Units, Doors and Plinths

When organising your kitchen, storage and uniformity is the order of the day. There is a varied array of units to think about and the best way to start is to sit down and think which units you like in your existing kitchen and which units you don't.

When designing a kitchen I try and organise the cupboards to optimise the accessibility for the client by making enough space for your accessories and items you use in the kitchen.

There are units with shelves, units with hidden drawers, drawer units, corner units with a range of internal storage features, mid height units, tall units, oven units, sink units and a whole host of wall units.. Each of these come in a wide range of widths and heights and each supplier has their own specific set available.

When designing your kitchen I try to keep all the unit sizes the same, this way your kitchen won't look unbalanced and will look like it has been designed specifically for the space.

The majority of units are made from the same material; either MDF or chipboard and the real price of the units come down the door, hinges and internal supplements like drawer runners and slow closing mechanisms.

Door Types

Laminate

Laminate doors come in a variety of colours and patterns and are durable and easy to clean. You can have edges of matching laminate, ABS, wood and metal.

Lacquer

With lacquer you can have numerous colours and finishes including high gloss, satin and matt. These are usually more expensive, but are very hard wearing if looked after and leave no join lines which eliminate possible water ingression, which laminate and wood are susceptible to.

Wood

Wooden doors are a more traditional material and bring warmth to the room. There are numerous types and can be used in traditional or modern designs and can be sanded down and recoated to revitalise your kitchen.

Wood Veneer

Veneer doors use a very thin slice of wood on top of MDF as a cheaper alternative to solid wood, they create flat and even finishes.

Vinyl Wrap

Vinyl wraps create seamless finishes as they are moulded around an MDF base, but are usually cheaper than lacquer. They can be damaged by heat sources but a spacing strip or heat deflector in-between the heat source and door usually eliminates this.

Glass

Glass doors are used to break up a design but you can have all the doors made from glass if you like. You can have clear glass to show off items you like and frosted and painted glass for privacy.

Stainless Steel

Stainless Steel is very durable, easy to clean and heat resistant. If mounted onto a solid base it reduces the chance of dents. Stainless steel is usually used in conjunction with other materials due to its industrial style.

Plinths

Or kick plates are used to hide the feet of units and are usually stepped back so that you can stand closer to the units without twisting your feet. These plinths are available in the unit material, aluminium or stainless steel. You can also find suppliers that supply lighting to go in the plinth for an added effect.

One thing to remember is that built in appliances require ventilation and grills in the plinth are the best way to achieve this.