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Gail--

You know those magnetic touch-latches that were on old stereo cabinets back in the 80's?

Same thing.

You could do a recessed self-pull on the inside of the cabinets and drawers. Probably on the undersides, so it is not too visible. Like in the picture in this link, only on the insides of the doors/drawers so you can't see it: http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/bizchair1_2010_8931657881

You could drill a hole 1-2" in each cabinet... that might louse up the look as much as handles, though.

agreed! had these on cabinets in my house and make it very easy to open without needed pulls!
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=135&cookietest=1

Magnetic spring latches are another option, but you would still have to place your fingers/hands on the face of the cabinet. So if you're worried about the veneer, that might not be the best option.

Magnetic touch latch - mounted inside the cabinets. You just push on the cabinet to open.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=135&filter=touch%20latch

spring latch. you push the cabinet front to close or push to pop it open.

Pushing on the flat surface of the front shouldn't wear on it like grabbing the edge of the door to pull it open.

Ikea is a good source for hardware, here are some latches (same idea as the rockler, but no magnets - so nothing to mount to the door)

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70134242

Robotic command software.

what about very minimal hardware? these are mounted to the sides of the doors, not the face: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70091978

I second Meredith's post. We use this type of hardware a lot for clients. I love the magnetic suggestion, but if it is affecting your veneer then the minimal hardware is the best option I can think of.

My minimalist cabinet door have a groove cut out of the bottom edge and inside face of the door. I think it's done by a cove-type of router bit. I suspect the doors were purchased pre-cut (my apartment is a rental), but it might be possible for you to remove the doors, take them to a woodworker/cabinetmaker and have him/her do this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Router_bit_profiles_en.png

I second meredith's suggestion. I used a similar handle on an Ikea wall cabinet I installed in the bathroom of my last place. This way the face of the cabinet remains clear.

same comment as meredith — however, i find these particular ikea latches tough to use... not deep enough for fingers and the lip is hard to grab... you might look at similar ones that are flatter and with more of a bent lip. here's a link to cabinetry at the marmol-radziner prefab in desert hot springs... nice stuff: functional yet minimal.

Can you run a router across the door edges and the drawer bottoms to form a hollow you can use for opening them?

I found that Ikea handle very hard to grip... ironic since thats the name.
My first thought was the cutout grooves on the inside edges. My babies furniture was designed like that. But I like the idea of the magnetic push-locks too, as long as they dont force the cabinet to not shut 100% flush when installed.

I'd use the magnetic touch latches. One latch is usually enough for a single door, but your larger doors may require two or more to close properly. The latches are available from Lowes as well as Home Depot and Ikea. As for protecting the veneer, spend some time applying a few coats of furniture paste wax to the finish of your cabinets, this will prevent dirt and wear from affecting your veneer. Reapply the wax occasionally.

I've seen "pulls" that are nothing more than metal tabs that affix to the edge of the door. They are very subtle because they're right on the edge in the crack, rather than in the plane of the panel. I'm sorry I don't have a picture of what I'm talking about.

I think this kitchen looks odd with no hardware. There is no rest for the eyes in the mass of brown.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. We're going to buy a few of the magnetic latches and see how they work. We can't use a router, as the doors aren't solid, and also there is no room between upper and lower doors in places. If we have to, we'll use edge pulls, but I do prefer no metal, and the seams may not be big enough for edge pulls. Also, the nice ones I've priced are $25 each, which is out of our budget. Thanks to John H. for the wax recommendation as well. We've been wondering how to treat the doors.

I'd suggest the edge-pulls as well.

Forms Surfaces makes what I consider to be the quintessential version:

www.forms-surfaces.com/products/pulls/metal.htm

(Bottom right in the picture)

Like the Ikea version, the flange mounts on the back surface of the drawer/door front, so only the thin part of the grip actually shows. These are VERY thin, so you'd have no problem with the space between doors/drawers. But they're still very easy to pull open with only the side of a finger.

I ordered these directly from Forms Surfaces for a client a few years ago, and at that time they were only $1.75 each.


As for wax: Briwax, Briwax, Briwax. It's wonderful stuff.

...that should be Forms *plus* Surfaces, but once submitted, the "plus" sign disappeared.