Can't Decide Between Open Or Closed Kitchen Cabinets? Use This Unique Combo

When a company's effusive marketing language still manages to undersell the greatness of an idea, you know you've run across something special. And so it is with Hettich's FurniSpin line of cabinets, which the company bills as the "exciting interchange between 'closed' and 'open'" shelving. The idea of open kitchen shelving is definitely trending, but FurnSpin does a bit more than that and does it well. These are basically freestanding or corner cabinets that can be spun 180 degrees (thus the name FurnSpin), converting from a completely closed cabinet of shelves to a completely open one.

When interior designer Kate Kerdi, @katekerdiinteriors on Instagram, asked her followers for their opinions on the FurnSpin approach, the feedback was almost universally positive. Kerdi indicated in the comments that many cabinet manufacturers, including Porcelanosa, have cabinets that operate similarly. Still, we could not find any other cabinet maker who's pulled off this design and engineering feat. A lot of the genius of the FurnSpin system derives from the fact that the cabinets only work — indeed, can only work — for freestanding or outer corner cabinets. This is simple geometry; a cabinet positioned between two other cabinets simply can't spin 180 degrees without dramatically reducing size.

If the fact that FurnSpin only works with freestanding and corner cabinets seems like a limitation, consider some of the benefits. Aside from being merely binary open/closed shelving options, the open shelves always give you access to each shelf from two directions — either side of the corner. This effectively eliminates the problem of relegating rarely used items (or, worse, commonly used items) to the back of the cabinet where they can't easily be reached. And since it's not an either/or proposition — you can convert from open to closed by simply spinning the cabinet by hand — you're not forced to make your more attractive (and therefore displayable) items available on the open shelves while hiding others. You simply put things where you want them.

Think of the system as a two-part cabinet with a stationary shell and an inner cabinet that can turn. FurnSpin works via concealed hardware at the top and bottom of the inner cabinet, which moves slightly away from its default position to make room for the spin. As you approach 180 degrees, it automatically settles back into place within the outer shell. The movement is smooth enough to prevent contents from falling over, and there are appropriately sized gaps to avoid accidentally catching one's fingers in the works.

While nothing else we've seen offers the full functionality of Hettich's system, there are some cabinet door designs that retract into the cabinets themselves, converting the closed shelving into something close to open shelving. There are two basic varieties of this retractable door approach, both of which naturally require inset cabinet doors. The first is pocket door slide systems offered by Rockler, Accuride, and others, which can be added to revitalize some existing kitchen cabinets. In these setups, the door is opened to a position at a right angle to the cabinet front and then pushed into the side of the open cabinet. You can then see the edge of the door, but no more.

The other approach is commonly called the flipper door, which can create extra hidden appliance storage in your kitchen. It closely resembles the approach you see on some solid garage doors. The cabinet door flips up and retracts into the cabinet cavity above the cabinet's contents. These are often used to conceal countertop appliances, including microwaves. Accuride and others offer this style of retractable door.