7 Reasons Why Handleless Kitchen Cabinets Are a Must-Have
Wondering if handleless kitchen cabinets are the right choice for you? These beautiful rooms should help you decide
Amanda Pollard
2 February 2022
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors and architecture.
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors... More
Whether you go for a push-open design or a routed pull on your kitchen unit doors, a handleless kitchen can look streamlined, minimal and stylish. Need some inspiration? Take a look at these schemes to see whether you should ditch those cabinet door handles.
1. Let two-tone cabinets shine
In a two-tone kitchen, a handleless design helps to keep the look uncluttered. Here, a mix of wood and white cabinets brings interest to the room, but the space still feels minimal.
By avoiding any adornments on the doors, the designers have created a streamlined space with character.
The look works particularly well on the base units, as the unbroken surface gives the appearance of one sweeping piece of timber.
In a two-tone kitchen, a handleless design helps to keep the look uncluttered. Here, a mix of wood and white cabinets brings interest to the room, but the space still feels minimal.
By avoiding any adornments on the doors, the designers have created a streamlined space with character.
The look works particularly well on the base units, as the unbroken surface gives the appearance of one sweeping piece of timber.
2. Go for a combo
A handleless design is a good choice in a room with lots of cabinets, as it can help to reduce clutter.
In this space, the traditional door knobs add character to the plain white units – but there are quite a lot of them. The designers have toned things down slightly by leaving the row of wall units plain.
The white surfaces look clean and simple, and recede into the background to create a feeling of space.
Find a kitchen designer for your next kitchen renovation project
A handleless design is a good choice in a room with lots of cabinets, as it can help to reduce clutter.
In this space, the traditional door knobs add character to the plain white units – but there are quite a lot of them. The designers have toned things down slightly by leaving the row of wall units plain.
The white surfaces look clean and simple, and recede into the background to create a feeling of space.
Find a kitchen designer for your next kitchen renovation project
3. Maximise the beauty of wood
Show off the grain on the doors of a wooden kitchen by choosing a handleless design, as here. The beautiful walnut is the star of the show in this scheme, so the designers have kept the surfaces free of fittings to display it fully.
The recessed handle along the top of the cabinets helps to separate the wood and the worktop to make even more of a feature of the walnut.
Show off the grain on the doors of a wooden kitchen by choosing a handleless design, as here. The beautiful walnut is the star of the show in this scheme, so the designers have kept the surfaces free of fittings to display it fully.
The recessed handle along the top of the cabinets helps to separate the wood and the worktop to make even more of a feature of the walnut.
4. Make some space
Handleless cabinets work well in a small kitchen, as the flat design feels light and spacious. Here, glossy cream units form an L-shaped run of worktop and storage that recedes into the white walls.
The bright, minimal surfaces of the units has allowed the designer to add a vintage glass cabinet and a statement fridge to the space without it feeling too squashed.
See these fresh ideas for L-shaped kitchens
Handleless cabinets work well in a small kitchen, as the flat design feels light and spacious. Here, glossy cream units form an L-shaped run of worktop and storage that recedes into the white walls.
The bright, minimal surfaces of the units has allowed the designer to add a vintage glass cabinet and a statement fridge to the space without it feeling too squashed.
See these fresh ideas for L-shaped kitchens
5. Create a canvas
A handleless design offers the opportunity to add other textures and finishes to the space. For example, this wall of plain units forms a clean backdrop to showcase whitewashed brick, wood, metal and plants.
The lack of door furniture allows the cabinets to form a clear surface that doesn’t fight with other elements in the room.
A handleless design offers the opportunity to add other textures and finishes to the space. For example, this wall of plain units forms a clean backdrop to showcase whitewashed brick, wood, metal and plants.
The lack of door furniture allows the cabinets to form a clear surface that doesn’t fight with other elements in the room.
6. Frame a pattern
Make the most of handleless doors by teaming them with interesting texture and pattern.
In this contemporary space, handleless, flat-fronted units give a bold, sleek look. The bright blue surfaces act as a frame for a backsplash of white herringbone tiles.
Any door furniture might have made the scheme too busy, whereas here the blue serves to highlight the intricate tile design.
Learn about these 4 backsplash materials
Make the most of handleless doors by teaming them with interesting texture and pattern.
In this contemporary space, handleless, flat-fronted units give a bold, sleek look. The bright blue surfaces act as a frame for a backsplash of white herringbone tiles.
Any door furniture might have made the scheme too busy, whereas here the blue serves to highlight the intricate tile design.
Learn about these 4 backsplash materials
7. Showcase crisp geometrics
These cabinets create a grid along the wall that looks neat and uniform against the bright white worktop and walls. The kitchen’s minimal aesthetic continues with a simple shelf and backsplash, and the handleless doors accentuate this crisp look.
By keeping the design simple, each element in the room is shown off to full effect. The copper tap might have got lost in a busier space, while here it’s an attractive feature.
Read more:
The Ultimate Guide To Handleless Kitchens
Tell us:
Are you planning to choose a handleless kitchen? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
These cabinets create a grid along the wall that looks neat and uniform against the bright white worktop and walls. The kitchen’s minimal aesthetic continues with a simple shelf and backsplash, and the handleless doors accentuate this crisp look.
By keeping the design simple, each element in the room is shown off to full effect. The copper tap might have got lost in a busier space, while here it’s an attractive feature.
Read more:
The Ultimate Guide To Handleless Kitchens
Tell us:
Are you planning to choose a handleless kitchen? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
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Handleless kitchen is the perfect design for modern homes because is stylish in appearance and designed to create impact, here is an example of copper profile handles with stone grey cabinetry and turquoise glass splash-back.
Handleless is perfect for the streamlined look, but is not always user friendly for everyone and encourages lots more fingerprints as people unfamiliar with your kitchen will be tapping away trying to find the release, unless tipon is used which is easier. We find our customers prefer a rail handle - we can powder coat any of our handles to match your design. For example an anthracite handle to match an antracite door, keeping the lines clean and simple.
Went for handless doors in our new kitchen. Love the minimal look of clean lines. The back of our island can be seen from the living area so we opted for push catches along this run of cupboards which aesthetically looks better than a rail would have.