Designer Kitchens: Glass-front Cabinets

You have seen them in several previous Simplified Bee posts: Clean and Simple White Kitchens, French Inspired Kitchen Design, and Perfect Function - Mick de Giulio Kitchen Design. It seems more than ever, interior designers are incorporating glass-front cabinetry into their kitchen designs. And I love the look!

Glass-front cabinets provide an open, airy feeling and are used to display choice tableware. They are great incentives for you to be organized because any clutter will be noticeable. For this reason however, it is important to place glass-front cabinets strategically and perhaps sparingly in your kitchen. Here are some examples of great kitchen designs - including modern, contemporary and traditional - using glass-front cabinets.

Atlanta, Georgia-based designer, Suzanne Kasler beautifully positions glass-front cabinets on either side of the stove and farmhouse sink. Love the Roman shade in Galbraith & Paul's Zinnia print.

Sage Design uses glass-fronts in a series of standard rectangle shaped cabinets to give this smaller, classic kitchen an open and airy feeling.

In this soft cream kitchen the upper cabinets showcase decorative stained glass. I am a fan of mixing old with new and love how the stained glass old world look balances the contemporary design elements. Image via Decor Pad.

Natural light floods this gorgeous kitchen by designer, Suzanne Kasler. She surrounds a range and hood with divided light or mullioned door glass-front cabinets. The cabinets also nicely echo the look of the adjacent windows. The ice blue tile backsplash and bar stools add a touch of freshness to this beautiful kitchen.

In this Scandinavian kitchen from Vakre Hjem & Interior, the divided light glass-front cabinets are stunning. The X pattern contrasts nicely with the vertical pattern in the country beadboard.

In this kitchen, designer Molly Frey converts an antique hutch from New England into a wet bar. The glass-front cabinet in this case doesn't have to match the kitchen's cabinet style and adds to the overall charm by mixing old and new.

Designed by Elizabeth Dinkel, this kitchen's glass-front cabinets house books and frame an open window into the adjacent living room.

This curved glass display case is beautifully positioned on a corner. Love this use of space! Image via Kitchen Bath Ideas.

Painting the back or interior of a glass-front cabinet allows you to add a shot of color into your kitchen. Select a hue that complements your existing color scheme and is a contrast to your tableware. Image via House Beautiful.

Here is another example {via Decorology} of glass-front cabinets with a splash of color. Notice that all of the items on display are in a neutral white or glass so that they don't blend into the background. Using storage bins such as the large white labeled tins on the top shelf are a great way to display items you otherwise won't in a glass-front cabinet.

Featured in the August 2007 issue of House Beautiful, the interior of these divided light cabinets are painted by architect Gil Schafer and color consultant, Eve Ashcraft. Both the white cabinets and china contrast nicely with the apple green backdrop. The glass insert appears to be reeded which would help conceal the cabinets contents.

A fluted glass insert, as seen in the stainless steel cabinets above is another good option if you struggle to keep your dishware organized. Image courtesy of Luxury Housing Trends.

Frosted-glass cabinet doors also hide tableware, spices and other cooking supplies. In this colorful kitchen featured in Coastal Living, the homeowners etched letter into the frosted-glass to make finding items easy as ABC.

Do you have glass-front cabinets in your kitchen? Do you love the look?

* First image courtesy of Charles and Hudson.