The '80s Cabinet Trend Boomers Remember That Hid The Handles To Look Futuristic

If you're remodeling your kitchen, cabinets are one of your main priorities. They're expensive, set the room's aesthetic tone, and need to be stylish, durable, and spacious. Because it can be a gamble to invest in a whole new look, it's worth looking back to trends of years past. Older generations may be able to tap back into a look they had decades ago and loved — or remember a trend they know they don't want to revive. When it comes to cabinets, are melamine cabinets with hidden handles one of the kitchen features Boomers loved that are now making a comeback?

Melamine is synthetic, a fusion of resin-coated paper and particleboard. Cabinets made from this material are a kitchen trend Boomers may remember fondly as having been in their early adult homes. The 1980s ushered in a futuristic tone from music to movies; in home decor, this translated to sleek lines, minimalism, geometric shapes, and glossy finishes. In the kitchen, people moved away from the cozier look of wooden cabinets and toward the space-age aesthetic of lightweight, absolutely minimalist melamine — so minimalist, in fact, that the handles were hidden, as well as the hinges. They often employed touch latches and cup hinges. The latter had a recessed design to keep hinges out of sight, and the former enabled cabinets to pop open with a slight push. Not only is the look of melamine cabinets super sleek, but it's also something Boomers may associate with memories of finally having their own homes.

Boomers may have a special place in their hearts for minimalist melamine cabinets, but is there a real chance this retro cabinet style is back? The answer is a bit complicated — it may be a "yes," but with some updates. 

This design choice has its benefits. If you're wondering how to keep your cabinet renovation affordable, melamine is about as cheap as it can get, being essentially particleboard. And, if you want to design an '80s-inspired kitchen, these cabinets will perfect the look. But, they might be, in fact, so 1980s in aesthetic that they could make your kitchen look too dated, and while melamine is known for being pretty durable, it won't hold up like a material such as wood.

To get the '80s look but in a fresh way that feels more artful and contemporary, use melamine cabinets in different configurations for other storage needs, and paint them in bright colors. For example, instead of having all your cabinets be that white melamine, stack melamine cabinets in one corner of your kitchen and paint them a bold accent color that complements the rest of your aesthetic — tada, you've got an '80s-cool statement piece that does double duty as a spacious, organization-friendly pantry closet. You could even use these cabinets in other rooms, like your office or the kids' playroom. Ultimately, they're great for storage, but aesthetically, they're better as a color-pop than an all-white cabinet motif.