Advice on Kitchen Cabinet Furniture Doodads

[Droogs]

Phew Dr Bob, Iwas starting to think I would have to make euro boxes

 

[Steve Maskery]

Those space-saving corner basket thingies are, indeed space-saving but...

I had my kitchen done a couple of years ago. Having done a couple - only a couple - over the years, I know how much work is involved and I didn't want to be without a kitchen for six months. The kit they supplied is adequate but not top-notch.

Check the load-bearing capacity. It will say one them what that is, and the top one may be different from the bottom. If you fill them with anything heavy, such as bottle or tins, that loading will be easily exceeded. I don't know what brnnd mine are, but I wouldn't have them again.

Re lighting. Under-cabinet lights are fantastic, they make so much difference. But be careful where you place them. Too close to the wall and they will just show up the tiles. Too close to the front and you will have a shadow line at the front edge of the worktop. So get a stick, place it bwteen the worktop front edge and the underside of the cabinets, touching the plinth (or whatever that bit of trim is called that is fitted underneath the upper cabinets). That will show you the line for the lighting strip. I have TWL and would buy again.

 

[doctor Bob]

Thanks for that.

Ive not tried the latest blum or grass -the last time I was using Hettich 4d V6 runners.

I will get some blum runners and give them a go.

You need blum movemento with depth ajustment clips

 

[doctor Bob]

Buy the Vauth Sagel hardware from Hafele rather than Hafele stuff.
For corner units I always go for fly moons or Lemans units with seperate swinging shelves.

 

[doctor Bob]

With regards to underlighting, thats moved on a fair bit, we tend to use LED strips now, if it can be seen in reflection, i.e glass splashback or tiles you can either fit it in a diffusser or a casing which stops the reflection.
Thing is wall units are out of fashion these days anyway, so we tend to light up behind cornice and internally on swanky units, usually on PAR switches.

 

[Jake]

All drawers under the counters, no doors, corners are dead space, no regrets.

 

[doctor Bob]

as above, as many drawers as possible, nothing gets stuck at the back of a cupboard then.

 

[spb]

And, if you have a tall narrow space that doesn't lend itself to drawers, the pull out larder units can be brilliant for using space that'd otherwise be impossible to fill sensibly. We've got a void a bit over 300mm wide by a metre deep that was just boarded over when I moved in, and now has a 2m high pull out unit for drinks storage.

 

[Oddbod70]

Had a bit of left over marble so I made up an under counter pull out shelf with a set of really heavy duty full extension slides. (Workshop ones not kitchen ones. You could stand on it in theory. ) Unfortunately it wasn't actually a lot of use - it blunted knives, couldn't take spills, and flour got everywhere if you used it for pastry - but it sure looked mega-cool!

If I'd left enough room to add small stands offs for hot pans it would have been fantastic - says he wistfully!

 

[Max Power]

Nobody using Hettich

 

[doctor Bob]

Nobody using Hettich

Yes sometimes, I like their stuff.

 

[Max Power]

For the corner unit....I put shelves in the corner cupboards like in any other, but hinge the two adjoining doors to each other so that they operate somewhat like a bi-fold. This means when they are open you have a huge opening to get at the cupboard contents, for the grand cost of a couple of hinges. Obviously, this means an L-shaped unit without a corner post or central divide.

Always found they functioned better hung seperately with the corner post attached to one

 

[Max Power]

So get a stick, place it bwteen the worktop front edge and the underside of the cabinets, touching the plinth (or whatever that bit of trim is called that is fitted underneath

Usually called light pelmet Steve

 

[lurker]

What about diy add ons?
other than the inevitable spice rack, what other space saving things have you made or seen?

 

[Oddbod70]

Somebody who decided their worktop needed more electrics. So they cut a hole in it and screwed a double socket down using wood screws - they then wired it up as a spur from the lights.....in bell wire!

I so wish I'd taken a photo....of my expression when I found it!