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built in cabinet question

BobC | Posted in Construction Techniques on April 28, 2007 05:13am

I’ve built my first set of kitchen cabinets but now i’ve got to build a “built in serving area” and i’m seeking advice how to handle something. See the attached picture. My question deals with how to handle the bottom where the 1×6 baseboard intersects with the cabinet. The build in sits back a good 8 inches from the front edge.

The built in cabinet will not have a toe kick (unlike the picture) but will be more like a standard piece of furnature. I suppose this also means that the bottom part of the cabinet (where the toe kick normally is) will sit out 3/4″ beyond the face frame and have some kind of molding above it.

How do you handle the intersection of the baseboard (stained cypress) with the bottom of this cabinet (tigerwood)?

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  1. DaveRicheson | Apr 28, 2007 04:05pm | #1

    What is the height from the finished floor to the bottom of the drawer?

    If your base height is greater than that heigth you can't run the base around the corners. The drawing shows either a full overlay drawer fronts or framless cases. Both could present you with a problem when the drawers are fully extended if those corners are even just a little out of square to face of the units.

    This will also serve as bump to get your question back to the top of the list.

    Better minds than mine will then jump in.

     

    Dave

    1. BobC | Apr 28, 2007 04:09pm | #2

      i can have the drawers sit off the wall enough so that they won't hit trim on either side so i don't think that that will be an issue. Also i haven't decided how tall the bottom trim on the cabinet is going to be yet...i could have it 5-1/2" (same as the cypress) but that may look too tall.

      Seems like this has got to be a common problem face whenever they build built-ins, i've just never looked that closely.

      1. DaveRicheson | Apr 28, 2007 07:02pm | #3

        I'm not much of a design type so can't help you with that. A normal toe kick area is 4" high by 3" deep, so to my way of thinking, a built-in skirt board should be at least 4" tall, if not taller, depending on the area of what is above it. i.e., a tall wide piece setting on a small 4" base may make the base look "squashed", a short wide piece may be ok, and tall narrow piece might look like it was setting on massive base.

        How you treat the base issue is more a function of how you design the built-in, IMHO.

        Maybe some of the cabinet guys will jump in here, or you might junp over to Knots(click on it at the top right of the heading) and get some help resolving the design issues. Following that I am sure some of the trim gurus here can help with the baseboard issue.

         

        Dave

  2. woodguy99 | Apr 28, 2007 07:20pm | #4

    If the wood for the house baseboard and the built-in baseboard are not the same species or color, then they should not meet at the same height.  One should die into the other. 

    For my work usually the house baseboard is the taller member, so I'll allow a face frame or scribe strip between the drawers and the wall.  The house baseboard dies into that scribe strip, and the built-in baseboard dies onto the house baseboard.  Your mileage may vary.

    BTW, good job for not going with a toe kick space.  Built-ins don't need them unless you're going to be standing at the built-in performing a task.  Some modern "floating" cabinet designs would look good with them, but never on traditional work.

     

     

  3. DougU | Apr 29, 2007 06:29am | #5

    Bob

    If I was building something like you describe I would build my builtin with a base taller then your house base. Then let your house base die into the builtin base.

    I dont think it will look to tall, your building this to look like a piece of furniture (not a tie in to the house trim) so the higher base will just be a "feature".

    Doug

    1. BobC | Apr 29, 2007 07:31am | #6

      So if i hear you all correctly, it would look something like this? With the baseboard and the built-in apron being at different heights -- say 1/2" different?

      1. Jer | Apr 29, 2007 02:49pm | #7

        You got it. If it doesn't look too out of proportion I would build the cab base a bit taller and let the house die into it. If it's too tall on the built in, then do the opposite. 1/2" is too little a difference IMO, it will make it look like they almost meet. Go with an inch.

      2. woodguy99 | Apr 29, 2007 04:04pm | #8

        Ditto Jer.  Right idea, need more difference.

        Is there an existing house base you are matching?  If not, I think that although the way you drew it makes for a nice joint, keeping the house base taller than the cabinet base is better proportionally.  The house base should be dominant to the cabinet base.  Either way works though. 

         

        1. TomW | Apr 29, 2007 04:21pm | #9

          If the cabinet is a focal point, I think it looks nicer to have a taller base on the cabinet than the house. Don't know what the typical way to do it is but I almost always make the cab base bigger.

          1. DougU | Apr 29, 2007 05:55pm | #10

            Tom

            I agree, focal point would be the cabinet so therefore I'd make that base taller then the house base. 1/2" is a good number!

            Estheticlly if the base of the cabinet is shorter then the house base then the house base has to butt to the cabinet style and that always looks like a retro fit to me.

            Doug

          2. BobC | Apr 30, 2007 05:06am | #11

            thank you all, much. Last question. Do you'll typically put some kind of transition trim on top of the cabinet apron? If so do you make is thinner than 3/4" to leave a reveal?

             Whatever it is i'll need to mill it myself.

          3. woodguy99 | Apr 30, 2007 11:45am | #12

            I suppose it depends on the house.  Most of the places I work on have tall baseboards, anywhere from 6" to 10" high.  That would make for some funny looking builtins.  If the house base is 4" I can see it as you say. 

             

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