For those seeking added convenience in the kitchen and beyond, the latest hardware trends include opening kitchen drawers and doors more easily and closing them more quietly. This trend toward soft-closing hardware in cabinets is gradually moving toward automated doors and drawers, and soon may include the kitchen's coldest and wettest environments.

For kitchen designers who have known about the technology for some time, soft closures and touch openings may not seem new. But with increasing applications and as yet uncharted opportunities, these trends promise to continue winning over clients well into the future.


THE QUIET TYPE

With home designs that connect kitchens directly to other rooms, including family rooms, families and guests have more opportunities than ever to converse while dinner preparations are underway. Unfortunately, the constant clanging of utensils and banging of drawers and doors can drown out the entertainment.

Soft-close mechanisms placed on kitchen drawers act as shock absorbers, slowing movement as drawers approach the closed position. A gentler, quieter closure replaces the conventional slam, which often rattles the contents inside the drawer.

Soft closures aren't just for kitchen drawers. Designers can include soft-close hinges on cabinet doors, too. Appliance manufacturers are installing them in the crisper drawers and vegetable bins of high-end refrigerators. Look for them to become more prevalent across price ranges and applications inside and outside the kitchen, from dishwasher drawers to filing cabinets.






^{Hettich's "Silent System" soft closure can be combined with the company's Intermat hinge series for cabinets that close softly and quietly from a variety of angles. Once used primarily in kitchen cabinetry, soft closures have now moved to refrigerator drawers and are expected to add convenience and luxury to more appliances in the coming years.}


LOOK, NO HANDS!

When hands are full, wet or even dirty, pulling open a drawer to find the right measuring spoon or a dry cloth becomes problematic. New hardware allows homeowners to press a drawer with a very light touch to make it glide open. If hands aren't available, the touch of an elbow, knee or even hip will work as well.

Electronic drawer openers are part of the move to a sleek, "handle-less" kitchen. Of course, handles can be added to drawer faces for homeowners who want the convenience but prefer a traditional look.

While the technology depends on electricity, drawers can still be opened if power is interrupted. Furthermore, they're smart enough to detect the difference in a simple push to open a drawer or someone needing a place to rest. The openers don't engage if the cook leans against them.

As with soft-close systems, expect to see touch openings appear more often in cabinet drawers and doors as well as other applications in kitchens and around the home and office.

A kitchen's hardware may be mostly hidden and not on the radar for clients, but savvy kitchen designers will pay attention to the possibilities hardware can provide in terms of both form and function. No matter the look you choose, quality, well-designed hardware will bring it together (and hold it there) for years to come.


Mark Mrozik, national kitchen & bath sales manager for Hettich America L.P., has almost 20 years of experience as a sales manager in the furniture and cabinet industry. Mrozik is a member of The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association, the North American Building Material Distribution Association, Door Hardware Institute and the Association of Closet and Storage Professionals, in addition to his national membership in the Architectural Woodwork Institute.

Photographs courtesy of Hettich