When planning a new kitchen, you may come across a bunch of terms you have never heard of. Today, we will be looking at these terms or phrases that can often be confusing, and explain what they are and what they do.
UPSTANDS
An upstand is a trim, usually 4cm tall, that goes around the walls of your kitchen where there is worktop.
Having an upstand is a great way to finish off your kitchen, and is useful if you worry about stains getting on your walls, and don't want to bother with tiles.
An added bonus is that many of our upstands are also available as splashbacks, allowing for a streamlined design that stops messes from getting on your walls!
CORNICE
A cornice is also a trim, this time being above your wall units. Cornices are great if you want to cover the top of your kitchen, and can act as a filler with taller cupboards that are close to the ceiling.
Cornices come in many styles. Most of us know about the traditional style of cornice, popular in country-style kitchens, but there are also options for those wanting a more contemporary look.
A modern cornice, pictured here, is a simple and minimalist design that works well in most styles of kitchen.
A tangent cornice is similar to a traditional cornice in shape, but is a simpler shape with little-to-no detail, making it perfect for both traditional and modern kitchens.
PELMET
A pelmet is an accent that is attached to the bottom of wall units, like a reverse cornice.
Pelmets often come in either traditional or modern styles; this just means it can have some shaping and detail or it can be plain. Traditional pelmets are designed to compliment traditional cornices, and modern pelmets go well with both modern and tangent cornices.
OVENS - SINGLE, DOUBLE, WIDE, PYROLETIC
Ovens come in all shapes and sizes, and it can often get confusing if you don't know what's what.
A single oven is the standard style of oven, whilst a double oven has a separate grill above the oven itself, creating the illusion of two ovens instead of one.
Another option is a wide oven,which is exactly what is says on the tin. These ovens are great if you like to bake or cook lots of roast dinners, as the extended width allows for more things to be cooked at once.
A pyroletic oven is a self-cleaning oven. These ovens work by turning all the grime and food spillage into ash, which can be easily swept out. Just be careful to remove all the racks and brackets!
GRANITE VS QUARTZ
Granite and Quartz may look similar, but they are in fact different products.
Granite is raw stone, cut and polished into a beautiful worktop that has plenty of natural variation.
Quartz, meanwhile, is mostly granite (around 60% - 70%), but is combined with resins to manufacture a more uniform product. Quartz worktops can have glass mixed in to create a beautifully sparkly worktop, and can have various types of granite combined to create a stunning design, like the one seen here!
WIREWORK
Wirework describes a wide range of optional additions to your kitchen.
Pull out baskets are, as the name implies, basket-like shelves that can be individually pulled out, like the example here.
Pull out units are instead pieces connected to the physical door, and pull out when opening the door itself.
A magic corner is a unit built into a corner where reaching the back can be difficult. These magic corners can be pulled out, allowing for easy access to the whole cupboard.
A carousel, meanwhile, is places in a corner with two smaller doors, can be spun around and pulled out, making grabbing something at the back simple!
