Kitchen Cabinet Hardware: Hinges, Shelf Supports, and Pulls

In frameless kitchen cabinets, concealed hinges move on a series of pivots. They can allow a door to open as little 90 degrees (suitable for a corner cabinet), 100 degrees (for a glass-door cabinet), to nearly 180 degrees, in which the cabinet door swings clear of the sides of the box, while almost flat against the kitchen cabinet, the hinge is made up of a base plate, an arm, and a cup, and is adjusted by turning one or two screws to secure the arm on the base plate.

 These adjustable hinges, which operate like a step-ski binding, can make up for the problems posed by uneven doors and walls. Some can be adjusted up, down, or sideways in three or six ways so that doors will line up and the cabinets will be square.

 Types of Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

Standard European hinges used on frameless kitchen cabinets will hold 20 pounds per hinge. This means that for a standard cabinet door, 7/8 inch thick and up to 24 inches wide by 25 inches high, two hinges will suffice. For larger cabinet doors, such as pantry doors, three or more hinges may be necessary.

 Concealed hinges are also available for face-frame kitchen cabinets. The same mounting plate can be used for all frame thicknesses. Alternatively, you can select a dec­orative fully exposed hinge or a semi concealed hinge for face-frame cabinets.

 Adjustability is a desirable quality in cabinet shelving.  Metal pilasters, or metal channels, (two of them are mounted vertically on each side of the kitchen cabinet wall), are the most common way of providing it.  Shelves are supported on metal clips that snap into slots in the pilasters.  The clips can be moved from slot to slot, so that you can adjust the shelves to the heights you prefer.  The pilasters must be aligned so that the shelves will not rock when they’re set in place.

 The pilasters can be surface-mounted or, better still, routed (carved) into the inside of the box. They are available in a limited number of colors.  An alternative to using metal pilasters is to attach support clips directly into holes drilled at regular intervals in the kitchen cabinet wall. Plastic clips with steel pins inside them are stronger than plain plastic clips. A hardwood plywood box will be more sta­ble than composition materials for this type of shelf support.

 The tremendous array of choices available in design for kitchen cabinets extends to the smallest elements. Door and drawer pulls are now available in so many styles and materials that they must be carefully selected so as to avoid making a jarring or contradic­tory design statement.

 Today pulls are made of combinations of solid sur­face materials mixed with traditional materials as well as the tried and true plastics, wood, brass, metal, por­celain, and chrome. They can be simple U shapes, cir­cular "button" pulls, or elaborately carved or painted pulls that complement traditional-style wood cabinetry.

 Simple wire pulls are more appropriate for con­temporary, frameless cabinetry. The better-quality pulls have threaded inserts cast into the body of the pull for added strength and durability, and are made of high-quality cast resin.

 Wood or solid surface U-shaped pulls can work well with frameless kitchen cabinets as well. With a comple­mentary countertop edge treatment, door and drawer hardware can add a sense of warmth and can break what might be the monotonous appearance of a run of cabinets.

 Pulls can also be flush, which means that they don't protrude from the door. They can be molded into the underside of the door, or built into the door front.

 A variation is the continuous pull, or "edge pull," which is recessed into the width of a cabinet door or drawer. In a contrasting material or color, it serves as a decorative element as well as a functional one. You open these doors or drawers with a bent finger instead of with a fingertip.

 For an ultra contemporary look, many designers prefer to eliminate pulls completely. Doors can be opened and closed using catches attached to the underside of the upper box and to the inside of the kitchen cabinet door.

 Whichever style or material you select for your kitchen cabinets, the pulls should be easy for you to reach, grip, and use; appro­priate for the size and weight of the door or drawer; and harmonious with the cabinet style.