Kitchen dresser buying guide

As attractive as they are useful, kitchen dressers are usually set up in a kitchen or dining room. These units are primarily used to hold dishes but as they are fairly large in size, they can offer several different storage spaces. Choose your kitchen dresser according to:

• the style of your house: farmhouse, industrial, natural, designer, rustic, etc.;

• the purpose of the unit: e.g. for storing or displaying;

• various technical characteristics: layout of the storage compartments; different parts, features and options.

The first point to consider is the style of your décor. You will have to make sure that your kitchen dresser matches the rest of your room:

• farmhouse-style dressers: usually in lighter wood, possibly featuring an aged effect, creates a warm and inviting feel;

• industrial dresser: features a mix of light or dark-coloured wood and dark metals, made to look like factory or loft-style furnishings;

• natural-feel dressers: made from light-coloured wood, these units feature a modern and warm look. Perfect for cosy, Zen-style décor;

• designer dressers: boasting modern shapes and materials, these dressers offer serious style and can be real decorative elements in their own right – used them to impress your guests!;

• rustic-style dressers: made from solid wood (often waxed or varnished in dark wood tones), these large and sturdy dressers are best suited to traditional interiors.

In addition to providing extra storage, kitchen dressers can perform a range of other functions. As such, it's important to select a model that meets your needs. Kitchen dressers have two main purposes: to store or display items.

Storing dishes

Of course, the most important role a kitchen dresser plays is storing your dishes. In order to make sure your unit it as efficient as possible, be sure to choose a model with lots of different compartments that are well suited to the size of your dishes.

Displaying decorative items

If you want to put your items on display, opt for a dresser with storage compartments and open non-glazed shelves to show off your decorative pieces to the best of their advantage.From vases to photo frames, dressers can accommodate a whole host of decorative items so be imaginative!

If you want your kitchen dresser to meet your day-to-day needs, you will have to consider some technical characteristics in addition to aesthetics.

Firstly, the layout of your dresser is as important as its size:

• narrow dresser: narrow but tall, these models are great for smaller spaces;

• basic dressers: wide and tall, these units are fairly standard;

• double dresser: usually featuring one glazed and one non-glazed section, these dressers are particularly fashionable;

• two-tier dressers: featuring a cupboard base and another section installed on top, these models are a more traditional option.

No matter what you want to use your dresser for, there's a door to match. Choose from the following:

• sliding doors: usually not equipped with handles, this opening method is more discreet; however, sliding doors will partially limit access to the inside of your dresser;

• hinged doors: these doors allow easy access to the entire interior of your dresser;

• glazed doors: from large panels to small windows, a unit with glazed doors will mean you have to keep the inside of your dresser neat and tidy;

• regular doors: non-glazed doors will allow you to hide away the interior of your dresser; a good option if you're not a fan of tidying!

The base of your kitchen dresser will usually be made up of either drawers or cupboards. When choosing between the two, be sure to think about what you want to store.

Drawers: for storing cutlery and utensils

Drawers can be used to store cutlery, tea towels or utensils and are generally found at the top of the dresser base. It is, however, possible to find sideboards made up entirely of drawers.

A functional feature depending on what you plan to store; drawers are, of course, not, suited to larger objects (unless you have very tall drawers).

Cupboards: keeping your dishes in order

Handy and functional, cupboards offer free access to the entire dresser base. They can be used to store objects and dishes of any size.

That said, be sure to check the actual storage space of the unit as some dressers feature cupboards that look bigger than they actually are.

Open storage cubes: ideal for books, decoration and everyday items

Perfectly in keeping with modern lifestyles, open cubes are becoming an increasingly popular storage solution. Ideal for tidying away cookbooks, displaying a porcelain dish set or vase, storage cubes can be square or rectangular. This is a great way to ensure easy access to items or to showcase your decorative pieces.

To make sure your dishes are in perfect order, you can equip your kitchen dresser with a number of handy features and additional options:

• glass holder: this system is attached to the top of your dresser and can used to hang glasses by the stem. This will give your dresser a modern bar-style feel;

• plate holders: a small metal clip is used to hold your plates. Original and decorative, this option is great for drawing attention to your most beautiful dishes;

• utensil holder: discreet and practical, a metal bar and hook system can be used to hold spoons, spatulas and other kitchen utensils.

It is also possible to fix an LED light strip to shelves to highlight your decorative displays. Choose lights with a remote control and you can change the colour and intensity of the lights as you like!