Renovating a kitchen can feel overwhelming, especially with so many choices staring back at you from every catalogue and showroom. It is easy to get swept up in countertop colours and fancy overhead units while the lower cabinets quietly get pushed to the background. Here is the thing though, that lower section is doing most of the heavy lifting in your kitchen every single day. Get this part right, and cooking, cleaning, and storing groceries suddenly feel a lot less like a chore.
Why Do You Need Kitchen Base Cabinets?
Base cabinets are the units installed on the kitchen floor below the countertop level. These are the foundation elements of any kitchen, containing the cabinet box, doors or drawers, shelves, and a recessed toe kick in the bottom of the unit. Base units are the ones holding the entire countertop, together with your heavy cookware, appliances, and groceries.
Base cabinets should be treated as planning elements, as their location determines whether you will be able to access the sink, hob, and prepping area comfortably without bumping into anything.
Measure Your Kitchen Properly First
Before you start comparing various finishes and hardware, you should measure your kitchen properly. Pay attention to all walls, their corners, windows, doors, plumbing, and electric sockets. Even a slight mistake in the measurement might cause additional costs in the future, especially when it comes to installation in the sink area or corners.
There are no standard kitchen base cabinet depths but in general, base units are 600 mm deep. Your final countertop height will depend on the height of the cabinet itself, the legs and the countertop thickness.
An experienced interior designer will determine the most comfortable cabinet height for you based on your personal height and cooking preferences before the production of the cabinet itself.
Select the Right Base Cabinet Types for Every Zone of Your Kitchen
There is no need to select one type of cabinet for the entire kitchen. Each zone requires a different cabinet configuration, and selecting them correctly will allow you to increase storage capacity without adding bulky cabinets.
- Regular base cabinets can be used for shelf storage in most zones.
- Base cabinets in the sink area allow to accommodate plumbing and contain the bins.
- Drawer cabinets allow you to store the pots and pans.
- Pull-outs bring the goods from the back of the shelves closer, perfect for narrow kitchens.
- Corner base cabinets and carousels are used for utilising L and U shaped kitchen corners.
Choose the Materials and Finish That Suit Your Needs Best
Kitchen base cabinets in the sink area are made of plywood mostly because of the resistance to moisture and strength. MDF is suitable for painted finishes, and particle board is cheaper and also needs protection from moisture. Laminates remain the favourite choice among other materials as well, due to their variety of colours, ease of maintenance, and affordability.
A matte finish does not show any fingerprints, which is very important for kitchen base cabinets that are used in a busy household kitchen, while a gloss finish reflects the light and creates the illusion of a bigger space in the kitchen.
Do Not Forget about the Inside of Your Base Cabinets
The inside of the cabinet is as important as its exterior side. Soft closing mechanisms reduce noise, and pull out trays and organiser will help you to cook in your kitchen much more easily. Plan the cabinets according to your needs instead of buying all the available accessories, as they will not be used often and only create additional costs.
Conclusion
Smart base cabinet design starts with measuring and planning, followed by the selection of the cabinet types, materials, and finishes that will fit your needs the best. Using corner space and planning vertically will help you to save both space and money on materials.
Montdor Interior can help you design base cabinets that balance storage, style, and budget from day one. Reach out today and get your modular kitchen planned the smart way.