Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen Cabinets

             Kitchen cabinets are the built-in furniture installed in many kitchens for storage of food, cooking equipment, and often silverware and dishes for table service. Appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and ovens are often integrated into kitchen cabinetry.                         There are many options for cabinets available at present.Kitchens today. Modern kitchen design has improved partly as a result of ergonomic research. Functionality is important; one research study had “anthropological scientists" observing homeowners “interact" with their kitchen cabinet.

                  Kitchens are larger and have more cabinets; some kitchens may have as many as fifty drawers and cabinet doors. New features today include deep drawers for cookware, pull-out shelves to avoid excess bending, sponge trays on the front of sink cabinets, pullout hideaway garbage/recycling containers, pull-out spice cabinets, lazy susans in corner cabinets, vertical storage for cookie sheets, full-extension drawer slides, and drawers and doors with so-called soft-close/positive-close mechanisms enabling drawers to shut quietly, or which shut fully after being pushed only partially. 

          As housing stocks get older, many homeowners face problems with visually unappealing older kitchen cabinets; in such situations, there is a choice to buy new (most expensive), reface existing (less expensive), or to strip and refinish existing (least expensive if done by the homeowner) cabinets. By 2009, there was more emphasis on cabinets designed with environmental factors in mind. So-called “green cabinets" were becoming more popular. As homes in Western countries became more airtight to save on heating and cooling costs, air quality has sometimes suffered as gases which are released from resins as they cure. Resins, organic materials which convert from liquid to solid form, are used to manufacture engineered wood (e.g., particleboard) frequently used to build kitchen cabinet carcases can be a factor.
Considering that North Americans spend a large proportion of their lives indoors, it’s clear why this is a key issue in designing healthy spaces.
          Additionally, air quality is not a stand-alone problem; rather, every other component of the home can affect air quality. Air quality can be compromised by off-gassing from cabinetry, countertops, flooring, wall coverings or fabrics; by cooking by-products released into the air, and by mold caused by excess moisture or poor ventilation.
Understanding basic principles of kitchen layout will help take out much of the mystery of the design process. One of the most basic layout principles is the work triangle  is an imaginary line drawn from each of the three primary work stations in the kitchen the food storage, preparation/cooking,and clean-up stations. By drawing these lines,you can assess the distance required to move to and fro in each area and thus determine how well the traffic will flow. To help avoid traffic flow problems, work triangles should have a perimeter that measures less than 26 feet.The three primary kitchen work stations which create the work triangle

The food storage station

             Your refrigerator and pantry are major items. Cabinetry like Lazy Susan or Swing-out pantry units add function and convenience.Options like wine racks,spice racks,and roll-out trays help organize your stuff.

The preparation/cooking station                                   

              Your range, oven, microwave,and smaller appliances are found in this area. Counter space is important in this section. Conserve space by moving appliances off the counter with appliance garage cabinets and space-saving ideas like towel rods and pot lid racks.

The clean-up station                                                              

               Everyone’s least favorite activity is one of the kitchen’s most important – clean-up. This area is home to the sink, waste disposal, and dishwasher. Cabinetry for this station is designed to organize with the trash bin cabinet and roll-out tray baskets for storage convenience.

              Today’s kitchens are more than just places to cook and eat meals. Many people choose to include breakfast bars, desks, bookshelves, computer stations, phone and message centers, and mini entertainment areas in their kitchens. Consider adding these areas to your kitchen with our selections on desk, shelf, bookcase,and entertainment cabinetry units.