Domzhiznthe kitchen, where the home lives: a guide to setting up and caring for it

An independent guide to setting up, renovating and caring for the kitchen. We do not sell furniture or appliances, do not carry out work and are not connected with the previous site on this domain. Leave gas, electrical work and water connections to professionals.

Tools

Tools

Kitchen jobs do not call for a workshop. Most small repairs, and the prep for bigger ones, can be done with a modest kit that fits in a single drawer. Below is what we consider enough for measuring, adjusting hardware, replacing sealant and everyday care, without naming specific models: any reliable option that feels comfortable to you will do. Keep the kit together so you are not hunting for a screwdriver all over the house just as a cabinet door starts to sag.

A sheet of graph paper and a tape measure settle half of all kitchen debates before you even talk to a contractor.

— Food for thought

How this section works: we list tools by purpose and do not name brands, models or prices. For how to use a specific tool or product, check its manufacturer's instructions.

For measuring and planning

What helps you figure out what fits in your kitchen, and how.

Tape measure

The basis of any measuring job. A stiff blade with a lock is handy because it does not sag along a wall or in the gap behind the fridge.

Planning

Level

Shows how even the walls, floor and countertop are. Useful both when measuring and when checking the finished kitchen.

Planning

A plan on graph paper

The fastest way to draw your kitchen to scale, mark the work zones and try out different layouts.

Ideas

For small repairs and care

A small kit for hardware, seams and cleaning.

Screwdrivers and hex keys

Needed for adjusting hinges and tightening handles and drawer slides. Match the tool exactly to the screw head so you do not strip it.

How-to

Utility knife and scraper

Help you neatly remove old sealant around the sink and countertop. Cut away from yourself and retract the blade as soon as you are done.

How-to

Painter's tape

Protects the edges when you lay a new seam or do touch-up painting, and leaves a clean, straight line.

How-to

Soft cloths and brushes

Microfiber for cabinet fronts and the countertop, a soft brush for the range hood filter, a narrow one for tile grout. Save abrasives for surfaces where the manufacturer allows them.

Care

  • How-to

    How to renew the sealant around the sink, adjust cabinet doors and clean the grease filter of the range hood.

  • Planning

    The order of a kitchen renovation: measuring, work zones, lighting and outlets, work by professionals, sequence of work and final check.

  • Care

    Caring for countertops, the sink, range hood, oven, tile grout, cabinet fronts and the dining table, by season and by situation.

What we rely on

  • Instructions from furniture, appliance and material manufacturers
  • Domzhizn editorial materials

Domzhizn advice is written in general terms and based on the instructions of furniture, appliance and material manufacturers and on widely accepted kitchen safety rules. Check the manual for how to clean a specific surface or service an appliance, ask your building management about remodeling, and leave gas, electrical work and water connections to professionals.