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Which cabinets should be glass front?

Brensters
9 years ago

Hello everyone. This is my first post. I wonder if I could get some opinions on which cabinets I should convert to glass front in my humble little kitchen.
I have included among the pics, some cabinets in the corner open to show what would be seen through the glass on a regular basis. The question is should I convert the three tall cabinets in the left corner to glass front, or the two sets of short cabinets over the wall oven and vent hood. The latter choice would definitely be obscure textured glass to hide what is in them.
I love a row of plain clear glass cabs as long as the contents aren't too messy. Not sure where I sit in that regard. I also love textured/patterned glass. It's difficult when one likes everything. Sigh...
As a side note: I will be painting the cabinets BM Decorator's White to blend with dishwasher ( hopefully a new white wall oven in the future). I have plans to add some furniture feet, crown molding and shelf brackets under the tall cabinets.Either subway tile or beaded board backsplash. The counter will eventually be Formica 's Basalt slate, a charcoal black. No budget for stone unfortunately.
I am very excited to here some opinions in this forum. I would be so very happy and grateful. Thank you to all who are reading my post. :)
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Comments (31)

  • Brensters
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Oh... forgot to add in my side note that I will be installing bin pulls and knobs in polished nickel and have a wonderful victorian style single lever faucet ( by Cucina) also in polished nickel. Not sure if these details really matter, but they can't hurt. Lol.

  • llucy
    9 years ago

    I think doing any of your cabs with glass would look fine. Doing the corner 3 would seem to have the most dramatic impact.

    If I only wanted to do one cab with glass, I'd choose the one over the paper towels.

  • Jillius
    9 years ago

    Hm, none of these uppers are really screaming, "highlight me!" to me.

    I think the three in the corner have potential, but they are being blocked by the wall oven cabinet, which is generally kind of overwhelming in your kitchen.

    Would you be open to losing the wall oven in favor of an under counter oven either just below where it is now, under the cooktop, or in the island? (It would just depend on where you have electrical already and which base cabinet doors you want to shuffle around.) Since you are painting the cabinets and doing new counters, that would certainly be the time to do that kind of surgery.

    And that would not just gain you a much airier kitchen and a good stretch of counter to the left of your cooktop, but also a few new upper cabinets where the current wall oven cabinet it, which would give you more and better options for adding in some glass cabinets.

    Here is a TERRIBLE photoshop to show you how much larger/airier the room would feel and how much more usable the counter space next to the cooktop would be.

    Before:
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    After:
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    And then you could sprinkle glass cabinets in the corner or above the new stretch of counter.

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    9 years ago

    For now, I'd put glass in the one on the right side of the window, as well as the doors over the oven. Those two cabinets seem to be on their own, and since the cabinet over the oven is up high, maybe you could store some pretty things for display there. What do you keep in the cabinet over the paper towel dispenser? Maybe switch your glassware and white dishes to that one.

  • Brensters
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    llucy, thanks for the comment. That is actually what I had originally planned, with the possibility of also doing the one to the right of the window. That might be overkill though,lol. The three in the corner would probably be my best bet. It's like you read my mind. Thanks again! :)

    Jillius, wow! Thanks for doing that. Oh, if only I could talk Hubby into it! I would rather have a regular free standing stove/oven. I hate the wall oven. The people before us must have done that. What were they thinking, uh...so ugly. That would create the perfect opportunity to have a lovely row of glass. I will throw some serious hints at my husband and see if he might be willing to come to my senses, lol. Thanks so much for your input. I truly appreciate your honesty. That is extremely helpful. :)

    mama_goose, Hi. That is a combination that I hadn't thought of. Interesting idea. Actually,it [is] possible to change contents around to hold serving dishes and such in that one. The pair above the (ugly) wall oven holds roasting and baking pans though, so they would have to be textured/obscured. I will seriously consider that idea. Thanks very much. :)

  • bellsmom
    9 years ago

    A cautionary note:
    It is an excellent idea and an easy diy job to put susans in a corner wall cabinet. There are some posts on GW about that.

    I put in susans. I had a handsome pebbled glass front. One day I did not quite rotate one susan back to its proper place before I closed the door. I now have a crack down the center of the glass. Yeah, I'll replace it. Someday.

    I wouldn't have corner wall cabs without susans. Just too far to reach all the to the back. I would think carefully before putting glass there. If you don't do susans, it will be fine.

  • Brensters
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Bellsmom, hi. I don't have susan's in the upper corner cabinet. I feel silly saying that I never thought of that. If I decide to go with glass elsewhere, I will definitely do that! I hate having to reach far in. I am only 5'4" tall. Thanks VERY much for that warning. Comments like that are indispensable. :)

  • HomeChef59
    9 years ago

    I wouldn't glass front any of them. I think you should paint everything first. Step back and see how you like it.

    After painting, if you still have to have glass, go for it. But, I bet you won't do it.

    You just don't have enough cabinetry to declare one useless and for only decorative display. I think the painting will make a huge impact.

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    9 years ago

    Yes, glass doors are one of those 'form over function' decisions, unless you often have strangers serving themselves in your kitchen. ;) Solid doors work as well, but just aren't as pretty.

    Your oven cabinet stack is similar in form to my fridge. Because my fridge can be seen from the front door, I chose to use glass in the cabinet above, with a few vintage ceramic pieces which set the tone for my kitchen. Previously, in that cabinet, I kept stuff that I hadn't used for so long that I'd forgotten what was in there.

    In case you haven't seen it, I'm linking an older thread with interesting over-the-fridge storage ideas--they would also work in the cab above the oven.

    Here is a link that might be useful: storage ideas

  • Brensters
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    HomeChef59, hi. Thanks for the comment. Yes, it would make the most sense to paint first and then take a step back. Looking at them in heavily grained honey oak, and looking at them in BM Decorator's White with all of the elements mentioned above just may influence my taste quite a bit. At any rate it would be a more sensible platform to start from. I think I will take your good advice. Then if I still think it needs something and I feel the clear is too revealing for even my best attempt at relocating and arranging contents, then I would probably go for a highly obscured glass such as double reeded or rough rolled on just one of them. Thanks very much!

  • Brensters
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the link mama_goose. It's great to see what everyone else is doing. I have baking and roasting pans above the (ugly) wall stove. If I were to put glass there, I would go with something like double reeded. Can't see a darn thing through it except a pretty sparkly pattern. :)

    This post was edited by Brensters on Thu, Jan 29, 15 at 14:38

  • Jeannine Fay
    9 years ago

    I was thinking just put glass in that single upper cab to the right of the window. It stands alone and by making it look different from the others it will give it some presence.

  • Jillius
    9 years ago

    Do you happen to know if your ceiling joists run toward the window or parallel to it?

  • cookncarpenter
    9 years ago

    I think the stand alone, to the right of the window would look great. But I'm a bit biased as I have a similar stand alone, the only glass door in our small kitchen, and it also has the paper towels under it ;)
    Definitely not a "useless" display cabinet, ours houses some everyday glasses and mugs...

    This post was edited by ctycdm on Thu, Jan 29, 15 at 18:37

  • laughablemoments
    9 years ago

    I'm going to take Jillius' suggestion one step further, and let's see how this goes over with you and the DH. ; )

    Wall ovens can be pricey. My guess from the looks of things is that your cooktop is feeling its age, or that it will be in the near future. Cooktops are also pricey. It would be a shame to put in new countertop, place an old cooktop into it, and then have that cooktop die, b/c then you'd be looking for a cooktop to fit that specific shaped hole.

    Ranges with ovens in them can be had very reasonably. They fit in a standard 30" hole, and if they die they are easy to swap out for a new one without the least bit of effect on the counter top.

    So... when you go to do the countertops, buy a range (craigslist?), preferably induction for the most safety, and also remove the wall oven stack. Don't put the range where the cooktop was. Put the range where the wall oven is now. Yeah, the range will be next to a doorway (thus a big part of my vote for induction), but... this will give you some awesome counter space in which to work between the sink and the stove. This is very valuable real estate! Your kitchen will feel much more open and airy, which it sounds like you are going for, and you will possibly have saved yourselves a pretty penny. : )

    If there is any money left over after saving the dough on the range, I'd use it to buy a drawer stack to replace one of the current base cabinets, since you'd lose the drawers below the oven. (Or if you are super handy, maybe those drawers could be worked into being reused in the plan somehow.)

    Oh, and back to your original question, hee-hee, with all that switcharoo-ing, you'll have a hole where the hood was. This is where open shelves could go with some matching brackets that would coordinate with the ones that you plan to add to the other uppers. If I did open shelves, I'd probably just skip doing the glass doors.

    What a great project. Have fun! : )

  • amck2
    9 years ago

    You've obviously given a lot of thought to your remodel and I like your planned paint and countertop choices.

    Reading laughable's post above, I agree that a range would be a good choice with your layout. I'm biased as I have a new induction range and love it. Many here love their wall ovens and cooktops but I didn't pick up that they were a "must have" for you. If you do eventually want to switch to stone, it will be easier to do it with a standard 30" range. The Presidents Day sales are around the corner and it may be worth checking them out. I got good deals last year at this time. I think you'd love having the additional landing & counter space.

    I vote for glass in the stand-alone cabinet to the right of the sink. It makes sense with its location to have glasses, mugs, creamers, etc. in there. Glassware and such will add a little sparkle to your space. Even if you don't choose to switch out appliances or add glass, I think you'll enjoy a nice refresh with just paint & the other changes you're planning.

  • bellsmom
    9 years ago

    It just occurred to me that you might consider making the stand alone cabinet glass on two or three sides instead of just the door.

    Nice place to store glassware--full of reflected light.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    Which cabinets should be glass front?

    The ones with the perfect dishes placed perfectly always.

  • Brensters
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    OMG, hahaha! So many replies. This is wonderful.
    Thank you beanpiele and ctycdm. Two more votes for the cabinet right side of the window.

    Jillius, I'm pretty sure that they run parallel to the window.

    Thank you laughable for so much thought on the subject. Yes that darn cook top...uh. The elements are rusting!. I would prefer to have a slide in or free standing stove for sure. That sounds like a great plan of attack if we should become able to make that many changes. Hey you never know.
    I finally talked him into building a dishwasher into the cabinets (retro-fit). We had a portable. Had to push it across the room. 15 years old with rusty disintegrating racks whose tines started leaving rust stains on my white bone china and my Adams Blue Butterfly dishes . New racks were $250.00.I had to hand wash anything that I cared about. Hubby wouldn't agree to get a new one until...suddenly one fateful day the old battleaxe just up and died mysteriously. It was as if a little mouse had crawled up inside with a screwdriver and messed with the motherboard. Strange. I wonder how that happened. :P
    Any way, I intend to keep all of the great suggestions mentioned here. I am so happy with all of the responses!

  • Gracie
    9 years ago

    If you're going to go through removing the wall oven and replacing the cooktop with a range, you might as well remove the peninsula and place your DW to the right of the sink. Reposition the island inside the L. Oak cabinets for fill-in can be found inexpensively--lumber stores, Habitat for Humanity Restore, Craigslist. You'll probably need to replace flooring, but you will save on not having a peninsula to put counter on. But it will be a much better functioning kitchen!

    May_flowers, who started with the idea to replace the countertop and ended up with a new kitchen

  • Brensters
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi amck. Thanks. Another vote for the cabinet on right. Thanks also for the tip regarding the sales. I guess I forgot to mention that I live in Ontario though.
    Bellsmom, funny you should say that. I had seen a pic of the loveliest kitchen with a cabinet like that. That is a super idea. I'm really going to think about that one. Thanks!!
    Trebruchet, hahaha. You can say that again! Even if the contents aren't particularly beautiful, I find as long as they are neatly stacked, I think they still look pretty good. I have seen some picks though of kitchens with all uppers in glass that look as if they opened the door, threw stuff in, and closed it. Lol

  • Brensters
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi may_flowers. Absolutely! If I were able to do a new kitchen ,I would have the dishwasher right next to the sink. Whoever designed this kitchen originally; what were they thinking!!! lol. Thanks for replying. :)

  • amck2
    9 years ago

    Read recent posts and just have to say, Brensters, that I find your attitude toward your kitchen & your DH refreshing. Your good humor will serve you well during a remodel ;) I look forward to following your project.

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    Since you're painting your cabinets anyway, I think you will have good luck finding additional cabinetry to match up with your current door/drawer fronts at Habitat ReStores. I really think you should consider combining the improved layout suggestions from laughable and may_flowers. Your kitchen would be so much more functional and easy to work in! And I think it would look more open and airy as well.

    If you're able to DIY moving the cabinets, which isn't all that hard to do if you know how to use basic tools and a level, it should be fairly inexpensive. Some plumbing would need moving for the DW but that should be a fairly easy plumbing job. If you can't DIY that, I don't think the plumber's fee would be much. But, of course, you'd want to get quotes on that before proceeding if the budget is tight.

    I think the only real expense then would be changing the flooring. Unless you're lucky and the flooring goes under the peninsula and island, then you wouldn't even have that expense.

    I can relate to needing to motivate The Hubster! I bribe with pie but someone else mentioned other more, ahem, private ways of motivating, lol. Maybe pie in bed? :)

  • Brensters
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi amck. Sorry that this response is delayed,I became crazy busy for a couple of days.
    That was such a nice thing to say! That is very kind of you. Thank you.
    I had no idea that I would garner so many great responses. It is unfortunate though that I can't afford to do all of the wonderful ideas that members have been so kind to come up with for me. All I can really afford to do is paint the cabinets, add a few accents: furniture feet, shelf brackets, glass doors, perhaps some crown molding. I am optimistic though. You just never know... :)

  • Brensters
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi funkycamper. Hahaha, that was such a funny ending to your response, I almost fell off my chair laughing.Lol.
    Yes, I couldn't agree more about reconfiguring this darn kitchen. Fantastic ideas! If somehow we come across a way financially to do something more in depth, that would be pretty much exactly what I would do. Can't afford it yet, but as I mentioned, I am keeping all of these fantastic suggestions for the future. Thanks so much! :)

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    Well, LOL, whatever works, right?

    Having gone the rounds on 30+ years of remodeling projects I can tell you that I learned the hard way that it's better to take it a step at a time as you can afford it with all steps leading to the best outcome, than it is to do stop-gap measures that will never fully satisfy and need to be redone if/when the money appears.

    For the cost of paint, crown moldings, furniture feet, good paint and supplies, etc., you could get a lot of other stuff done that will improve function. I'd start there. Then I'd paint even if that's later on after you've saved up a bit more. Then I'd gradually do the other things.

    A functional kitchen is a thing of beauty in its own right.

    Anyway, just advice from an old crone. :)

  • Brensters
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks funkycamper for the advice. Sounds like you've had a lot of experience with kitchen renovations. Good advice and ideas are always welcome!

  • blfenton
    9 years ago

    Actually, when I first saw your kitchen my first reaction was to take that cabinet to the right of the sink down and put up open shelving in that spot. It would visually lighten up that area.

    And then, if you wanted to, also put glass in just the middle cabinet of the corner area. Start there and see what you think. Doing those two things extends the idea of the window and visually lightens and better balances the window wall.

  • Jillius
    9 years ago

    I really agree with what funky camper just said about only doing steps that add up to a significant improvement, not just a spit shine.

    Why don't you post a floor plan on the kitchen with measurements and if the whole floor the kitchen is on with measurements? Also:

    1) How much money do you currently have to spend?

    2) Does the kitchen flooring run all the way under the cabinets?

    3) Is this a ranch, or is there a second floor?

  • Brensters
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    blfenton, hi. Thanks for your response. Yes,actually I've noticed that quite a few members have pointed to that cabinet (right side) in regards to highlighting it in some way. I guess because it is separated from the rest. Sp you think open shelves there, and possibly glass in the corner cabinet? Hmm, another great new idea. Thanks again. :)