What Are Kitchen Wall Cabinets?

You can live without kitchen wall cabinets. But I have never seen a kitchen without some kind of wall cabinet.

Kitchen cabinets are mostly comprised of two different types:

1. Base Cabinets - The true workhorse of the kitchen scheme, base cabinets provide a base for other services and storage. Base cabinets also define the kitchen floorplan.
2. Wall Cabinets - A "helper" for some kitchen functions, wall cabinets mainly provide storage space. Unless custom cabinets, these wall cabinets come in pre-determined sizes so that they will interface easily with base cabinets.

1. Kitchen Wall Cabinets Are Primarily Storage Spaces

Wall cabinets provide storage mainly for:

• Food items needed on an immediate basis.
• Light cooking utensils.

Because of their elevation (eye level and higher), kitchen wall cabinets are not practical for heavy food items or heavy pans and appliances.

2. Kitchen Wall Cabinets Provide Functions Other Than Storage

Wall cabinets do have other functions. You can:

• Affix undercabinet lighting.
• Keep them as decorative spaces for displaying special china.
• Maintain them as open shelving.