Will 6' wide open shelves look dinky next to hood?

13 years ago

If I go with the 42" wide hood that seems to be the preferred size for a 36" high-btu range I've got, it means that the open shelf wall cabs which will flank the wall/under cabinet hood (18" deep stainless) will be only 6" wide. I'm not planning to use them for much of anything except a few nice oil bottles and other decorative stuff. But I'm hesitant to get rid of them entirely because the one on the left of the hood abuts a corner wall cabinet...and I hate the look of corner cabinets at the end of a run. Thoughts?

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Comments (4)

bmorepanic
13 years ago
Its a hard choice. To me, this is primarily a personal preference issue.

6" wide cabinets have 4.5" inside. That's the opening width for frameless, but for framed, the opening is only 3" wide.

So I'm trying to think of the negatives of doing it first and then suggest alternates. The positives of going forward are you don't have to change the rest of the design, no burning cabinets, and no corner upper.

What would you put on the shelves? For something like an oil bottle is that enough room to be able to sort through having more than one of them in the cubby? Really pretty small vases, art pottery or glass, interestingly shaped containers of oil or vinegar, lights, tile?

Cleaning the inside and outside of the narrow space - 4"?

Visual impression of the very small shelves? Exclamation points?

Suggestions
Use a matching length hood unless the range manufacturer forbids it. I know bluestar does but have no idea for any other manufacturer.
Use a matching length hood and spend the bucks for two matching stainless steel cabinets.
Leave the small space completely open
Change the design of the uppers on that wall to completely incorporate the 6" on one side and use a decorative filler on the other.
Change the design of the wall of cabinets to move the range over if possible.
idrive65
13 years ago
In a word, yes. I think a 6" upper with open shelves will look "dinky" and be practically useless with such a narrow opening. However, regular open shelves (mounted to the wall, not in a cabinet box) could work. Or you might skip the upper corner cabinet, and just continue that sidewall of cabinetry right to the range wall without turning the corner. Like you, I don't like corner cabinets that aren't anchored on both sides.
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paintergirl94
13 years ago
What color hood/what color shelves? Can the shelves be changed to spice pull-outs or something with a false front, like to look like drawers?
I personally prefer a well-balanced layout (same on both sides of hood) however, sometimes -- as in your case -- it's not possible. Have you tried a 12" next to the corner cab? In my mind doesn't work, but maybe....
melissastar
Original Author
13 years ago
Yes, as I think about your comments, I realize it won't work. When they were going to be 9" wide on each side, I think it would have been fine. But if the hood is 42" and the side cabs lose 3"...not so much.

So, i guess I see two alternatives: I could make them spice pullouts easily and in fact, that would be helpful. When they were going to be 9" I liked the idea of them being open...with objets d'art and objets de cuisine in them.

Or, I could abandon the corner cabinet, making it simply a flat cabinet against the side wall...with nothing on the range wall but a hood. I do think this looks great in many of the kitchens I've seen on this site. I'm just not particularly eager to rethink the backsplash, behind range wall, hood arrangements I'd more or less mentally committed to!

Thanks for the feedback....

Will 6' wide open shelves look dinky next to hood?

Comments (4)

bmorepanic

idrive65

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Will 6' wide open shelves look dinky next to hood?

Comments (4)

bmorepanic

idrive65

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paintergirl94

melissastarOriginal Author

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