Are you considering installing glass doors on your Shaker kitchen cabinets? Are they a good investment or a cleaning problem? Let’s find out.
Different Types of Glass Doors
What glass doors are there in modern kitchen designs, and why would someone install glass doors on their kitchen cabinets?
1. Transparent glass
Much like a window or car windshield, transparent glass lets one look into the cabinet fully.
2. Frosted glass
For those who want a change in the wall cabinet doors without fully transparent glass may choose frosted glass. These doors have a smokey grey color on the glass door. These doors may still be semi-transparent but not easily viewable compared to transparent glass.
3. Textured glass
Some kitchen cabinet doors need some texture to pop. Textured glass may not be as dark as frosted glass but may be dark enough to blur the insides of the cabinet from being visible.
4. Leaded glass
Leaded glass is commonly known as crystal glass. It joins multiple small pieces of glass together, allowing for designs and patterns to be present on the glass. The designs commonly on leaded glass trends from contemporary to traditional.
Are Glass Kitchen Cabinets A Good Idea
Glass doors in kitchens have become much less popular as an option in modern times. Yet, many customers and homeowners still prefer and want to have a certain number of glass doors installed.
Glass Inserts
Certain types of cabinet doors will have a different option for glass doors, which use glass inserts. Depending on the door construction, a glass insert can be installed in a variety of ways.
Single-piece construction doors come built-in with glass doors and cannot be changed. A 5-piece construction door may potentially disassemble the door and add the glass insert rather than a shaker inside the design.
These doors are the most versatile as a homeowner can fully renovate the kitchen and add the glass door options later.
Glass Shelves
Certain customers may not like the aesthetic of plywood shelves that come with cabinets, especially with glass doors. Full transparent glass doors will show the contents inside the cabinet.
Some homeowners may choose to have glass shelves for these cabinets to complement the full visibility of the doors. Glass shelves allow light to shine through each layer in the cabinet, making the kitchen appear more spacious.
Glass Door Sizes
Glass doors will commonly be available in most traditional wall cabinet sizes, from 12” x 30” to 18” x 42”.
A few wall cabinets will not have standard glass options, but they can be custom-ordered through some cabinet companies. So, why these cabinets?
Pros of Glass Doors
- Larger-looking kitchen: With multiple glass doors in the kitchen, the room will appear much larger. As more light can shine through these doors and even glass shelves, the room appears more open and bright. This may be beneficial for small rooms and large ones alike.
- Many styles available: Some customers may want to change cabinet doors without having to go with a different cabinet color. Glass doors have different designs, textures, and tints, and certain styles have different materials.
- Glass doors can be easy to clean: Much like cleaning a mirror, they can be cleaned with an all-purpose glass cleaner spray.
- Easy to find what you want: With transparent glass doors that are fully visible, wall cabinets allow one to find exactly what they are looking for. A good way to create some new color in the kitchen is to add bright-colored dishware and let it pop out.
Cons of Glass Doors
- Visible clutter: Glass doors mean one must organize the interior of the cabinets to be presentable. Unless one has frosted glass, anyone can see the clutter a lazy person would have behind the glass doors. Having multiple cabinets with glass doors even means one cannot hoard much stuff in the wall cabinets. This limits what someone can put behind a full transparent glass door.
- Fragile: Glass is glass. No matter what strength of glass or option for glass door, glass is prone to shattering. This is true for glass shelves as well. Glass shelves, too, cannot support the weight compared to plywood shelves. Adding too much weight will result in the glass shelf potentially shattering.
- Constantly gets dirty: Despite glass doors being easy to clean, there is a lot of cleaning that needs to be done. Glass doors are recommended not to be near a stove top or range because the fumes will constantly leave grease stains on the doors. A cleaning routine one may need to wipe down is typically just the countertops after cooking. Glass doors would need to be added to that routine.
- Not all sizes available: Not every cabinet door is available in a glass door option. These include cabinet doors over range hoods, pantry doors, over refrigerator cabinets, and certain wall cabinets above double ovens. These specific cabinets have doors that are too small to have glass inserts or a glass window cut inside. Ready-to -assemble cabinets typically have set sizes for cabinet doors and glass doors. Finding these cabinets to be glass doors may require custom cabinet door makers to create these specific sizes.
Which Kitchens Would Have Glass Doors?
Any kitchen can incorporate glass doors to change or specifically highlight decorations in the room. Although a person should not go crazy with having glass doors everywhere, glass can highlight and enhance the kitchen.
The best spot typically is by the kitchen sink. Most sinks are commonly located in front of a window. Windows bring in natural light allowing the glasses and dishes to shine out.
Modern kitchens commonly use frosted glass instead of transparent glass. Unlike traditional doors, European flat-panel kitchen cabinets also feature horizontal flip-up doors. These are commonly seen with potential frosted glass to add some noticeable emphasis on design and separation.
Are Kitchen Cabinet Glass Doors For You?
Glass doors are fully cosmetic. Certain people want glass doors to display cups, glasses, and dishware. Aside from cosmetic value, glass doors add more work to maintain and upkeep.
People that like the aesthetics of glass may incorporate glass to match their kitchen style. Those who do not want to add more constant cleaning or prefer the continuous look of symmetrical doors would prefer to not have glass.
Certain glass designs match well with specific cabinet color options. Solid color shaker cabinets will benefit from a glass door making certain areas of the kitchen appear larger. If you are looking to add glass doors to a pre-existing kitchen, look at showrooms to determine what options are available.
