchen apron with plastic panels, choose a transparent material that is made from polycarbonate and acrylic. Also, this finish is most suitable for a kitchen with an electric stove or induction.

Glass panels

If you still have not decided what it is better to make an apron in the kitchen, this option will be a win-win. Glass panels - a practical and very stylish design of the working area.

Important! The panels are not made from ordinary glass, but from a special impact-resistant and tempered material.

Let's move on to the advantages of such a finish:

• High level of moisture resistance and heat resistance. Panels are not afraid of high temperature and water - feel free to install them near a stove or sink.
• Lack of seams.
• Hygiene material. Does not absorb moisture, odors, dirt. It is easy to clean.

Important! When cleaning glass surfaces, do not use abrasive detergents so as not to scratch them.

• Incredible design refinements and solutions. Glass is a multifaceted material for the most incredible and exclusive ideas in the interior of a kitchen. It can be transparent or color, glossy or matte, smooth or corrugated. For design, you can use any kind of ornaments, drawings and even photo prints.

Making a wall with a photo is very fashionable and unusual. There are two ways to do this:

• Photo panels are placed between two glass sheets.
• Photo printing over glass.

Such a panel looks amazing! You can display on the panel anything you want, limited only by your imagination and financial capabilities.

Important! Installation is necessary only with the help of specialists, since installation is complicated by the weight of a single piece of glass.

The disadvantages of this finish are just a couple:

1. High price. An individual approach is always an expensive pleasure. And glass panels are made only to order, using special technologies, strictly according to the individual parameters of the kitchen.
2. The need for careful polishing of the glass surface.

Natural and artificial stone

What apron is better to make in the kitchen, if you want to give the room solidity and presentability? Of course, natural stone or its artificial counterpart will make the room luxurious, especially if your kitchen is large in size.

The choice is limited to several varieties of finishes:

1. Porcelain tile. High-quality material, not affected by water, temperature, and a high degree of hygiene. Extra strong and durable lining.
2. Clinker tiles are stylized as brickwork. Ideal with a Loft or Country style interior.
3. Marble is characterized by increased porosity of the material, which in the kitchen leads to a noticeable effect of moisture, low hygiene and absorption of dirt.
4. Basalt and granite. Quite practical materials, but require careful processing with special tools, as they absorb coloring pigments.

Regardless of the material chosen, natural finishes have a number of advantages:

• Strength, moisture resistance and heat resistance.
• Long service life.
• It is effectively combined with a tabletop in the style of natural stone.
• A small number of joints.
• A wide range of colors and textures of the material. At choice are provided: marble, granite, onyx, malachite.

And the disadvantages include:

• High price, since such a finish is made only for an individual order.
• Stone is a very difficult material to work with. It is quite difficult to adjust the size, the plates cannot be repaired, and installation is a laborious and expensive process. Only highly qualified specialists can carry out installation.
• Heavy weight, so you need to determine in advance the permissible load on the wall.

Important! Artificial decoration differs from the natural one at a lower price, but is not inferior in terms of performance and external aesthetic appearance.

Steel aprons

What apron for the kitchen is better to choose if the decor and interior of the room are designed in the modern Hi-tech, Minimalism or Techno style? To best emphasize this design, use an apron made of metal.Materials such as copper, brass, steel or stainless steel are suitable.

Important! The options for using steel in the design are different - it can be solid sheets, tiles, even mosaics are found.

The advantages of such a kitchen apron:

• Relatively low price.
• Easy installation.
• Excellent performance: moisture resistance, wear resistance, not affected by temperature, absolutely hygienic.
• Durability.
• The original appearance.

Important! But the only drawback of the steel surface is the cleaning and care of it. Various impurities and spots instantly become noticeable, so it is necessary to thoroughly wash the coating with the help of special tools and be sure to wipe it dry with a soft cloth.

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The color scheme for the kitchen apron

When choosing a color for decorating a kitchen apron, follow these simple rules:

1. The shade of the wall should be in perfect harmony with the overall interior.
2. Be guided by your taste and pay attention to the general organization of space.

Color solutions in the interior are always possible in several ways: contrast or harmony of the color scheme, horizontal borders.

Contrast

It is especially good to play in contrast in a high-tech, avant-garde and minimalist kitchen. Choose the brightest color in relation to the facade of the kitchen furniture. For example: a white set - a red apron, blue and white, etc. This creates a bright accent, attracts attention and makes the interior much more colorful.

Important! Complete a bright kitchen apron with additional decorative elements of the same color. Various vases, utensils and kitchen utensils give the kitchen a more complete look.

Solid interior

In this situation, the shade of the apron is matched to the color of the furniture. Thus, monochrome kitchen designs are obtained. The color of the apron is recommended to be made in the same color, if you want to make the interior a neutral pastel color: light beige, cream, light gray, etc.

Important! Combine kitchen furniture and walls, which are different in color, using an apron. It is necessary to arrange it in the tone of the wallpaper.

Horizontal border

An original way to give the room a peculiar look, and at the same time and visually increase the space. The method of this design is to clearly distinguish between the lower part of the furniture, an apron and the upper part, cabinets. The color scheme can be made in shades of the same color, or in a contrasting combination of tones. As a result, we get smooth horizontal lines, which gives the interior an effect and personality.

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Stock footage

We examined in detail how to choose a kitchen apron, on which it is necessary to focus attention and what fashion trends exist in modern design. With the help of this information, you can easily create an original and stylish surface in the kitchen in the work area that will delight you with its practicality and pleasant design.