Door hinges in your kitchen

Every hostess wants to have a beautiful and functional kitchen. Comfort and convenience in the kitchen is achieved in several ways: renovation of the kitchen, installation of multifunctional furniture and kitchen units. All this will help create a cozy interior.

Most of us have a small-sized kitchen at home with almost the same layout, since all high-rise buildings were built according to the same type. Creating comfort and convenience in such kitchens is quite problematic. Therefore, housewives go to various tricks: buying multi-functional household appliances (multi-cookers, combines, etc.), installing non-standard kitchen sets and furniture, using built-in equipment in floor and wall cabinets. Most often, it is the appliances built into the kitchen set that help save enough space so that the kitchen becomes ergonomic and practical to use.

Functional kitchen design

The practicality of the kitchen largely depends on the properties of the furniture and the kitchen set. Material, facade, drawers and hinges greatly affect the service life of kitchen furniture and sets.

In this article, we will look at the options for hinges that are used for kitchen furniture.

The choice of cabinets for the kitchen

The choice of hinges for kitchen cabinets largely depends on the type of doors in these cabinets. Since the door is the most visible part of the entire kitchen cabinet, it is the one that most often draws the attention of guests. Therefore, to give the kitchen sophistication and originality, the hostesses choose the most diverse in beauty and style of the cabinet doors. The facade of the door may be different.

Flat doors for floor and wall cabinets in the kitchen

There are several options for doors for floor and wall cabinets in the kitchen:

1. Flat doors. Such doors have a flat outer surface, which does not stand out against the background of the kitchen set with various decorative elements. The simplest type of doors. Usually, plywood or MDF board, which has been exposed to cladding, is used to create flat doors. On such doors, you can hang almost any hinges that allow you to conveniently open them. It should be borne in mind that if flat doors are used on floor cabinets, then various kitchen utensils (pots, pans, etc.) cannot be placed on them as on a stand. They will not be able to support the weight of a heavy pot, and the hinges that hold such doors can break out of their grooves, causing the doors to sag. If the hinge has been torn out, then it will be quite problematic to properly attach such a door to the cabinet. In this case, you will have to buy another door, but finding a door that matches your kitchen interior or cabinet can be quite problematic. In order for the doors to hold firmly, it is necessary to use hinges with three attachment points. This will increase the strength and stability of the doors themselves.
2. Solid wood doors. These doors are mainly made from solid wood. The facade of such doors can be decorated with various decorative elements or patterns. Such doors can be carried out beyond the level of the countertop or cabinet. These doors can also be a beautiful addition to both floor and wall cabinets. They will fit into almost any kitchen design. Such doors can be held either on ordinary hidden hinges, or on figured external hinges. External hinges can be a good addition to curly doors and form a single pattern with their facade. Such doors will look great in the style of an antique kitchen. Figured hinges with solid wood doors will add sophistication and aristocracy to your kitchen, as well as demonstrate the excellent taste of the owners.

Solid wood doors for kitchen cabinets

1. Doors with panels and frames. Such doors have the appearance of a flat surface on which the central panel of the door is framed by a plank or frame. The plank can create various geometric shapes (circle, square, rectangle or rhombus) on the outer surface of the door, as well as an arch. In this case, the central panel can be either recessed (recessed) or protruding (protruding). In the case of a recessed central panel, if you look at the cabinet from the side, it will not be visible. However, the panel can collect a lot of dirt on its surface, which will be quite problematic to clean without resorting to physical force. The prominent central panel will be clearly visible even from the side. Compared to the recessed version, this type of door is easier to clean and keep clean. In order for such a door to shine with cleanliness, it is necessary to periodically wipe its surface with a damp sponge or napkin. For these doors, as well as for the previous version, both hidden door hinges and external figured ones are suitable. Curly hinges will give both floor and wall cabinets more charm. The appearance of cabinets with similar hinges will add sophistication and luxury to your kitchen.
2. Frame doors. Such doors have a recess into which a glass panel can be inserted. The glass panel can be solid or split. The divided glass binding is formed by means of wooden planks, which can form a certain ornament. As a result, we get a door with a glass fresco. Glass can be transparent, cloudy or multi-colored. It all depends on your desire and taste, as well as on the overall interior of the kitchen. Such doors significantly enliven the kitchen interior. They bring light and specularity to the realm of wood or any other material that has been used to create kitchen furniture and cabinets. Glass doors will help to add original notes to the design of the kitchen and bring comfort and coziness to it. The disadvantage of such doors is that the glass can be broken. Replacing the glass in the doors is quite problematic, since you have to tear off the straps fixing the glass. It's easier to replace the whole door. Absolutely any hinges are suitable for such doors.

Frame doors with glass for kitchen furniture

Doors on the kitchen set can be installed as hinged, hinged or sliding. Sliding doors give access to only a certain part of the kitchen cabinets, and hinged doors give access to the entire contents of the cabinets at once.

Door hinges allow cabinets to open, and various locking devices only help to close the doors on cabinets.

The style of the doors, as well as the type of body, will also determine the type of door hinges that need to be installed on the cabinet. For external doors (with overlapping), overhead, end double-leaf or hinged hinges are required. For grooved doors, curved or semi-mortise hinges are suitable. But for internal doors, hidden hinges are needed.

Types of hinges used for kitchen units

It must be remembered that if you want to equip kitchen cabinets with external hinges, then they must be combined with the general style of the kitchen, or at least be made in the same style as the kitchen furniture.

Mortise furniture hinges

There are the following types of hinges on the doors:

1. End double hinges. They are standard hinges. Perfect for classic furniture. They are inexpensive. They look like two steel wings or plates on loose or tight pins. They can be mortise or non-mortise. They are not suitable for interior doors. Locks or latches are required for cabinet door installations.
2. Mortise loops. Most often used for embossed doors, which are located on the same level. The outer hinge plate is attached to the body of the cabinets, while the inner hinge plate is attached to the back of the cabinets.

End furniture hinges

1. Non-cut loops. They are used for doors that partially open the facade frame or doors with overlapping.
2. Europetli or hidden loops. Such hinges are attached to the doors with self-tapping screws and can be installed longitudinally or transversely. These loops are very durable. They can be adjusted. Hidden hinges give your cabinets a perfectly level appearance.

This is what non-cut loops look like

1. Special curved loops. Designed for grooved doors. Suitable for absolutely any style. They are very easy to install and relatively inexpensive.
2. Overhead loops. They are low priced, very easy to install, but impossible to adjust. In order for the door to be closed, a latch is needed. Such hinges are suitable for a certain kitchen design.
3. Swing loops. Ideal for interior doors. Their installation requires a recess in the door and cabinet body. They are very difficult to adjust and do not require latches.
4. Self-closing hinges. Able to self-closing with a spring. This is the most suitable option for the kitchen, because it allows you not to spend extra time and effort on closing cabinets.

Overhead furniture hinges for kitchen units

1. Adjusted loops. Such hinges allow you to adjust the course of the door. They can be adjusted even after installation.
2. Hinges with special properties. Such hinges are connected by a special movable pin, which allows you to remove the doors from the hinges without effort.
3. Hanging loops. Quite often can be found on kitchen cabinets. They look like two metal plates that are movably connected to each other. Very easy to install.

In addition to these basic door hinges, there are also hinged, countersunk, shaped, rod, piano and glass door hinges.

For each type of door that is used on kitchen cabinets, only certain door hinges are suitable. Appropriate door hinges will increase the functionality of kitchen cabinets and make them more practical to use.