Hello All,

My wife is heart set on free standing kitchen cabinets/kitchen, probably a combination of wood and stainless. Apparently they are the next new thing. If you google "free standing kitchen" you see a ton of sites with great stuff, but it is all in the UK! Those Brits are always ahead of us aren't they? They always have the coolest stuff. Problem is, is any of it available here? If so, does it cost a fortune? Are there low or just reasonably priced alternatives here? Or are Ikea free standing kitchens, like the Varde, all one can hope for in the states?

One other thought - would resturant supply have anything similar that might be an option?

 

The UK does not have the corner on free-standing kitchen cabinets. We've been building them here since the settlers arrived. It's just that after WWII that kitchens and kitchen designs with the work triangle became the standard and standardization and pre-manufacturered kitchen cabinets dominated.

Even with pre-manufactured cabinets, you can create the look of free-standing kitchens by mixing in cabinets of a different color or wood species, so that it looks like a china or buffet cabinet or other stands alone. If you have the space in your kitchen, a creative kitchen designer can help you achieve this look.

If you go with custom cabinets, you can do anything you like. The Amish cabinet builders, who have a great reputation for custom cabinetry, make a lot of free-standing cabinets for various rooms in the home. If you study kitchen magazines, you will see that some designs show where homeowners have moved in unique collectible cabinets to be used in the kitchen as stand-alone cabinets.

When it comes to decor, everything is economy driven. Colors, styles, textures, finishes, and designs are ever changing. For some, that means returning to the past for inspiration. Consumers want the latest look, and whatever is being featured by decorators and designers as being the latest and most desirable drives the market.

"Apparently they are the next new thing." No, free-standing cabinetry is not the next new thing. Free-standing cabinetry is an inspiration from the past.

 

Thank you for your reply, but I guess I was not clear. I am simply looking for manufacturers or distributers are very contemporary designed stainless steel + wood free standing cabinets. My searches in print and online have only resulted in British companies. I do not see these same types of products in the US. Can someone please assist me with information if it is available?

 

Google for 'stainless steel kitchen cabinets.' There are manufacturers in the US.

 

Look at Ikea. They sell free standing kitchens in the US. Not a whole lot of options design-wise, but they look fairly nice. Ikea cabinets got good ratings with consumer reports too.

Depending on the cabinets you choose, you might be forced to mail order or pick up the cabinets. And if you don't live near an Ikea, it may be a very long drive to go look at/pick them up. For us Coloradans, it's a 14 hour drive to Dallas unless you wait till sometime this spring, when we are only facing a 7 hour drive to Salt Lake City.

 

Thanks logcabincook! I am looking for something like Ikea free standing, but none of those work for us, but maybe they will have new models some time? I actually have two Ikea's near by. Other than Ikea, anything similar in a contemporary styled free standing kitchen is only available in Europe.

 

Good news about IKEA's free standing kitchen cabinets. You can shop from home at www.ikea.com