Are Toekicks Necessary?

[Jon Farley]

I will be doing some built-in cabinet/shelving units on each side of a fireplace. It seems to me that toekicks at the base of the cabinets would not serve much of a purpose, and I really don't want to do them, as I would like to end up with some nice clean tie-ins with the exsisting baseboards. So is there something that I'm overlooking regarding toekicks in this application?

[Jim Becker]

OMHO, they are not "required" in that area, although they do provide some design asthetics for both shadow lines and for raising the bottom of a cablet a little off the floor. They certainly don't need to be 3-4" deep as is common in kitchens and bathrooms or in other situations where one's feet will tend to get close and often. In other words, your baseboard idea provides the same general function and makes it look truly like a built-in while providing the depth clues down at the bottom.

[Joe Mioux]

I suspect it depends on the size of a person's foot or stomach :D

Just having a some fun

joe

[Dan Gill]

For that application, I wouldn't do a toe-kick. When I built cabinets/shelving for our living room addition, I got lucky. The contractor was a former trim carpenter, and he basically begged me to do the molding and wrap it around the cabinets. It worked very well.

[Ben Grunow]

I find that cabinets without toe kicks look somewhat bland (although better than those with toes in living rooms) if the cabinet does not have some changes in depth across the front. THink about making the cabinet with a center section that is full 24" deep and sides that are 21" deep so the base steps around. Maybe some pilasters. It adds interest. Just MHO.

[Robert Schaubhut]

Jon,
The toe kick is there to protect the furniture from being kicked on a regular basis. Kitchens need them so you can get up closer to the sink and too the upper cabinets that set back 12" and up off the counter 18" or so.
Bathrooms vanities need it so you can get up close to the mirror to make sure you are still there.
As far as furniture is concerned, and that is what it seems you are building, you need no toe kick, but you still need the support under the cabinet to transfer vertical weight.
Personally that piece of furniture does best without the toe kick.
Woodworking by Shaz