How Much Space Is Required for a Diagonal Cabinet?

Diagonal Cabinets

• Diagonal cabinets are styled to fill in 90-degree angles with cabinet space. These pieces are specially designed to fit in corners and reduce the amount of unusable space. Most manufacturers produce these styles with bifolding doors and a lazy Susan inside, both of which increase the capacity of the cabinet. Unlike other cabinet styles, the diagonal is usually 36 inches on both sides, meaning the placement is limited, particularly in small kitchens. No matter how well laid out, there will always be some wasted space, but diagonal cabinets are the most widely used corner option on the market. Height dimensions will be similar to standard cabinets and will change a bit depending on whether they are intended for use as base or overhead cabinets.

Standard Cabinetry

• Standard cabinets are premade products that are available from just about any home improvement store. Standard cabinets are significantly less costly than custom designs, which makes them the most widely used in modern kitchens. One downside to selecting standard cabinets is the somewhat limited selection of colors and styles. Additionally, since they are premanufactured, there is a set selection of dimensions to choose from, usually large, medium, and small. These sizes can be mixed and matched to create the best combination for the space. However, this mixing and matching tends to leave more dead, unusable space than custom designs.

Base Sizes

• Most standard base cabinets, including diagonal styles, measure 24 inches from the front of the cabinet to the back. The standard height for a base cabinet is 34 ½ inches and extends to approximately 36 inches when the countertop is installed. Widths are where the majority of the diversity comes in for most cabinet styles, though diagonal styles tend to be more limited. A diagonal base is 24 inches deep, with a two sided-cab that usually measures 36 inches. Some manufacturers also provide a cab in 33 inches or 42 inches.

Overhead Sizes

• Cabinets intended for overhead use are available in a wider variety of sizes, partly because of the different appliance sizes, windows and other architectural elements that overhead cabinets must fit around. There are usually two depths to choose from, 12 or 24 inches, and heights from 12 inches to 42 inches. Heights are generally measured in 3-inch increments, though some manufacturers use increments of 6 inches. Most diagonal base cabinets have a 33- or 36-inch width and are 34 ½ inches tall. An additional option is to choose a diagonal cabinet as a sink base. These come in widths of 36 or 42 inches; the larger is an ideal selection for a double bowl sink.