Workshop
Ask a question

The Bunnings Workshop community can help with your home improvement projects.

Finishing the underside of kitchen wall cabinets

lindyn64
Finding My Feet

Finishing the underside of kitchen wall cabinets

Hi, we are renovating our kitchen and installing Kaboodle gloss white wall cabinets. However, we don’t like the melamine finish on the underside. Ideally we would like a matching gloss white finish underneath. Any ideas?

MitchellMc
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: underside of kitchen wall cabinets

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @lindyn64. It's great to have you join us and many thanks for your question.

 

With some custom work, I believe you could use an end panel for this purpose. Your wall cabinets are 300mm deep, and the Kaboodle Gloss White Wall End Panel is 320mm wide. It is 720mm long, so it would need to be cut down to suit the width of your cabinet. That will leave one exposed end, which depending on the situation could be abutted to a wall. The Kaboodle Gloss White Pantry End Panel might also be an option.

 

If you'd like to upload some images of how the cabinetry is configured, perhaps our helpful members could offer some other solutions. Let me also mention the very knowledgeable @redracer01 and @NickiM to see if they have any suggestions.

 

Mitchell

 

See something interesting? Give it the thumbs up!

Re: underside of kitchen wall cabinets

Thanks Mitchell, when we install them will put a photo up. At the plastering then painting stage atm.

Re: underside of kitchen wall cabinets

Hi @lindyn64 - 

Is the undermount preference purely a cosmetic choice? 

I agree with @MitchellMc, you could use end panel and install them underneath. Keep in mind that using an end panel will increase the height measurement of your cabinets, so take into consideration the legal required distance between the counter top (mainly the stovetop) and the base of the upper cabinets. 

Ensure that the Kaboodal end panel is heat resistant as it will receive direct heat from the stove as opposed to the indirect heat to the cupboard doors. 

Are you considering under cabinet lights? If so, this may distract your eyes from the standard melamine base. 

redracer01
Kind of a Big Deal

Re: Finishing the underside of kitchen wall cabinets

Hello @lindyn64 

 

As mentioned by @NickiM adding a panel under the cabinet will add approximately 18mm to the over height of the wall cabinet. You will then have to adjust the height of the cabinet to compensate for the additional thickness of the panel. By adding this panel you will have to consider that the longest piece that you can get is 2200mm. You will need to cut this down to the correct depth. If your wall cabinet run is less than 2200mm then joins will not be visible. However if you have corners and the wall cabinets need to make a turn then you will see a join as the bottom panel transitions in either direction. This will add significant cost to your kitchen budget, the pantry end panels are not cheap even in gloss white. Another possible solution is to paint it gloss white from the Dulux renovation range. 

 

As you can see from my render, the typical female height is 1600mm and thus the line of sight is above the bottom of the wall cabinet which is around 1500mm. The males will not even see this as the typical male height is around 1800mm. Most flat pack cabinet makers make their carcass or cabinet boxes from matt or satin finish melamine. This is purely for economic reasons as making it out of the door material makes the cabinetry even more expensive. Now I know the bottom finish of the cabinets is not to your liking, but I doubt your family, friends and guests will make it their first priority at looking at the bottom of your wall cabinet!  But the final choice is yours, stay safe and good luck!

 

Cheers,

Red

 

lindy cab1.jpglindy cab2.jpg

 

 


I am a Bunnings team member. Any opinions or recommendations shared here are my own and do not necessarily represent those of Bunnings. Visit the Bunnings website for assistance from the customer service team.


Re: Finishing the underside of kitchen wall cabinets

image.jpg

Thanks Red for taking the time to reply. My partner has come up an idea which we think will work. We ordered a sample of vinyl wrap which is generally for cars. We have just received our sample and it adheres perfectly to melamine. We haven’t installed our cabinets yet - this is on the side of an old cabinet but I think it will do the trick and is an inexpensive way of dressing the underside 😊 

Enjoy your day and thanks again, Mel

Mathy
Becoming a Leader

Re: Finishing the underside of kitchen wall cabinets

I see you’ve got some Vinyl wrap which you may be happy with. A simple solution would have been some sandpaper, White Knight Griplock primer and a can of Gloss White spray paint. As others have noted, the underside is visible because the sheen level is different. Anyways, hopefully it’s sorted :smile:

Why join the Bunnings Workshop community?

Workshop is a friendly place to learn, get ideas and find inspiration for your home improvement projects