How To Streamline Your Kitchen Cabinets
Posted on: 26 July 2018
To achieve a streamlined, minimalist look for your new kitchen, you should eliminate visual clutter where ever and whenever possible. Aim for clean, straight lines, without elaborate decoration or detail. One way to do this is by installing handleless cabinets: or at least very discreetly handled cabinets. Without handles scattered across the cabinet doors, the even smooth wall of cabinetry will go a long way towards a minimalist kitchen.
Push Latches
One of several ways to create a handle-free kitchen zone is to use push latches on the cabinets. Push latches are small mechanical or magnetic fixtures that fit inside the cabinet doors so that a simple push will spring the doors open, and again a simple push will close them. These fixtures are invisible from the outside and so don't disrupt a sleek line of cabinets. On the negative side, the doors will need regular wiping to remove fingerprints; also people, particularly children, can inadvertently lean on the doors and accidentally open them.
Integrated Handles
Another option for your handleless kitchen is integrated handles. These are handles, but they are so discreetly built into the cabinet design to be almost invisible. The door's structure incorporates a bevelled inner edge or channel carved along the top or bottom, which can be grabbed by fingers to open them. The inbuilt channel sometimes matches the cabinet material; at other times moulded aluminium strips or other materials line the grooved edge.
Nothing protrudes from the door; the edge is flush with the door for a streamlined effect. Glancing across a wall of cabinets with integrated handles, you will only see a clean recessed strip either along the top edge of under counter cabinets or the lower edge of upper cabinets.
One problem with this design is the crumbs and dust that can gather along the channels; also the channels can be relatively shallow which might cause problems for large hands.
Hidden Pulls Or Edge Pulls
Edge pulls are handles of sorts but again, so well hidden as to be unobvious. A small metal pull is fitted to the inside of the top edge of the doors so that just a tiny part shows after the door closes. Usually, you will notice a slim sliver of metal over the top; just enough of the pull juts out that you can wrap your fingers under to pull the door open. While it is a type of handle, it is ultra-discreet and minimalist.
This option is only usually suitable for under counter cabinets. Also, similarly to the integrated handles, the size of the grips might cause difficulty for large hands.
If you're undergoing a kitchen renovation and love the clean-edged, smooth look, why not go for handleless cabinets. Cabinets are a major part of any kitchen; so usually handles of all kinds are dotted right across the room. Eliminating these scattered details will go a long way towards a calm, minimalist kitchen.
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