If you love the sleek, uncluttered look of contemporary kitchen furnishings and design, KBIS 2015 had much to share! The contemporary aesthetic is often characterized by uninterrupted visual planes of cabinetry and countertops. Manufacturers at the show featured a number of ways to take clean, crisp and covered to a new level.
Sliding doors are nothing new and have always been popular for wide cabinets, sideboards and wardrobes. The mechanics of sliding doors require that one door overlap another in order to function. This overlap of doors creates a visual friction for some. The solution, of course, are doors designed to close flush to the cabinetry. Unfortunately, flush doors had previously eliminated the possibility of sliders.
Coplanar Cabinetry Hinges
A few years back Häfele introduced their coplanar door hinge systems. (Coplanar is mathematical term that describes two objects residing on a common plane.) Coplanar hinges, attached either to the top or bottom of a door, allow each door to pull up and away from the cabinet and then slide magically over the opposing door. The animated image below demonstrates how coplanar hinges work.
Coplanar hinges also offer the unique ability to have a long wide door pull up and slide over a row of pullout drawers.
The 2015 Häfele KBIS booth showcased a long base cabinet with flush doors mounted on coplanar hinges. As the video suggests, the movement of the door is silky-smooth and almost effortless. Truly impressive!
Concealing Kitchen Appliances & Fixtures
Hardware manufacturer Richelieu showcased the Milo sliding worktop – their unique take on eliminating visual clutter in a contemporary kitchen. When in the closed position, the Milo worktop can cover not only a cooktop, but also a sink!
Once extended, the Milo top reveals the hidden appliances and fixtures, becoming a sturdy work surface or countertop where the homeowners can gather.
What impressed me about the Milo sliding worktop was how effortless it was to manipulate. If you’ve got a small kitchen area and want to make maximum use of space, the Richelieu Milo sliding worktop could be an excellent solution.