I have long been interested in free standing kitchen cabinets. There is some useful information online on the subject, but in my opinion it is only introductory. Here I intend to expound on the subject of the use of free standing kitchen cabinets. 'The Spruce' has an article, "Freestanding Cabinets Offer a Classic Kitchen Look | What Was Once Old Is New Again" by Lee Wallender, and is one of the few free contemporary resources on freestanding cabinets, it has a nice synopsis, found here; looking at it again it appears to have been updated in February of 2023. While I have this interest, I am not a proponent of free standing cabinetry nor am I an opponent of fitted cabinetry.
In North America, free standing furniture was the typical type of cabinetry in nearly every residential home prior to the 1920s. Home plans prior to and at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century illustrate void of any fixtures except for fireplaces and chimneys, just four walls and markings for windows and doors. The type of fitted cabinetry that became commonplace during the 1920s was builtin furniture and cabinetry. Prior this decade, it can be seen in
There are a number of words and phrases used to reference free standing and fitted cabinets. 'Fitted' cabinets refer to cabinetry that is designed and installed in a manner to be connected together in order that the end product is a system of cabinetry. Historically, most residential kitchen cabinetry was free standing and therefore is referred to as 'old style' or 'antique'. Fitted cabinetry existed before the 20th century, but due to many cost saving improvements (power tools, transportation, wood composites, assembly lines, et cetera) fitted cabinetry became marketed and accessible to the majority of the population so that fitted cabinetry in residential kitchens became the norm in North America. As a result, 'modern' kitchen cabinetry refers to fitted kitchen cabinetry. 'Unfitted' kitchen cabinetry usually refers to free standing cabinetry.
A typical characteristic of free standing cabinetry is that all vertical sides (front, sides, and back) have a finished face; exceptions are found with inexpensive ready made cabinets intended to stand against a wall where the back is either not finished or a lower quality material is exposed than the other sides such as a free standing pantry or storage cabinet; appliances are also exceptions including countertop appliances that their backs are typically of a less costly material / grade / finish. Whereas, it is typical of fitted cabinetry to have only one side finished, sometimes two if it is designed for a corner, rarely three sides. If a fitted cabinet requires an after market sale 'finishing' of an exposed side, then some sort of panel from the manufacturer is applied, or a covering is used such as beadboard. Beadboard is very common in my area when fitted cabinetry, that has three sides finished, is assembled to create a kitchen island, the beadboard is then applied to the backside.
Due to the low of demand for free standing kitchen cabinets bulk cabinetry manufacturers do not produce them. Homeowners interested in free standing kitchen cabinets can either make it a do-it-yourself project (inexpensive), or order each piece from a custom furniture maker (expensive). DIY cabinetry can add sentimental value, but most people want a professional look to the end product.