Kitchen Units
Introduction
Storage is a key element of any kitchen and, depending on its size and fittings, a new fitted kitchen can cost anything from £3,000 to £100,000 with the units constituting a hefty proportion of this total cost.
Freestanding kitchens offer the traditional look of a country kitchen where dressers and appliances are not attached to the walls or each other, which generally does not optimise space or create a streamlined look. Therefore, the vast majority of kitchens are created from fitted cupboards that are combined to fill as much of the available space as possible.
There are literally hundreds of sources of kitchen units in the UK, from large national retailers to small local bespoke manufacturers, and all of them offer their own range of cabinets. This obviously makes for a somewhat overwhelming range to choose from, but happily most kitchen units are available in several standard shapes and sizes, so they key factor to decide on is that of style, colour and cost.
Cabinet design
Kitchen cabinets are the frame upon which your chosen doors are mounted and provide the crucial element of storage.
In an expensive kitchen, the kitchen cabinets are made of the same material as the door, thereby carrying a matching pattern inside an out, and will usually be supplied in a rigid, pre-built form. Cheaper units will generally be manufactured from chipboard which is laminated to make it moisture and scratch resistant, and are supplied in flat-packed kits that must be assembled.
A standard cabinet has side panels that are 18mm (¾in) thick with a thinner back panel. More expensive units will be made from thicker materials.
Door styles & materials
The overall appearance of a kitchen is heavily influenced by the style of its cabinet doors, but while each manufacturer goes to great lengths to create their own designs, kitchen units are all essentially based on a handful of basic themes.
Door handles
The size, shape and material of your chosen door handles allows a great degree of personalisation, and as usual the choices in this area are endless.
Plinths, cornicing and pelmets
Fitted kitchens are designed to completely fill a given space with no gaps or breaks. To tie the whole kitchen together, plinths, cornicing and pelmets are used to give the impression of a long continuous piece of furniture.
Additional kitchen features
Kitchen manufacturers are constantly innovating new methods to optimise the storage space that our kitchens provide. The following page details the most popular choices;
Further information and useful links
- Find a Kitchen Fitter near you
- Find a Carpenter near you
- Find a Kitchen Planner near you
- Find a Kitchen Units supplier near you
- Find a Kitchen Door supplier near you
- Find a Kitchen Fixtures & Fittings supplier near you
- Find an Electrician near you
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