A Kitchen cabinet offers a lot of space for organizing and storing kitchen wares such as dishes, cookware, and utensils especially when they are not in use.
The parts of a kitchen cabinet can also be constructed to accommodate certain kitchen appliances, and sometimes, cabinets are used to conceal some components of the kitchen sink.
Kitchen cabinets are important aesthetic elements in the kitchen. The right kitchen cabinet design might be what you need to make your kitchen look attractive, even if it is a small kitchen with only a few storage spaces.
When selecting a kitchen cabinet, you have to consider the amount of kitchen storage space you need, and at the same time put in mind the decor of the kitchen you want.
Kitchen cabinetry can be composed of as many features as you want to suit your preference.
They are different types of Kitchen cabinets; they come in different styles and could be placed in different areas of the kitchen.
Here is a brief description of some popular types of kitchen cabinets.
TYPES OF KITCHEN CABINETS
1. BASE CABINETS
A base cabinet sits on the kitchen floor.
Appliances like the fridge and oven are often placed between base cabinets or just beside them. The kitchen countertop and the sink also rest on the base cabinets.
Unlike the wall cabinets, drawers can be found on this part of kitchen cabinets. Drawers are positioned on the base cabinets in such a way that they are easy to use, especially for storing kitchen items that you would have to make use of very often.
The base cabinets are used mainly for storage; they create a large storage space for kitchen items like cookware such as pots and pans, appliances, or utensils. Base cabinets can also be built into the Kitchen Island to create additional room for storage.
2. WALL CABINETS
In addition to the base cabinet, wall cabinets also provide space for kitchen storage. Wall cabinets can also provide a neat display for some of the items in the kitchen such as dishes.
The wall cabinet is positioned above the base cabinet, attached to the wall of the kitchen, and suspended above the base cabinet.
This part of the cabinet could be the same design as the base cabinet, or another design that could complement the design of the base cabinet could be used instead.
In some small kitchens, wall cabinets are substituted for open shelves, sometimes to make the kitchen appear more spacious.
3. TALL KITCHEN CABINETS
Sometimes, the cabinets found in the kitchen are tall cabinets. These are cabinets built with their heights extending from the floor up to the kitchen ceiling or almost touching it.
Tall cabinets are often designated to the pantry for storage of kitchen supplies, although they could also be used when there is a need for more storage space in the kitchen.
4. OPEN KITCHEN CABINETS
Not all kitchen cabinets have doors; some kitchen cabinets are designed without doors to remain open and are often used to give a display of the contents within the cabinets. When a kitchen cabinet is without doors, it is often called open shelving.
Other kitchen cabinets might use different fixtures to cover the front of the kitchen cabinet instead of doors. Some examples of these fixtures include curtains or glass.
You can also get a cabinet without doors in a small kitchen to make your kitchen look more spacious.
5. FREESTANDING KITCHEN CABINETS
Most times, kitchen cabinets are attached to the wall behind them. This makes them quite difficult to move or to change the arrangement of the kitchen cabinets.
However, if you want your kitchen cabinet to be more movable, so you can be able to change the layout or design of the kitchen whenever you want, then you have the option of a freestanding kitchen cabinet.
They are also more expensive compared to conventional kitchen cabinets.
WHAT ARE KITCHEN CABINETS MADE OF?
Kitchen cabinets are made of different types of materials. Some include:
6. WOODEN KITCHEN CABINETS
Solid wood is used to make kitchen cabinets most of the time, the types of woods used include;
- Red oak
- White oak
- Pinewood
- Ash wood
- Hickory
- Cherry
- Hard maple
- Birch wood
6. STAINLESS STEEL KITCHEN CABINETS
Some kitchen cabinets can also be made with Stainless steel, although they are more expensive than other types of kitchen cabinets. They look great in kitchens.
7. LAMINATE KITCHEN CABINETS
Laminate cabinets may resemble wooden cabinets, but are they are actually made of other materials.
Laminate is made from sheets of different materials which are glued to composite wood.
They are way cheaper compared to wood cabinets.
9. VENEER WOOD KITCHEN CABINETS
They are cabinets made of thin sheets of solid wood attached to manufactured wood.
10. THERMAFOIL KITCHEN CABINETS
They are made of vinyl sheets which are then attached to composite wood. (Medium-density fiberboard)
WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF A KITCHEN CABINET?
In addition to the design of the kitchen cabinet, features such as the materials used for making the kitchen cabinet, the finishing, and the placement are also important factors to consider when getting a kitchen cabinet.
There are also certain features or parts of the kitchen cabinet that you could customize to make organizing things in your kitchen easier.
Whether you’re considering remodelling your kitchen cabinet or getting a new one, you have to have an idea about the parts of a kitchen cabinet to be able to know what designs you would like to add.
1. THE FRAME
The frame is made up of vertical rails and horizontal stiles. This part of a cabinet typically serves in supporting and offering some stability to the entire cabinet.
Some Kitchen cabinets have a frame, while some others are frameless. In a cabinet that has a frame, the door is fitted onto the frame before it is placed in front of the cabinet. However, when it’s a frameless cabinet, the door is directly attached to the side of the cabinet.
The size of the drawer opening may be slightly reduced in the framed cabinets when compared to the frameless, which would also affect the size of the drawer box built into the cabinet.
Frameless cabinets are also said to be less expensive compared to cabinets with frames.
2. THE DRAWER
The drawers are located only on the base cabinets and can be on the upper, middle, or lower part of the base cabinet.
Drawers are easily accessible as well as convenient to use and are especially used to store utensils, dishes, and other kitchen items that are used regularly.
Some kitchen cabinets may have deeper pull-out drawers which can be used to store more items. Some drawers can also accommodate larger kitchen items in the cabinet such as pots and pans.
Some drawers are built with certain modifications such as dividers or organizers; these fixtures are used for organizing items neatly within the drawers such as dishes, containers, jars, and even utensils
The drawer sits in a compartment within the structure of the cabinet itself. The drawer opening in front of this compartment permits the entrance of the drawer box into the cabinet.
3. DRAWER SLIDES
These are the fixtures used within the cabinet that allows the drawers to slide in and out of the cabinet with ease. There are different types of drawer slides, they are made using different materials and fixed at different positions.
Types of drawer slides
- Under-mount slides: These slides are designed to be positioned underneath the drawers. They are less visible compared to the side mount slides
- Side mount slide: They are positioned by the side of the drawers
- Roller slides: These particular drawer slides make use of rollers on a track, to open and close kitchen cabinet drawers
- Ball-bearing slides: They make use of stainless steel balls to moving the drawers
- Soft-close slides: These slides have a mechanism that allows the drawer to close gently, preventing the drawer from slamming when closed.
- Self-close slides: These drawer slides are designed to automatically close the drawer when it is opened.
4. THE SHELVES
Shelves are built within kitchen cabinets to help organize kitchen wares better and to make them easier to access.
There could be as many shelves as you want within the cabinet
Adding shelves to the kitchen cabinet could help you make maximum use of the space in the kitchen cabinet.
Several other accessories could be used within the shelves, they include turntables and dividers.
Certain shelves can also be built with a special pull-out feature which is cool and could give easier access to stored items.
5. THE HINGES
The function of the hinges is to hold the cabinet door in place while allowing it to swing open and close. Various types of hinges can be used with the kitchen cabinet which can be hidden or outside.
6. KITECHEN CABINET CATCH
The catch is a mechanism that Keeps the cabinet door closed or prevents it from swinging open on its own; they can either remain hidden within the cabinet or can be found in front of the cabinet door
7. THE DOORS
The Cabinet door is one of the most important parts of the kitchen cabinet to consider when it comes to decor.
Doors of the kitchen cabinet could slide or could swing.
The door of the kitchen cabinet could be made of wood and have glass to provide a display for the contents inside the kitchen cabinet
8. KNOBS/ HANDLES
To open the cabinet door, there are knobs or handles. Another area of the cabinet where you can customize when it comes to the kitchen cabinet is the handle. There are so many designs to give your kitchen cabinet that fit your kitchen cabinet perfectly.
9. THE TOE KICK
The toe kick is the space between the base cabinet and the floor, it is found at the bottom of the base cabinet.
It is most important for ergonomics
The toe kick allows for comfortable use of the kitchen countertop, it also features a kickboard that covers the space and gives a more finished look to the kitchen cabinet.
10. THE MOULDING
These parts of the kitchen cabinet are decorative, they are used to cover up spaces between the cabinet and wall or floor which could give the cabinet a more finished look
