Kitchen Cabinet Planning

Kitchen cabinets are essential for preparing our meals, as well as for storing our food and dishes. We spend a lot of time at home in the kitchen. Without kitchen cabinets, these everyday activities would be a chore. When planning a new kitchen, it’s important to take your time and do extensive research.

Be aware of traffic patterns in and through the kitchen. The total footage on all three sides of the work triangle formed by the distances between the refrigerator, range and sink must not be less than 10′ and not more than 25′. Counter height is typically 36″, and clearance between base and upper cabinets is 16″ to 18″. Cabinet depth is 24″, but counter will hang over 1″ and end at 25″.

Kitchen sink cabinets are often centered on a widow that provides better lighting and a view of the outside. Doors are mounted below for storage and plumbing access. The dishwasher is located to the left or right of the sink cabinet for easy access. A mock drawer front is mounted in front of the sink, which can be flipped down to fold down. A plastic tray mounted on the back of this is used to store sponges and wet rings.

Required only if you plan to purchase a stovetop separately, the oven cabinets have drawers underneath for storing pots and pans. A microwave can be placed on top of the oven if there is enough space. Doors are usually top mounted for more storage space. Behind the top doors, dividers can be added to accommodate cookie sheets and other large, flat dishes.

The cooktops are cut into the countertop while the large drawers are installed below. Pots and pans are stored here for easy access. The top drawer should be cut thinner to allow it to pass unobstructed under the range. If your hob is too thick, the top drawer is completely removed, leaving a dummy front. This can be folded down and a plastic tray can be mounted to store small kitchen utensils.

The pantry can be a cabinet or just a cabinet with shelves. If the pantry is part of the kitchen cabinets, it may have pull-out drawers or collapsible can storage. Whichever way you decide to design your pantry cabinet, it will hold your canned goods, boxed foods, and many other foods that we use in the kitchen.

You can add so many different things to your kitchen cabinets. Pull-out bin drawer, Lazy Susan cabinet, range hood cabinet, spice racks, appliance garage, and refrigerator cabinet are just a few. Your local cabinetmaker can give you more ideas when planning kitchen cabinets.