Very often in the kitchens of high-rise buildings there are horizontal tin ventilation ducts. Of course, such elements are unlikely to decorate the interior. Therefore, they are usually replaced with more modern and aesthetic plastic shafts. However, this option often requires additional design. Does not fit well with kitchen interiors and vertical designs.
What are plastic boxes and how can you arrange them
Today, many types of such mines are produced. Plastic boxes can have a variety of shapes (round, square, rectangular) and sizes. There are also options of different colors (white, "under the tree", plain color). If you can’t find the right shade, you can buy any plastic ventilation duct and arrange it yourself. Similar items can be:
- Dye any color.
- Paste with wallpaper or self-adhesive film.
- Cover with drywall sheets.
- Sheathe PVC sheets of anycolors.
Of course, disguising the box in the event that it is small in size will not cause difficulties for anyone. Both the horizontal and vertical options can simply be hidden in the kitchen set. With large mines, the situation is much worse. It is strongly not recommended to reduce their cross section. In this case, you simply leave your neighbors without ventilation, and in the end, you still have to restore the ventilation duct. However, you should not get upset and give up. Below we consider interesting ways to design plastic air ducts and vertical ventilation shafts, using which you can turn these elements even into a kitchen decoration.
Using bespoke furniture
So, it was not possible to hide the ventilation duct - due to its rather large size - in the closet. What to do? In this case, first of all, you should try to profitably beat this box with interior items. You may have to make a kitchen set to order. For example, you can buy very tall furniture and disguise the box as a closet.
Corner ventilation duct (photo below), even very large, is easy to "hide" behind the lower and upper cabinets of suitable width. The central part that remains in sight can be finished with the same tiles as the apron above the countertop. The upper part is decorated with the same material as the walls.
The horizontal old box would be best replaced with a modern plastic flat model. In this case, the height of the headset is chosen in such a way that the ventilation passes from above directly through the cabinets. If they are wide enough, perhaps the box may not be noticeable at all.
How to make the shaft invisible with finishing
Very often, vertical and horizontal boxes are decorated with the same finishing material as the walls. This is another good way to make ventilation as inconspicuous as possible. Sometimes in kitchens they also install plastic boxes that match the color of the walls in shade. In both of these cases, either a picture or a flat-screen TV is often hung on a vertical box. If there is enough free space next to the mine, you can arrange shelves for storing kitchen utensils on it. The main thing is to ensure that the ventilation duct fits into the design of the room as harmoniously as possible. Also, very often, hooks are stuffed into the vertical ventilation shafts and ladles, slotted spoons, beautiful cutting boards, etc. are hung here.
Masking the horizontal shaft
At present, as already mentioned, you can purchase a horizontal ventilation duct (plastic) of absolutely any section. In the event that you buy a flat and wide one, it will not be difficult to hide it under a hinged or tension structure. However, this option is, of course, only suitable for kitchens with very high ceilings. The thickness of even flat boxes is quite significant (at least 5 cm).
Selecting the mine
A beautiful kitchen with a ventilation duct is quite real. Moreover, when arranging a room, you can not mask the structure we are considering, but focus on it. In this case, the shaft becomes an independent design element. Of course, this is a much more complicated way than described above. You need to have a fairly developed sense of style and perfect taste, so as not to spoil the interior with a ridiculous cumbersome detail that catches the eye. In any case, if you are not confident in your own abilities, you can always entrust this work to a professional designer. For those who are confident in themselves, we will tell you several ways to decorate the box in a similar way.
Mirror Mine
Today you can find the most original and unusual finishing materials on sale. It is not necessary to buy expensive mirrors that require constant wiping. You can just buy a special film. Such a mirror material was previously used mainly for the decoration of clubs and restaurants. Now such a film is quite often used to decorate residential premises. It is sold in any building supermarket. Having pasted over the ventilation duct with it, you can visually expand the room and make it brighter. This method is usually used when arranging kitchens in a modern high-tech style, or if the shaft is located right at the door (on the side).
Using tiles and mosaics
Another very common decorating option for these kitchenelements is the use of ceramics or sm alt. Today on sale there is a tile-panel. With its help, you can create a completely unique design of the ventilation duct, making it a real ceramic picture. At the same time, the walls of the kitchen are usually finished with plain tiles from the same set. Of course, such art ceramics is quite expensive. If there is not enough money for such a design, you can show your imagination and create a panel yourself from pieces of old tiles of different shades.
Boxes finished with sm alt or tiled mosaics are also very beautiful. You can also use a mirror or metal version of it.
Kitchen with ventilation duct: loft style design
At the moment, this direction is considered very fashionable. In a loft-style kitchen, both vertical and horizontal shafts usually fit just perfectly. Of course, only if they are properly designed. A vertical box, for example, can simply be finished with a facing flat artificial stone “under the old brick”. In this case, it is not at all necessary to use a material of the color of red clay. Such a ventilation duct - especially if the kitchen is decorated in pastel colors - will certainly look clumsy and pretentious. The shade of "brick" may well repeat the color of the walls. Even in this case, you will get a real loft.
You can achieve the same effect with a horizontal box. You can arrange it anda little differently - use not a plastic, but a tin mine. However, this option requires the presence in the kitchen and other elements of the loft style. Otherwise, the box will look like just a sloppy foreign detail.
Reviews on the design of kitchens with ventilation shafts
All the methods described above have the right to exist and are used in many apartments. Of course, the opinion about such a stylish design among housewives is mostly positive. However, the most popular among most apartment owners are two other ways to decorate the ventilation shaft.
The first is to design a vertical box under the column with a fireplace. In this case, artificial or natural stone (granite or marble) is usually used for cladding. The electric fireplace is installed at the bottom of the "column". If there is no money for such heating equipment, the usual imitation is used. Today on sale you can find very beautiful and stylish false fireplaces.
Of course, only a large kitchen with a ventilation duct can be decorated in this way. The design of a small room with such a massive column is unlikely to be harmonious. Therefore, a slightly different method is more popular among the owners of such premises. In small kitchens, the ventilation shaft very often runs right next to the adjacent wall. In this case, they usually proceed as follows: they close the niche with drywall and hide the trash can in the resulting “locker”, as well asarrange here shelves for all sorts of non-essential kitchen utensils.
As you can see, there are a huge number of ways to decorate mines. Use them, and you won't have to repair the ventilation duct or constantly contemplate in your kitchen a bulky, clumsy element that spoils the big picture.
