I think the choice between solid doors and glass fronts is a design choice - and depends on what you plan to store in there. My reaction was that the openings of those narrow cabinets will be very restrictive if they are to be used for serious storage.

Same thing for the base cabinets in the drawings you posted. Such small openings, But then I have frameless cabinets so maybe I just don't get your vision...

I agree with you about the 12" and 15"cabinets. That's why I am reluctant. The company doesn't make 27" wall cabinets with glass doors, that's why I was drawn the other options. There's nothing small about a 27" base cabinet (this company's cabinets are 1" higher (35"), and the 18" x 96" pantry cabinets will have full extension dovetail pullouts. I've seen them in person; it'll be plenty of space. I'm not sure what it has to do with "vision," but keep in mind that this is kitchen in an old city row home that originally had an outhouse and a kitchen in the basement, not a sprawling suburban kitchen.

You need to know what the opening side it for both the uppers and the base cabinets - especially the drawers. If the space fits your needs for what you want to store, that's fine. But if your kitchen is small, then you probably need to make best use of the storage space you have. Sorry, but I don't think you will find those cabinets to be very functional. Maybe you need to consider another cabinet manufacturer?

Hoping others will chime in....

Why not make the upper center part one cabinet with two folding doors? You would have the same look and MUCH more useful storage.

Have you considered frameless cabs? You save inches on the interior of every cabinet and drawer.

I have to stick with this cabinet manufacturer because that's what was used in the other half of the kitchen, and I'm replacing the crappy thermofoil doors and drawer fronts on those cabinets and then ordering the same overlay cabinets on the new wall unit. I don't want to have different cabinets and/or different door and drawer overlays in a kitchen that is only 10' x 15'. And nobody makes a 54" upper cabinet; two 27" cabinets are my only option, unless i use a center 30" or 24" cabinet with two smaller cabinets on the sides. That's it.

I'm not worried about having enough space in 27" drawers for pots because I may end up storing those in the pantry pull outs and because I have plenty of other cabinets on the other side of the kitchen. Also, I have a warming drawer going into one of those drawers anyhow.

I have to stick with this cabinet manufacturer because that's what was used in the other half of the kitchen, and I'm replacing the crappy thermofoil doors and drawer fronts on those cabinets and then ordering the same overlay cabinets on the new wall unit. I don't want to have different cabinets and/or different door and drawer overlays in a kitchen that is only 10' x 15'. And nobody makes a 54" upper cabinet; two 27" cabinets are my only option, unless i use a center 30" or 24" cabinet with two smaller cabinets on the sides. That's it.

I'm not worried about having enough space in 27" drawers for pots because I may end up storing those in the pantry pull outs and because I have plenty of other cabinets on the other side of the kitchen. Also, I have a warming drawer going into one of those drawers anyhow.

I like the simplicity of the first plan above, and the two 27" cabs would seem more flexible than narrow cabs flanking wide center one. Unless I had some specific need/desire for glass doors, I'd lean toward all solid - the mix you're showing just looks to me like you're trying too hard to add glass. But I have to ask whether you considered having all four upper center doors glass (on 2x27")? (Of course you did, but had to ask!) My second choice would be your second drawing - glass in middle doors - more flexible for display than narrow sides w/ glass. Best of luck - your place looks great.

First drawing is my first choice (no glass). If you had to have glass, I would choose drawing number two. I don't like number three nearly as much as the other 2 options.

I like the all white better than the cream. It looks so nice with the backsplash and granite that you have now. Plus, if you do the white you get to keep your current cabinet boxes, correct ? If you do the cream, you will have to paint the boxes ? I think the white makes the small space look bigger and brighter.

How deep did you decide to make your uppers ?

Two thoughts for you - take 'em or leave 'em.

Of what you drew, I'd stay with the original drawing.

I don't know what your cabinet options are, but I would do uppers over bases for the entire length and cut the two deeper end cabinets. I would make all of the uppers about 14" deep and perhaps make a wider, centered upper with or without glass doors that was pulled forward a couple of inches or was made 2 " deeper (16"). The same "emphasis" on the centered cabinet would work if the centered one was made normal depth and set-back instead or was shorter or went to the counter.

Part of the reason for this is that small pantry cabinets are pretty freakin' expensive plus yours are framed and appear to be about 15" wide each. You'll lose 3" of width for the frame and about another 2-3" for the pullout sidewalls and their clearance and/or glides. So the amount of actual storage width per pullout will be pretty small - 9 to 10".

The same framed cabinet math is true on a 12" wide upper - you are actually pretty limited by the cabinet door opening width of 9" as to what you can fit inside.

You can put a ton of stuff in a 14-15" deep cabinet. If you broke the space into thirds, all of the cabinets would be wider - helping to negate storage losses due to frames and drawer sides.

The pantry cabinets are not 15" wide; they're 18" wide, which is plent of space because I've seen them in person. I had thought about doing just uppers and base cabinets, but decided against it so that I could get more storage and an actual pantry-like space.