Unique Kitchen Features: Hidden doors

What makes a kitchen unique? It is often the little touches that make it personal to you both in terms of how it looks, but equally important is how it suits your practical needs. One popular feature is hidden drawers and doors, ranging from a secret cupboard to an entire pantry! But you can also use kitchen space to discretely hide other items like power outlets, bins and even small appliances. And even rooms!

In this article, Michelle Pickstock, senior design consultant at Callerton Kitchens, talks us through three ways to make these unique features work for you.

Hiding in plain sight

If you don’t want your spice racks or even the kitchen bin to be on display, then hide them away!

“We have cabinets that are manufactured to hold an integrated bin which are also easy to clean and help prevent unwanted smells wafting about when you’re preparing or enjoying food,” says Michelle. “Often these days there are more than one bin as we separate recycling and waste, maybe even compostable materials too. So, the ability to avoid these containers cluttering the kitchen is clearly in demand.”

If you like clean lines and no clutter, then hiding small appliances can also be a bonus. Larder cupboards are designed to hide away the likes of toasters, coffee makers and liquidisers – all things that often get used in the mornings then simply sit on the worktop for the rest of the day, whilst providing additional storage,” adds Michelle.

All those appliances require power outlets and sometimes they don’t fit with the overall aesthetic. “There are ways to hide these outlet such as within a draw or on the bottom of a cupboard, or even on the worktop with a worktop piece on top to add to the overall finish” she adds. “This helps protect a sleek and seamless design while still providing practicality.”

Secret drawers and doors

This design aesthetic can extend to secret doors and drawers in the kitchen. “Many of Callerton’s clients across the North-East want to maximise every space inch of space, but without compromising on the overall kitchen design,” says Michelle.“You can easily achieve this by using secret or hidden drawers and cabinet doors.”

An example that combines discretion with practicality is the corner pullout, making the most use of harder to reach areas and maximising use of storage space. “No matter how big your kitchen, most of us have wanted more space at some point,” adds Michelle. “Fitting a pull-out mechanism in a blind corner means you are effectively using the entire cupboard or cabinet space, while still having quick and easy access to the items inside.

Your own Narnia

Another big trend in kitchen design right now takes this a step further, with entire secret pantries – your own private Narnia, but with more food and fewer talking animals!

“We all know that pantries are not always the most organised of spaces, so having a door on them keeps the mess out of sight when you’ve got visitors,” says Michelle. “However, pantry doors can often stick out like sore thumbs within the overall kitchen design.

“With Callerton Kitchens, your pantry door can be designed to seamlessly fit in with the surrounding kitchen cabinets, giving you a super cool secret door while retaining the kitchen’s aesthetic.”

Find out more

Talk to us to find out more about how we can incorporate hidden doors and drawers into your kitchen design.