Should You Go for Floor-to-Ceiling Cabinets in Your Kitchen?
A useful advantage of wall-to-wall cabinets is the opportunity they provide for incorporating integrated appliances, such as a wall oven and refrigerator, as in this attractive white-and-wood kitchen.
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In a U-shaped kitchen, it’s tempting to keep all three surfaces clear for food preparation. However, this isn’t always necessary, as there’s often enough work surface along one or two walls. This kitchen benefits from a lengthy wraparound countertop.
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If the wall you’re hoping to fit cabinets against is perpendicular to a window, you’ll need to plan carefully. It’s important to leave a gap beside the window to avoid blocking light, but that could lead to some wasted space. The designers of this room have installed a shelving unit in the gap between the cabinets and the window. The open design doesn’t block the natural light flooding in, but the shelves provide storage space.
The slate gray wall of cabinets provides a striking contrast with the beautiful quartzite backsplash wall and sculptural island in this Toronto kitchen. The floor-to-ceiling cabinetry unit provides enough storage to allow the homeowner to forgo upper cabinets on the other wall. Hidden behind the cabinet doors to the right of the fridge is an appliance garage wrapped in the same quartzite.
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If you don’t have quite enough countertop space elsewhere, try breaking up a solid block of cabinets. Here, swapping the central tall units for base and wall cabinets has created enough of a surface for a sink and extra prep space, plus the backsplash adds decorative interest.
The designers have still made good use of the wall by adding a double row of shelves above the countertop.
The niche in the cabinet wall next to this kitchen serves as a wine bar with wine bottles and wine glasses stored overhead. It also makes a nice decorative focal point in the transitional space.
You can use wall-to-wall cabinets as a backdrop for other elements in the kitchen. Here, the flat-fronted, pale green cabinets provide a subtle canvas that showcases the beautiful marble veining on the island.
Choose a design that works with the feature in front of it. The complementary tones here give a subtle look, but you could try something bolder with contrasting surfaces.