Are You Making the Most of This Neglected Area in Your Kitchen?
Fitting a new kitchen? Check out these ideas for how to make the most of the kickboards below your base units
The plinths below your kitchen base units add a finishing touch to the room, providing a pleasing bottom edge to the line of cupboards and drawers and preventing dust and dirt finding its way underneath.
That’s not the only thing they can do, though. Take a look at these ideas to find out how you can get your kickboards working harder.
This article is from our Most Popular stories file
That’s not the only thing they can do, though. Take a look at these ideas to find out how you can get your kickboards working harder.
This article is from our Most Popular stories file
Tuck in some storage
Why let that space below your base units go to waste when you can use it for storage?
The designers of this kitchen have replaced the usual kickboards with shallow drawers, which are ideal for storing wide platters or baking trays, or for tucking away placemats and table linen.
The design of the drawers is simple, with a flat front and a small pull handle positioned at the top, which helps the drawers look unobtrusive when they’re closed.
Check out more kitchen storage ideas in the Houzz Shop
Why let that space below your base units go to waste when you can use it for storage?
The designers of this kitchen have replaced the usual kickboards with shallow drawers, which are ideal for storing wide platters or baking trays, or for tucking away placemats and table linen.
The design of the drawers is simple, with a flat front and a small pull handle positioned at the top, which helps the drawers look unobtrusive when they’re closed.
Check out more kitchen storage ideas in the Houzz Shop
Add some heating
If you want some additional warmth in your kitchen without adding wall radiators or underfloor heating, consider a plinth heater. These nifty gadgets are fitted below the base units and are either electric or connected to the main central heating, with a fan powered by electricity.
They’re pretty cheap to install and can be incorporated into the design of your kitchen, as here. Once the heaters have warmed up, they provide plenty of heat in the room.
If you want some additional warmth in your kitchen without adding wall radiators or underfloor heating, consider a plinth heater. These nifty gadgets are fitted below the base units and are either electric or connected to the main central heating, with a fan powered by electricity.
They’re pretty cheap to install and can be incorporated into the design of your kitchen, as here. Once the heaters have warmed up, they provide plenty of heat in the room.
Contrast the colour
Rather than blending your kickboards in with the units, consider using them as a striking frame instead.
Here, the stone grey cabinets contrast with the wooden plinths at ground level and are enhanced by another layer of wood along the sides and top of the wall storage. The wooden kickboards help to lift the cabinets and island to give more depth to the whole room.
Want to recreate this? Find kitchen designers and fitters in your area
Rather than blending your kickboards in with the units, consider using them as a striking frame instead.
Here, the stone grey cabinets contrast with the wooden plinths at ground level and are enhanced by another layer of wood along the sides and top of the wall storage. The wooden kickboards help to lift the cabinets and island to give more depth to the whole room.
Want to recreate this? Find kitchen designers and fitters in your area
Reflect the floor
Create the illusion of space and flow by using mirrored kickboards beneath your units. The plinths will reflect the floor and make it seem as if it continues below the units, which works particularly well if you want to make more of a wooden floor like this one.
See 5 things you never knew you needed in your kitchen
Create the illusion of space and flow by using mirrored kickboards beneath your units. The plinths will reflect the floor and make it seem as if it continues below the units, which works particularly well if you want to make more of a wooden floor like this one.
See 5 things you never knew you needed in your kitchen
Create an illusion
Another way to make the area beneath your units appear open is to paint your plinths in a similar colour to the floor. These kickboards are black, which helps them to recede into the background and look like a continuation of the floor.
The country-style kitchen has a freestanding look, but the discreet kickboards help to keep the area below the units free from crumbs and dust.
Tell us…
Have you done anything interesting with your kitchen plinths? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments section.
Another way to make the area beneath your units appear open is to paint your plinths in a similar colour to the floor. These kickboards are black, which helps them to recede into the background and look like a continuation of the floor.
The country-style kitchen has a freestanding look, but the discreet kickboards help to keep the area below the units free from crumbs and dust.
Tell us…
Have you done anything interesting with your kitchen plinths? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments section.
If you want to be creative with lighting, LED strips are a great place to start. By fitting them along the edges of walls and furniture, you can add a whole new dimension to a room.
Here, the designers have highlighted the kitchen island by lining the kickboard with a strip of LED lights. The effect is quite stunning, and creates the illusion that the island is floating.
Want to chat through your kitchen lighting ideas? Find a lighting designer near you