This article on Porcelanosa kitchen cabinets is the second of a two part article on modern, contemporary European kitchen cabinets. We also covered IKEA European kitchen cabinets.

These days, many home owners are no longer trying to keep up with the Joneses. In fact, they are seeking ways to differentiate themselves from their neighbors. Contemporary, modern and sleek European kitchen cabinets are one way to achieve that goal. In addition, kitchen remodels are still the top contenders in terms of what homeowners are requesting and continue to produce a favorable return on investment in a slower housing market.

The Essence of a Contemporary Kitchen
The real key to a contemporary kitchen is sleek and minimalist cabinets with decorative cabinet hardware.

However, a minimalist cabinet does not mean that the colors have to be boring. Quite the opposite is true. In fact, Porcelanosa cabinets mix color with wood and metal to create an exciting and sophisticated space.

What's in a Name
The name "Porcelanosa" is synonymous with ceramic tiles for kitchen and bathrooms in Europe and the United States. What distinguishes Porcelanosa from many ceramic tile companies is that this Spanish company is marketing an entire look. A visit to any Porcelanosa Showroom will underscore that. That look is definitely European and modern. It includes not only ceramic tile that Porcelanosa built its reputation on, but also bathroom vanities, sinks, and faucets.

Now Porcelanosa has added kitchen cabinetry to its suite of products. The kitchen line of products is hosted under the GamaDecor label (www.gama-decor.com). The kitchen line is good news for people who are looking for a modern, contemporary kitchen. The cabinets also incorporate the attention to detail with respect to storage and functionality that most European cabinets are famous for. Most important is that now, you can design your entire kitchen together with Porcelanosa' line of kitchen sinks, faucets and of course ceramic tile.

Cabinet Characteristics
Porcelanosa's modern European cabinets have the following characteristics:

1. Full overlay doors for extra storage,
2. Concealed hinges,
3. A taller toe kick that gives the impression that the base cabinets are floating,
4. Flat panels made from plastic laminate, lacquer, or wood veneer,
5. MDF sides, although you can order plywood sides for an additional cost, and
6. Unique ways to store plates, cutlery and other items.

Colorful contemporary lacquered or stainless-steel and frosted-glass cabinets with stark contours are making inroads on those beveled-cherry and maple cabinets that are a mainstay in traditional homes. A signature feature of European cabinetry is a "frameless" design, which offers a more uniform appearance. Doors and drawer panels fit flush together, and there are no exposed hinges.

Europeans have also turned Americans on to space-stretching innovations with clever sliding shelves and pullout cabinets. Butcher blocks and small tables slide under counters, and drawers with cutouts in their bottom panels make way for under-sink plumbing.

We believe that Porcelanosa's contemporary kitchen cabinets are ideal for open floor plans. As you can see from the photos, there are a variety of colors and textures to choose from to create that "Wow" kitchen in your home, condominium or townhouse. One thing that we have noticed about Porcelanosa's kitchens is that they are very functional and efficient when it comes to space and storage.

Porcelanosa base kitchen cabinets seem to float off the floor due to the higher toe kick. If you watch HGTV shows, you probably have noticed that the HGTV designers like to install floating shelves and pedestal sinks. This creates the illusion of space. Porcelanosa has done the same thing which would add value to smaller kitchens normally found in city homes and condominiums. The wall cabinets are sleek and the cabinet pulls add to the horizontal flow in the kitchen.

Cost of Porcelanosa Cabinets
While Porcelanosa's contemporary cabinets are a semi-custom cabinet, they are more expensive than similar IKEA cabinets, but probably less than their Italian counterparts. We could not obtain pricing information at the time we prepared this article. However, Ms. Nazila, the kitchen designer at Porcelanosa's Rockville Maryland Showroom told us that there are nine price groups to choose from and that Porcelanosa's cabinets were comparable to ArtKraft Cabinets found at Tunis Kitchens in Bethesda, Maryland.

Cady's Alley is a good place to go if you want to compare Italian contemporary kitchen cabinets and prices in the Washington DC area to Porcelanosa's cabinets. The Italian Elmar Cucine line of cabinets may run from $8,000 for a ten-by-ten-foot kitchen to $35,000 for a larger project. That does not include the appliances, kitchen sinks and faucets or the installation though. Boffi Studio, a cutting edge Italian kitchen showroom is also located in Cady's Alley.

You may also want to check out our primer on selecting kitchen cabinets before you go shopping.