Furniture in Bratya Miladinovi

In a separate kitchen in an apartment block there is no room for mistakes. Wall units up to the ceiling add a whole row of space for things you use rarely. Drawers in the base units are more convenient than doors with shelves – you see everything from above without bending down and pulling things out.

Narrow 15–20 cm units next to the cooker hold trays, chopping boards and bottles. More about made-to-measure kitchens: custom kitchens in Burgas.

The soil stack in the blocks is in a fixed place and cannot be moved. Instead of staying visible, it is boxed into a unit with an access compartment – from outside it looks like part of the kitchen, and it opens when needed.

Around the stack there is often room for a narrow unit or shelves that would otherwise be wasted. We measure it precisely at the visit, because its position determines where the sink and dishwasher go.

The corner is where a standard kitchen loses the most space. The solution is chosen according to what will be stored there: a carousel for pans, a pull-out mechanism that brings the contents out, or simply a deep cupboard for large items.

Above, the corner can be a cupboard with an angled door or open shelves.

In older blocks the kitchen sockets are rarely where they are needed. When replacing the kitchen, it is worth adding sockets above the worktop for small appliances and separate circuits for the oven and hob.

We decide this at the visit, and on request we take on the electrical and plumbing work – water and drainage for the dishwasher. That way the kitchen is fitted onto finished services.

If there is room, a tall unit with the oven at a comfortable height and an integrated fridge make the kitchen more convenient and cleaner-looking. The tall unit goes up to the ceiling, with a cupboard above the appliances for things used rarely.

More: kitchens with built-in appliances.

A wall-to-wall wardrobe up to the ceiling holds noticeably more than a ready-made wardrobe of the same width. In the hallway the wardrobe can be shallower, with sliding doors, so it doesn’t get in the way.

The interior is your choice – rails, shelves, drawers, space for shoes. More: fitted wardrobes.

A bed, bedside tables and chest of drawers with the same fronts as the wardrobe make the bedroom look tidy. See also custom bedrooms.

The old kitchen stays while the new one is being made. It is removed shortly before installation, so you are without a kitchen for as short a time as possible. On request we handle removal and disposal.

Manufacturing usually takes 2–4 weeks after the design is confirmed, and our team does the installation and adjustment.

A ready-made modular kitchen rarely runs exactly from wall to wall – “fillers” are left, and the wall units stop 70–80 cm below the ceiling. In a small separate kitchen that is space lost every day.

A custom kitchen fills the whole wall up to the ceiling, the soil stack is hidden in a unit and the corner is put to use. That is why in the separate kitchens of apartment blocks the difference between a ready-made and a custom kitchen is felt most.

The cabinet under the sink works hardest – it holds the bins, cleaning products and water pipes. A pull-out drawer with bins for separate collection is more convenient than a door behind which everything piles up. The bottom of the cabinet can be protected from water, and the material around the sink is highly moisture-resistant.

If the sink is next to the stack, the cabinet is designed so that access to the water meter and stop taps stays clear.

The ceiling light shines from behind you and leaves the worktop in shadow. LED lighting under the wall units lights exactly the work surface and makes the kitchen cosier in the evening. It is planned at the design stage so that power can be provided and the cables hidden.

Wardrobes and display cabinets can have lighting too – it switches on when the door opens and makes things easier to find.

The worktop is the surface that works hardest, so it is chosen according to how you cook. We recommend technical stone (Compact) – it is durable, doesn’t absorb moisture and resists scratches and high temperatures. On a tighter budget, an HPL laminate worktop is a good alternative. The splashback between the wall and base units protects the wall from splashes and grease and can match the worktop or be a contrasting colour.

We bring worktop samples to the visit together with the fronts, so you can see the combination on site. In a small kitchen a light worktop and splashback make the room look bigger.

The visit is quicker and the first design is closer to what you want if you have a few things to hand:

• The sizes of the appliances to be built in – or at least their models.
• Photos of furniture you like – from the internet, catalogues or friends’ homes.
• A rough budget – so we suggest suitable materials straight away instead of several versions.
• What your current kitchen lacks – space, worktop, convenience.

You don’t need to know everything in advance. Most decisions are made together at the visit, with the samples in hand.

Custom furniture lasts a long time if you follow a few simple rules. Wipe water around the sink straight away rather than letting it sit on the edges. Don’t put hot pans directly on the worktop. Clean the fronts with a soft cloth and a mild cleaner – gloss and matt finishes don’t like abrasive sponges.

Blum hinges and runners rarely need adjusting, but if a door shifts over time it can be readjusted in a minute. Workmanship comes with a 10-year guarantee and Blum hardware with a lifetime guarantee.

In a separate kitchen, light fronts and worktop reflect the light and make the room look more spacious. Dark colours work well in the base units if the wall units are light. Gloss reflects more light but shows fingerprints; matt is calmer and more practical.

We bring samples to the visit so you can see the colours in the light of your own kitchen, not just in a photo.

In a separate kitchen the fridge is often the hardest appliance to place – a freestanding one takes up space and interrupts the worktop. An integrated fridge in a tall unit looks neater, with a cupboard up to the ceiling above it. If it stays freestanding, the kitchen is designed around it, with a side panel in the colour of the fronts.

This is decided at the visit, depending on where the socket and the kitchen door are.

Open shelves make a small kitchen look lighter, but they collect grease and dust and need to be kept tidy. Closed cupboards are more practical for everyday life. Often the best solution is a combination – closed cupboards and one or two open shelves for the things you use every day.

Bathrooms in the blocks are small, and the pipes and meters often take up exactly the spot where a cabinet is needed. A vanity unit and a narrow tall cupboard made to the niches and around the pipes use every centimetre and leave access to the taps.

We use highly moisture-resistant materials and solid edging, and measure at the same visit as the kitchen.

Carcasses are made of highly moisture-resistant chipboard with quality edging – important around the sink and dishwasher. Fronts are chipboard, matt or gloss MDF, or solid wood. The hardware is Blum, with soft closing. We bring samples to the visit. More: MDF kitchens.

We usually come within 24 hours of your call. We measure the walls at several heights, mark the soil stack, ventilation, sockets, window and door, and talk about what your current kitchen lacks.

After the visit you receive a 3D design and a written quote. Changes before manufacturing are free.