A toe kick is the recessed space on a lower cabinet that offers room for – you guessed it – your toes. These few inches enable your feet to rest comfortably under a small section of the cabinet, allowing you to get closer to the countertop without having to hunch over.
It provides an area for your toes to go while you use the kitchen, allowing your legs and waist to be flush with the front of the cabinets, and the countertop. Without it, your feet would bump into the bottom of the cabinet and you'd have to stand back from the counter to work.
In kitchen design, a toe-kick is a recessed plinth at the base of your cabinets that gives them a 'floating' look.
The purpose of a toe kick is to create a recess for your feet, which allows you to stand closer to the countertop or workspace more comfortably. Toe kick molding is a long strip of flat covering that is positioned in the unfinished recess to provide a continuous finished look to the cabinetry.
Toe kicks are there to give room for your toes while performing tasks in your kitchen. They let your feet rest at ease under base cabinets. You also need them to get closer to your counters without hunching over. Many people don't even notice they are there, but they are essential to your comfort.
Cabinets Without Toe Kick
If you're remodeling or building a new kitchen, you can leave it out and save yourself some money. Toe kicks are nice to have, but they're not essential.
Adjustable height legs are another alternative to toe kicks. They allow you to adjust the height of your cabinets, making it easier to work in the kitchen if you are tall or short.
How is a toe kick constructed? What is sometimes called a “kick space”, is notched out at the bottom of your base cabinets, allowing you to get closer to the countertop without having to hunch over. It is typically 3” – 4” deep by 4 ½” high. It's either painted or stained to match your cabinets.
So, what's the difference? Well, for starters, furniture base molding does not recede like toe-kick molding does. This means there is no extra toe room provided by furniture base molding. Additionally, furniture base molding is generally more decorative than its counterpart.
Regardless of what you choose, the established standard for the top of the counter is about 36 inches above the floor. It's also important to note that, if you're including toe kick drawers in your kitchen design, put flooring down first to ensure that the bottom drawers can function properly.
Toe Kick. Below the base cabinet, there is a recessed area known as the toe kick. It typically measures 3 inches in height and the depth is approximately 3.5 – 4 inches. The toe kick is an ergonomic feature which places countertops and cabinets within arm's length.
Although not mandated by building codes, manufacturers and tradespeople use them as a design standard. As a result, toe kicks are standard on practically every factory-built cabinet, and custom kitchen cabinets makers always use conventional toe kick shapes and sizes.
Typically, a toe-kick is an appropriate detail. However, if you're planning on an island in your kitchen and you want it to look like a furniture piece, you should opt for furniture base.
Ceiling-height cabinets can create a claustrophobic feeling in a small kitchen. Cabinets that run all the way to the ceiling can turn an otherwise large room into a cramped feeling space. That is why it is important to understand your design preferences before making a decision.
There is a valid reason for the gap between the kitchen cabinets and the ceiling; this is the height that most people can reach by standing on the floor or by using a ladder.
Are Baseboards Necessary When Installing Flooring? While baseboards are not required when installing new floors, most floors expand and contract in differing temperatures and require an expansion gap between the floor and the wall. Baseboards cover the gap between the floor and the wall, making the room look complete.
Plinths are sometimes referred to as kick board or kick plate and are used to bridge the gap between the floor and the bottom of your cabinets to hide away cabinet legs, cables, and pipes, leaving your kitchen to look sleek and tidy.
You could use glue, just about anything will work, but you'll want to use something that's got some sticky/tack to it so that they stay in place while the glue sets. Another option would be dobs of caulk, which will work like glue, but be relatively easy to pop off should you ever need or want to.
J Pull/Finger Kitchen Cabinets
Shadow spaces between doors in J pull kitchens allow your fingers to access the knobs or handles. J-pull cabinets are the most common handleless cabinets seen in many contemporary kitchens. They are less expensive solutions but may need more regular cleaning.
If you have that annoying small gap between the cabinet toe kick and the floor, like mine. There's a super easy fix for that. A thin bead of caulk can seal or fill that small gap between cabinets and floors in less than 30 minutes.
Toe-kick depths greater than 3 inches do not hurt the effectiveness of the toe kick, but depths less than 3 inches should usually be avoided, as they interfere with ergonomic effectiveness. The optimal height for a toe kick is 4 inches, and heights up to 4 inches are common.