The Cabinetry Addition That Will Elevate Your Kitchen

Do your kitchen cabinets feel a little too cookie-cutter for your taste? Whether you want to dress up what you already have or you're preparing to renovate your kitchen completely, finding one simple decorative element to completely transform your cabinets makes all the difference. For many kitchens, that could be corbels.

The history of corbels dates back centuries when they were used on the exteriors of buildings to provide structural support with a decorative touch. The right angle on the back of the decorative bracket creates a piece that is traditionally used to prop up eaves, balconies, and other structures that protrude beyond the walls of the building. Many corbels feature intricate detailing, such as scrollwork or leaves, to make the support brace as attractive as it is functional. You'll also see historical corbels that are made from several materials, including wood, metal, and stone.

When you want to completely transform your kitchen cabinets, consider embracing this design element of the past. Corbels used to elevate a kitchen focus more on aesthetics than on support. However, you can choose structural corbels that offer some weight-bearing capabilities, which helps secure your cabinets or countertops. Either way, the addition incorporates detailing that adds to the overall style of your kitchen. Corbels add emphasis to a variety of areas in your kitchen, such as your range hood, cabinets, and island.

Your upper kitchen cabinets offer a prime spot for incorporating corbels into the kitchen. Positioning the decorative bracket underneath the upper cabinets adds detailing to an otherwise empty space and breaks up the boxy look of a long row of cabinets. Corbels also work well as support brackets if you replace some or all of your upper cabinets with open shelving. On the lower cabinets, corbels can fill in larger spaces between cupboards and create more detailing on flat panels.

If you have a kitchen island, corbels make it feel like a piece of furniture. Large corbels extending from under the countertop to the floor create the look of a decorative post on the corners. Corbels also work well underneath a large countertop overhang to spice up your kitchen island. You might choose load-bearing corbels for this option to act as extra support in place of installing legs under the overhang. The corbels free up floor space while increasing the stability of your counters. Aim for a depth that's between ½ and ¾ of the overhang's depth.

While your range hood isn't a cabinet, it often integrates into the overall cabinet design and also benefits from decorative accents to turn it into a focal point. Short, deep corbels with load-bearing capabilities help prop up the hood while elevating the design. Choosing a shorter profile keeps the corbels away from the cooking surfaces and allows them to fit into the limited space without interfering with your cooking activities. An ideal depth is at least 12 inches to make sure you notice the corbels.

Decide if you want the corbels to be strictly decorative or if they're going to be structural to help support the weight of your cabinets, countertops, range hood, or shelves. Consider the weight of the item you're supporting to choose corbels with a large enough load capacity to hold the item. The size of the corbels also impact how much support it provides. For instance, shelf-supporting corbels should be a minimum of ⅔ of the depth of open shelving to provide adequate support.

Corbels range from simple designs with clean lines to ornate, highly detailed carved designs. You'll also find a variety of styles, such as Acanthus leaf corbels, which incorporate scrolls and leaf carvings for a classic Mediterranean feel. Mission style, or shaker, corbels offer a more contemporary look with flat panels and clean, simple lines with much less carved detailing than other traditional corbels. Consider your kitchen's overall style to select corbels that emphasize that design scheme. Ornate detailing typically leans toward traditional while simple lines are often contemporary.

Your corbels should coordinate with your cabinetry to make them look like a built-in feature with a cohesive design. Paint-grade wood offers a cost-effective material that allows you to paint your corbels to match your cabinetry. Hardwood corbels incorporate the elegance of the wood grain and allow you to stain the pieces to coordinate with your cabinets. If you want the look of stone, you can choose resin or polyurethane corbels that mimic the stone look in a lighter, durable material. Metal is another option when you want to create an updated or industrial look.