Choosing Kitchen Cabinets For your Remodel
This article is the second installation of our guide to choosing kitchen cabinets for your remodel. In this article, we’ll cover cabinet types and features that will help you select the right kitchen cabinets for your home.
Types of kitchen cabinets
One decision you will have to make in regards to your kitchen remodel is the type of cabinet to use. There are three main types of cabinets: stock cabinets, semi-custom cabinets, and custom cabinets. The terminology refers to the production method used to fabricate kitchen cabinets. Stock kitchen cabinets are the most affordable while custom cabinets are the most expensive.
Stock cabinetry – stock cabinets come in standard sizes. They are pre-made, mass-produced and cannot be customized. Only a few styles and colors are available. The construction of stock cabinets is cheaper as they are usually made of particle boards with a veneer coating to imitate wood. Stock cabinets are readily available so wait time is usually dismal. However, lesser quality and limited choices will convince some homeowners to go with the next alternative – semi-custom cabinetry.
Semi-custom cabinetry – semi-custom cabinets offer much more choices in sizes, wood finishes, colors, drawer style and door facings as well as cabinet depth. This type of kitchen cabinets cost more than stock cabinets, but are still more affordable than custom cabinets. Because the cabinets are semi-custom, it will take longer to get them fabricated and installed once ordered, but having more choices and better quality cabinets make the wait all worthwhile.
Custom cabinetry – this is the most expensive type of cabinet you can get. The kitchen cabinets will be fabricated based on your unique specifications including the type of wood used, wood finish, designs and details for doors and drawers, size, etc. With custom kitchen cabinetry, your kitchen cabinets will be fabricated on demand by an experienced cabinet maker. Wait time to get the cabinets is long, usually about 4 months.
Kitchen cabinets features
When shopping for cabinets for your kitchen remodel, you should watch out for the following features:
Strong Construction
Good quality kitchen cabinets are constructed with solid wood face frames, drawers, door frames, and faces. They should have plywood sides and rear panels in the cabinet box. In some instances, particleboard boxes are acceptable if installed properly.
Pullouts
The best drawers are constructed with solid, half an inch or more wood or plywood sides. They are assembled using dovetailed or dowel joints for strength and durability. Drawers with glued and stapled joints are inferior in construction. If it is within your budget, self-closing drawers are best.
Shelving
A sought-after option for wall cabinets is for shelves to be adjustable which makes storing items of different size practical. For lower kitchen cabinet, look for pullout tray inserts with full extension glides for ease of access and storage.
Hardware
To finish the look of your kitchen cabinets, you will need to pick knobs, pulls, and hinges. Knobs and pulls not only provide style, they also serve the function of protecting cabinet surfaces from being prematurely worn out. Soft clothes hinges for cabinet doors is also an option to look for.
Shelving
A sought-after option for wall cabinets is for shelves to be adjustable which makes storing items of different size practical. For lower kitchen cabinet, look for pullout tray inserts with full extension glides for ease of access and storage.
Hardware
To finish the look of your kitchen cabinets, you will need to pick knobs, pulls, and hinges. Knobs and pulls not only provide style, they also serve the function of protecting cabinet surfaces from being prematurely worn out. Soft clothes hinges for cabinet doors is also an option to look for.
If you are planning a kitchen remodel, we would like to invite you to visit our Kitchen and Bath Design Studio where our professional designers can help you select the right type of kitchen cabinet for your project. We offer complete kitchen design and install including kitchen cabinets, countertops and flooring.
