I had the centers removed on cabinets over stove area and used the cabinets for pretty china.

I would be totally happy to have glass cabinets where I keep my dishes as I love to view my dishes. They are pretty colors.

No regrets on my glass doors. If I had to store cereals and foods I do not think I would be as happy with them. Pretty dishes and glasses would be great.

WAIT.......... Look at Mama-gooses glass fronted cabinets."Start of Salvaged Kitchen Remodel" Drool............. And she does store other things than just pretty stuff. It would give you a good excuse to buy pretty canisters, tin boxes, instead of cereal boxes. If you were creative I do think food could be stored in glass fronted cabinets.

Here is a link that might be useful: Glass front cabinets

Hubby is a Certified Kitchen Designer with 36-years in the cabinet business, and glass in doors are as much about what's behind them as the glass in them.

Before you choose the type of glass for the doors, and there are all kinds of glass for them, you need to consider what is in your cabinets and how you want it seen and displayed. Clear view, opaque with back-lights so you only see a silhouette, ribbed or textured glass (you can see shapes and colors, but not exactly what is behind the door), etched glass, camed (stripes of lead, brass, copper), hex-wire (aka chicken wire for a country kitchen look, mullioned - the door style will also need to be considered. I have my china behind oak mullioned doors with 4-lights of glass in each door. I wouldn't want any more glass than that - but that's personal taste.

So if you have a beautiful collection that is lighted, clear or beveled glass is a good choice. Are you tidy, are things interesting (collections, shapes of things, color of things), do you mind finger prints....?

Take some of your doors off and look at what everyone will be looking at for a week or so. A good kitchen designer should be able to give you help on the subject.

-Grainlady

shades, thanks for the shout-out! Your glass cabinets look great with all the pretty dishes and pottery, especially with the light background.

Samantha111, I left a link on your other thread.

Oh boy, lots of folks are springing to life now that fall is approaching.

Grainlady, I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, and it is neat to have a listing of the types of glass available. You give good advice on the subject.

And MamaGoose, you give a lot of thought to what you put in your kitchen, and then it lasts and lasts. So I know that if you take action, it is a durable and imaginative solution.

Sorry ladies, I got lost and was getting terribly confused. Thank you for the input and pretty photographs. I do love glass doors. What I don't like is worrying about contents and mullion lineup (I love them), etc., lol. That is no fun. It's possible I might be adding some cabinets to the other side of the room now to replace the open shelving that's there. If that's the case, the glass doors might be better to keep things open. I'll have other closed storage then so that wouldn't be a concern except for neatness. Obviously it's not ideal but how much of a problem I don't know.

One consideration is that this cabinet is right next to the stove. Someone mentioned that but I can't find it. A KD (architect) shook his head no when I asked about glass doors there. He said the steam from cooking would be a problem. What do you think? Does anyone have glass doors right next to the cooktop? Do you have a great exhaust system? I just have a regular stove with an over the range microwave vent. Is that location so bad that the glass gets dirty every time the stove is used? I've never noticed that cabinet getting dirtier or splashed with stuff. I'd think the micro would get hit pretty bad too. What are your thoughts and experience? Obviously it's not ideal but how much of a problem, I don't know.

Another thing about adding cabinets on the other wall is that I'm afraid it'll feel boxed in and get too heavy. I'm used to it being open on that other wall at this point too. For some reason my kitchen doesn't seem like it would handle walls of cabinetry well even though galley kitchens look great. I'd like to do some mockups with cardboard or something. I'm not sure what to use. Has anyone ever done something like this? How did you make and hang them?

This would be so much easier if I didn't have to rush!

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Samantha, what I was thinking that in a PREP AREA, which is where the upper cabs are you propose having glass fronts, well, that prep area will be a spot of doing things quickly, and if you propose using the upper cabs to store bowls or stuff related to prep work, it seems to me it will need to be policed regularly to keep it looking neat and pretty. I know when I am in the heart of mixing ingredients, or looking for bowls to put cleaned veggies in, or maybe slicing strawberries, it gets down and dirty. Big mixing bowls, lovely crocks, all those larger items would display nicely behind glass, and not require a lot of effort to look neat again when returned to their assigned locations. I think working items in a kitchen are beautiful. But if you have a lot of meat grinders, etc, they do not display easily, unless you keep them mounted on the corner of a cabinet top or whatever.

A lot of it depends on how you use your kitchen. Home baking prep can get really messy if you are keeping your flour and corn meal in the uppers.

Just putting in my additional thoughts. I'm in favor of glass fronts. I love the colors of my dishes, the shapes of bowls, the shine of stemware. It gives me pleasure when I see them.

I have a clear glass door cabinet next to my standard-type gas range and a Broan exhaust fan above. There have been zero problems after six years. However, my cabinets are white Thermofoil, not wood.

Spices and condiments are stored there, kept neatly on three turntables, so I know just where to reach before opening the door. This looks attractive to me, IMHO. As an avid cook, I consider the kitchen to be a workplace, not showplace. But, I am very neat and tidy... all my cabinets, closets, even drawers reflect this.

I think it all comes down to personal preference... even I wouldn't store Ziploc in the open!