We're using seeded glass in some of the cabinets, but not all. The glass isn't perfectly clear and adds nice texture. The dining room built-ins will have clear glass because they're more for display.

Had glass cabinets in my old kitchen and loved them. The top shelves were mostly for display and the rest were for day-to-day dishes. Would do it again. Interesting enough, I have a friend who just bought a house and their kitchen has glass doors on the bottom--to me, that would be an accident just wating to happen.

I've had glass front cabinets for 25 years and love them. They add light to the room and help organization. I use them for my bigger bowls, special glasses, and the like.

We live in a 60 year old Cape Cod home, and before we renovated our kitchen (approx.
15 yrs ago) we added glass to an upper cabinet located on the side of the room that was above a built-in desk, which I painted bluish-gray. When we renovated, we kept the cabinet for its charm and the new upper, corner cabinet has a glass front. I agree with not having too many glass-fronted cabinets, and think they create interest and help increase a room's spaciousness by reflecting light from doors/windows. As a bonus, pretty dishes or antiques can be displayed!

There are so many glass textures and designs that can be used in cabinets. 3M has some beautiful films that can be adhered to glass as well.

hi i love the glass cupboards its a great way of making you organized, and there,s nothing better than a neat kitchen,to come home to .

I live in one of the worst air pollution areas of the nation. I had a hutch with pretty glass doors to showcase my crystal and special expensive Swedish glass. For some reason, the pollution sticks to this glass and becomes a sticky cloudy mess. Thus the lighted shelving just shows the dirty stemware. Its odd. This type of pollution sticks to certain surfaces and is almost oily dirt. Our days are most often in the unhealthy range. For that reason I'll never have glass doors again. Funny, the doors did not get this film. Just my better quality glassware--behind glass or wood. So I'd prefer to hide them until I use them or it would be endless washing! Inexpensive glasses do not collect this film.

Not i. I love the idea, and i love the look, but i live in the real-world land of kids. We have WAY too many ugly plastic cups and bowls with super heroes on them! That, and i just don't have enough cupboard space to have the luxury of glass cabinets with pretties in them. Someday.... When my kids grow up and i do that massive kitchen renovation. Following my lottery win. ;)

I love them we have a set at our cottage I only keep my dishes and glassware in them arranged nicely but yet still works for everyday use I keep food and other items behind closed doors I also painted the interior and shade of blue it's fun and I am happy with it

I have glass that is patterned enough to show the colors of beautiful dishes and clear enough that I need to stack neatly. Love them!

We are preparing for a total kitchen renovation and I am incorporating 2 glass-fronted cabinets for my dishes and glassware. They will be just above the dishwasher. I have a collection of Fiestaware and can't wait to see all of those bright, vibrant colors - to me it's part of the decor!

Using some sort of translucent glass or fluted glass is a nice option. Also consider using glass shelves with glass doors for a cleaner look

I just redid my 47 yr old kitchen. I added a few glass front cabinets but opted for 'water glass' fronts. Its a great way to store my crystal and show it off and breakup the monotony of all wood panels. I wouldn't use all glass but if you have the space, certainly having some strategically placed glass front is a must. Consider lighting it and with LEDs now, its a great way to enjoy your beautiful stemware etc.

I have all upper cabinets in frosted glass...they are also lit from within and below and have glass shelves. (Kids are grown and gone.) Across the room, where the breakfast table and deck are, are large, wooden, rectangular boxes mounted in a staggered fashion on the wall above w/ counter and cabinets below; these have clear glass and are used for display of antique or holiday patterns. I chose the glass because the 70's kitchen had heavy, oak cabinets stained a dark walnut...they just stopped your eye flat. Even w/ the frosted glass it has lightened the kitchen so and lets the eye kinda travel through. I love them...glass is so easy to clean and gives brightness and adds light. Great choice for me.

I'm in the process of remodeling a 1938 Craftsman style home. In the kitchen, I am putting in white shaker style upper cabinets and dark red/brown lowers. My cabinet maker had suggested only 2 glass cabinets. I'm leaning towards all upper cabinets to have seeded glass with lights. My reasoning is that it's a small kitchen, with only 5 upper cabinets and one window that looks onto an enclosed patio. I'm hoping the glass will give an elusion of more space and add more light. Kaaren it sounds like you are happy with your all glass uppers. My concern is that the "experts" seem to think only 2-3 glass cabinets are appropriate. CAN ANYONE ELSE WAY IN, PLEASE?

We are planning to put glass front cabinets in our kitchen. The look we are going for is more of a cottage/country look, so we plan to line them with lace to cover the kiddie cups and cereal boxes. :)

djlingle, I say that it's your kitchen - do it how you want it, not how any "experts" say it should be.

djilingle-I would say it depends on how much storage you have in your lower cabinets. If there is plenty of space below or in the pantry to keep the unsightly things like storage containers and cereal boxes, then go for all glass uppers. I have a tiny kitchen with only two sets of upper cabinets, both with glass fronts. They are just enough to hold my dishes and glass ware and fortunately I have lots of lower cabinets and a pantry for everything else. I love the lightness they bring to the small space and being able to see some of my prettier dishes.

clutter, even if neatly arranged, makes me crazy so I've avoided using glass doors on all my kitchen remodels - even though I like the concept and have beautiful, colorful dishes that I've collected from all over the world that would look nice on display.

I've always admired the stained glass patterns that Frank Lloyd Wright often used in his designs, and thought something like that would be a nice addition to a cabinet door. It would add visual interest to the cabinets (especially if they are backlit) and, depending on the type of glass and pattern, could also highlight certain dishes or hide/obscure others.

I was thinking of ways to put a contrasting color at the back of my glass cabinets but I don't want to paint for fear I'd hate it later. I thought about painting poster board but I was afraid it would buckle. Any thoughts?

Is there a film that you can put on the inside of the glass that makes it look like you have organized, matching dishes? That is the only way I could get away with glass fronts. Ha!

Stephabs, I put a Chinese Red at the back of all cabinets in a white lacquer dressing room--a favourite colour of one of the owners. The surprise of colour is amazing--now mostly covered with clothes, of course, but I hear that the frisson (surprise and pleasure) continues like day one--two years later.

The same thing can apply in your kitchen--but pick a colour you'll want to see a LOT. I recommend starting with kid's construction paper blue-tacked up behind what you'll store. This will give you an instant sense of the effect. If you like it--paint some sheets in colours yoy prefer and tack the up to settle on the one that works in terms of the items stored, the mood you want to create, and the lighting at various times of the day/night.

Have fun!

Love glass cabinets, guests can find glasses, plates etc. House guests feel more at home!

Thanks for the comments! I think I'm going to stick with my original plan - seeded glass on all upper cabinets. I'm also considering having the cabinet back painted red like Garden Oaks FA commented on.

I have shared my photos before, but always happy to do so again when appropriate.

I like glass doors because they add color and interest to a room.

I use all of these dishes on a regular basis. They are not there purely for decoration!

I only have one up above cabinet. I'm vertically challenged and will never grow any taller. Besides I wanted windows. On the only above cabinet is where I keep the every day dishes and glassware. On the island across from the cabinet is the dishwasher, makes putting these away easy. I love glass doors on cabinets.

Beautiful kitchen, jalarse!

Kroze, thank you, we enjoy it.

DJLINGLE: My glass is frosted where the everyday dishes, glassware, etc. is. We tried reed glass but it showed too much. Designer cautioned me to be sure, because if you don't like, at these prices, you're stuck w/ it (brushed aluminum frames and finger pull hardware, interior lighting, etc.). The reed glass was just too clear...you can put about anything behind the frosted glass and you see only a hint of color and outline. KAREN NEWMAN is right...I have small pantry maximized by Efla System, and all lower cabinets are drawers, no doors to open first. They have dividers and house the *uglies"? The food storage containers, pots and pans, baking pans, cutting boards, bags of all sorts (canvas/shopping/trash/etc.), junk drawer, baking drawer. The glass uppers house only dishes and glassware. Try the different glass samples. My daughter had rain glass, was nice too, but we are ultra contemporary, and she was more traditional/Pottery Barn/whatever. Get what you like. The glass really brightens. I love the lace idea of BRIANA MAIM'S...we use clear plastic/vinyl? available at Joanne Fabrics...still lets the interior light through and deadens the clinking on the glass shelves some. Can pull it out, wipe it off, and put it back.

A combination of glass and wood front panels for cabinets are the best options - for display and to keep behind doors stuff that are not fit for display. I have all wood and never had the problem of searching for things because I have had the same shelf assignment for many years - I don't need to scramble each time.

I made my own stained glass for my kitchen cabinet doors.

Wow, that is an impressive job, eaglenester!

Glass cabinetry can be a great way to break up a wall of solid-door cabinets. We especially like to use glass as an accent for a diagonal wall cabinet or a wet bar area. Used sparingly, it can brighten up the space and help relate to windows nearby in the room.

If your lifestyle simply isn't conducive to the high-organization demanded by see-through doors, consider a textured glass instead of the standard clear. There are also a lot of options for glass doorstyles - you can play around with lots of combinations of glass textures and mullion styles to fit your taste and lifestyle!

I have one upper with glass doors in a sort of hutch area. I like it to display my edited collection of random attractive crockery.

My bf thinks it's the ideal place to prop things he wants to not misplace....like hardened steel drill bits, bike parts etc. He "displays" them right in front of things like my great-grandmother's teapot.

Glass doors - the PRO reasons are the same as the CONs. You can see everything clearly displayed. When glass cabinets are styled for photo, I notice the dish collections are all perfectly matched.

Soberg - I suggest you get your bf his own hutch to display his tools! LOL

i just remembered….we DO have a glass front cabinet!

I invariably bang my head on anything that sticks out, so my dish cupboards (which are my only upper cupboards; everything else high up is open shelving) have sliding glass doors. My genius builder also designed them without sharp corners. Hard to get a photo sans reflections on a sunny day, but I think you can see that even though my collection is somewhat eclectic, I obviously favor cobalt and don't mind them being seen. The doors don't seem to get very dirty, so cleaning isn't really an issue.

I had glass front cabinets in my kitchen in California. It wasn't hard to keep up with them. The trick was, I only had them for the dish and glass cabinets. Pretty and decorative!

All of our upper cabinets are glass. It makes the space feel light and open. But we do have plenty of base units storage and so having somewhere to put the less beautiful stuff is not a problem.

We recently moved to a house with one glass corner cabinet above the counter visible to all as it is an open concept space. After moving around and adding a shelf to the cabinet to make the best use of the display area for special pieces, I found the shelves did not line up with the horizontal trim around the glass panes. Solution? Painted all the shelf edges with a flat black so the shelves disappear and don't distract the eye from the cabinet doors. Fast and easy fix if anyone else has this problem.

We like to do a mix of glass and wood front panels. That way you have the option of displaying some of your prettier dishes and making the kitchen feel more open, and it saves some money.
In this particular kitchen we did a mix of glass, open shelving, and wood panel doors. You can see other pictures here: http://columbiaredevelopment.com/contemporary-home-beaumont-wilshire/

Agree with Meranda that it really opens up the bloc of cabinets. I put lights and glass shelves in my four (out of 8) upper cabinets. It felt like a significant amount of extra work, but the lighting makes a huge positive difference in how the kitchen feels.

Jalarse I would love to see more pictures of your kitchen and dining area. I think it is absolutely gorgeous!! It looked so well loved!!

Lauraslark, thank you so very much. In the most recent newsletter under the title kitchen ideas for foodies I posted a few more pictures. Have a great day.

Only one glass cabinet, corner lazy susan which houses various spices. Nothing pretty about those jars of spices--put a red checkered cloth inside the glass to match the same fabric on my giant cork board (cork is covered too). Looks great!

I love mine,
I wanted to keep them looking clean, I use them mostly for decor, so make sure you have a lot of cabinet space!

They do not have to be just for decoration. They can expose your dishes and need not reduce your overall cabinet space.

Because my kitchen designer didn't finish the interior of my cabinet I chose obscure glass. I very happy with it.

Glass fronts are nice for your neatly arranged dishes (that match). Personally, I went with all wood to hide what's behind door #1, 2, 3, 4...all the doors :-)

I like the effect of glass doors on some the the cabinets. However, I prefer some type of translucent glass with glass shelves inside. It creates the same effect as clear glass without exposing every detail of the contents.