Open the doors and take a closer look before buying new units to make sure you get the best value for your money.
Image: In-frame kitchen design, Neptune
Whether remodelling your kitchen or building a new one from scratch, the cabinets you buy will be one of the biggest investments you’ll make as part of the project. If you want them to last 10 years or more, look for timeless designs made with quality materials and robust carcasses that will stand up to the rigours of everyday use.
Door styles
Image: This modern handleless kitchen from Naked Kitchens combines in-frame cupboards and frameless drawers for a sleek look
The doors and drawers of in-frame cabinets are set into a surround, which gives the unit sturdiness and a traditional appearance. The doors are mounted from the frame on butt hinges that can be seen on the front of the cupboard. This type of cabinet is often handmade to ensure that the fit of the door or drawer in the frame is perfect.
The doors and drawers of in-frame cabinets are set into a surround, which gives the unit sturdiness and a traditional appearance. The doors are mounted from the frame on butt hinges that can be seen on the front of the cupboard. This type of cabinet is often handmade to ensure that the fit of the door or drawer in the frame is perfect.
Image: Reclaimed wood ha been used to create the fronts for this kitchen design from the Main Company
Because they have fewer nooks or crannies, slab fronts are the easiest to clean and a good way to increase the sense of space in a small kitchen. ‘Simple designs that are not heavily detailed are timeless,’ says Helen Flanagan, kitchen designer at Harvey Jones.
Cupboards with glazed doors can help open up darker or confined spaces, and offer a more practical solution for displaying your favourite china than open shelving that can gather dust. The latest glazing options include wired and reeded textured glass, and opaque panes.
Read more: How to create an efficient kitchen layout
Material benefits
Image: This classic Shaker style in-frame door design is from Plain English Kitchens
Budget carcasses are made of low-density chipboard. This material is formed from woodchips and resin, which is lightweight but will swell if it becomes wet. Slightly more upmarket melamine-faced chipboard (MFC) has a plastic coating, making it more water and scratch-resistant. Look for eco-friendly products made with chipboard waste.
For a stronger, denser and smoother surface suitable for finishes such as paint and timber veneer, opt for medium-density fibreboard (MDF), which can be used to make both carcasses and fronts.
High-density fibreboard (HDF), used particularly for painted units, is even stronger, more uniform in appearance and more expensive, but it may contain may contain formaldehyde-based resin. Formaldehyde is a volatile organic compound (VOC) but emission levels from fibreboard made in the UK and EU are low.
Something new
Image: Fenix is a durable, antibacterial material used by Scavolini for a range of its statement kitchen designs
Stone door and drawer fronts are relative newcomers to cabinet design, bringing a sense of grandeur and luxury to contemporary schemes. As with all natural-stone surfaces, it is necessary to seal the face to prevent it becoming stained from splashes and spills. Porcelain fronts, by contrast, are non-porous, stain-resistant and a more affordable way to replicate the opulent appearance of stone, or the industrial-chic texture of concrete.
Contemporary hi-tech materials, such as solid surface Fenix, come with many benefits. Fenix is easy to clean and has antibacterial properties; in addition, its colour will never fade and it is water resistant. ‘It’s even possible to repair the material by applying heat, so any small scratches can be removed, leaving the surface like new,’ says Fabiana Scavolini, CEO of Scavolini.
Are you undergoing a kitchen renovation? Share your progress with us by tweeting us @granddesigns or post a comment on our Facebook page.
