Behind Closed Doors
Tomas cabinets are indeed very beautiful, but that beauty is more than just skin deep. Behind closed doors you'll be delighted to discover solid oak drawers, birch plywood cabinets and an extensive range of accessories and internal features. Read on for some great kitchen design insight and to explore the Tomas Collection further.
Tall Elements
Many kitchens have limited space for tall elements and there is often a trade-off between maximising countertop surface and tall storage.
Top of the list for tall elements is usually the fridge. Maybe a tall fridge is the first choice when it comes to prioritising, as built-under fridges just don’t seem to offer enough space and they are awkward to access.
If a freezer can go in another area, or perhaps built-under in the kitchen, the tall fridge can be a large larder fridge or have an integral icebox. If space is, tight a split fridge/freezer can be used.
The next priority is probably going to be an oven tower, unless side-by-side ovens centred under a hob are preferred.
Once the fridge and ovens have been ticked off the list, the remaining space can be for storage.
If that space is 300 or 400mm, a pull-out larder is really the only sensible option.
From 450 to 600mm upwards, it could be a swing-out larder with metal baskets or perhaps a Tomas towerDRAWER (see below).
When there is more than 600mm available, the choices open up:
Scroll down or click on links to find out more about these types of tall elements, which are all exclusive to the Tomas Collection.
larderDRAWER
A larderDRAWER has externally presented drawers, as opposed to the internal drawers that define our specialPANTRY (see below). Depending on the design and the number of other drawers in the layout, it is almost always better to choose a larderDRAWER, as doors don't have to be opened before accessing the drawer. There are internal countertops, bay shelves (for headroom) and our gorgeous toboggan shelves on the backs of the doors. The narrowest sensible width for a larderDRAWER is 700mm going up to a very luxurious 1200mm.
specialPANTRY
A specialPANTRY has internally positioned drawers and full length doors, which when closed will match fully integrated fridges, freezers and towerDRAWERS. If direct access to the drawers isn't such a crucial factor and visual simplicity is preferred, a specialPANTRY will be chosen over a larderDRAWER.
tambourDRAWER
A tambour is a roll-up shutter that can be deployed instead of a door. The advantage of this is that they can be left up and out of the way when the cabinet is in constant use and then lowered to screen the contents. Cabinets with slide-away doors are also an option but these take up more space and often protrude (depending on cabinet widths and depths). When a tambour is positioned above drawers it becomes tambourDRAWER. It can be used as a larder, but can also be tweaked to make a very nice drinks cabinet! Furthermore, our tambours can sit on the countertop, like a dresser. Available in aluminium, oak, ash (pictured below) and walnut.
towerDRAWER
When the available space is between 400 and 600mm, the towerDRAWER can be deployed as a very beautiful alternative to the usual pull out wireworks and metal baskets. Behind the single door, there are internal drawers, shelves and a spice rack. The characterful vintage label holders are optional. Shown below is 600mm wide towerDRAWER next to a walnut tambourDRAWER.
overCASE
An open section set between tall elements adds character and a focal point - perfect for open-plan arrangements where the kitchen merges with the living space. For extra impact, the back panels can be in various finishes with concealed lighting.
Corners
Kitchens tend to fall into five typical shapes:
straight run and island
simple galley
L shaped
U shaped
J Shaped
When the available space lends itself to a U or L shaped layout at least one corner will naturally occur.
The corner is usually the starting point for the layout, so questions around the shape of the corner will arise very early in the design process.
There are only two standard shape options: curved or squared. If the general theme of the kitchen is ‘curved’ a curved corner may be the natural choice. Likewise, if the theme is square, a square corner is probably going to be selected.
However, it is not unusual to mix curves and squares, and the layout may well benefit from a square corner, even though the ends may be curved.