When designing your new kitchen, many people like to keep good symmetry as well as the lines in the kitchen that are achieved from getting the wall units to line up with the base units below.
The kitchen plan example below shows just this. The wall units (in dark green), line up with the base units (in light green) below and opposite. This kind of design is not always easy to achieve as every kitchen is different but with the wide range of kitchen units that we have available, most kitchens can be kitted out appropriately.
As well as standard 300mm & 600mm single wall units, we also have many other units to chose from that will allow you to fill in gaps and get a little create to ensure maximum use of available cupboard space.
Take a look at the images below to see what kind of units are available. Remember, the size of the wall units are determined by the size of any tall units that you have.
Click here for more information on how to mix wall an tall units. The standard size wall unit heights are 720mm high.
Single & double wall units
One of the most common types of wall units that you will see in a kitchen are the single and double wall units as show below. The single wall units have just the one door whereas the double units have two doors that open from the centre outwards.
Top boxes
Sometimes when a wall unit is just a little bit too big then a top box could be the answer. Although tall units do feature a built in top box into them, you can buy them separately and are most commonly used above hobs.
Separate top boxes are mainly used to either house a canopy or integrated extractor fan above the hob. You can read more about extractor units here.
Top boxes range from 500mm – 1000mm wide and from 290mm – 450mm in height, so there is always a top box to fit the size of your kitchen.
End of kitchen run units
When designing a kitchen and getting to the end of a kitchen run, you can find yourself with very limited space left, or you just want to do something different at the end and make a little feature of it. Some ideas for units that you can use are shown below.
- 300mm curved unit
- 300mm quadrant wall unit
- 150mm pull out wall unit
- 150mm single wall unit
Corner angled & curved units
If you want your kitchen to look that little bit different and possibly add a little bit of extra functionality to it, in the form of internal unit mechanisms then angled and curved wall units could be the answer.
The units below measure 600mm by 600mm and fit nicely into the corner of your kitchen run. These units are available with internal curved doors, bi-fold doors or as an open unit.
Straight corner wall units
One of the most popular types of wall unit is the standard corner wall unit that allows other adjacent units to neatly butt up to it. These units range from 600mm to 900mm wide. The larger the corner wall unit the larger the door becomes, so that the dead space in the corner of the unit is left to a minimum.
Bi-folding wall units
Something a little bit different to consider are the bi-folding wall units where the doors can pull up towards to ceiling or the larger doors can open as one to the side. The horizontal bi-folding barrel doors with glass fronts can really add a nice touch your kitchen.
Open and microwave wall units
As well as units with doors, we also create units without them. Position them correctly within your kitchen and you have opened up an area to be creative with. use the area as open storage for condiments, a plate rack or even decorate it with some plants over the sink. There really are endless possibilities that are as wide as your imagination!
Don’t forget that that you can also have a wine rack built into your kitchen run as well as hide your microwave away in a microwave wall unit that will allow you to free up space on your work surface, ideal for small kitchens where work space is at a premium.
Downloadable PDF
Download our PDF to take away that will show you the wall units for you to print off.
Mixing tall & wall units
This short video shows how to use the correct wall and tall units in your kitchen design.
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I am planning on ending my tall unit run with a tall quadrant open shelf. If I have cornice along the top of the tall units would I run it round the edge of the open shelf unit too?
Hi, yes, the kitchen fitter would need to cut and mitre it, to fit around the quadrant edge.
Hi what is the ceiling clearance needed above a horizontal bi-folding wall cupboard?
The recommended clearance need above a horizontal bi-folding wall cupboard is 160mm.
By Zena
Do you do a curved glass wall unit that opens horizontally?
Have had a kitchen off you, but these are units i’d like to use in a dining area.
Also, the bin unit we got for the kitchen seems quite wobbley as you open and close it (compared to others i have since come across) – probably because it only has runners at the base, is there anything you can suggest for this?
We do not offer curved barrel wall units anymore. These used to be feature doors for the Second Nature range of doors but these have now been discontinued.
Not sure what action you could do to strengthen the bin as they are supplied with their own fixings and runners from the manufacturer. The bins are not something we make ourselves. All bin units we now supply are fully bracketed to the doors and sit on drawer runners to enhance stability.
Hi. I’m going to be purchasing a Helmsley inframe kitchen and want to house an integrated microwave in an open shelf wall unit (I.e open shelf above integrated microwave). Do I just order an open wall unit and make a note in my shopping cart that it is to house an integrated microwave? thanks
Hi, you would need to order a normal wall unit and just make a note for it to be supplied as a microwave unit and we would need the height of the microwave in order to make a door and filler combination that would work.
Can horizontal bi fold wall unit positionings be tweaked to go alongside 2010 high tall units?
The bi fold wall units are just made in the 720mm height, which are intended to be used with the 1970mm high tall units, which when fitted with the legs = 2120mm high. If you wish to use the 720mm high wall units with the 2150mm high tall units which = 2300mm when fitted with the legs then this can be done but you would either have to position these higher than standard to line through with the taller unit or step these down lower than the tall units.
I’m planning my kitchen with you now. How likely is it that shelves in a 900mm wide wall unit will warp over time, given length and load? Are the shelves supported in the middle on such longer units?
Hi,
the shelves do take quite a bit of weight, but its best not too overload the shelves too much and try and place heavier items towards the outer edges of the units where the support it. There is no support in the middle just on the outer edges with the shelf supports.
Sorry to say that none of our dinner plates fit in the wall units.. we have three different types (mostly bog standard stuff bought from supermarkets – while they must be bigger than standard they certainly weren’t called out as such on the boxes.. They were just ‘dinner plates) this is the only area that you seem to be slightly behind on as the sheds do offer ranges with slightly deeper wall units… Would be great if day kitchens also started offering slightly deeper wall units too!
Hi, you can request deeper wall units from us if you want to. Visit the page below for more details.
https://advice.diy-kitchens.com/customer-questions/will-my-dinner-plates-fit-in-your-kitchen-wall-units/
Will my dinner plates fit in your kitchen wall units?
The average dinner plate should fit into our wall units. The 30cm deep wall units have a usable depth on the inside of 27.5cm. If your dinner plates have a radius no bigger than 13.75cm or a diameter no bigger than 27.5cm then they will fit fine.
Do you do any top boxes that would fit above a tall unit in Carrera? I’ve looked and could only find 300mm deep top boxes.
Hi, our top boxes are wall units and as such, are only 300mm deep. If you are going to have it above a tall unit then you would have to pad out the space left between the wall and the back of the top box and/or attach the top box to the tall unit for extra stability. If you are using end panels, then you’ll never be able to see the modification as the sides of the units will be hidden behind a tall end panel.
How close to the ceiling can a top box be installed and still open easily?
We have 2600mm ceiling height … we are wondering whether it will be possible to go for your tall units at 2150 (2300 height including 150 legs) and then add 290mm top boxes above those? This would take total height of units to 2590 so within 10mm of ceiling but not sure that would still allow the top box to open easily?
Hi, unfortunately you would not have enough space. You need to allow 100mm for a top box, remember, that there maybe a handle to consider as well. You also need to allow 160mm if the unit is a bifold.