Kitchen Cabinets: Heart and soul of Your Kitchen

There is a famous saying which refers to kitchen as the heart of any house. The saying is true in every sense as kitchen is the power house of any home. It generates energy that propels other activities. Kitchen is the happening place in our house. It is a culmination point where the entire family gathers, daily meals are prepared and served. Kitchen is area which is the silent witness of our special occasions and festivities. The four walls of kitchen capture our every emotion. While doing all the activities, it becomes very important that there is no mess and for that it becomes vital that kitchen is organized perfectly. When we visualize an organized kitchen what appears first are kitchen cabinets.

Story of Evolution

The core functions that a typical kitchen is supposed to deliver are- use of fire, water and storage. So, real evolution that is marked through its appearance and technology.

Initially fire element was delivered from a “hearth” which was taken over by” wood stove” and now by modern day  induction cook tops.

From the bucket stored water to hand –pump and to high-end dish washers, the concept of storing and utilizing water has also seen lot of changes.

During the pre -WW-1 era, typically kitchen were designed with free standing work tables and a pantry for dry storage. Cupboards were rare thing inside kitchen and kitchen cabinets were nowhere in picture. Butler’s pantry and dining rooms were mostly used for storage purpose.

Post WW-1 was a period of industrial revolution .This was the time when there was increasing interest in household efficiency tools. This influenced industrial psychologist Lillan Moller Gilberth to conduct a study. His findings subsequently led to improvements in kitchen designs and set the platform for the familiar present day built-in kitchen cabinets.

After WW-II, the real demand of the countertops started generating in US. High pressure laminates such as Fromica supplanted by solid surface became popular. These improved kitchen designs soon became popular in Europe as well .With improved materials, the frameless kitchen cabinet style emerged in Europe which soon spread worldwide by the end of 1920.

Modern Day Kitchen

The modern day kitchen has gone far from its primary function which was preparation of food. Today’s kitchen is the center of social activities. Kitchen has emerged as a place where after day's hard work, family members unite and share their thoughts. The place which was once hidden and secluded is now a part of a bigger social arena. So, when anybody is refurbishingkitchen, it becomes very important to consider that the designing idea should incorporate ways to maximize storage space and the core functionality of the kitchen. Today’s kitchen design has improved mostly due to ergonomic research. Functionally, kitchen cabinets are important parts of any house. According to study, scientists have even found home owners talking to their kitchen cabinets. It may sound crazy but that it is true.

Philosophy behind Modern Kitchen Cabinets

•        Must have a free-range hot, cold, wet zones

•        Should have vertical and horizontal work planes

•        Free standing furniture are must

•        Should have adjustable work landings 

•        Multi-tasking interior cannot be ignored

There are numerous options of kitchen cabinets in terms of Wood choice for cabinet construction, cabinet details, cabinets doors, drawers and trays, wall oven cabinets, cabinet hardware, specialty hardware and last but not the least the cabinet finishing.

Undoubtedly, kitchen is the most important part of any home and kitchen cabinets are the heart and soul of it.Thus, trending kitchen cabinets keep our cooking area clean and organized.