Where the two runs of an L- or U-shaped kitchen meet, a deep space is created. The door to it is usually narrow, and the back corner cannot be reached without kneeling down and stretching. The result is years of pans nobody uses and forgotten containers. Yet a large share of a kitchen's storage sits in that corner. Several types of mechanism exist to make it usable, and each answers a different need.
Why the blind corner exists
In a corner unit, the cabinet of one run passes behind the cabinet of the other. The door opens only the visible part and the rest of the depth stays blind. The corner also often houses a water pipe, a gas line or the sink trap. Before choosing a mechanism, find out where the services run, because some systems need a completely clear interior.
Carousels and rotating shelves
The carousel, or rotating shelves, is the most familiar corner solution. Round or three-quarter round shelves turn on a central pole, bringing items round to the door one after another. It suits mainly cabinets with an L-shaped door that folds around the corner.
The advantages are a simple mechanism and easy access to dishes, tins and small containers. The downside is that a circle never fills a square corner, so unused space remains at the edges. For tall pans, the spacing between shelves needs thinking about in advance.
Pull-out baskets: magic corners and kidney baskets
The second group of mechanisms brings things out of the cabinet. In what is known as a magic corner, opening the door and pulling brings the front baskets out while the rear baskets slide sideways into the opening. Items from the blind area end up within reach.
Kidney-shaped baskets are attached to the door or pull out separately, swinging out of the cabinet in an arc. These systems use more of the depth than a carousel, but:
- the mechanism itself takes up volume and reduces usable shelf area;
- the door width and cabinet size must fall within the manufacturer's range;
- baskets have a load limit and may not suit heavy cast-iron cookware;
- any pipe inside must not clash with the basket's path.
Corner drawers
A less common but very convenient solution is the corner drawer. The drawer is V- or arrow-shaped and pulls out diagonally, straight out of the corner. There is no door to open and no basket to pull: as soon as the drawer comes out, everything in it is visible from above.
This works especially well for pots, pans and heavy dishes, because drawer runners generally carry more weight than basket mechanisms. A corner drawer is hard to fit under a sink, though, since the trap and pipes limit its depth. A small filler panel is also placed in the corner so that the handles of drawers on the two adjoining runs do not collide when opened.
The alternative: no corner cabinet at all
Sometimes the simplest answer is to solve the corner with a different layout rather than a mechanism. For example:
- create a separate deep cupboard that opens from the other run, and use it for large items you rarely need;
- close off the corner completely and fit wider drawer units along both runs;
- put the hob or sink in the corner and keep the space below for services.
This makes sense particularly in small kitchens where the cost and bulk of a mechanism are hard to justify.
One more point is easy to forget: adding a corner mechanism to an existing cabinet later does not always work. Basket systems are matched precisely to the inner width of the cabinet, the door size and the hinge type. If the existing cabinet falls outside that range, the door or even the carcass has to change. Deciding on the mechanism while the kitchen is being designed is therefore better for both time and cost.
Practical questions for choosing
When choosing a corner solution, start from your own daily habits rather than a catalogue photo:
- What will you store there: heavy pans, light plastic containers or food supplies?
- Does a pipe, meter or sink trap pass through the corner cabinet?
- Will the doors and handles of neighbouring cabinets, or the dishwasher, get in the way of the corner mechanism opening?
- Who cooks most in the family, and how comfortable is it for them to bend down low?
Zaferoglu Mebel designs kitchens to measure and works with hardware brands such as Blum. The corner mechanism is safest to choose at the measuring visit, when the exact location of pipes and meters is known.
