I have always loved the look of a sleek, minimalist kitchen. The ultimate in minimalism is to get rid of the visual clutter of door and drawer handles, knobs and other hardware. But how practical is this?
Handleless cabinets may have an upper or lower "lip" or cut-out where the cabinet is cut on an angle so you can use your fingers (or foot, in some cases) to open it. Sometimes this cut-out is a somewhat prominent edge (like in images 1, 2, 6 and 7) and other times the cut-out is tucked out of sight on the top or bottom edge of the cabinet. Other handleless cabinets may have a push-to-open mechanism that pops the door open. I love the idea of having push-to-open drawers low down, which you can tap with your foot to open and close.
Potential downsides of going handle-free:
• Greater risk of smudges
• May be more irritating to use (sometimes unclear which side of the cabinet to pull, for example. And some people complain that these cabinets can take a toll on long fingernails!)
• You don't get the fun of picking from an almost endless supply of hardware, which can add instant character to a kitchen
• May not allow for "soft close" mechanism (though I am not sure of this)
• Not ideal for anyone with joint pain or dexterity limitations.
Do have kitchen cabinets sans handles or knobs? What do you think of them?
FIRST ROW
1. Tracy Ellis Design
2. Scandinavian Retreat
3. Mix and Chic
4. Sleek and Sliding Kitchen Renovation by Workstead
5. Mamamekko
SECOND ROW
6. Mamamekko
7. Scandinavian Retreat
8. Obsessilicious
9. Smart Pack Kit
10. House Tour: Katherine's Starry-Eyed Triplex.
Images: As credited above.
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I'd be very surprised if the (very new-looking) cabinets in the photos don't have a light-push-spring-open kinda mechanism - it's not like you just decide to not put the knob on.
The thing with not being able to see which side to open; I really don't think that's going to be an issue in your own kitchen - unless you hardly ever cook, of course, and then it's not an issue anyway!?
they're called touch latches and finger pulls. handles/ pulls or lack there of have nothing to do with soft-close operation, that's built into the hinges or drawer glides
It's not like you'd want to alternate which side it opens for each cabinet....
I don't know about your cabinets but mine all open the same way...
I love the sleek look of handle-less kitchen doors and drawers. But my partner and I frequently go all "Iron Chef" in the kitchen when preparing dinners. So, the stainless steel handles are a must for us.
I'd like to get kitchen cabinets like these someday. They look good and easy to clean.
"they're called touch latches and finger pulls. handles/ pulls or lack there of have nothing to do with soft-close operation, that's built into the hinges or drawer glides"
@Archinerd: Thank you for this. I kept seeing --on several home websites and list servs--various people posting concerns about the soft-touch mechanism working on a no-handle cabinet. That's why I mentioned it. Sounds like it's not an issue, though?
Also, I actually have heard people complain about not knowing which side to open the cabinet on. Silly, really!
Catrin (author)
sorry- to be clear- you can have the handle-less look with soft-close operation, but if you want soft-close you shouldn't use touch latches and should use finger pulls or some other kind of cutout to grab the door/ drawer front. if you want the almost seamless look without the finger pull recesses, you'll want to use touch latches and should forgo the soft-close.
My landlord failed to put any pulls on any cabinets (out of laziness, not design aesthetic). After living with it for several months, I detest it. To me it looks unfinished, we have constant fingerprints, and occasional pinched fingers (especially for my 4 year old).
Another thought; I don't think the lack of knobs/handles is the primary factor in the "sleek and minimalist" look - I think it's about the appliances and how they are integrated.
Most of the kitchens shown here have a very Scandinavian look to them - ovens, fridges, dishwashers are built into the cabinetry, hotplates are integrated in the counters, etc.
In contrast, the traditional American kitchen usually features a big, unintegrated stove-oven unit that "spills out" beyond the depth of the surrounding cabinets, and it has the knobs on that part in the back which extends above the counters. Both of those things add to the anti-sleek look. It's the same with big fridge/freezer units with itty-bitty cabinets above them; proportions are off and there's no alignment with the rest of the cabinetry. Rather than knobs, I think these are the main obstacles to the "sleek and minimalist" look!
I so agree. Many kitchens are not Halls of Handles. I love touch latches. You can get them from IKEA. Look in the Besta section, not hte kitchen section.
My soft close cabinets have no handles. There is a small lip at the bottom that is the "pull". Basically the doors are 1cm longer than the carcass. yes i do get finger prints but think i get less on them than the under counter cabinets which have handles. My thoughts were that i could always put handles on later if i wanted but i dont want, i love them plain. Just clean lines with a semi matt finish, quick wipe on occasion. If i had a high shine finish it would be the end of me.
When we were looking at cabinet options for our kitchen reno we accidently stumbled across electric opening doors/drawers. A small amount of pressure (in our case someone gently leaned against it in the showroom) and the drawer automatically opened. A gentle push and it closed again.
Needless to stay we didn't go with this concept but it was an interesting idea.
My kitchen doesn't have knobs or handles and I've never had a problem opening them. There's no lip or pull either. Is it really that hard of a concept?
My kitchen cabinets don't have pulls or latches of any kind either. I just pull them on the edges. It doesn't make them hard to open, but it sure makes them dirty! It is definitely on my "to do" list to add hardware.
I don't quite understand the 'lack of character' remark in the article. You can add character to a kitchen in many ways, not just hardware knick knacks on the counter.
As for practicality: my sister has a minimalist kitchen and I can assure you it is as practical as a kitchen with pulls and latches.
Sometimes they stick too.
At the end of the day, I say YES to going handle/pull-free. I love the sleekness of a wall of flat white cabinets. I always have. But that's just me. In writing the post I figured I would consider the potential downsides of this look. But in the end, sleek wins, smudges and all.
Catrin