A Guide to Cabinet Doors and Drawers

Cabinet drawers and doors serve two extremely important functions. They set the tone for the kitchen and allow you to make a unique, personal design statement that is influenced by material, color, style and detail. Drawers greatly influence functionality and ease of access to cookware, small appliances, spices and herbs, utensils, canned goods, dry food times, oils, foodstuffs and a range of other items. Carefully specified cabinet drawers and doors can maximize the space in your kitchen, hide potentially messy areas or draw attention to unique areas.

Corner drawers offer a creative alternative to the corner cabinet. They typically pull out from the corner, providing easy access to contents inside. Some corner cabinets on the other hand may require you to crawl around to access contents. Not every manufacturer produces corner drawers. Corner drawers offer something different that is not only functional but beautiful as well.

Most cabinet doors swing out. Track doors, with a track similar to a sliding shower door, offer a different approach — they slide side to side. This offers cleaner lines in many cases and can make access to contents easier. A potential drawback is that unlike traditional side-hinged doors you can’t have every door open at the same time. Depending on the style, we also pay close attention to the finish on the track. We would often recommend using an oil-rubbed bronze track for a traditional kitchen to achieve a warmer look.

Pocket doors are not limited to doorways. They can be exceptionally functional. We generally specify pocket doors to hide heavily used task or prep areas in your kitchen. Pocket doors are built into the side of the cabinet. When the doors are closed, they resemble most cabinet doors found in your kitchen. When they are open however, they slide back into themselves.

Flip up doors use hydraulic mechanism to lift the cabinet door up rather than opening a door from side to side. Many European cabinet manufacturers use flip up doors that can be the perfect option for specialty areas in your kitchen such as a microwave or built-in espresso maker where the door needs to be out of the way completely.

Sliding doors slide horizontally to reveal storage space or prep areas. Sliding doors employ special hinges that are installed on the top, bottom and middle to completely hide what’s behind the door. Sliding doors also contribute to a clean look for the kitchen.

Garage doors, also referred to as tambour doors, are often specified to hide small appliances such as a coffee maker or food processor that are used frequently. The door typically opens from top to bottom or side to side, sliding up and down on a track inside the cabinet.

Glass front drawers, similar to glass front cabinets, can make a kitchen look larger and allows you to showcase the items in the drawer.

What drawer or door is best for your kitchen? We know the right questions to ask to ensure that you make the best decisions for your new kitchen. Give us a call at 919-772-3335 to schedule a time visit our showroom so you can see the many alternatives to traditional slide out drawers and swinging hinge cabinet doors.