Kitchens that Hinge on Luxury

Let's say you're in your kitchen. You open a cabinet door and swing it shut. What sound does it make? Thud? Bang? Well, you might say, aside from a little bumper bubble there is little that can be done about that irritating noise.
	Oh contraire my friend... There's a nifty little gadget, called a soft-close hinge, that is designed with a mechanism that prevents a kitchen cabinet door from slamming! It slowly and silently brings the door to a fully closed position. There are even systems on the market that can be retrofitted onto existing hinges. Some may say it's an unnecessary detail, maybe even a little extravagant, but, soft close hinges can make your kitchen feel more upscale and may even supply that added edge when you are re-selling your home.
Everything Hinges on Knowledge Educate yourself on the hinge options that are available on the market today. If you are having custom kitchen cabinets made, or you are working with a kitchen designer, it is likely that many options will be made known to you. However, it is still good to know more about what you are deciding on and what the alternatives are. While this article focuses on hinges there are various soft closing options available for kitchen drawers as well.

Blum Inc., a manufacturer of functional kitchen hardware, introduced three new door mechanisms with their BLUMOTION line in August 2006. These products offer "an improved closing motion and a variety of application options". Blum Inc. specializes in drawer runner systems and concealed hinges. Let's take a look at their three new kitchen hinge products.
BLUMOTION 970A: The BLUMOTION 970A mounts on the same side of the cabinets as the hinges. BLUMOTION 970A's can be used with interior roll-outs. They are discreetly bored into the top or bottom of cabinets. Based on the weight and size of cabinet doors you may need one or more of these BLUMOTION 970A’s per door.
BLUMOTION 971A The BLUMOTION 971A, by Blum Inc., is designed to be mounted to the side of a kitchen cabinet between the top and bottom hinges. BLUMOTION 971A is available in several mounting versions. BLUMOTION 971A can accommodate various door weights and sizes because it features a cam adjustment. Most applications will only require one BLUMOTION 971A  per door.
BLUMOTION 973A Clipping easily onto the hinge arm, the BLUMOTION 973A responds to the force exerted from someone closing a cabinet door and allows it to shut softly. BLUMOTION 973A is available for use on a variety of hinges. It is recommended that one BLUMOTION 973A be used for each self-closing hinge.
For more information about Blum Inc. and their kitchen hardware products visit: www.blum.us
More Useful Tips and Terms for Kitchen Hinges and Hardware: Degree Of Opening: The degree of opening refers to how far your cabinet door will be able to open. The higher the degree or angle that the hinge allows for will mean more room to access your cabinets contents. 90 Degree Hinge : A hinge that only allows a door to open 90 degrees or perpendicular to the cabinets. Think of a quarter of a pie. These hinges are for mounting on flush-fitting surfaces. They can be used on a section of cabinetry that is recessed beside a wall, an appliance or other cabinets that protrude out further. 110 Degree Hinge : A hinge that opens a cabinet door to 110º. It opens just a little wider than the 90º hinge. 170 Degree Hinge : A cabinet door on a 170 degree hinge will open right up so that it is against the adjacent cupboard. Think of almost half of a pie. 270 Degree Hinge : A hinge that opens a door 270 degrees, wrapping it around to the side of the cabinet. Think of three quarters of a pie. This is much the same as a hinge used on a TV armoire and can only be used on frameless cabinet design with a full overlay.
Kinds of Hinges : There are different options available in hinges. While each serves the same basic purpose, there are different applications for each hinge style. The cabinet style you choose, for example, will require a certain hinge that functions with that particular design. Concealed Hinge: Hinges that are hidden. Frameless cabinets use concealed hinges. Also called a European hinge. Exposed Hinge: Hinges that are not hidden. Snap Closing Hinge: Snap closing or self closing hinges will pull a door shut when it is just a few inches from being closed. Soft Close Hinge: A soft close hinge allows a door to self close gently and quietly. Some soft close hinges have a pneumatic mechanism incorporated into the hinge. Soft Close Drawer Runners: Allow drawers to close completely and silently.

For information on kitchen knobs see article: Upscale your Kitchen with Hardware.

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