Posts: 5,733
Threads: 2
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Fort Worth
Had a thought and was wondering if anyone has made their cabinet doors taller than needed so they hang below the bottom of the cabinet instead of using a typical light rail. This also gives a big lip to use for opening the doors vs handles.
Any thoughts.
Posts: 38,086
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2004
Location: Denver, CO
I'd be concerned that it's so uncommon that a potential buyer might think "Oh those poor souls! Every cabinet door is messed up!"
Come up with a way to make it obvious, like scallop the back side of the bottom rail?
“There were certain pillars of Conservatism. The first is Moral Character. That character is destiny. And if private virtue falls, the power to the public order collapses.”
Posts: 5,733
Threads: 2
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Fort Worth
The idea isn't so much for the handles but to eliminate the light rail. Never really liked light rails that much. Looks like an after thought.
Posts: 3,859
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2000
If that's what you want, I don't see a problem.
I'm not a believer in arbitrary rules. My decision process is, fundamentally, to ask the question, "Is the method sound?"
If I can answer that question in the affirmative, I green light the idea.
Posts: 13,485
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 1999
Done it many times in professional shops working in high end homes. Nothing wrong with it but I f you will have lights under the cabs, they can glare as the doors get opened.
Also gives the option of not using pulls which is great in modern designs.
Ralph
Posts: 5,733
Threads: 2
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: Fort Worth
Forgot to mention this would be on frameless cabs. I gutted the kitchen over a year ago and put the boxes up and haven't gotten the chance to build doors though I did get most of the drawers made.
So everything has been open. I do have under cab lighting and over cab too but they are led strip that face straight down so no glare issue even without doors at all. Actually we rarely use the can lights because the leds put out enough to liht the kitchen on their own. Needs a dimmer.
Just getting ready to make the doors and thinking outside the box from what you've usually see. I'm not a big fan of light rails as it usually looks like an afterhought. The cabs are high enough that I have room for it or taller doors. I forget how high but higher than the 18" that is common and too low for appliances etc to fit under.
It would be nice to open the doors without handles cause loml still hasn't picked pulls for my dresser I built years ago so I'm still opening it the hard way...
Posts: 13,485
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 1999
No reason not to do the drop down doors.
And just for those of you that think a light rail looks like an afterthought...
We used to attach a 3/8" wide by 1/2" cleat along the bottom of the cabs and then add a single piece light rail across the entire row of cabs.
The cleats we're screwed in bottom to top, then the rail grooved to slip over the cleat, and pin nailed from the back. A lot of work, but the results were excellent.
Ralph
Posts: 7,421
Threads: 1
Joined: Sep 2005
Personally I would prefer a small glass-front cabinet above a standard height cabinet. It can hold display items or rarely used items. I think it is more attractive.
I googled "kitchen cabinets, high ceiling" and many results showed up:
https://www.google.com/search?q=kitchen+...h020g84#imgrc=_
No animals were injured or killed in the production of this post.
Posts: 1,407
Threads: 2
Joined: Jun 2003
I haven't done it but I've seen it done.
Lots of cabinetmakers use this technique to hide under counter lighting.