Extendable tables for the kitchen: varieties and recommendations for selection

It is good when the area of the kitchen allows you to easily place everything you need. Owners of small-sized premises are much more difficult. A stove, refrigerator, sink, headsets occupy almost the entire room. In this case, a retractable kitchen table would be an ideal solution. The model is hidden most of the time in furniture, which helps relieve space.

Benefits of extendable kitchen tables

The built-in kitchen table is a functional piece of furniture.

Its surface is suitable for everyday meals.
If necessary, the lid will provide additional area during cooking.
The product can also be adapted to occupy a small child with drawing, modeling and other types of creativity.

Advantages of the retractable model:

space saving
visual increase in area,
reliability and stability
ease of use
organization of order
creation of an additional work surface at any time.

The main disadvantage of the product is the impossibility of moving it to another place. The remaining disadvantages are less significant:

often have to push and pull the countertop,
the presence of additional fittings increases the cost of construction,
in order to avoid damage, it is necessary to regularly check the fasteners,
compact dimensions of the countertop will not allow a large number of people to plant.

Designs of extendable kitchen tables

There are several design options.

An additional part is installed under the main countertop of the kitchen. Guides contribute to the movement. The fittings are mounted on the side walls of the cabinet and the end parts of the sliding surface. Smooth and quiet running will be provided by closers.

The cover may consist of several tiers. After complete unfolding, an overall countertop is formed, capable of replacing a full-fledged dining table. The lifting mechanism makes it possible to align the individual elements in height.

The withdrawable module is equipped with wheels. Its edge can remain loose, which provides complete freedom of movement. But more often the product has special limiters. To rationally use the space under the tabletop, it is arranged with a small pedestal.

The pivoting cover is hidden under the working surface for the time being. The device at the extreme allows the countertop to unfold at the right angle. Reliable support provides one or two legs at the opposite end. For easier movement, they are complemented by rollers. When folding, the supporting parts are hidden in a narrow niche.

The period of uninterrupted operation of the product is largely determined by the quality of the fittings.

Roller guides are designed for loads up to 25 kg, so they are not suitable for massive countertops. The mechanism is not difficult, but during the movement there is a lot of noise.
The ball version is more expensive, but it works almost silently. Allowable weight is 35 kg.
The metabox is a modern equipment option. Its feature is the installation of a guide inside the side wall. The design includes a closer and a damper.
The cargo system is considered the most simple and convenient option, but at a price superior to previous types.

Materials of manufacture

For the manufacture of retractable countertops, wood, chipboard, MDF, plastic, glass, artificial stone are used. The choice of material depends on the overall design of the kitchen.

The first option is practically devoid of flaws. It is characterized by high strength, reliability, durability, attractive appearance, environmental safety. The main disadvantage of the tree is its high cost, significant weight. Natural wood also needs periodic treatment with special compounds with a water-repellent effect.
Particleboard will be much cheaper. Cladding with high-tech materials (high-pressure plastic) increases the performance characteristics of wood-based panels. The coating well imitates natural materials in color and texture. This makes it easier to choose according to the overall style of the interior.
MDF will cost a little more. By its properties, the material resembles natural wood. Products made of MDF do not emit harmful substances, unlike chipboard, they are more resistant to moisture. As a decorative coating, laminate and veneer are used.
Plastic will please with ease and a variety of color schemes. However, its surface is deformed from contact with hot objects and is afraid of mechanical stress. Another minus: the plastic model is not able to withstand significant loads.
Glass does not require complicated maintenance, tolerates the influence of moisture, does not overload the space. The glass surface will add light and volume to the kitchen. Sharp sounds and coldness of the material cause some irritation. But this is easy to handle if you use napkins.
Artificial stone has a long service life, is not able to absorb water, is easily cleaned. The disadvantages include high weight and high price. Acrylic composite is afraid of high temperatures and sharp objects.

The underframe is usually made of metal or wood.

As for the color scheme, for small rooms it is better to choose models of light shades that have the ability to visually expand the boundaries.

Types of supports

The supports provide a retractable worktop with a secure position in space. Although if the surface is short, then it can be located on weight. However, such a design must not be overloaded excessively.

More practical are models with legs. Their number depends on the design of the product. The table, built into the kitchen, has one or two supports in the end part.

The withdrawable model is equipped with two or four legs.

The built-in table with a folding cover with a maximum length needs support not only in the end, but also in the middle part.

A retractable kitchen table allows you to properly dispose of free space in a small kitchen. When folded, the design is almost invisible, and to get it takes only a few seconds.

Features

The extendable kitchen table is a built-in type design that, when folded, disguises itself as a drawer for the kitchen unit. In fact, this is a transforming table, depending on the type of model having a different transformation mechanism.

Of course, he cannot replace a full-fledged table, but its use in an apartment or house where two or three family members live is quite appropriate.

The symbiosis of the table and the drawer is equipped with a worktop located inside the floor drawer. The product may have a different size, material of manufacture, as well as the type of attachment of the countertop. Some options are more like sliding panels, others are equipped with supports of different configurations. This directly affects the stability of the table and the ability to withstand heavy loads.

Advantages and disadvantages

At the pull-out tables There are advantages, they:

depending on the model accommodate one, two and three users,
can add workspace when cooking,
can be used as tables for the child’s activities (drawing, modeling, designing),
save space in small kitchens,
equipped with convenient transformation mechanisms,
They are characterized by ease of operation and organization of order,
made according to modern technologies, taking into account ergonomics,
suitable for different stylistic directions of interior design,
may have a different number of countertop sections,
have a stylish appearance and reasonable price.

Depending on the variety, the sliding tables in the kitchen can withstand a weight in the range from 60 (on aluminum rails) to 100 kg (on beech springs). However, along with the advantages of pull-out kitchen tables, there are also disadvantages. For example, products:

do not include moving to another place when necessary,
Due to the constant extension and closing, they wear out faster than standard counterparts,
need daily cleaning
often break, and therefore need repair,
not suitable for several people
not available on all kitchen units
are more expensive than standard sets of kitchen furniture.

Varieties

The kitchen table for the kitchen type, depending on the accessories, can be different. For instance, it can be equipped with a cocktail mechanism, in which the table has an additional part, fixed on springs. For such products, the guides are mounted on the countertop and headset module. The accessories may have a roller or bearing mechanism, the tabletops of these products are wooden. The tabletop itself can consist of several sections, the fastening system is often supplemented by a closer.

Unlike the previous version, the folding tables of the two-tier type are multi-layered. Due to the telescopic structure, it is possible to create a full surface of the desktop. The connection of all sections into a single canvas tabletops occurs through a lifting mechanism. Concealed mobile dining table differs from previous analogues by the presence of support wheels.

The table on wheels is cleaned inside the headset when it is not needed. In comparison with other analogues, this variety is not the most practical and economical, since the location under the tabletop is used to arrange the supports with wheels. But sometimes craftsmen manage to make such furniture to order, making it so that a table with supports or wheels is placed between the main tabletop and the floor cabinet with drawers for storing any items of kitchen utensils.

By the way, there are also such options in which the extendable table is attached by one of the sides to the base on the side.

Extendable tables can also be part of dining tables. Most often these are sliding panels without support, hidden under the main countertop and equipped with withdrawable mechanisms. And also they can be elements of desktops with sinks, which are installed instead of any elements of the headset. Such products are usually designed for two or three users.

Materials and colors

In the production of built-in pull-out tables, the same materials are used as for the main furniture. This can be wood, its derivatives, metal, polymer raw materials, plastic, glass, artificial stone. The best type of material is wood, it can be combined with materials that imitate a noble stone. At the same time, it is necessary to choose your own version, taking into account the color of the furniture used to equip the kitchen.

For example, the color of the countertop can overlap with the shade of the wooden frames of the chairs, the tone of the surface of the desktop, the finish of the kitchen apron, and the facades of the set. Matching the tone of the general background solution is one of the criteria for a successful purchase. So the model will not get out on the general background, and if at the same time it will be supplemented with chairs in the same style and color, then it will create the effect of a furniture ensemble.

How to choose?

At first glance, it seems difficult to buy furniture with a retractable table for a small kitchen. However, with a more detailed approach to the issue, it turns out that this task is not as difficult as you might think. To take a good option, it is necessary to take into account a number of nuances.

It is important to choose the right dimensions of the headset, correlating them with the place reserved for its installation. At the same time, furniture is bought in such a way that it matches the type of layout of a particular kitchen.
It is necessary to determine the size of the countertop and the material of manufacture. It is advisable to choose options without wheels, as they are more stable and less mobile.
Design matters. If the kitchen island is equipped in a studio apartment, the model with a retractable bar counter, equipped with a reliable support, will be an ideal option for a headset with a retractable table.
The standard width of the built-in table of the extendable type is from 45 to 50 cm. It is able to withstand weight in the range of 15-20 kg. If the fittings are poor and fragile, the table will deform under the weight of objects on the countertop.
For simple models, the length of the extendable part is comparable to the depth of the floor cabinet. However, among analogues there are transformer tables, the tabletop of which is folded according to the principle of blinds. These models are distinguished by greater length and maximum convenience, but it is more difficult to find them in the assortment of stores.
When buying, you should pay attention to the fittings of a particular product. The progress of the mechanism should be smooth, and the guides should be durable and of high quality. To make the countertop extend softly and silently, it is better to purchase models with a closer.
Not all models have a worktop with a facade that is perpendicular to the table. Other options include the type of opening, in which the facade of the retractable table leans forward, acquiring a parallel position to the floor.
Roller systems are not designed for heavy loads. For such models, countertops are made of lightweight material.

The type of mechanism in terms of practicality and power may be different. It is advisable to choose between the console type options, T-ABLE and Opla Top. They are telescopic, have quality certificates and are subject to stringent requirements for strength and reliability. As for the price, models made of wood are more expensive, cheaper - from particleboard and MDF.

Sometimes furniture with retractable tables is bought for typical kitchens, in which there is enough space. In such cases, it is better to look closely at the products from the array, equipped not with one, but with two stable supports. From which side they will be nominated, the buyer will determine for himself, based on the place that he took for the installation of such furniture.

In order not to think about a bad purchase in the future, you must immediately notice at what height the sliding panel is located with supports, whether the height of the panel coincides with the height of the main table.

Look at the pull-out table in the kitchen with the Cocktail mechanism, see the video below.

Small kitchens

Optimization of the internal space is a modern design solution to the problem of insufficient space dimensions. Equipping, in particular, small kitchens and striving to achieve beauty and necessary functionality in them, one should especially carefully approach the issue of furniture selection.

These should be furniture models that help to properly model the existing cramped space.

Compact, but roomy and multi-functional furniture will help maximize the free space in the kitchen and make every square meter of the room useful.

Functional cabinet doors, a carousel moving mechanism in corner cabinets, additional equipment of the main desktop, holders of kitchen appliances, etc. are just some of the techniques for optimizing kitchen sets. These basic techniques include a pull-out table.

The fact that the dining table will no longer occupy the precious area in the kitchen is a big plus in itself.

The freed up space can be “given” to other overall objects or left empty, thus adding space.

Extendable table in the interior of a small kitchen

Every cook knows how important it is to have at least some operational space in the kitchen. A pull-out table helps create it.If necessary, it is easily hidden, and then also easily displayed.

Studio owners will appreciate the new idea - after all, in a united space, the kitchen is usually in sight

It is worth removing the dining table from here, as the whole house is literally transformed.

The clear advantages of using this table are as follows:

It is often used as a small breakfast table.

It serves as an additional surface on which you can put small household appliances, remove ready-made dishes and products so as not to interfere with the hostess.

As an auxiliary subject of an interior, the sliding table copes with its tasks perfectly.

The design is built in statically, it can not be rearranged to another place, but only transferred to a hidden state.

How reliability and movement of the mechanism are ensured

The width of a standard retractable kitchen table is approximately 45-55 centimeters. On average, without effort, the structure can withstand a mass of 20 kg. The maximum weight is 30 kg., However, this indicator is directly dependent on the quality of the components that make up the structure.

With a very small width of 45-50 cm, it can withstand a load of not more than 15-20 kg.

Only very large models with expensive guides and stops can take about 30 kg of weight.

Such important indicators as the cost and maximum surface area of the drawer drawer table depend, inter alia, on how the mechanism for its unfolding is organized. The main methods are three:

The maximum possible length of the folding table depends on its depth.

However, this is the most expensive option.

This method, among other things, provides additional endurance to small weights.

Fiberboard (MDF), laminate, and artificial stone are most often used as materials for the manufacture of sliding tables.

A practical retractable table in the kitchen allows you to create a clean and uncluttered interior.

When choosing a color scheme for a future small-sized kitchen, one should not forget about the main principle - light colors and horizontal lines visually increase the space.

A pull-out table can be both your dining table and increase the working surface of the kitchen table.

Even in the interior of a large kitchen, pull-out tables allow you to use the kitchen with great comfort.

A large family, and the warm relationship in it in our country are traditionally considered one of the highest values. “In cramped conditions, but not in insult” - this was said by the ancestors. And today, modeling of cramped space is one of those modern technologies that help us to adhere to these old covenants even now.

Retractable tables allow you to organize smart space in any kitchen.

Kitchen space

To increase the free space in the kitchen, it is wise to purchase a retractable table, which significantly frees up space for more important furniture. As a rule, it performs several functions:

Acts as an additional countertop, on which it is convenient to cut products, or place electrical appliances (combine, mixer).
A small table for tea or coffee gatherings takes up little space, unlike the main dining surface. Having put forward such a design, it is quite comfortable to have a bite to eat.

This system, in addition to visually enlarging the room, also adds free space for work. The design without much effort “turns” into a small serving surface, which is quite stable.

Typically, the countertop extends from the bottom drawer of the nightstand, under the main surface. But you can meet a number of models that are located on a par with the main dining area.

Despite the many positive aspects, the design has several disadvantages:

after use, you will need to remove the product
the surface area allows you to place only a couple of people, but not all family members or, especially, guests,
it is necessary to think over the installation of the system immediately with the installation of kitchen furniture, since often finished parts do not allow you to build add-ons,
integrated design significantly increases the total cost of a custom headset,
the folding system requires regular maintenance, that is, the constant tightening of screws and nuts, for which some additional tools and work skills will come in handy.

Manufacturing Technology Rules

It is possible to make and assemble a folding table from various raw materials: stone, MDF, chipboard, wood, plastic sheet, glass. Designers did not stand still and came up with mixed designs, in which several types of materials are used simultaneously.

It is recommended that you opt for items and accessories from proven, reputable manufacturers, whose prices are much higher, but meet the quality and reliability requirements.

It is reasonable to supplement the mobile model with a door closer, which smoothly and quite noiselessly helps to clean the area by touching it a little. If desired, the table with the drawer can be equipped with folding legs, which are then removed simultaneously with the surface in a special niche.

Proper placement

Most often, you can find horizontal sliding models that are mounted inside the extreme cabinet (in the form of a shelf). Also, one part may well roll out from another.

Less commonly, there are vertical compositions, since standard headsets cannot always accommodate additional worktop volume. For example: the children's option is a book. Inside such an instance, it is advantageous to place a narrow basket for kitchen accessories, to the sides of which additional folding modules are attached.

“Carousel” systems are called corner products that are pulled out of the nightstand simultaneously with the drawer. As a rule, they are introduced into the joint of two walls of the room. This option significantly saves the kitchen space, advantageously filling only the free corner.

The photo of the drawer shows several varieties of countertops:

on legs-supports, where one module is fixed by a rotary mechanism under the working area, and legs are mounted on other wheels on convenient wheels,
retractable stools that are hidden inside the facade of kitchen furniture. To expand it, you need to pull the special handle and the countertop comes out with the soft seat of a stool,
bar counter with continuation is usually made to order. Why do you need to clear a niche on the side of the lowest drawer, and the complementary part is removed from the end,
folding design - a more complex version of the mechanism, as it has a complicated type of fittings and rather large sizes. The enclosed portion will be lowered along the cabinet wall. Moreover, the magnitude of the estimated load depends on the size of the fittings used.

The advantage of retractable structures and countertops

Owners of their own square meters strive to give their housing maximum functionality, taking into account the parameters of external attractiveness and convenience.

Designs that can change their configuration, which include sliding tables, help to fully solve the task due to the following advantages:

retractable surfaces can replace stationary countertops without taking up much free space,
the ability to expand the functional areas necessary for working in the kitchen, at the reception of guests or for other purposes,
the ability to increase the useful area of any surface at a certain point in time without cluttering up the space,
strong and reliable design due to the use of additional balancing elements and high-quality fittings,
creating the perfect interior composition without the need for bulky furniture and complex structures.

In small-sized apartments, it is always important to fully use the free space in which you want to install useful and functional furniture.

It is important to understand that retractable worktops will not be able to fully replace the dining or working table, but it is precisely such models that can increase the functionality of the space.

What is important to consider when choosing retractable worktops

Before purchasing such interior items, it is necessary to carefully study the concept of arrangement and think over the arrangement of furniture, take into account the following factors:

for the main structure, equipped with a retractable worktop, you will have to look for free space in the interior solution,
extendable dining and worktops are not characterized by mobility, they are tied to the base,
such models must be equipped with reliable and high-quality fittings for continuous and long-term operation,
the surface of the countertop should be freely extendable and feature a wear-resistant, practical coating.

Particular attention when choosing is given to supporting elements, which provide additional stability and reliability of the retractable structure.

For the bedroom

Stylish and comfortable bed with a pull-out table fits perfectly into the bedroom interior and allows you to equip a cozy boudoir for targeted use.

Additional extendable worktops can be built into bedside tables and trellises, allowing you to simplify personal care, removing and applying cosmetics.

For the living room

In the classic and modern living room, a writing-out table, used as a coffee or coffee table, will look great.

It is great for partying or hosting guests, organizing family watching movies and other leisure activities, without the need for bulky furniture.

For an office

A versatile and fairly roomy table with a drawer can most often be found in the study or children's room.

Such furniture allows you to save free space and fully reorganize it using a spacious storage system, quickly converted to a work surface.

For kitchen

A practical and reliable sliding table in the kitchen can be used as an additional work surface, necessary for processing products and preparing them for cooking.