Kitchen plinth

The kitchen plinth is the panel along the bottom of the base units that hides the adjustable cabinet legs and the space beneath. It protects from dust and water, conceals the supports and visually "grounds" the kitchen. It looks like a detail, but it affects the look, the ease of cleaning and the life of the carcasses.

Height. Standard legs for kitchen carcasses come in 100 and 150 mm, and many models have an adjustment range of about −5/+15 mm (heavier-duty legs have more). The plinth is most often 100-150 mm high. The lower the plinth, the more "monumental" the kitchen looks; the higher, the lighter. For tall users, the height and the toe-kick depth matter: your feet should be able to go under the unit when standing at the sink.

Material. Plinths are made of melamine board with a seal along the bottom, MDF, plastic and aluminium (anodised, sometimes with a decorative insert). Near the sink a moisture-proof option is better: an aluminium or plastic plinth does not mind leaks and a wet mop, while melamine board swells. For long kitchen runs the aluminium profile comes in lengths of several metres and clips onto the legs.

Design tricks. A plinth in the floor colour makes the kitchen "float". A contrasting dark plinth draws a graphic shadow under light fronts. Lighting in the plinth gives a soft night scene for the kitchen: an LED strip facing down lights the floor. Metal plinths (brass, steel) suit contemporary and art deco schemes. In classic kitchens the plinth is part of the front, with a profile and milled detail.

Practical points. The plinth can contain pull-out drawers for baking trays and boards: in small kitchens, where every litre of storage counts, this is a useful niche. For a built-in fridge, oven and dishwasher, ventilation grilles are provided in the plinth, otherwise appliances overheat. For vacuum and robot cleaners the plinth should not be too low or too protruding.

Typical mistakes: forgetting appliance ventilation; using a melamine plinth with no water protection beside the sink; making a plinth that cannot be removed for access to pipes; not matching the plinth colour with floor and front; not accounting for the legs with a non-standard worktop height. In the kitchen specification and drawings we state height, material and ventilation points, as for other parts of the carcass furniture.