5 Smooth Solutions for Kitchen Benchtop Corners
See how the designers of five kitchens found creative ways to ease the transition from benchtop to thoroughfare
It’s pretty standard for kitchen cabinets to run in a straight line until they meet the end of a wall or the start of a doorway. But sometimes, that isn’t the smoothest route. These five kitchens employ clever alternatives for ending a run of cabinets. Though the solutions vary, each makes the transition from benchtop to nearby thoroughfare feel a little smoother. Could this be a solution for your kitchen?
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2. Recessed by the door
Another way to pull the bench back from your walkway is to recess it, as Shannon Eckel-Braun of Design Factory Interiors did for this kitchen in Ontario, Canada. Instead of a full-depth cabinet abutting the door that leads outside, a 30-centimetre-deep cabinet creates some breathing room.
“I wanted it to be recessed back so you feel like you can smoothly walk around it,” says Eckel-Braun. “I didn’t want the countertops to just end.”
Thinking of renovating your kitchen? Find a kitchen designer near you on Houzz for the perfect creation that combines form and function
Another way to pull the bench back from your walkway is to recess it, as Shannon Eckel-Braun of Design Factory Interiors did for this kitchen in Ontario, Canada. Instead of a full-depth cabinet abutting the door that leads outside, a 30-centimetre-deep cabinet creates some breathing room.
“I wanted it to be recessed back so you feel like you can smoothly walk around it,” says Eckel-Braun. “I didn’t want the countertops to just end.”
Thinking of renovating your kitchen? Find a kitchen designer near you on Houzz for the perfect creation that combines form and function
3. Angled by the door
This kitchen in Stockholm, Sweden, by Stylingbolaget features a range hood that sticks out further than the doorway wall. One option would have been to stop the run of benchtop where the range hood ends.
But the designer found a solution that also adds storage: angling the benchtop to the left of the range hood so it forms a wedge that looks interesting but not awkward. More important, it creates a smooth route in and out of the kitchen. And with the space used for open shelving rather than traditional closed cupboards, all that space is easily accessed.
This kitchen in Stockholm, Sweden, by Stylingbolaget features a range hood that sticks out further than the doorway wall. One option would have been to stop the run of benchtop where the range hood ends.
But the designer found a solution that also adds storage: angling the benchtop to the left of the range hood so it forms a wedge that looks interesting but not awkward. More important, it creates a smooth route in and out of the kitchen. And with the space used for open shelving rather than traditional closed cupboards, all that space is easily accessed.
Here’s a more traditional way to angle a benchtop near a doorway: with a corner cabinet. The shape of this end run of cabinets in California, USA, by Kitchens by Francis invites you into the room. It also smooths the way out – you can glide right by via an efficient diagonal route.
4. Rounded on the end of a run
The designer of this kitchen in Hampshire, UK, used curves to soften the lines of this long, narrow kitchen. The curve of the tall breakfast table echoes the curve of the cabinet by Lewis Alderson & Co. Both distract the eye from the otherwise long, straight shape of the space. The cabinet’s rounded edge also allows space for a walkway around the table.
The designer of this kitchen in Hampshire, UK, used curves to soften the lines of this long, narrow kitchen. The curve of the tall breakfast table echoes the curve of the cabinet by Lewis Alderson & Co. Both distract the eye from the otherwise long, straight shape of the space. The cabinet’s rounded edge also allows space for a walkway around the table.
5. Rounded on an island
In this Minneapolis kitchen in the USA by Crystal Kitchen + Bath, squared-off cabinets at the perimeter maximise storage, but the curved shape of this island’s end offers a practical way to avoid uncomfortable bumps in the space where people tend to hang out.
As with the first example in this story, rounding the island adds to the room’s transitional feel, as do the speckled benchtops and horizontal bar pulls on the cabinets.
Your turn
How have you treated the end of your kitchen benchtops to smooth the transition to a thoroughfare? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story and save the images for inspiration. Go on, join the conversation.
More
Need more kitchen design ideas? Read 10 Ways to Dress Up Your Kitchen Island
In this Minneapolis kitchen in the USA by Crystal Kitchen + Bath, squared-off cabinets at the perimeter maximise storage, but the curved shape of this island’s end offers a practical way to avoid uncomfortable bumps in the space where people tend to hang out.
As with the first example in this story, rounding the island adds to the room’s transitional feel, as do the speckled benchtops and horizontal bar pulls on the cabinets.
Your turn
How have you treated the end of your kitchen benchtops to smooth the transition to a thoroughfare? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story and save the images for inspiration. Go on, join the conversation.
More
Need more kitchen design ideas? Read 10 Ways to Dress Up Your Kitchen Island
For this kitchen in Washington, USA by Case Design/Remodeling, the designer rounded the end of the benchtop to soften the lines and give the space a transitional feel.
The curve is also a practical choice because the benchtop abuts a walkway that heads to a door. A curve in the pebbled quartz benchtop means there’s no sharp corner to hit on the way.