Kitchen Cabinets for London Home Extensions: Types, Materials and Specification

The cabinet carcass is the box — the structural shell that the doors, drawers, and worktop are attached to. Flat-pack carcasses: These are the product type used by IKEA (SEKTION and METOD systems), Howdens economy ranges, and most B&Q and Wickes ranges. The panels are cut in a factory, edge-banded, and drilled, but the boxes are not assembled until they reach the site. Flat-pack carcasses are typically made from 15–18mm melamine-faced chipboard or MDF. The quality of the carcass panel and the quality of the cam and dowel fixings used to assemble the box vary between manufacturers. A well-assembled flat-pack cabinet from a reputable supplier performs adequately in a domestic kitchen. However, poorly assembled flat-pack, or flat-pack assembled in a damp environment, can begin to fail at joints within 5–10 years. Flat-pack also places more dependence on the skill of the kitchen fitter — a fast or careless installer may not fully tighten fixings, which leads to early movement. Rigid-build carcasses: These arrive at site as fully assembled boxes. The joins between panels are typically glued and stapled or dowelled and glued, producing a much stiffer unit. Rigid-build carcasses are the product type used by brands such as Howdens (their Clerkenwell and higher ranges), Symphony, Omega, and most German kitchen brands (Nobilia, Häcker, Rotpunkt, Nolte). Rigid-build carcasses in 18mm or 19mm chipboard or MDF are significantly stronger and more durable than flat-pack equivalents. For a London kitchen that will receive heavy daily family use, a rigid-build carcass is the better choice. The cost premium over flat-pack is typically 30–60% on cabinet supply cost alone.

The door style and material determines the visual appearance of the kitchen and has a significant effect on durability and maintenance. Vinyl-wrapped MDF: The least expensive door type. A thin vinyl film is heat-pressed to a profiled MDF substrate. Available in a limited colour palette (predominantly white, ivory, and light grey in budget ranges). The main weakness of vinyl-wrapped doors is edge peeling — the vinyl can lift at the edges with heat, moisture, or impact, and once it peels it cannot be repaired. Not appropriate for a kitchen immediately adjacent to a range cooker without a proper protection plan. Lacquered MDF (also called painted MDF or acrylic): A step up in quality. The MDF is spray-lacquered to a smooth finish in any RAL colour. Mid-sheen and high-gloss finishes are both available. Lacquered MDF doors provide a contemporary flat-panel or simple shaker profile in virtually any colour, with good durability. They can be touched up if scratched (subject to colour matching). These are the door type behind most of the London contemporary grey or sage-green kitchens seen on renovation social media. Solid timber: Traditional timber door styles (typically in oak, ash, or painted hardwood) are used in classic and in-frame style kitchens. Solid timber doors expand and contract with moisture changes — in a kitchen adjacent to a steamy cooking environment, this movement must be accommodated in the frame design. Solid timber is more expensive than MDF equivalents but is repairable and can be refinished. In-frame cabinetry: A traditional British cabinet style where the door is hung within a solid face-frame rather than in front of the carcass. This is the style associated with premium kitchen brands such as Humphrey Munson, Plain English, and Neptune, but is also offered at more accessible price points. In-frame kitchens look different to standard kitchens — the face frame is visible around each door, giving a furniture-like appearance. They are typically painted and use solid wood or painted MDF for the frame and doors.

The quality of the hinge and drawer runner system is a strong predictor of long-term kitchen satisfaction. Budget kitchens often use steel hinges without soft-close dampers and plastic drawer runners. These are noticeably inferior in daily use — doors slam, drawers are heavy and noisy. Mid-range and above kitchens use soft-close hinges (with integrated hydraulic dampers that slow the door in the last 10 degrees of closing) and soft-close drawer runners (the drawer coasts to a stop rather than slamming). The standard system used by most mid-range and above kitchen suppliers is the Blum Clip-Top hinge and Blum Tandembox or Legrabox drawer system, or equivalent systems from Hettich or Grass. These systems are extremely robust and are the hardware behind virtually all Howdens, Magnet, Wren, and German-brand kitchens. Handles or push-open/J-pull: Traditional kitchens use bar, cup, or T-bar handles in brushed brass, brushed nickel, or chrome. Contemporary kitchens often use J-pull edges (no visible handle — the door is opened by gripping a routed recess at the top or side) or push-open mechanisms (the door springs open slightly when pressed, no handle at all). J-pull and push-open kitchens are slightly more expensive as they require the cabinet to be built to tighter tolerances.