Cabinetry is one of the most crucial elements of furnishing a kitchen - whether it is commercial or residential. So, when it comes to kitchen remodeling, a designer focuses on enhancing utility, movement, ease of cooking and efficient storage.
Almost 50% of kitchen remodeling work is about kitchen cabinets and thus much of the designing effort is spent on cabinet drawings. Hence, an architect's planning for cabinets rules in making the remodeled kitchen mode appealing and hygienic.
Choosing the right cabinet design, type and material gives the best reward in constructing a well-planned kitchen. Additionally, with advancements in manufacturing technology, designers today are free to choose hybrid materials and design complex shapes. By using detailed CAD shop drawings for kitchen cabinets, cabinet makers can now accelerate complex and custom cabinet manufacturing.
Here, we discuss four prominent types of kitchen cabinets you must have in your design sheets for your next kitchen remodeling project.
Top 4 cabinet types for kitchen remodeling
1. Flat panel kitchen cabinets
Flat-panel kitchen cabinets are a new design trend that gives a modern look to kitchen spaces. Secondly, this type of cabinet does not have any knobs, handles, or bevels. It is simple plain wood board and veneer in the front with no uneven surfaces. Hence, these cabinets are perfect for kitchens with small floor spaces.
Further, flat panel kitchen cabinets, also called slab cabinets, are budget-friendly, require less hardware and rarely have irregular shapes. They also offer higher user-friendliness due to the ease of closing and opening drawers, as most have pull-out drawers. Even the cabinet doors are easy to operate, clean and maintain.
2. Wall-mounted kitchen cabinets
Wall-mounted kitchen cabinets are usually fixed on the walls above kitchen counters and free up spaces for placing base cabinets. So, typically, an architect uses this type of cabinet when they have limited floor space available.
Wall kitchen cabinets provide a clutter-free appearance to kitchens by aesthetically covering electronic appliances like microwaves. With a proper selection of hardware, these cabinets give a coordinated look to the kitchen space for high-end residential kitchen designs. Also, the architect can create different compartments according to user needs to maximize storage convenience.
3. Base cabinets
The cabinets that fit under the kitchen countertops are called base cabinets. An aesthetic purpose they serve is to hide plumbing lines for kitchen sinks, wiring, drainage etc. Base cabinets are installed on a thin platform on the floor and extend up to the bottom of countertops. Such cabinets are fixed on two sides – on the wall as well as on the floor. Hence, they become a permanent fixture in homes or commercial kitchens.
Another important reason why architects use base cabinets is to contain dishwashers, refrigerators, or cooking stoves. They usually have a covering door with glass fixed on the front end. Also, such cabinets have exposed legs and significant clearance between the lower surface of the cabinets and the floor to allow cleaning and mopping.
4. Corner kitchen cabinets
Corner spaces in every kitchen can go unutilized due to lower accessibility. Designing corner cabinets and pull-out drawers can efficiently plan the usage of such spaces and optimize overall space availability. However, one of the major challenges here is irregular shapes involving a complex manufacturing process.
At times, when non-standard cabinet products are used for wall cabinets or base cabinets, they can leave random gaps in between. Corner cabinets or pull-outs can tactfully make use of these spaces, sometimes up to a depth of 24 inches.
Things (Tips) to consider while choosing kitchen cabinet designs during remodelling
Remodelling an operational kitchen, whether commercial or residential, is a mammoth task. It involves budgets, synchronization with existing design and theme, and other considerations. But the primary aim is to get contemporary designs and better ergonomics. Here are some tips to help you plan your kitchen cabinet designs efficiently.
1. Focus on space utilization
Cabinet design approach and choices vary depending upon the type of facility — an independent house, apartment, restaurant, luxury hotel, etc. Kitchens are places demanding high storage space in smaller floor areas, so architects choose to design corner-to-corner and wall-to-floor types of cabinets. It not only declutters the space but also offers more storage.
2. Select primary cabinet material for higher wear and tear
Kitchen cabinets are used repeatedly by multiple users and are constantly exposed to oil and heat from cooking. Thus, they are to be designed for high wear and tear. Ideally, kitchen renovation happens once, at the max twice, before the property is taken down. Thus, it is critical to choose materials like stainless steel, solid wood, etc. to impart necessary strength and withstand rough usage. Sometimes, design factors like soft close, right wood veneer, open shelves etc. design features prove to be helpful.
3. Consider maintenance aspects
The steam and grease from cooking damage wood-based cabinets in the kitchen. Moreover, in many places, insects like termites threaten the life of wooden kitchen cabinetry. Thus, cleaning and necessary pest control treatment are a must at regular intervals.
These aspects are especially crucial for custom built-ins where cabinet makers charge additional prices. So a cabinet designer must ensure that these maintenance processes are easy and doable once the kitchen is operational.
4. Coordinate with your manufacturer beforehand
Keeping the architect, designer and cabinet manufacturer on the same page avoids many design conflicts and delays. CAD shop drawings play a critical role in coordinating designs and installations.
Many a time, bespoke cabinetry design, assembled kitchen cabinets, or custom built-ins are difficult to manufacture. The designs fall beyond the tooling capabilities of certain cabinet manufacturers. They result in design rework or outsourcing the contract and delay the timelines. Coordinating with the shop engineer helps avoid such instances and smoothens the workflow.
Conclusion
Remodelling kitchen cabinets requires intense planning. It requires an in-depth understanding of cabinet anatomy and close coordination between architects, manufacturers, and property owners. Moreover, there are always budget and multiple architectural design constraints that the contractor must address.
Considering these factors, it is important for the architect to make the required site visits and match their drawings with civil floor plans. And in the end, they must get a reliable estimate to address all budgetary concerns. These steps help select the right type of cabinetry, correct material and choose a specific style to successfully execute the kitchen makeover project.
About Author:
Ripu Daman Singh is the lead of millwork and joinery vertical at Hitech CADD Services (A subsidiary of HitechDigital Solutions). A seasoned leader and technocrat with more than 11 years of experience, he is focused on delivering detailed industrial design drafting solutions for complex product manufacturing. In his current role, Ripu looks to create new growth opportunities using automation in drafting and modeling through CAD macros and tools.
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