LWK Kitchens London
The handleless kitchen look. Although contemporary in appearance, the handleless look is reminiscent of the early 20th-century Bauhaus style: simple yet functional, with designs characterized by a lack of decorative facades or ornamentation.
Cabinet and drawer handles today are a choice rather than a necessity. Opting for a handleless design creates a streamlined flow of kitchen units that’s beautiful as well as efficient. The resulting look is chic, clean and clutter-free.
Cabinet and drawer handles today are a choice rather than a necessity. Opting for a handleless design creates a streamlined flow of kitchen units that’s beautiful as well as efficient. The resulting look is chic, clean and clutter-free.
Alex Maguire Photography
The true grip. As its name implies, this style lacks handles on all drawer and cabinet doors. Various options exist, but a “true handleless” style is created by recessing a solid stainless steel channel in the top line of the cabinet. This creates a gap for your fingers between the top of the door or drawer and the underside of a countertop. Your fingers curl around the surface edge and onto the back of the door or drawer, pulling it forward to open.
The benefit of grabbing the back of the door is that you don’t need to touch the front, so there shouldn’t be any fingerprints.
On a run of base units containing sets of drawers one above the other, as pictured, a recessed channel is inserted into the midline of the cabinet box to allow full access to the bottom drawer. In all cases, the stainless steel channel is inserted only after the kitchen is fitted, ensuring that it’s continuous throughout the run of a cabinet bank or an island. This is best for a sleek look.
The benefit of grabbing the back of the door is that you don’t need to touch the front, so there shouldn’t be any fingerprints.
On a run of base units containing sets of drawers one above the other, as pictured, a recessed channel is inserted into the midline of the cabinet box to allow full access to the bottom drawer. In all cases, the stainless steel channel is inserted only after the kitchen is fitted, ensuring that it’s continuous throughout the run of a cabinet bank or an island. This is best for a sleek look.
DesignSpace London
Wall and tall cabinets. Handleless wall cabinets are similar to the base units just described, with an integrated groove in the cabinet’s bottom shelf to allow space for your fingers to open the door. With tall units, as seen here, a recessed C channel of stainless steel creates a gap (called a “shadow gap channel"). This is inserted between neighboring tall units to allow room for your fingers. The gap between the doors and tall unit sections is typically an inch (25 millimeters). Some tall cabinets can also have a horizontal channel fitted across them. The exception is if there are large appliances behind the door, such as a fridge-freezer.
Standard color choices for the channel are stainless steel, white and black, but you can customize them to any color, including shades to match your kitchen cabinets. However, for this option, it’s worth noting that, because the channel is recessed in a shadow, it may look slightly darker than your cabinet color, even if it’s the same.
Standard color choices for the channel are stainless steel, white and black, but you can customize them to any color, including shades to match your kitchen cabinets. However, for this option, it’s worth noting that, because the channel is recessed in a shadow, it may look slightly darker than your cabinet color, even if it’s the same.
Icon Interiors Ltd
Benefits of handleless cabinets. The handleless style can help create a clutter-free look, making it the best choice for small kitchens. This isn’t just a visual effect, it’s also a physical one, since the lack of handles frees up more of the kitchen compared with a handled design. Although we’re not talking huge amounts of extra space, it’s enough for a more comfortable and efficient working environment, with maximum room to maneuver.
This style also means that you can’t snag clothing or bang your hips or, worse, small children’s heads on door handles. Another benefit for parents is that there are no handles for children to grab and hang from. And handleless doors and drawers are much harder for young children to open — especially if you opt for child locks.
This style also means that you can’t snag clothing or bang your hips or, worse, small children’s heads on door handles. Another benefit for parents is that there are no handles for children to grab and hang from. And handleless doors and drawers are much harder for young children to open — especially if you opt for child locks.
Paul Craig Photography
Handleless islands. The handleless option is also available for kitchen islands. As well as creating a sleek, modern feature, this style can be helpful in keeping the walkway around the island clear.
For islands and kitchen end-return panels (the visible ends on a run of units or on the sides of an island), you have the option to continue the channel handle all the way around the side of the island to the back face. The end panel doesn’t touch the floor or the counter above, and as such is called a “floating end panel.” It creates the effect of the counter floating above the island for a sleek and sophisticated finish, as seen here.
Discover whether you have space in your kitchen for an island
For islands and kitchen end-return panels (the visible ends on a run of units or on the sides of an island), you have the option to continue the channel handle all the way around the side of the island to the back face. The end panel doesn’t touch the floor or the counter above, and as such is called a “floating end panel.” It creates the effect of the counter floating above the island for a sleek and sophisticated finish, as seen here.
Discover whether you have space in your kitchen for an island
Blakes London
Colors and finishes. If you’re concerned that handleless kitchens come in a limited range of styles, don’t be: Not only do handleless designs come in a large range of colors, but available finishes also include gloss, glass, matte, curved and wood options, including rough-cut wood, as seen here.
As mentioned earlier, with a true handleless option, your fingers won’t touch the front of a door as you open it. However, if you’re still worried about fingerprints — especially if you have small children in the house — it’s worth noting that prints will show less on lighter, matte or textured finishes compared with glossy dark tones.
As mentioned earlier, with a true handleless option, your fingers won’t touch the front of a door as you open it. However, if you’re still worried about fingerprints — especially if you have small children in the house — it’s worth noting that prints will show less on lighter, matte or textured finishes compared with glossy dark tones.
LWK Kitchens London
Handleless appliances. As handleless styles have evolved, so too have kitchen appliance options. To complement the sleek look of handleless kitchens, many integrated ovens, microwaves and cooktops now exude “cleaner” exteriors; they have slimmer profiles and fewer controls — which also makes them easier to use.
Fridges, freezers, dishwashers and washing machines have followed suit, and they’re now available with handleless doors. You can even get dishwashers with an “auto open” function, which means that the door pops open as soon as the cycle finishes, without you even touching it.
For the few appliances where the true handleless system isn’t compatible, such as a cabinet above a ventilator fan, you can opt for a push-to-open door mechanism instead.
Fridges, freezers, dishwashers and washing machines have followed suit, and they’re now available with handleless doors. You can even get dishwashers with an “auto open” function, which means that the door pops open as soon as the cycle finishes, without you even touching it.
For the few appliances where the true handleless system isn’t compatible, such as a cabinet above a ventilator fan, you can opt for a push-to-open door mechanism instead.
Number Eighty One
Other types of handleless cabinets. In addition to the true handleless system, there are the popular push-to-open doors just mentioned. Some kitchen companies also offer a J-groove, or J-pull system, pictured. On the plus side, these last options are generally less expensive than a true handleless design, but they can require more frequent cleaning, as the channel can collect dust, crumbs or splashes that spill over the front edge of the counter. With a true handleless style, this can’t happen.
J-grooves are also quite shallow and not very forgiving for long fingernails or larger fingers. Depending on the quality of the door, the surface is also more susceptible to chipping or cracking.
J-grooves are also quite shallow and not very forgiving for long fingernails or larger fingers. Depending on the quality of the door, the surface is also more susceptible to chipping or cracking.
Provencale
Specialized handleless options. Many kitchen companies offer handleless kitchen doors and drawers that open automatically using an electrical drive. This is instigated when you press lightly anywhere on the front of the cabinetry, and the same to close again afterward. Doors and drawers open and close smoothly, silently and with minimal effort.
Electric-driven wall climber units, pictured, are even more beneficial, as you never have to touch the surface of the door. Operated at the touch of a button on the side of the unit, the handleless door will automatically retract upward in a folding motion to fully open and make contents visible and accessible. However, while these will certainly impress your guests, they’re a lot more expensive than other handleless options.
The vertical handleless channel option is something only a few kitchen companies can produce, but it enables side-opening tall pantries and integrated fridge-freezers to be implemented without interrupting the kitchen’s seamless look.
Electric-driven wall climber units, pictured, are even more beneficial, as you never have to touch the surface of the door. Operated at the touch of a button on the side of the unit, the handleless door will automatically retract upward in a folding motion to fully open and make contents visible and accessible. However, while these will certainly impress your guests, they’re a lot more expensive than other handleless options.
The vertical handleless channel option is something only a few kitchen companies can produce, but it enables side-opening tall pantries and integrated fridge-freezers to be implemented without interrupting the kitchen’s seamless look.
Yvette Philips Interior Design
A kitchen complement. Although a handleless kitchen makes a statement all by itself, another aesthetic plus point is that it can let other kitchen features shine beautifully. If, as in this kitchen, you choose a bold backsplash, a clean, handleless door will complement it without competing for attention.
In true Bauhaus style, it’s the purity of the handleless design and function that achieves maximum kitchen results.
Tell us: Would you choose handles or handleless, and why? Please share your thoughts, experiences and photos in the Comments below.
More
Smart Ways to Make the Most of a Compact Kitchen
Key Measurements to Help You Design Your Kitchen
In true Bauhaus style, it’s the purity of the handleless design and function that achieves maximum kitchen results.
Tell us: Would you choose handles or handleless, and why? Please share your thoughts, experiences and photos in the Comments below.
More
Smart Ways to Make the Most of a Compact Kitchen
Key Measurements to Help You Design Your Kitchen
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