Kitchen Remodel – what cabinets?

When it comes to a kitchen remodel, having the ultimate space to cook meals and interact with guests becomes paramount and usually tops the list of the reasons why. People usually focus their remodeling efforts on updating old features, enlarging the room, or getting more cabinet and counter space. Selecting the right cabinets should focus on three aspects: style, functionality and budget.

We’ve gathered together kitchen cabinet information into this simple guide to help you narrow down your choices. Find out what to look for in cabinet materials, door styles, mountings and finishes so can make the most of your renovation.

Cabinet Materials

We often think of wood products when it comes to cabinets. Yet this isn’t the only material that can be used. If you have a more industrial home style, you may find that aluminum cabinets work better in the kitchen space. Other materials for kitchen cabinets include:

• Solid wood
• Medium-density fiberboard (MDF)
• Wood veneer
• Laminate veneer
• Plywood panel
• Thermo structured surface (TSS)
• Thermofoil

If you select wood cabinets, there are range of wood species that can catch your fancy: pine, oak (red and white), cherry, birch, ash, hard maple and hickory. Check out the wood grain and color that best fits into your kitchen style.

Cabinet Types and Construction

One of the things that people don’t take into consideration in their renovation timeline is the construction of the cabinets. They may have a short time frame for cabinet installation and a small budget, yet desire custom cabinets that can take longer to build and are more expensive. Consider the construction quality as another important factor in picking out your cabinets. There are 4 types of cabinets available:

Custom: Custom cabinets are made to order based on the layout of your kitchen.  Crafted to exact measurements and with the desired materials.  Providing the best utilization of space and best quality these come at a premium price.  It is common to have a 8 week timeline for delivery.

Semi-Custom: Semi-custom cabinets will still give you more control over materials and hardware. You can select certain style changes such as the doors or finishes.

Ready-to-assemble: Ready-to-assemble cabinets are normally found at big box stores and can be bought right off the shelf. These are the lowest quality and often selected when you just want to save money in the short term.  They will fail, thus needing to be replaced before any other cabinetry. Normally, the homeowner will assemble these cabinets themselves.

Stock: Manufacturers will have stock cabinets for purchase. You will have to pick what they have available in sizes, yet you get more choices when it comes to style and materials.

You have dozens of choices when it comes to cabinet styles. Flat panel cabinets are traditional cabinets that have a flat door surface. Raised panels have a raised center with a contoured molding groove. You can also select cabinets with a glass insert, arched cathedral that has an arch to the door, or shaker cabinets that has narrow molding.

Cabinet Mounting

Don’t forget that there are tons of ways to mount your cabinets in your kitchen. Two common mounting methods are wall cabinets and under-the-counter base cabinets.  Then you can also decide on tall, standalone cabinets much like a pantry. In certain kitchen styles, you can get specialty cabinets that can fit into corners to have a rounded design effect, and hutches.

Figure Out What You Need

What are you looking for in cabinetry? Are you looking for more storage space, better organization, or the ability to see what you are looking for instantly? These factors can dictate whether you want to go with cabinets with glass doors, open shelves or cabinets with additional storage options on the doors. Once you figure out your personal preferences, you can then move on to the construction type of the cabinets and the different styles that are available.

Need more help?  No problem, Contact us today to start planning your kitchen remodel!

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