Now that you’ve decided on doing a kitchen remodel, perhaps one of the main items that you want to tackle is the cabinet. Your kitchen cabinets significantly impact the overall look of your kitchen. Whatever type of repair you want to do – be it kitchen cabinet refacing or refinishing, one crucial factor that can influence your design scheme is the kitchen cabinet door opening.
How your kitchen cabinet doors open would depend on the size of your kitchen, and, of course, your preference. To help you decide, here are some of the most common kitchen cabinet door openings:
The swing type door is a standard for most kitchen cabinets. The door swings out to the left or right as you open it. They are best used for either framed or frameless cabinets. You can also use different kinds of hinges, such as a strap, barrel, butterfly, pivot, H, HL, mortise, and European.
A flip lift type of door allows the cabinet to open up, out, or sideways. It uses hydraulic hinges to make it easier for the cabinet door to move in various ways and allow the door to achieve an angle. The lift door functions the same way. However, the action involves pulling out and lifting up the door forward rather than at an angle.
This cabinet door type uses one or two panels that slide using rollers within the track. In some cabinets, one of the doors may be fixed and only allow a board to open up. While others allow both spans to move so that it is easier to access the contents of the cabinet. They are ideal for small kitchens where a sideways opening would cramp up space.
The tambour door type is highly similar to a track door. However, it involves the use of flexible slats that would allow the user to slide and roll the door back into a cabinet box. They are commonly installed on the vertical side tracks on the upper wall cabinets to serve as a garage for small countertop appliances.
The pocket door type is a combination of a swing and tambour doors. The opening is similar to a conventional door. But to make it open to a 90-degree angle, you have to slide it back to a specially-built pocket that may be located along the cabinet box exterior.
The bi-fold type opening uses two panels of the cabinet door, and they are connected with additional hinges, making them fold in the middle. The cabinet door can open out and fold, either left or right. They can also slide open and fold if they are on a track.
Have you chosen how you would like your kitchen cabinet door to open? Let us know how you prefer to have your cabinet doors done when you do your kitchen cabinet refacing, and we’d be glad to help you out.
Sources:
Cabinet Doors, Latches and Hinges