12 Kitchen Cabinetry Terms You Need To Know
Planning your new kitchen design? Before diving in, it's essential to arm yourself with the knowledge of key kitchen cabinetry terms and design features that can make all the difference.
Getting the storage you want and need, starts with knowing what’s what, and what to ask for. So, we’ve put together this handy guide with common cabinetry terms that your cabinet maker or builder might use… and cabinetry design features you might want to ask for in your own kitchen! #ready?
Studio Haus Co • Neutral Modern Kitchen Cabinetry Design
Base Cabinets
Base cabinets serve as the solid foundation of your kitchen cabinetry, positioned beneath the countertop to provide essential storage. When planning base cabinet design, consider factors like accessibility, functionality, and aesthetics, to ensure the cabinets are strategically positioned to maximise usability and complement the overall kitchen design.
Incorporating features such as soft-close hinges, pull-out trays, and adjustable shelving will enhance internal organisation and convenience, elevating the functionality of your kitchen cabinet design.
Zephyr and Stone • Classic Costal Kitchen Base Cabinets
Oak and Orange • Kitchen Base Cabinets With VJ Panelling
2. Shadowline
A shadowline in cabinetry is a small gap that creates a shadow, giving cabinets a modern and sleek look. Shadowlines can run vertically or horizontally and are made by sitting cabinet door or drawer fronts forward from the cabinet frame. This design detail adds depth and highlights each part of the cabinet, and is popular in contemporary and minimalist styles as it creates clean, seamless lines and visual interest. When incorporating a shadowline beneath a benchtop, the front face of the benchtop is installed to align with the face of the cabinet door or drawer.
Z+S Tip • In this design, the benchtop should be templated and installed so it sits approximately 3mm past the face of the cabinet door and drawer fronts. The 3mm difference in depth between the benchtop front and door fronts will not be noticeable to the naked eye and allows for any base cabinets that are not completely square.
Zephyr and Stone • Retreat House Kitchen Shadowline Cabinetry
3. Finger Pull Cabinet
A fingerpull cabinet features a built-in groove or notch that you use to pull open it, eliminating the need for handles. This groove is placed at the front edge of the cabinet door or drawer, and you slip your fingers into the groove to pull the door or cabinet drawer open.
Finger pull kitchen cabinets can be used instead of installing traditional cabinet handles, to open doors and drawers. Although they are most commonly integrated horizontally along the top of a drawer or door, they can also be integrated vertically to open cabinetry doors. Finger Pulls are a practical, stylish choice for a sleek design, and create clean, minimal lines in your kitchen design, making them a favourite design feature for modern kitchens.
Zephyr and Stone • Contemporary Coastal Kitchen Finger Pull Cabinet
4. End Panels + Gables
End panels is the name given to the decorative board that is attached to the sides or ends of cabinets, to give them a finished look. They match the cabinet doors or frame, covering the exposed sides and making everything look seamless.
End panels are especially essential in open areas of your kitchen or bathroom where the side of a cabinet is visible. They enhance the overall cabinetry design and are the final touch that ties your cabinetry together, making it look complete and polished. End Panels that are used to fill gaps between cabinets and walls or ceilings are known as Filler Panels, and they also serve the purpose of allowing doors with handles to open fully without hitting the wall or ceiling, and drawers to open without scaping a side wall. Filler panels that are set back from the door or drawer face are also referred to as Shadowlines.
Loni Parker • Sage Green Kitchen Cabinetry Design
Zephyr and Stone • Contemporary Coastal Kitchen with Island Bench
5. Kitchen Kickboards
Kickboards also referred to as kicks or toe kicks, are low horizontal panels installed along kitchen base cabinets, hiding the gap between the cabinet and the floor. They provide a neat, finished look to the cabinetry, while also protecting the cabinets above from kicks and scuffs from feet and tasks like vacuuming. Kickboards are both functional and aesthetic, blending kitchen cabinets into the room's design seamlessly.
Z+S Tip • Maintain the same kick height for all cabinetry and any built-in appliances kick around the house, for a seamless design.
6. Soft Close
Kitchen cabinets that are described as Soft Close are fitted with hardware that slows the door or drawer down, so it closes gently and quietly with a light push.
Soft close is available as soft close cabinet door hinges and soft close drawer glides, so you can prevent slamming of all kitchen joinery by automatically slowing down the closing action. This not only reduces noise but also extends the life of your cabinetry by minimising wear and tear. Soft close adds a touch of luxury and convenience to your kitchen design and cabinets, and once you go soft close, you don’t go back!
Zephyr and Stone • Retreat House Kitchen with Soft Close Drawer
7. Shaker Cabinets + Profiled Doors
Panelled kitchens with profiled doors or shaker cabinets, feature raised or recessed sections, creating a decorative pattern on the face of cabinets. This design adds texture and visual interest and can be used in classic, contemporary or traditional kitchen designs, with the decorative pattern used influencing the kitchen style that’s achieved. Panelled doors are perfect for adding character to your space, with cabinetry faces that enhance the overall aesthetic of your joinery, making them a stylish choice for those who appreciate detailed designs.
Z+S Tip • Selecting the right door profile style is crucial for achieving the desired look for your cabinetry. Popular kitchen door profiles include shaker doors, flat-panel, raised-panel and fluted door profiles, each offering distinct visual characteristics.
Zephyr and Stone • Contemporary Coastal Kitchen with Profiled Doors in Panelled Kitchen
8. Pocket Doors
Pocket doors are a sleek and space-saving addition to your cabinetry. These doors slide smoothly into a concealed pocket within the cabinet, allowing you to access the contents without the need for traditional swing-out doors. They are an excellent choice, and especially ideal in smaller kitchens, as they maximise space efficiency and maintain a clean, unobstructed look in your kitchen or storage areas.
Zephyr and Stone • Scandi Kitchen with Pocket Door
9. Bifold Door or Folding Door
Folding or bifold doors fold in half as they open, sliding along a track. They're a great space-saving solution as they provide full access to the cabinetry within, without doors swinging out and sitting in walkways. Folding doors are ideal for tight or busy areas as they neatly and efficiently hide functional internal cabinetry while providing easy and practical access when it’s needed.
GIA Bathrooms and Kitchens • Kitchen Cabinetry with Bifold Doors
10. Slide Out — Pantry, Bins Etc.
Slide-out cabinetry is a practical and space-saving solution that enhances organisation and accessibility in kitchen cabinetry designs. Slide-out storage is available in the form of shelves, bins, trays and a huge range of custom solutions, which are mounted on runners, allowing them to extend fully for easy access to stored items. By incorporating slide-out cabinetry into your design, you can optimise storage capacity and efficiently utilise every inch of available space, making it ideal for storing pots, pans, and pantry essentials.
Zephyr and Stone • Hamptons Kitchen with Slide Out Pantry
Zephyr and Stone • Scandi Kitchen with Slide Out Bin
11. Integrated Appliances
Integrated appliances are a seamless option for a modern kitchen, providing both functionality and aesthetics. These appliances are designed to blend seamlessly with cabinetry, creating a cohesive and streamlined look. By incorporating integrated appliances into your cabinetry plan, you can achieve a sleek and minimalist aesthetic while maximising space and efficiency as well.
Carole Whiting • Kitchen Cabinetry Design With Integrated Fridge
12. Full Height Kitchen Cupboards
Maximise your vertical space with full-height cupboards that extend from the floor to the ceiling, offering extensive kitchen storage options while only taking up a small amount of space in your kitchen floor plan. Full-height or floor-to-ceiling cupboards are ideal for housing tall items like brooms, mops, and pantry staples, or hiding a Micro Butler’s Pantry.
Z+S Tip • Full-height kitchen cabinet doors can run up to the ceiling or up to a bulkhead. Expect to pay more for taller kitchen doors, especially those over 2400mm as they need to be cut from a large board or sheet.
Bone Made • Full Height Kitchen Cabinet Doors
Zephyr and Stone • Fifty Shades Kitchen Full Height Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen Planning Checklist
Your kitchen design should be optimised for flow, functionality, practicality and aesthetics. A kitchen designed by an architect or cabinet maker is different to that designed by an interior designer. Interior-designed kitchens consider all this and more when designing a kitchen —
✔️ cooking + prepping work zones
✔️ kitchen workflow planning for when more than 1 person is using the space
✔️ working triangle + appliance location + size planning
✔️ kitchen walkway dimensions + benchtop heights
✔️ island bench + kitchen storage optimisation
✔️ breakfast bar seating or entertaining zone for family or guests
From figuring out the perfect kitchen layout for your space, to planning kitchen appliances and kitchen lighting like a PRO, our Kitchen Design + Layout Planner is your kitchen design bible, with all the measurements, planning tips and design how-to for planning your kitchen design like an interior designer. Download yours now to avoid costly mistakes, and create your new kitchen design with confidence.
