9 Things You Can't Do Without During Kitchen Renovation

Together with OBI experts, we've compiled a list of essential items for the kitchen. Use it as a guide when starting your renovation or check what's missing in your completed kitchen.

Wall Tiles

Kitchen walls can be covered with wallpaper, but for work surfaces, tiles are better — they're water-resistant, handle steam and high temperatures, and are easier to clean from greasy stains.

Design: Quadrum Studio

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For the backsplash, you can choose tiles with patterns that contrast the cabinet color. For example, "Keramin Majorca" tiles. The tile coating is hydrophobic, and the color doesn't fade over time. Plus, it's easy to clean with synthetic detergents or just water.

Flooring

Wood is not the best choice for a kitchen. Even treated with wax and varnish, wooden floors are sensitive to moisture and temperature fluctuations. But there are alternatives — such as ceramic granite with a wooden pattern or PVC flooring.

Design: Antonina Sinchugova

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The modular PVC flooring Tarkett Lounge Husky is eco-friendly and safe, water-resistant, and durable against mechanical damage. This flooring retains its color for a long time, even under direct sunlight. It's also easy to clean.

Modular Kitchen

A kitchen cabinet can be assembled only from the necessary modular elements — to suit your needs and space. This creates a functional kitchen without overloading it with furniture. Modular kitchens can be designed in any layout — linear, L-shaped, or U-shaped.

Design: Anna and Ilya Dobrovolsky

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The modular kitchen "Alta" can be assembled from wall and floor cabinets in widths of 40, 60, and 80 cm. The frame is made from laminated MDF, and the doors are made from MDF with a film coating. These materials resist moisture and mechanical impacts. The kitchen can be assembled by one person.

Powerful Range Hood

The larger the work surface, the more effective the range hood will be at removing dust and steam. The power choice also depends on the size of your kitchen — the larger it is, the higher the required power. Also pay attention to noise levels — modern range hoods should have minimal noise.

Design: Ksenia Yusuupova

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For example, the Maunfeld Derby range hood is suitable for rooms up to 20 square meters — it can even be installed in a kitchen-living room. The hood is easy to control — 3 speed settings can be switched manually. All steam and grease particles are captured thanks to its wide working surface.

High-Quality Sink

Choose stone sinks. They are more expensive than standard steel ones, but more durable, easy to clean, and won't leave watermarks. Don’t fear natural materials — they are treated with special compounds during production that prevent the stone from darkening or absorbing odors.

Design: Malitskikh Studio

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The kitchen sink "Aquatone Amanda" is made from cast marble and, with proper use, will last up to 15 years. The sink surface is coated with a special protective layer that preserves color and helps prevent the absorption of tea, coffee, and other coloring agents.

Functional Faucet

A modern kitchen faucet should easily handle large pots and deep bowls.

Therefore, choose a faucet with a tall rotating spout and built-in aerator to control water pressure and save on consumption.

Design: Natalia Krasnoborodko

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The single-handle faucet Blanco Mida meets all modern requirements, and it's easy to install on a sink or countertop. The faucet is made from brass with a chrome coating, so it's resistant to damage and retains its shine for a long time.

Rail Storage Systems

These systems make it easy to organize additional storage in the kitchen — hang cups, utensils, or metal shelves for spices. You can also use rails to decorate the work zone with hanging décor.

Design: Natalia Shirokard

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Choose constructions that resist humidity and steam. For example, this cup rack on a rail is made from chrome, so it's easy to clean and will maintain its metallic shine for a long time. It can hold up to 6 cups, saving space in kitchen cabinets.

Task Lighting

Provide several lighting scenarios: general ceiling light, and additional task lighting for the dining area and — especially — the work zone. This is also a safety consideration, as we deal with sharp knives and other appliances in the kitchen — good lighting is essential.

Task zone lighting can be built-in or standalone — for example, on the wall of the kitchen backsplash.

Design: Ricco Interno

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For task zone lighting, you can use the OBI Kitchen LED lamp — it’s thin and only 2.5 cm in height, so it looks neat on the backsplash. Its power is sufficient for lighting an area up to 7 sq. m.

Dining Area Lighting

In addition to ceiling lighting and task zone lighting, add separate lighting above the dining table or bar counter — it adds warmth to the kitchen.

Design: Sergey Klockov

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Choose directed lighting for the dining area — for example, Eglo Tarbes lamps with long cords. The shades are made from steel and painted in an on-trend copper color. The IP20 moisture protection level is more than enough for the dining area in a kitchen.

Cover Image: Design Project by Natalia Krasnoborodko