Ours are flush except at the sinks. No regrets. I am 5"2' and husband/kids are all over 6'

I really prefer that look. Great kitchen, nightowl.

It might limit where you prep because it's usually more comfortable to have your toes under rather than leaning forward.

"And any idea how they did this?"

So, how did you do it, nightowl?

I have toe kicks in all the usual places in my remodeled kitchen except on three sides of the island where the bottom is finished off with decorative moulding. The 4th side with the toe kick faces the stove and is where I prep main meals Often the family will prepare lunch, snacks, breakfast cereal on the flush sides of the island with no problem or discomfort.

Add blocking. Apply molding. It isn’t rocket science. It IS a PIA for a working counter though.

I have arms like a T-Rex - I need to be closer to the counter.

Not 100% sure I am a fan of the look, either.

it bought me an additional 3" drawer space :) And, FYI - I am not obese, nor am I pregnant last time I checked.

My last kitchen island had the decorative molding and my current island has a waterfall counter. I love the look of both, but much prefer to work where there's a recessed toe kick.

My current kitchen only has a toe kick at the sink and it really doesn't feel any different than working in my beach house kitchen with a toe kick. I would have thought it would, but for me, it feels the same.

I am really asking as I am installing IKEA cabinets on a side wall in my great room as a dry bar type thing. I think flush toe kicks will make it look more like a furniture piece and less like kitchen cabinets installed in a non kitchen lol.

I love that look. But I know my back would not! It hurts enough as it is, even with all my little toe kick around the kitchen.

I like the look, personally, but I find a toe kick to be preferable at working counters. If you are a large person and can’t really stand right at the counter, then it would not matter.

Hey @nightowl - so you made your toe kicks into 3” deeper drawers? Love that idea!

Yep. To be fair - there is another concession to doing what we choose. The low drawers are closer to the floor than standard. In a standard, you can open the low drawer with your feet under. In mine, we have to stand to one side or else the drawer would probably hit the tops of feet. Not a problem for us, but it is something to be aware of.

They will acquire scuff marks from toes very quickly.

And it does mess with the ergonomics of working while standing at the counter for many people.

The look is nice but the recessed toe kicks serve a purpose.

1. They allow us to get closer to the counter and work space.

2. We do not have to arch in unusual way in order to use the work space.

The Flush toe kicks, we usually are left for areas such as entertainment centers etc...where the TOES will not need to be that close to the area.

Also the drawback is that you will always be kicking those flush toe kicks and will have to eventually either replace or repaint...many times showrooms create an idea but in practicality they do not work for the everyday person using the space.

Before you decide visit the showrooms with and without flush toe kicks to make your decision...in then end it depends on what you are willing to live with and without in the name of aesthetics.

good luck!!

The toe-kick drawers are a nice idea for extra storage. But I would not want them in my kitchen. Definitely would be a pain to access.

“Sophie Wheeler

Add blocking. Apply molding. It isn’t rocket science. It IS a PIA for a working counter though.”

If it were as simple as falling off a log I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t ask. I’m doing a freestanding bar/buffet in my great room using IKEA cabinets. As one can see the ends of both sides then adding blocking won’t address the ends where the sides of the cabinets are visible and meet the sides of the stock cabinets

I’m a dog trainer by trade and have been for 20+ years. Just because we know how to train a dog to stop and hold a criminal in place without a thought doesn’t mean I expect others to intuitively know how to do the same.

I’m not sure why this has to be an all or nothing proposition.... I’m a big fan of this look, but I also use my kitchen so I only have toe kicks in my kitchen where I work: cleanup, prep, and cooking. The non working sides of my island and under the full length pantry style cabinets have beautifully trimmed flush toe kicks instead. When I planned the layout it was easy to see where I would want them. Hope you find the right balance that works for you!!

agree with varied placements. ours have toe kicks at the sinks. We have a stages 45 and do 60% of our prep at that station. Most of the other prep is done at the end of the island on a butcher block with no toe kick. I can't say I notice a difference. But, at the sink, because I am short, I am glad I did toe kicks there to allow me to belly right up to the sink and be able to see everything in the sink and clean it easily.

As for getting close to the counter....again. I am 5'2" and not fat nor pregnant. My counters are 28" deep - no problems. Never even notice. My husband is 6'4" and not fat or pregnant either -- no problems.

The kitchen has been in 1.5 years now and nary a mark at the floor, so I challenge the statement about replacing/repainting. As a matter of fact, because it is flush to the floor, we just sweep and no need to vacuum out goobers in small crevices created by toe kicks.

I guess this subject is a bit like gas vs. induction. Odd it has such emotional opinions. but, that's the internet!

Chess - I agree with the toe kick drawers. I didn't want those either.

@Annette: for your application, flush mount makes sense, and it is what I would do.

You will need to miter cut where the toe kick pieces meet at the corner. You will have to install backing material to the toe kick area of the cabinets to bump out the depth so the finished toe kick piece lines up where you want it. A YouTube search may be helpful.

Is there a way to block seeing certain people’s comments on here? Asking for a friend.

I don't care HOW it looks, kitchens without recessed toe kicks are a royal pain in the back. I'm serious. I'm 5' 2" and have LONG arms for my height and I ALWAYS run up against the toe kicks if they're flush. I would have to rip those puppies out and do it right. I actually cook in my kitchen.

There is absolutely no reason why having "flush" toe kicks would "allow" you to have deeper drawers. The cabinets are the exact same size regardless. I have 15" deep drawers in my standard 24" cabinets - for whatever bizarre reason. They just cheaped out on the drawers for some odd reason. They are made of good quality hardwood and they still slide utterly smoothly on their all-wood tracks. I doubt I could even get that quality of hardwood any more to even consider making new drawers though I was thinking about it hard last night, LOL!

At any rate if someone got "deeper drawers", you just got deeper drawers. Either that, or someone got deeper cabinets that allowed deeper drawers. Toe kicks set-in or flush had nothing to do with it.

Ikea does it because their current crop of cabinets are hideous and cheap and USian humans don't much like the legs they like to use in the EU instead of toe kicks. So the toe kicks are either set further out to clear the legs behind them, or they have to do that so you don't see whatever RubeGoldbergian devices they have to use to support the MDF cabinet bottoms.

Personally if there is space under my cabinets (which there is, under all cabinets) I want to be able to run a dust mop under there and I'd rather the legs, but whatever. The thought of years of dustbunnies building up under there is shuddersome. I'm replacing the bottoms of the extremely well built solid oak built-ins in my 60 yo home and the filth under there is frightening.

But one way or another, flush toe kicks are extremely inconvenient when you actually are trying to do real work in front of them.