A series of webinars continued Mebel 2020 programme of supporting events
A series of webinars, organised by Archdialog Company jointly with EXPOCENTRE AO, was held within an online programme of supporting events of the Mebel 2020 exhibition. Today's events were dedicated to storage systems in small flats, custom-made furniture, ergonomics of the kitchen space, correct bathroom layout and furnishing, and features of the layout of children's rooms.
For example, Ekaterina Rogacheva, Head of the School of Design at Mr. Doors, believes that the main thing about storage systems is fast finding of things.
As an alternative to storing large seasonal items (skis, car tyres, bicycles), she suggested considering individual warehouses which are becoming increasingly popular. Practice shows that it is cheaper to store things there than to pay for additional metres of expensive living space for these functions.
According to the designer, dressing rooms, even small ones, are preferable to freestanding wardrobes. The narrow space in the entrance hall is no reason to give up shallow shelves or cupboards; the main thing is to use smooth facades and minimum decorative elements.
The main rules in working with layouts in small flats from Ekaterina Rogacheva: do not crush the space with colour and materials; work out focal points (accents) in the interior; minimize the number of doors and partitions; try to preserve and increase the flow of natural light; use smooth facades; combine the colour of walls and furniture; minimize the variety of finishing materials; use multifunctional furniture items and double-sided solutions (partitions, niches) in the zoning.
Tatiana Skvortsova, Director of the Deni-ART furniture and design studio, gave an overview of materials and prices for custom-made furniture. "Custom-made furniture is, above all, the customer's individuality," emphasised Tatiana. "The main questions for a furniture manufacturer are the customer's preferences, the characteristics of their everyday life, the number of family members, their habits and needs... Based on the information collected, a task is formed to produce a piece of furniture that meets all the necessary requirements. And later on, the designer works on creating a beautiful form.
In the second part of the speech, the speaker gave many practical recommendations on how to store things, organise the interior space and ergonomics in small rooms.
One of the most complex and expensive premises in the house is the kitchen. Interior and furniture designer Olga Yakovlicheva reminded that kitchen planning should start with placing a refrigerator, sink and cooker. They form a so-called "working triangle" and must be located at equidistant distances. There must always be a distance between the sink and the cooker for the working surface. Ideally, it is 90 cm, but if the kitchen is small, at least 45 cm. The height of the worktop is very important. Standards exist, but the furniture matches the height of the hostess.
When choosing furniture for the kitchen, remember that the main advantage of swing facades is the low price, the advantages of drawers - good visibility, convenient use and order.
Designer-architect Tamara Sharushinskaya spoke about how to make a comfortable and functional bathroom. You need to start planning your bathroom not with the colour of tiles, but with the layout. Here it is important to properly assess dimensions; to think whether or not to combine the bathroom; not to break the ventilation shaft; to agree on the redevelopment at the BTI. It is also important to determine the location of furniture and sanitary ware in advance: so that when the door to the bathroom is open, the toilet is not visible; the mirror and washbasin opposite the entrance will visually expand the space; hanging furniture under the sink will add convenience to cleaning; hidden faucets will also save space.
Distances between walls and objects in the bathroom must also be taken into account for convenience. Thus, the minimum distance from the wall to the toilet is 60 cm, and from the centre of the toilet to two walls is at least 40 cm. The height of bathroom furniture is also of particular importance for functionality and convenience. Optimum height of the sink tabletop is 80-90 cm.
Another webinar by Ekaterina Rogacheva, Head of the School of Design of Mr. Doors, completed today's series of events. She spoke about the layout options for children's rooms “to grow into”. Ekaterina Rogacheva reminded that, unlike a single function bedroom, a children's room is a multifunctional area for sleeping, playing, studying, storage, hobby and living area. If possible, the designer recommends choosing a bigger room for children.
Using the example of a 12-metre room, Ekaterina Rogacheva clearly demonstrated how to transform space with minimal effort to meet the needs of first a very young child - up to 3 years old, then a preschooler up to 6 years old, and finally, for a child 7-14 years old.
Press Services, EXPOCENTRE AO