Designing and installing kitchen cabinets used to be routine. Counters were always the same height and appliances nearly always went against walls. Nowadays, clients want open floor plans, so features like islands and peninsulas are more popular. These freestanding cabinets create all kinds of difficulties: switches, electrical receptacles, and other devices that normally go in walls have to be mounted in the cabinets; water supply and drain pipes, plumbing vents, and heating ducts may have to be routed in unusual ways. None of these obstacles is insurmountable, but together they do make it harder to lay out and install kitchen cabinets. Space is always at a premium in kitchens. Every pipe, box, and
