Turning old into new: a Blum kitchen renovation
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Before: After 30 years of use, Rudi's kitchen was outdated and needed a refresh.
Creating a dream kitchen step by step
Rudi took a kitchen test drive to check the usability of his preliminary design. "You can arrange full sized mobile cabinets to simulate your kitchen layout at Blum's showroom in Dornbirn (Austria). So I was able to test drive my new kitchen before the installation," he says. He was also able to try out the functional hardware to his heart's content. "What's more, the Blum staff at the showroom gave me some useful tips which we then incorporated into the design."
A good kitchen has two important roles:
It meets the kitchen user's individual needs.
It makes optimum use of the available space.
"When buying a new kitchen, you need to consider daily routines, the number of people using the kitchen, who cooks regularly in the kitchen, which things need to be stored and where the dining area is. My tip is to record all the answers in writing and then discuss everything in detail with the kitchen planner," explains Josefa Kohler, an advisor at the Blum showroom in Dornbirn, Vorarlberg.
The three planning options:
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Plan 1: This was Rudi Pfeiffer's favorite layout. The spacious design underlines the modern look of the kitchen and gives him and his wife plenty of space to cook together.
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Plan 2: Depending on his cooking and shopping habits, more storage space could have been set aside for Rudi.
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Plan 3: If the Pfeiffers hadn't had a separate dining room, this design would have turned their kitchen into a communication hub with a spacious corner bench and dining table.
A look behind the fronts after the makeover
Rudi Pfeiffer opted for the first layout and then asked a trusted cabinetmaker to implement the design. Rudi was overjoyed with the result. "I can only recommend it to everyone. A kitchen test drive allows you to actually experience your new kitchen before it is installed, so you can alter the design if necessary. Now we're well equipped for the next 30 years," he says with pride.
What clever solutions are hidden behind Rudi's new kitchen fronts and how has he put the available storage space to the best possible use? Let's take a look!
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In contrast to the old unit with two doors, the new sink cabinet makes better use of the available storage space with a U-shaped drawer above and a high-sided drawer below. It's easy to keep things neat and tidy thanks to the matching organization system.
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"Nothing slides around, nothing clatters," says Rudi, commenting on his beautifully organized drawers. Knives, forks and spoons can be sorted quietly thanks to the special soft touch coating on the cutlery insert from the AMBIA-LINE organization system.
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It was not uncommon for the pharmacist to have to dodge the cabinet doors that swung out into his old kitchen. With the AVENTOS bi-fold lift system, the fronts now move up and out of his way.
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"The elegant drawers open easily even when heavily loaded," enthuses Rudi when asked to comment on his new drawers.
Ample space in the pantry unit
Pharmacist Rudi is already familiar with the benefits of roll-out shelving in his pharmacy. The pantry unit delivers those benefits and more with inner drawers that can be opened individually. The cabinet gives him a completely new feeling of space and provides easy access to stored goods. "My very own pantry unit makes me happy every time I use it!" says Rudi.
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More ideas for the perfect pantry unit:
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Handleless cabinets open electrically at a single touch
Rudi simply loves the electrical motion support system. "It makes our new handleless kitchen perfect, right down to the last detail. Beautiful and functional – I wouldn't want to do without it."
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All highlights at a glance:
Always take the kitchen users' individual needs into consideration when planning the kitchen.
A sink drawer makes optimum use of the space under the sink.
Non-slip drawer organization systems hold and organize kitchen utensils.
Upper cabinet lift systems ensure the fronts move up and out of the user's way.
Individually opening inner drawers in a pantry unit ensure easy access to dry goods and other pantry staples.
Handleless kitchens are beautiful and functional at the same time thanks to motion support systems.
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