[mike]

We're still slowly progressing toward a completed kitchen. It's looking nearly complete these days, sorta - depending on how hard the eyes squint .

What's the best way to cover the back of 2 base cabinets sitting side-by-side? The cabinets in question are a 30" and 36" for a total run of 66".

I've read of some folks using doors and others using cover or oven panels, what works best?

Once that's decided what's the best way to attach the covering to the cabinet? Glue, brackets, heavy twine?

Ideas?

[kisaacs]

It kind of depends what look you're going for. If you use a big cover panel, you won't have any seams, but the grain will be going the opposite way of your doors. If you use doors, you'll have seams, but the grain will be going the same way.

In your situation, I think I would use a big cover panel that's all one piece. With a total of 66", I can't think of a good combination of doors that would look symmetrical. I think it would look funny with 2 18" doors and 2 15" doors. And since Nexus BB is a slab, it isn't a decorative issue. Often people use the doors to create a more "styled" back of the penninsula with some of the more detailed doorstyles.

As for how to attach it, I think a bunch of people have used L brackets.

Kristen

[yankeelawyer]

Why not put two 18-inch doors together at the center back and flank them with one 15-inch at each end? I don't see why you would have to put them in the same order as the cabinets, i.e., 15, 15, 18, 18. I would do 15, 18, 18, 15.

I personally do not like the look of cover panel on the back of an island for most door styles (e.g., the faux wood ones, though I think white or any of the abstrakt ones are okay). Other options are steel, real wood, or doors.

Edited to add: I see you are doing NBB. In that case, I would use cover panels or doors.

[Chuck]

There are a number of issues with using doors to cover the back of an island. First is cost - chances are that 4 doors will be more costly than some combination of cover panels. Second is size - base cover panels are the same height as base cabinets, while doors are about 1/2" short of full cabinet height, and, with four doors, probably another 1/2" short width wise. Third is seams - over a 66" span, you're talking about 3 seams. Finally, with slab doors like NBB, there is an appearance issue, in that they are no more interesting looking than cover panels would be.

My suggestion is to use a 3x8' panel, cut and seamed in the middle. You will get full coverage in all directions, you end up with just one seam, and it's cheaper than four doors or three cover panels.

[yankeelawyer]

Regarding cost, everything is relative. Given the cost of remodeling an entire kitchen, even an IKEA one, generally speaking I would not lose sleep over the marginal additional cost of using 4 doors instead of panels, particularly since it is for a highly visible area that one would have to look at everyday for quite a while.

In this case, though, I agree there is no real design advantage to using 4 slab doors, though personally I would rather have vertical seams than a horizontal one across a panel, as at least the former would compliment the other cabs that do have doors.

[torrus]

The advantage of cutting a 3x8' panel into 30.375 x 33" piecs is that the seam is practically invisible (if done properly).

[mike]

I really like the idea about using doors but having them staggered so that the doors are more symmetrically spaced, instead of having two 15" beside 2 18" doors. But I also think having fewer pieces is a great idea.

When ordering would I just ask for a 3x8 NBB panel? It'd be through IKEA Direct, it's too far to a store, besides they might not have what I need in stock anyhow.

Thank you all, these are all good ideas and I think this will turn out well. But I'm still not sure how the panels will attach to the back, what's the best way. Will they go on like the side panels?

mike

[tommymiller50]

For a span that big, I'd also seriously think about other options. Perhaps tile matching the backsplash, or something like that.

[jack.lehman]

So I am looking at the Perfekt panel that I am to use to cover the back of my island. The two cabinets are 30" wide and the total drop to the floor is 35". I've read that the L brackets work to mount a one piece cover. But I have a simpler basic question. How do I get a nice looking 60x35 piece cut. I don't have a wood shop. I don't have a table saw. I have a reliable circular saw, but I can't figue how to get a nice 60" straight line.

[Chuck]

Welcome to IKEAFANS, Jack.

This is fairly easy to do, if you have a good saw. It's a long description, so I've sent you a PM - I mean what I said!