Kitchen Cabinets

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kitchen cabinets are the built-in furniture installed in many kitchens for storage of food, cooking equipment, and often silverware and dishes for table service. Appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and ovens are often integrated into kitchen cabinetry. There are plenty of options for cabinets today.[1]

History

As commonly used today, the term kitchen cabinet denotes a built-in installation in which a single counter covers multiple cabinets and neither wall nor floor is generally accessible behind or under the cabinet. Kitchen cabinets per se were invented in the early 20th century. An early precursor was the Hoosier cabinet, a single piece of furniture incorporating storage and work surfaces.

Pre-WW-I cabinet design. Typical kitchens before World War I used freestanding work tables and a pantry for dry storage. Cupboards were sometimes used in kitchens, though in larger houses dishes were more typically stored in the dining room or butler's pantry. Perishable foods such as milk, meat, and vegetables were purchased daily.

Post-WW-I industrial era. Increasing interest in household efficiency pioneered by Lillian Moller Gilbreth led to more systematic kitchen design in the 1920s, typically including built-in cabinets surfaced with linoleum or stainless steel. Improved materials and tools also made the industrial production of cabinets possible.

Post-WW-II cabinet design. In the U.S., countertops of high-pressure laminates such as Formica became popular. Laminates led to the adoption of a seamless flush-surface kitchen look that is almost universal today, though laminates themselves are often replaced today by synthetic solid surface materials or (in more expensive installations) natural stone. In Europe, built-in cabinets had also been pioneered in the 1920s. With improved materials, the frameless cabinet style, appealing for its architectural minimalism reminiscent of Bauhaus design, emerged in European kitchen design, and elements have now been widely adopted worldwide.

Post-modern cabinet design trends. Other elements of kitchen design affect the choice of cabinetry as follows. In post-modern kitchens, hardwood floors are increasingly installed, earth tones are in greater use for painted surfaces, and wallpaper is less favored. Further trends include the introduction of more expensive options in kitchens, a larger number of ovens, the use of thicker solid countertops (2–3 inches), the use of higher base cabinets, the introduction of "quartz" countertops and countertops with honed rather than glossy finishes, higher countertop appliances, pervasive use of undercounter lighting, and the use of higher 9-foot ceilings rather than more traditional 8-foot ceilings formerly used in postwar construction. While not all are kitchen cabinet trends per se, they all affect the choice and design of cabinetry. Space-saving features are especially important in condos, townhouses, and smaller homes.

Kitchens today. Modern kitchen design has improved partly as a result of ergonomic research by pioneers such as Lillian Moller Gilbreth. Functionality is important; one research study had "anthropological scientists" observing homowners "interact with their kitchen cabinets." Kitchens are larger and have more cabinets; some kitchens may have as many as fifty drawers and cabinet doors. New features today include deep drawers for cookware, pull-out shelves to avoid excess bending, sponge trays on the front of sink cabinets, pullout hideaway garbage/recycling containers, pull-out spice cabinets, lazy susans in corner cabinets, vertical storage for cookie sheets, full-extension drawer slides, and drawers and doors with so-called soft-close/positive-close mechanisms enabling drawers to shut quietly, or which shut fully after being pushed only partially. As the housing stock gets older, many homeowners face problems with visually unappealing older kitchen cabinets; in such situations, there is a choices to buy new ones (most expensive choice), reface existing ones (less expensive), or strip and refinish the existing ones (least expensive choice.) In 2009, there is more emphasis on cabinets designed with environmental factors in mind. So-called "green cabinets" are becoming more popular. As homes are becoming more airtight to save on heating and cooling costs, sometimes air quality can suffer, and gases which come from kitchen cabinets can be a factor. According to a recent report:

Considering Americans spend 90% of their lives indoors, it’s clear why this is a key issue in designing healthy spaces. Additionally, air quality is not a stand-alone issue; rather, every other component of the home can have an impact on overall air quality. Air quality can be compromised by off-gassing from cabinetry, countertops, flooring, wall coverings or fabrics; by cooking by-products released into the air, or by mold caused by excess moisture or poor ventilation.

Kitchen Cabinets

History

More related links about Kitchen Cabinets

| kitchen cabinets | bathroom cabinets | cabinetry | custom cabinets |

Tips for Cheap Kitchen Cabinets - How to find Kitchen Cabinets Cheap

How to Organize Kitchen Cabinets | eHow.com

Kitchen Cabinets | Installing Kitchen Cabinets

Talora - Kitchen Cabinets | Home - Great kitchen cabinet ideas for ...

Custom Cupboards Home | Fine Quality Kitchen Cabinets | Bathroom ...