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mrsbrad_gw

Should I use angled corner cabinets?

MrsBrad
10 years ago

I am about to finalize my cabinets and now I am having second thoughts about my corner cabinets, uppers and lowers. I have these same angled corner cabinets in my current kitchen, but am thinking about changing them in the new house for aesthetic reasons. I like the super lazy susans and store a lot in them and am a little hesitant to give them up, but I do like the 90 degree look. I like my upper corners as well. They hold a LOT of stuff and I like that. If I keep the current design layout the upper corner cabinets would end right next to the window. I am wondering if I should make the uppers end straight against the wall. If I do that do I need to make my lowers 90 degrees? I am not sure if I will like other corner options as well as my super susans. I currently store all my small appliances and bakeware in them. Please forgive me, this picture of my layout has actually been changed a bit but I don't have a current one uploaded. But for the purposes of the corner cabinets this drawing will still suffice. I'm having trouble visualizing the straight cabinets and haven't exactly found pictures that fit my situation. Or would it be possible to make the uppers 90 degrees and have a small skinny cabinet next to the window with a glass front? I'm a little stuck with this so any input would be greatly appreciated!

{{!gwi}}

Comments (14)

  • ILoveRed
    10 years ago

    I can't see the picture but I may be able to help. In my kitchen my corner is 90 degrees for upper and lower. In my last house, my corner was not. The amount of storage that you lose is significant. Now, if you can afford to lose that space...no problem. If you need the storage, don't do it.

    When we built this house and did the kitchen, that is the look I wanted. It does look nice when closed. Here's a pic of my upper. I don't keep much in here. My juice glasses, a few mugs, serving bowls, etc.

    When I had the angled instead, it held a lot more.

    I can get a pic of the bottom Susan if you need it. It holds a fair amount...just fair.

    I do think I would make the top and bottom the same.

  • MrsBrad
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Let's try this

  • annkh_nd
    10 years ago

    That wall of windows is fabulous!

    I think the angled uppers look odd with no other cabinets coming around the corners. I would do an easy reach or end them at the wall.

    My experience with angled upper cabinets is that they DO hold a lot of stuff - and it is a pain to get anything out of them, except what's right in front, unless you put lazy susans in the uppers (some here have done that, with great success).

    I have a U-shaped kitchen, with easy-reach uppers in both corners. One lower is angled, with a super susan - I LOVE it for small appliances! The angle also allowed me to put a drawer on top. My other corner is closed off, with drawers on both sides.

  • chitownkat
    10 years ago

    I am doing open shelving in place of a corner cabinet to add a touch of interest.

  • mark_rachel
    10 years ago

    My mother in law has a lazy susan in her 90 degree angle cabinets and I WANT THEM!!!!

  • ILoveRed
    10 years ago

    Here's my (messy) 90 degree lower Susan.

    Wow, you have a lot of storage. The windows are sweet.

  • Lisa
    10 years ago

    I have the super susan in a 90 degree cabinet as well. I have an angled upper. Both provide a ton of storage. In the 90 degree super susan I store my blender, 4 slice toaster, several food processors, hand mixer, a huge stock pot, and so much more. So you could mix it up if you want.

    This post was edited by lcskaisgir on Wed, Jan 29, 14 at 14:53

  • MrsBrad
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I appreciate all the input thus far. Thank you for the complements on my wall of windows. That is my favorite part, especially because we have a view of the water. It has always been my dream!

    The 90 degree lowers don't seem like they lose much space compared to the angled. Red_lover, I particularly like how your doors open on these cabinets. Do you like it or find it awkward? Do you have hardware on one door or both? I don't think I would be hurting for storage if I didn't have the angled upper. Speaking of storage, that is another thing I'm debating on changing. I have all drawers in the lower cabinets and was going to have one regular cabinet with adjustable shelves or rollouts. I was debating on making it another bank of drawers. I know everyone here seems to be a drawer fan. I already have around 20 drawers and 2 lazy susans. Any thoughts on this?

    I agree with you Annkh, I am worried it would look funny ending with angled cabinets and nothing attached to them. Your dog is cute by the way. :)

    Chitownkat, it's funny you mention open shelving. I love open shelving and that is actually one of my changes not shown in the picture. I added some open shelving on the right side of the kitchen between the cabinets to mirror the opening in the cabinets on the left side where the range hood is.

    Icskaisgir, do your cabinet doors scrape against eachother when you open them? I'm just curious because your doors open differently than red's, and similar but it looks slightly different than teachertile. I love your countertops btw.

    I love all the gorgeous kitchens!

    So I'm definitely leaning towards 90 degree lower and an upper that ends against the wall. Do you guys think ending against a wall or an easy reach would be better for the upper? I'm a visual person so I'm having a hard time deciding.

  • Lisa
    10 years ago

    No they don't scrape against each other. The door on the angled corner cabinet is just one door with a hinge in the middle, not two separate doors.

  • Gracie
    10 years ago

    I'd make both 90 degrees for the aesthetics alone. Have you decided where everything will be stored in your new kitchen? That should answer your question of whether you need small cabinets flanking the window. It's hard to tell what's what on that drawing, so you may want to post the layout so the people here can look it over.

  • bpath
    10 years ago

    My base cabinets are 90 degrees and the uppers end against the wall. I thought the storage on top would be lost, but I like it, nothing gets inaccessibly pushed into the back corner. It also gives a nice open space, about one foot, next to the double windows over the sink.

  • ILoveRed
    10 years ago

    I only have one knob and it is on the right door. You open that side first then the other side. Not awkward at all.

    When I was picking out my cabinets, the kitchen display had the hinged door and the knob had scratched up the cabinet next to it from opening and closing it. I wanted to avoid that.

    On GW I learned that this problem is easily avoided by countersinking the screw for your knob. I do like the 2 doors. But, I'm sure I would have liked the hinged as well.

  • annkh_nd
    10 years ago

    Drawers vs cabinet:

    You're right, most folks here are drawer fans. I really, really love my drawers! My kitchen isn't very big, and it's such efficient use of space! Drawers work for pots and pans, dishes, canisters, cake pans (on their sides) - you name it, someone here has put it in a drawer.

    But I could see some situations were a shelved cabinet might be useful (large stock pots, or a large mixer, for example). I would NOT do pull-outs - they take up the same amount of room as a drawer, but require opening a door (or two) before pulling - and the same extra motion in reverse to close it.

    My Mom built a house in 1977, and her builder was also a cabinet maker (the house is full of built-ins). He put pull-outs next to the range, and while at first we thought it was genius, we rarely actually used the pullouts - we simply reached in to get what we needed, as if it was a fixed shelf.

    As I was planning my kitchen, I spent a lot of time figuring out what would go where - utensils and potholders near the stove, pots and pans near the stove, dishes near the DW, etc. I measured the things I wanted in the super susan, and made sure the shelves were spaced to accommodate those things. Same with drawers - I measured the things I wanted in deep drawers, to make sure the drawers would be deep enough. Again, with my smaller kitchen, making a place for everything was pretty important! It looks like you'll have enough space to be more flexible.