The Art Of Woodworking. Kitchen Cabinets 0-8094-9545-7

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THEARTOFWOODWORKING

HOMEWORI$HOP

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WORKSHO GPU I D E

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THEARTOFWOODWORKING

KITCHEN CABTNETS

THE ART OF WOODWORKING

KITCHEN CABINETS

TIME-LIFE BOOKS ALEXANDRIA. VIRGlNIA ST.REMYPRESS MONTREAL

THE ARTOF WOODWORKINGwasproducedby ST. REMY PRESS PUBLISHER Kenneth Winchester PRESIDENT Pierre L6veill6 SeriesEditor SeriesArt Director Editor Art Directors

Pierre Home-Douglas Francine Lemieux Andrew Jones Jean-PierreBourgeois, Normand Boudreau Designers Frangois Daxhelet, )ean-Guy Doiron PictureEditor Genevidve Monette Writers John Dowling, Adam Van Sertima Contributing lllustrators Gilles Beauchemin,Michel Blais, Ronald Durepos, JacquesPerrault, Michael Stockdale, JamesThdrien Administrator Natalie Watanabe ProductionManager Michelle Turbide Coordinator Dominique Gagn6 SystemCoordinator Eric Beaulieu Photographer Robert Chartier Proofreader Judy Yelon lndexer Christine M. Jacobs

Time-LifeBooksis a divisionof Time Life Inc., a wholly ownedsubsidiaryof THE TIME INC. BOOK COMPANY

TIME-LIFEINC. President and CEO

John M. Fahey

TIME-LIFEBOOKS President ManagingEditor Directorof Design Directorof Editorial Operations

JohnD. Hall RobertaConlan MichaelHentges EllenRobling

ConsultingEditor Vice-President,Book Production ProductionManager QualityAssurance M anager

JohnR. Sullivan Marjann Caldwell MarleneZack famesKing

THE CONSULTANTS fon Eakes has been a cabinetmaker and custom renovator in Montreal for more than 20 years.He is known primarily for his teaching through books, videos, radio, and the TV show RenovationZone. Giles Miller-Mead taught advanced cabinetmaking at Montreal technical schools for more than ten years.A native of New Zealand, he has worked as a restorer of antique furniture.

Kitchen cabinets. p. cm.- (The Art of woodworking) Includes index. ISBN 0-8094-9545-7 l. Kitchen-cabinets.2. Cabinetwork. I. Time-Life Books. II. Series.

TTr97.5.K571996 684.1'6-dc20

9s-46501 CIP

For informationaboutanyTime-Lifebook, pleasecall l-800-621-7026, or write: ReaderInformation Time-LifeCustomerService P.O.BoxC-32068 Richmond,Virginia 2326r-2068 @ 1996Time-LifeBooksInc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedin any form or by means,includinginformation anyelectronicor mechanical storageand retrievaldevicesor systems,without prior written permissionfrom the publisher,exceptthat brief passages may be quotedfor reviews. Firstprinting.Printedin U.S.A. in Canada. Publishedsimultaneously TIME-LIFEis a trademarkof TimeWarnerInc. U.S.A.

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CONTENTS

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6 INTRODUCTION 12 14 17 19 23

LAYOUTAND DESIGN A galleryof kitchen styles Principlesof layout Dimensioning Storypoles

26 CASEWORK 28 Anatomy of a kitchen cabinetcase 30 Buildingmaterials 33 Buildingthe cases 38 Shelvingand storage 44 Assemblingthe cabinets 50 Faceframes

98 100 L02 II2 115 118

INSTALLING CABINETS Installationbasics Installingthe lower cabinets Islandsand peninsulas Installingthe upper cabinets Crown molding

I2O I22 123 I34

COTINTERTOPS A galleryof countertopsurfaces Installingcountertops Backsplashes and edgetreatments

140 GTOSSARY T42 INDEX I44 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

56 DOORS 58 A galleryof cabinet door designs doors 60 Board-and-batten doors 62 Frame-and-panel 73 Mounting doors 78 80 83 87 93

DRAWERS Drawerconstruction Building drawers Drawerslidesand runners Falsefronts and hardware

INTRODUCTION

Tom Santarsleroon

CHOOSING CABINETSTYLE,S espitethe tremendousvarietyof kitchencabinets, theyall comedown to two

faceframeandframeless. Eachhascharacteristics basictypes: thatgreatly affect how the heartof the modernhomewill appearand function.For the designer, cabinetmaker, and installer,theyalsodeterminehow the cabinetswill be created. Faceframe cabinetsare the most populartype of kitchencabinetin North America.Thistime-honoredmethodof constructioninvolvesattachinga framework of solidlumberto the front of a carcase. Doorsand drawerscanbe mountedin oneof threeways:inset,lipped, Inset,themostelegantin appearance, is or overlay. a true testof a craftsman's Tight tolerances skill in constructionand installation. arerequiredto accommodate woodmovementandyielda pleasing seasonal margin betweenframeand door.During installation,cabinetsmustbe setperfectlylevel and plumb to maintainthat margin.My clientswho chooseframedcabinetsare veryinterested in forginga link with thepast.Theyappreciate theclassic look of wellfitted doorsand drawersthat openwith easeand closewith a gentlepuff of air as theynestwithin the frame.

Frameless cabinetry wasbornin EuropeafterWorldWarII. It addressed some of thechallenges of thetime,suchastheshortage of lumberandtheneedto rebuild housing rapidly. Thesimplicity kitchencabinet greatly of theframeless, or European, reduced material, needs, andproduction time.Doorswouldaligntightlytogether, creating aclean,flowinglineof casework. Thisreflected amodernist viewof achanged worldwheretimewasshortandproductionandefficiency reignedsupreme. This methodyieldedotherbenefits. construction Drawers couldbewideranddeeper because theydidn'tneedto cleara faceframe.Andstorage andremoval of items alongwith cleaning thecabinetinteriorbecame easier andmoreefficient. Today, thelinebetween faceframeandframeless hasblurredslightly. casework Frameless cabinets arenolongerlimitedto flush-laminate doors;mostof theframelesskitchens I buildfeature raised paneldoors, traditional multi-part cornice moldings, andotheraccoutrements endowing eachkitchenwithwarmthandcomfort.For maximizing building,installing, storage, andease of use,frameless cabinets can'tbe surpassed. If, on theotherhand,you'dprefera touchof timeless traditionin your yourcabinets kitchen, areonlya faceframeaway.

TomSantarsiero isPresident of theKtchenDesignCenter in Montclair, NewJersey.

INTRODUCTION

DonaldSilversdiscusses

KITCHENFORM AND FUNCTION I am continuallyjugglingtwo requirements: I n *y work asa kitchendesigner, I creating spaces thatarebothwonderfultolookat anda pleasure to workin. Form must andfunction work in tandem. Thiswasnot alwaysthecase.In yearspast,cabinetmakers who designedkitchens werevirtuallyunknown,sincethe homebuilderwasresponsible for creatingthe kitchenand its cabinets, and oftenbroughtto the kitchenthe sameeconomyof meanswith which he built the restof the house.For example,a ceilingheightof 8 feetandthreestudsspaced16inchesapartcreated theneedfor largequantitiesof plywood.The homebuilderfelt it waseconomicallysoundto useleftoverplyvood for kitchencabinets sotherewouldbeno waste.Thebasecabinets were22inchesdeep just running andthewallcabinets were11to 12inchesdeep.Thesecabinets-really shelves with doors-stubbornlyresisted anyform of change; basecabinetsdidn't changeto a 24-inchdepthuntil thedevelopment of dishwaihers madeit necessary. In the kitchenenvironmentof today,designingand buildingkitchensis much morethana wayof recyclingleftoverhomebuildingmaterials. To createeye-catching residentialkitchens,today'sdesigners havetakena cuefrom the extraordinarywork of cabinetmakers. Thedifferentwoodsandfinishesthat makeup thecabinetmaker's paletteprovidethefreedomto conjureup anystyle.Wth histools,thecabinetmaker might carvecherryor oakwoods,creatingFrenchor EnglishCountrycabinets, or shapean intimateArtsandCraftskitchenin beech.He couldfashionanArt Decolook in the richness of walnut,or anArt Nouveau, Victorian,or EarlyAmericanlook in a varietyof woods-pine, ash,maple,or mahogany, to namea few Thecabinetmaker puttingat hisdisposaltheentirecolorspectrum. mightevenwork with laminates, And let'snot forgetthestainsthatproducean arrayof huesandpatinas. Therange is breathtaking. of choices The cabinetmaker hasalsomadethe cook'slife a delightby incorporatingthe right kind of accessories that canmakethe cook'sjob easier,evenfun. For example, therearedrawersand roll-outswith hardwarethat givesthe cookfingertipcontrol, pantriesthat areonly a foot wide yet 84 inchestall,providingenormousstorage whenpulledout of a wallcabinetwith ease. Moreandmore,thekitchendesigner of todayis drawingon thepastandthepresentto createa kitchenenvironment thatlooks and cooksbeautifully.

DonaldSilversis a kitchendesigner who teaches at the Universityof Californiaat LosAngeles. He is theauthorof TheCompleteGuideTo KitchenDesignWith CookingIn Mind, publishedby TheNewarkManagement Institute.

INTRODUCTION

SvenHansontalksabout

ASMOOTH INSTALLATION needtop-qualityinstallation to lookgoodandfunctionwell. itchencabinets Unlikefinefurniturethatcanlookgoodin adustycornerof theshop,cabinets wetendto put don'tcometo life until aftertheyhavebeeninstalled.Unfortunately, it happens in anunfamiliar off considering theproblemsof installation because andrequiresskillsdifferentfromthoseneededto build thecabinets. environment plan,cirawn Toavoidtheseproblems, startwith andstickto a detailedinstallation you Dont betemptedto change it because up wellbeforethecabinets arefinished. of the36-inchoneyouoriginally suddenly likea 42-inchdrop-incooktopinstead plannedfor.Thiswill forceyouto modifrtherangebase, bothadjacent cabinets, table andtheirdrawers. It'sfarmoreefficientto bringallpartiesto thenegotiating andmakethatkindof decision beforeyoubuildthecabinets. yourpsychological Youwill getto practice skillswhenyouannounce to therest of thehousehold thatthektchenwill beclosedfor a fewdayswhilethenewcabinets goin. Tryto keeptheblockade for everyone. Aboveall, shortandtimedconveniently do not fall into the snakepit of trying to haveyour newkitchenreadyjust before "if goesto plan" investing in oneof those everything Thanksgiving or Christmas, them schedules. However, if youplanto getrid of yourin-lawswhileconvincing youarethecomplete idiottheythought,success beckons. Thereis no rightor wrongwayto installcabinets. I liketo installandlevelthe plinthsfor thelowercabinets theafternoon beforetheinstallation begins. Forsheer levelto thehighestpointof exhaustion, crawlingaroundthefloorto setallthebases chores. Thefollowingmorning,I thefloor standsapartfrommostwoodworking first,thenthelowercabinets. AsI screwthecabinets in installtheuppercabinets "idiot" louderthana tilting place,Ialways for levelness. Nothingsays double-check sinkor cooktop. Duringinstallation, adustcurtainmadeof 4-milplasticsheeting can repelwould-be whilekeeping mostdustandsomenoisecontained. Tofursnackers anyairductsandopenthekitchenwindowacrack therreduce dust,youshouldblock Finally,I'veobserved manyfirst-timeinstallers whousesurprisingly fewtools. I relyon manymoreandlaythemout on a temporary workbench setat theedge of theroom.Ifyourshopisapartfromthejob site,startmakingalistof theinstalhelps lationtoolswhileyou'restillconstruaing thecabinets.Visualizing theinstallation yourtools(and to fabricatea cabinetthatistruly readyto installandhelpsorganize mindset)to finishthejob properly.In 25yearsI'veneverhearda singlewoodworker "I say, wishI hadn'twasted somuchtimepreparing for thatjobJ'

SvenHansonis a cabinetmaker Ne'wMexico. in Albuquerque,

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incecolonialdavs.the American orovidedfor work.Thekitchenisa workkitchenhasbeenthoughtofas the ihop like anyother,and shouldbe laid heartof thehome.It is thefirst room a out with efficiencyin mind. Youwould familyshareseachday;it is not only the not think of locatingthetablesawanda planerat oppositeendsof a workshop; placewheremealsareprepared, but also theprimaryworkcentersof a kitchenwheretheyareofteneaten.The kitchen in mostcases, is wherechildrenand adultsdo their the sink,refrigerator, and homework,and wherethey lingerfor stove/cooking area-are no different. Yet,althoughthe roleof Worktriangles(page17)areonewayto conversation. minimizethe trips betweenthe three. the kitchenhasnot changedin three Arriving at an efficientlayout for a centuries,its appearance has.Once, Thesupplypipesanddrainofa kitchen kitchenin a confinedspacecanbea chalcookingwasdoneby the centralfireplace,andthelarderwasstoredagainst sinkaremarkedon thewallwith theaid lenge.Invariably,the sizeand location willhaveto be of a carpenter\level(above).Theprecise of your kitchencabinets the cold,north-facingwall. Today,a kitchenmust be carefullyplannedto flexibleenoughto accommodatethe locationof thefixtureswill thenbe meetthe demandsof a busyhousehold, locationof appliances, markedontoverticalandhorizontal site utilities,windows, storypolesbeforebeingtransferred to the andto accommodate a batteryof laborand doors.A selection ofbasiclayout storypolesfor thesinkcabinetitself. savingdevices. Thischapterfocuses on optionsis shownon page18.Drafting thework of today'skitchen-especialscalefloor plansandelevations canhelp for a typly its cabinetry-introducespopulardesigns,and outlines you visualizeyour layout;floor plansandelevations ical L-shapedkitchenareshownon page20. Onceyou have somebasicprinciplesthat willhelp you createa kitchenthat you candividetheir meetsyour needs. settledon theplacementof your cabinets, runsinto individualcabinetsanddrawers.Whilemostkitchen A kitchendesignoftenstartsasa naturalextension ofthe cabinets adhereto basicdimensionalstandards inheight (page architecturalstyleof a house.Justastrim, molding,and furnishingscandistinguisha homeasbeingVictorianor Colonial, 19),their width and numberof doorscanbe fine tunedto reacha visuallywell-balanced kitchendesign(page22). cabinetdoors,molding,andhardwarecandefinethestyleof a Accuracyis crucialwhen draftingfloor plansand elevakitchen.For example,Victorianis an opulentstylemarkedby pulls,andexposed tions.A site-referenced complexegg-and-dart molding,porcelain storypole(page24) tellsyou everyhinges,while Shakerstyleis a modelof austerity,relyingon thing you needto know abouta kitchenwall in precisedetail, includingthelocationandsizeof thecabinets. frame-and-panel By usingthese simple,recessed doors,an absence of molding, and the muted colorsof milk paint.A galleryof kitchen smalllengthsof wood for eachwall and cabinet,you can stylesfrom traditionalto modernis shownstartingon page14. proceedfrom floor plan to cuttinglist with a minimum of errors.From thereto your dreamkitchenit is only a few Whetheryou choosea traditionalarchitectural stylefor your morecarefulsteos. kitchenor a blendof severalstyles, adequate room mustbe

Drawingyour kitchento scaleis thebestwayto experimentwith its layout.Thephotoat leftshowstheJloorplan of an L-shapedkitchen, includingthelocationof cabinets, windows,appliances, and utilities.

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A GALLERYOF KITCHEN STYLES \ [ f hileakitchenshouldreflectyour Y V personalculinaryneedsand its designshouldnot bechosen tastes, withoutfirst addressing a fewimporWiil thestylecompletant questions. mentor clashwiththerestof thehouse

A Victoriankitchen architecturally? wouldlookout of placein a modern with Missionfurniture. housedecorated Budgetis anotherimportantconsideration.Thelumbercostsalonefor an kitchenwith cherfuts andCrafts-swle

ry cabinets doors andframe-and-panel reach of many. Popular, arebeyondthe lessexpensive optionsincludethe kitchen, whichusesstanEuropean-style dardizedmelaminecabinets, or the kitchen,in whichrustic Country-style

SHAKER but Manykitchens areShaker-inspired, styleasthis fewareasfaithfulto Shaker architect Charles Allen house designedby Hill. Withtheirflat recessed frame-andpaneldoors, achewornamenthecabinets yet elegant tation,andevoke theShalcer's evena pegboard utilitarianethic.There's overtherange.

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Lessopulentthan its namesake, this byMaine architect kitchendesigned lohn Gillespienonetheless featuresseveralhallmarlsof thestyle,mostnotabf tall uppercabinetswith tongue-andgroovedoors,surface-mounted brass hinges,andporcelainpulls. Notethe way the Victori an motifs-cr own molding ornatecolumnsand arches -are carriedinto adjoiningareasof thehouse.

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LAYOUTAND DESIGN

charm can be derivedfrom the minor defectsofaged,recycledwood. A kitchendesigndoesnot haveto be faithful to a singlestyle.As the gallery on thesepagesandthe charton page16 show,severalstylescan be combined

canalsounifr a with a carefuleyeto createa unique of therightmaterials kitchenwiththesurrounddesign.Blendingstylescanmakeyour contrasting for examdesignmore flexible:Shaker-style ing house.Cherrycabinets, kitchens to themodu- ple,canprovidea graceful transition arewell-adapted larconstruction of European-style cab- between a European-style kitchenand inetry(page26). Thediscerning choice a Colonialfarmhouse.

EUROPEAN Its hardwareout of sight,theEuropeanstylecabinetdefinesthemodernkitchen. Itsclean,unadornedlinesareenhanced by recessed kghtingandplentyofuncluxered laminatecountertop. Subtletouches by Maine designer JohnScholtz,suchasthe porcelainfriezeand bacl