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Kitchen Renovation | When is a kitchen 'corner base unit' not a 'corner base unit'?
This
is especially relevant if your kitchen isn't the biggest one in the world. If
this is the case, the reason that you, the customer has invited the
'professional' kitchen renovation designer into your home is to maximize the space you have.
Little do you know, the designer actually wants to minimize it.
So what exactly does your kitchen designer want to hide from you?
A
corner base unit becomes ineffective when you have to remove items you don't
want in order to gain access to items you do want. It becomes daft when you
find yourself with all the contents of a cupboard on the floor.
There
are many different ways in which a designer might try and overcome the obstacle
of 'turning round a corner without increasing the overall final cost of the
kitchen too much. Figure 4 shows two 400mm (16 inches) doors on
a 1000mm (40 inches) carcass. This means that only 200mm (8 inches) of the
possible corner space is utilized. The rest of the corner area is 'boarded up'
and unable to be accessed. Figure 5 shows a corner design at a
similar cost. This particular way of doing things gives access to 200mm (8
inches) more space within the corner, but introduces a towel and tray storage
area to allow for the fact that the kitchen company will not make a unit
carcass more than 1000mm wide. (40 inches)
Even
with standard-sized units, there shouldn't be an excuse for the designer not to
fully use every bit of space in your kitchen. Figures 6 and 7 are
the options to choose if you want this to be the case. Figure 6 shows
a 1000mm (40 inches) corner base unit with a 400mm (16 inches) door.
This
kitchen renovation would look very symmetrical, as every door used in it is
400mm (16 inches) wide. The only negative here would be the access available to
the corner. The two options would be to either store items that you don't use
that often in the corner or introduce a semi-circular carousel that would spin
out upon opening the door.
A designer might try and put you off having a carousel inside your corner
cupboard by saying it won't let you use all the space - but the real reason is
that it adds to the cost and you'll be less likely to decide 'on the night'.
Figure
7 shows the most practical method of designing a corner
cupboard.
This
offers a 900 x 900mm (36x36 inch) corner base with two 300mm (12 inches) doors
hinged together at the center to offer a 'piano hinge' style opening. Storage
can either encompass shelving immediately accessible after opening the door or
a ¾ circular carousel can be installed. Again, if your budget isn't sufficient
then a designer won't offer you this option. Corner solutions are an integral
part of an efficient kitchen renovation. It is important that you choose the
right option for your lifestyle and Kitchen Secrets recommends if necessary
slightly increasing your budget.
