There are many things to love about owning a home, but one of the most exciting aspects is choosing custom features that complement your taste and personality. Since home design trends come and go at a rapid pace, you can draw design inspiration from any time period that speaks to you, whether it's “in style” or not. For example, if you're a fan of the '60s aesthetic, then slab kitchen cabinet doors with hidden grooves instead of traditional cabinet pulls are definitely worth a try.
This cabinet style offers a sleek, elegant look and is an effective way to highlight the cabinet material in your kitchen. Another great advantage of the simple look is that it goes with almost everything. Whether you're going for a modern or minimalist look, or are looking for cabinets that pair well with nostalgic kitchen decor from the '60s and '70s to instantly bring back the good vibes, plate cabinets will work.
How record cabinets became classics
According to House Digest design history expert Sarah Stafford Turner, panel cabinets were introduced in the 1930s, long before they found their way into American kitchens. Turner explains, “European, particularly Scandinavian and German, designers of the Bauhaus and other modernist schools introduced slim row doors and cabinets as early as the 1930s.” Turner adds, “The style was intended to highlight the attractive natural woods from which they were made. When modular cabinets became fashionable with the housing boom in the 1950s and 1960s, these styles found their way into consumer products, along with streamlined, often pull-out drawers and doors.”
With the design trends of the 60s and 70s experiencing a bold revival in homes today, panel cabinets make a lot of sense. The cabinets have a mid-century modern feel, a style that remains timeless in homes across the country. The flat, seamless cabinet doors are also versatile and easy to clean.
Still, there are a few things you should know about panel cabinets before installing them in your home. For example, installation can be quite difficult and requires a professional, which can cost more than simple cabinet models. Additionally, as Turner explained, the idea behind this type of closet door is to highlight the material of the doors. If you choose something higher quality like solid hardwood, the overall installation cost will go even higher. Plate cabinets can also be a little more difficult to obtain. But if your goal is a retro '60s look, you can't go wrong with this.