Advanced: Cabinets
Average Sizes
The average height of a cabinets is below. There are exceptions but this is a rough guide!
This is also a guide on spacing between units in your kitchen and and on your island:
A: 715mm Height of a Door
B: 570mm Height of a wall unit (Can be 720mm and larger too!)
C: 600-720mm This depends how tall you are and how high your ceiling are!
D: Electric Hobs this should be 650mm at a minimum and 750mm for Gas hobs.
E: 600mm, normal appliance width.
F: 1000mm for a single chef, or at least 1200mm for a walkway or if multiple people need to use the kitchen.
G: 600mm Normal fridge width.
H: 620mm Depth of normal kitchen cabinets but this can vary!
I: 2150 or 2300mm is the normal height for tall cabinets. The cornice is extra!
Cabinet types, more of:
Corner Units
Corner units are a great way of getting access to dead-corner space in a kitchen. They can be filled with corner carousel units or pull-out baskets and the front doors can often be connected so they open together.
Dresser Units
These often sit on worktop surfaces. They offer the benefits of storage of a tall unit but allow for that small bit of worktop in-front which can be very useful.
Tray Units
Having an open unit to slide trays or chopping boards into is always useful. Matching tray units can be made form cut end panels that match with the adjascent doors.
Advanced: Fillers, Plinth and Panels
End panels, plinths, cornices, pelmets and corner posts are all used to frame a kitchen. Their job is to hide the internal carcass (or cabinet) most kitchens are made of and are usually made to the same quality and colour of the doors.
End panels, plinths and fillers are all the basic structure but their naming suggests what length and size.
An end panel will be used to clad the left or right have side of a base unit, tall unit of wall unit.
A plinth is used to go underneath a unit (mostly).
A filler is the general term for anything that fills a gap!
How fillers work
Fillers are used to close the gap between doors and wall. Fillers are made form off-cuts from plinths or end panels and are often required to end long kitchen runs between walls.
You should leave roughly 50mm of space for a filler at the end of a kitchen run, allowing tolerance of units moving, the doors opening (and handle) and also the wall not being perfectly straight. You may also want to leave a bigger gap for a fridge door as it will need to open wider!
A trained fitter will advise on filler size required by measuring the width of the walls.
Pelmets and cornice- what and why?
Pelmets and cornices are used to frame the top (cornice) and underside (pelmets) of units, similar to how end panels frame the left and right of the cabinets.
They are typically only around 30-50mm deep and cut at 45 degree angle at the corners. Otherwise known as a 'Mitre cut'.
Over ordering
Having spare plinths or base end panels can be beneficial to make any extra pieces in the kitchen required and also accommodate for any mistakes with cutting panels. Most panels have one edge and one face finished so can’t be cut twice to do the same job. Speak to a trained fitter before ordering panels you require.
Advanced: Doors
We often get asked what's the difference between a shaker and a normal traditional style door, so here it is.
A shaker door is named after the religious group who invented them in the 18th century, a door made from 5 parts: 2 Stiles, 2 Rails and a centre panel.
This is what's know as a true Shaker Door.
Other styles of doors
Slab Door
A straight, flat door.
Framed Door
A door similar to a shaker door, this is usually routed out centre panel from a single piece of material
J-Pull Door
A door with an integrated handle at the top in the shape of a J.
Door stoppers are also a great addition to your hinges and stop doors from opening past 90 degrees. This can help doors from hitting walls or swinging open when you don't want them too!
Most hinge suppliers sell these to correspond to the hinge you have and they simply fit into the hinge.
Advanced: Handles
Most of the handle info was covered in the 'How to order' section however although some kitchens may look good with a push-to-open handle system however it’s important you consider integrated appliances such as dishwashers and fridges as unless these come with a push to open features you will still require a handle to open them.
Advanced: Appliances
Taps, also might seem straight forward, but their design might not always work with your kitchen.
A single lever tap needs enough space to move forwards and backwards, and once you have a splash-back installed this
may be an issue!
Always check the size of your sinks, and how much space is needed for your tap.
The size of your sink will also determine how much space there is under it. A Belfast sink is often the largest and can prevent people from fitting boiling tap tanks and waste disposal units underneath.
Before swapping out appliances in your home, you should always consult an electrician, however something to consider which crops up in older homes is new grade amp numbers.
Some hobs and ovens require a 30amp vs 16amp which may require new wiring and even a new consumer unit (fuse board).
When choosing your oven, check with your electrician to make sure the type of oven you are getting works with your current consumer unit.
All of our products are designed for you to create a new kitchen yourself. Making it easy to replace doors and other accessories.
If you would like help with your new kitchen and would like to speak to one of our online kitchen experts, please book a consultation
If you need a re-cap go back to our previous guide