Cabinet Hinges - a DIY Guide to Blum Hinges!

I thought I would just clarify a few little details about the wonder that is the cabinet hinge.

If you’re a kitchen fitter or carpenter/joiner, you can switch off now, but if you are a mere mortal, listen up because you might learn a thing or two about a fascinating subject.

If you’re still reading, I just lied. It probably won’t be fascinating - but at least it might be useful!

Anyway, here we go. You may recognise this picture as being the same (or similar) to the hinges that are inside your kitchen cabinets. For many they are a mystery - and seem like they might be the most difficult DIY thingy to fix or replace. So here a a few things that might help to demystify them.

First. What are they called? Well apart from cabinet hinge, they might be referred to as a concealed hinge, or more commonly, a Blum Hinge. Blum is actually a reference to the most famous brand of cabinet hinges (rather like a cleaner being referred to as a Hoover). They are all the same thing.

Next. The component parts. They come in two pieces. The hinge itself and the backplate. There are different types of backplate to match the hinge you are buying - if you know your stuff, you will recognise which backplate goes with which hinge, but on mykitchenstore, we have grouped the most commonly used to create a full hinge and backplate set in either a slide on cabinet hinge, or a clip on cabinet hinge. More of which later. The hinge part consists of a round ‘cup’ (item 2 in the diagram above) and a hinge arm (item 1). The cup will generally be a standard 35mm diameter and is the part that is fixed to the kitchen door. A corresponding 35mm hole is drilled into the door to accommodate the cup, which is then screwed into place with two tiny screws supplied with the hinges. If you are wondering how to do this yourself, the best way would be to use a 35mm hole boring bit (often refered to as a forstner bit, shown here to the right). These fit onto any standard drill. You will find a precision drill bit at this link on our site

The backplate is the other separate component (item 3 in the diagram). This is attached to the inside of the kitchen unit using the screws provided. Then, if you have a slide on hinge, the hinge ’slides’ (funnily enough) onto the backplate and is secured with screws. If you have a clip-on hinge then you can simply ’snap’ the arm onto the back plate. Simple as that.

If you are replacing existing hinges, fitting them really is a very simple process as all the positions are marked and the holes already pre-drilled. If you are replacing a kitchen door, if the door has not been pre-drilled by the manufacturer, then simply use the old door as a template to mark where the hole needs to be drilled and then use the hole boring bit. Take care not to drill down too far!
So that’s all relatively straight forward, what else do you need to know? Well the hinges come in a variety of types, which are differentiated by the angle and crank level of the hinge. Want that explained? read on….

Angles. You will see reference to angles attached to these hinges - and what that refers to is the maximum angle that the door will open to when the hinge is fully extended. In the vast majority of instances, you will not be concerned about opening the door much beyond 95 to 110 degrees, but you can purchase them at up to 170 degree angle.

Then there’s Crank. You can buy the hinges at certain Crank amounts. What this refers to is the level to which the door will overlap the edge of the cupboard when it is closed. For example, if you purchase a hinge with 0 (zero) crank, the edge of the door will completely overlap the edge of the cabinet when it is closed (and this is how the majority of kitchen units are designed, so that the door fully overlaps the frame of the kitchen cupboard). If you buy a hinge with 7 or 8 crank, when the cupboard door is closed, you will be able to see part of the edge of the cabinet. In other words, it only partly overlaps the edge of the cabinet. Then if you want what is called an ‘inset’ door, that is that the door sits just inside the edge of the cupbard when the door is closed, then dependant on the thickness of the edging of the cupboard, you will need to buy a hinge with 15 (for cabinets with wall thickness of 16mm) or 17 (for cabinets with wall thickness of 18mm) crank. Has that helped? Or just made you cranky? Hope not! Image below to help if it has though:

As mentioned before, we have made the process relatively simple for purchasing what is by far the most used variation of the cabinet hinge (or blum hinge). For most situations you would be looking for a 95 or 110 degree hinge with 0 crank. We have an easy-to-buy set of these in both economy (suitable for light doors) and premium options (more robust and suitable for heavier doors). We have them in both Clip On and Slide On variation and the links are below for you to get straight through to them:

1. Slide On Cabinet Hinge and Backplate set, economy
2. Slide On Cabinet Hinge and Backplate set, premium
3. Clip On Cabinet Hinge and Backplate set, economy
4. Clip On Cabinet Hinge and Backplate set, premium

And what if you don’t fit them absolutely accurately? Well you will be pleased to know there is a little margin for error. The hinges are designed to allow for adjustment both vertically and horizontally. A minor adjustment with your screwdriver and a little repositioning should resolve most minor door hanging issues.

So I hope this helps to clarify a little further for you the intracacies of kitchen unit hinges - I’m sure it’s not comprehensive, but it covers most of the bases. If you need further information, then you can always email us at enquiries@mykitchenstore.co.uk to see if we can answer your specific questions. Don’t become unhinged - just ask!

Glass Splashbacks - Colour Your Kitchen Beautiful

Our standard glass splashback range creates a stunning splash of colour in the kitchen - as you can see here from one of our beautiful colours, fuschia pink.

But we’ve had many enquiries from people who want to colour match or order a size to fit their particular needs - so we are now offering a bespoke service, meaning you can order a beautiful glass splashback in any colour and in any size. (well, within reason!)

And you don’t need to restrict yourselves to the splashback area, glass panels can be fitted to the wall under your kitchen cabinets and pretty much colour match to any standard reference. We can also accommodate those awkward plug sockets and switches.

Just email us at enquiries@mykitchenstore.co.uk and we’ll help you with a bespoke glass splashback to meet your needs.

So go on, pick a colour, any colour…

Wicker Baskets Are a Natural Choice For Kitchen Storage

Wicker basket drawers are a fabulous way to improve you kitchen storage. Made from natural wicker, the basket is fitted using a pair of solid beech runners inside your standard width kitchen units.

For a typical kitchen cabinet, you would fit one basket drawer in the top section (above the shelf) and one in the bottom section (below the shelf). You can remove the existing shelf completely if you wish.
Once the runners have been fixed (which is a very straightforwad job) the basket fits neatly inside - meaning you no longer have to scrabble around at the back of cupboard, instead you have a storage unit that just pulls out for you to access your groceries.

For many of us, these just represent a much more attractive method of

kitchen storage, but the biggest benefit is for those who might suffer from back problems, making reaching down and into cupboards uncomfortable. They really do make a vast improvement to accessibility.

The baskets come in variety of styles, incuding the bread basket drawer shown here and various sizes to fit kitchen cabinets between 450mm and 600mm (although the options available vary by style).

So if you’re looking for a naturally stylish option for kitchen drawers, or if you know someone who would appreciate a more accessible from of kitchen storage, then why not consider the wicker basket case?

Flip Down TV - Kitchen TV With Flip and Swivel

Does preparation for dinner strictly interfere with Come Dancing?

Is your Good Morning spoiled without TV?

Well the need to be in the kitchen should no longer interupt your viewing pleasure - because we have these fabulous flip down TV, DVD player and radio units.

This is pretty much the complete kitchen entertainment unit - and its so versatile that not only does it flip down - but it also swivels. Meaning you can view from anywhere in the kitchen.

The TV has Freeview and can be operated from its own panel or with a remote control and it has a 250cm LCD screen.

So, no more excuses, lunchtime is now definitely for Loose Women!

Door Handles Get Funky!

Door handles just got funky! We’ve just received details of a whole range of new kitchen door handles that are fabulous for sleek contemporary kitchens.
Take this new range of cloud coloured bar handles. Available in a range of psychadelic colours, they make a fantastic statement about you and your style. The swirling, art nouveau style pattern looks fabulous, particularly on gloss finished kitchen doors and drawers.

I’m excited about getting all these new products on our webiste - these are already available and there’s lots more to come. Come on, get funky, get new kitchen door handles!

Designer Radiators - Glass Fronted Radiators Are A Hot Feature In The Kitchen

Designer Radiators are a hot item right now and with good reason. Making a beautiful feature from something that has been traditionally a bit of an eyesore offers a great improvement to the design of any interior - and these stunning glass fronted radiators are no exception.
These sleek modern radiators come in a variety of colours, including Zest lime green, stunning fuschia pink, sleek polished black and elegant chalk white. There is also a
mirror fronted radiator for those in need of a little peaceful reflection!
Formed in extra strong glass and with a lifetime guarantee that the colour will remain vibrant and strong, these radiators are plumbed in using the usual process and conform to the relevant BS and PREN Standards. If you need a fitter, take a look at our useful
fitters page to find a list of contacts.
An added benefit is that the radiators are hygenic and easy to clean, having a sleek flat surface.
The colours also match with some of our glass splashback and glass upstand ranges for a complete, co-ordinated look.

Sleek and elegant - designer radiators fronted with stunning coloured glass offer a beautifully warm welcome in any kitchen.

At Last... Pictures of Our Beautiful Glass Splashbacks

We’ve been waiting from some pictures from our glass splashback suppliers because we wanted to show them off to better effect.

We’ve had a mass of interest in them but haven’t really been able to demonstrate just how fabulous they look when they are actually up in the kitchen – but now we can!

We’ve got a couple if images – and as it happens, they are in the two best selling colours, bright refreshing Zest (that’s Zest in marketing speak, or lime green in English!) and deep exotic Fushia (dark pink!). I’ve slotted them into this blog for you to take a look at added them to the main splashback section of the website.

They come in a wide range of colours – orange (also a strong seller), lime, pink and red for a fresh, bright look and then a range of blues, greys, browns and blacks for the more subtle appearance. Whichever colour you choose, they make a stunning effect. The glass is sort of translucent and if you have downlighters under your kitchen cabinets, they really do look amazing.

And not only are the great to look at they are also really practical They fix to the wall with a self-adhesive backing and are very easy to wipe clean.

So there you have it – to add some truly beautiful practicality to your kitchen you need glass splashbacks.