Kitchen Cabinetry: The Importance of the Toe Kick

Kitchen Cabinetry: The Importance of the Toe Kick

Notice this cabinetry does not have a toe kick area 

The Toe Kick Area

Many vintage kitchen base cabinets did not have a toe kick. The toe kick is a welcome feature of modern day kitchens. It enables you to get up close to the countertop to work without causing back aches. In vintage kitchens work was often done at a free standing table in the middle of the kitchen not on the countertops of the base cabinets. However later kitchens were built with the toe kick area as we see below.

Toe Kick Space: Things Not To Do

Many kitchen designers who don't cook or clean suggest giving your cabinetry feet in the toe kick area in to give your cabinetry the look of furniture added over time. These toe kick ornaments fool no one. They only thing they add is more cleaning. You will no longer be able to easily Swiffer or mop your kitchen. These toe kicks will require you to clean out the area behind them on your hands and knees with a damp cloth. However, do put a piece of wood down so the front of your toe kicks on something. You definitely don't want an open toe kick area under your base cabinets as this requires cleaning under the entire length and depth of your base cabinets. Here are the pictures of what not to do.

 For ease of cleaning you want an unobstructed toe kick area that  you can easily swiffer and mop.