Kitchen Guides
Clever Solutions for Sharp Kitchen Counter Corners
The designers of these kitchens found creative ways to ease the transition from counter to walking zone
It’s pretty standard for kitchen cabinets to run in a straight line until they meet the end of a wall or the start of a doorway. But sometimes, that isn’t the smoothest route. These six kitchens employ clever alternatives for ending a run of kitchen cabinets. Though the solutions vary, each makes the nearby passageway feel a little more smooth. Could this be a solution for your kitchen?
2. Recessed by door
Another way to pull the counter back from the walkway is to recess it, as the designer of this kitchen did. Instead of a full-depth cabinet abutting the door that leads outside, a 12-inch-deep cabinet creates some breathing room. “I wanted it to be recessed back so you feel like you can smoothly walk around it,” said designer Shannon Eckel-Braun of Design Factory Interiors. “I didn’t want the countertops to just end.”
Another way to pull the counter back from the walkway is to recess it, as the designer of this kitchen did. Instead of a full-depth cabinet abutting the door that leads outside, a 12-inch-deep cabinet creates some breathing room. “I wanted it to be recessed back so you feel like you can smoothly walk around it,” said designer Shannon Eckel-Braun of Design Factory Interiors. “I didn’t want the countertops to just end.”
3. Angled by door
This kitchen has a range that sticks out farther than the doorway wall. One option would have been to stop the run of counter where the range ends.
But the designer found a solution that also adds storage: Angling the countertop to the left of the range so it forms a wedge that looks interesting but not awkward. More importantly, it creates a smooth route in and out of the kitchen. And with the space used for open shelving rather than a traditional closed cabinet, all that space is easily accessed.
Here’s a guide to the most popular kitchen countertop materials
This kitchen has a range that sticks out farther than the doorway wall. One option would have been to stop the run of counter where the range ends.
But the designer found a solution that also adds storage: Angling the countertop to the left of the range so it forms a wedge that looks interesting but not awkward. More importantly, it creates a smooth route in and out of the kitchen. And with the space used for open shelving rather than a traditional closed cabinet, all that space is easily accessed.
Here’s a guide to the most popular kitchen countertop materials
Here’s a more traditional way to angle a counter near a doorway: With a corner cabinet. The shape of this end run of cabinets invites you into the room. It also smooths the way out – you can glide right by via an efficient diagonal route.
Learn how to creatively use the corners in your kitchen
Learn how to creatively use the corners in your kitchen
4. Rounded on end of run
The designer of this kitchen in used curves to soften the lines of this long, narrow kitchen. The curve of the tall breakfast table echoes the curve of the cabinet. Both curves distract the eye from the otherwise long, straight shape of the space. The cabinet’s curve also allows space for a walkway around the table.
Check out these smart space-saving table and chair ideas
The designer of this kitchen in used curves to soften the lines of this long, narrow kitchen. The curve of the tall breakfast table echoes the curve of the cabinet. Both curves distract the eye from the otherwise long, straight shape of the space. The cabinet’s curve also allows space for a walkway around the table.
Check out these smart space-saving table and chair ideas
5. Rounded on island
In this kitchen, squared-off cabinets at the perimeter maximise storage, but the curved shape of this island’s end zone offers a practical way to avoid uncomfortable bumps where people tend to hang out. As with the first example in this story, rounding the island adds to the room’s transitional feel, as do the speckled countertops and horizontal bar pulls on the cabinets.
Read more:
5 Things to Know Before Installing a Modular Kitchen
Tell us:
How have you tackled the issue of a sharp run of cabinets next to the walkway? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
In this kitchen, squared-off cabinets at the perimeter maximise storage, but the curved shape of this island’s end zone offers a practical way to avoid uncomfortable bumps where people tend to hang out. As with the first example in this story, rounding the island adds to the room’s transitional feel, as do the speckled countertops and horizontal bar pulls on the cabinets.
Read more:
5 Things to Know Before Installing a Modular Kitchen
Tell us:
How have you tackled the issue of a sharp run of cabinets next to the walkway? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
The designer of this kitchen gave the countertop a curve to soften the lines and give the space a transitional feel. The curve is also a practical choice because the counter abuts a walkway that heads toward a door. A curve in the pebbled quartz countertop means there’s no sharp corner to hit should you make a misstep.