I am looking at new kitchens at the moment and have noticed that they
all have a recessed plinth.

Is this just a very common design feature? Or is it there for another
reason?
I did wonder whether it was for the ends of your feet while your
standing at the workstop but mine didn't even go under the bench!

Regards,
Rich

I am looking at new kitchens at the moment and have noticed that
they all have a recessed plinth.

If you have integrated appliances, the door is hinged not quite at the
bottom. This means that the door attached to the front will actually retract
inwards at the bottom. If the plinth is too far forward, the lip of the door
will catch on on it. As few kitchen manufacturers want to sell kitchens
incompatible with integrated appliances and they want to use standard
specification parts, the plinths are recessed.

Christian.

On 11 Aug 2003 06:01:19 -0700, Rich wrote:

I am looking at new kitchens at the moment and have noticed that they
all have a recessed plinth.

Is this just a very common design feature? Or is it there for another
reason?
I did wonder whether it was for the ends of your feet while your
standing at the workstop but mine didn't even go under the bench!

Beer belly keeps the feet away, does it?

Sorry!

It really is the hot silly season now

On 11 Aug 2003 06:01:19 -0700, (Rich)
wrote:

I am looking at new kitchens at the moment and have noticed that they
all have a recessed plinth.

Is this just a very common design feature? Or is it there for another
reason?
I did wonder whether it was for the ends of your feet while your
standing at the workstop but mine didn't even go under the bench!

Regards,
Rich

I always assumed it was so that when standing at the sink or doing
preparation at the work surface the woman's toes do'nt keep kicking
the bottom of the units.

"Rich" wrote in message
om...
I am looking at new kitchens at the moment and have noticed that they
all have a recessed plinth.

Is this just a very common design feature? Or is it there for another
reason?
I did wonder whether it was for the ends of your feet while your
standing at the workstop but mine didn't even go under the bench!

Because if the plinth went outwards you'd have to lean forwards to reach the
sink, which would plainly be silly, and if went straight downwards it
wouldn't actually be a plinth at all? So, the only remaining option is...

Speculatively,
Ian

Thanks to those who replied. Wanderer - The beer belly sits nicely on
the worktop thank you very much!

I tacked a strip of 22mm pine to the bottom of my units last night as
a little experiment.

Both myself and my wife had no problems standing at the worktop making
dinner.
We didn't even kick the board once!

I have been looking at bespoke kitchens and a lot seem to have a
plinth that sticks to the front of the units like skirting board.
(It's probably not a plinth by then!)

Just need to find one that is not so expensive now!

Regards,
Rich

"Jonathan" wrote in message ...
You have to go back to the design of the first domestic fitted kitchens in
the 1950s.

Most designs in those days were from the States, where "winkle-picker" shoes
(or at least those with long points) were standard footwear for most
housewives. Well, they weren't actually, but the designers had to *pretend*
that most housewives were wearing the height of fashion in order to sell the
kitchens.

These shoes meant a recessed plinth was required if the models that were
photographed doing the dishes, making the tea, etc. weren't to be pushing
their bums out too much when viewed side-on.

Like gentlemen keeping the bottom button of their waistcoats undone, what
was originally a discreet necessity then became permanent as designers
forgot what the original purpose was for, and decided it just looked nice
instead.

Hope that helps.

Jonathan



"Rich" wrote in message
om...
I am looking at new kitchens at the moment and have noticed that they
all have a recessed plinth.

Is this just a very common design feature? Or is it there for another
reason?
I did wonder whether it was for the ends of your feet while your
standing at the workstop but mine didn't even go under the bench!

Regards,
Rich