The quality of cabinets you choose makes a huge difference in the overall look and feel of your kitchen. But there are so many options to consider.
From easy-to-install silhouettes that ship in two days to high-end options made with formaldehyde-free Purebond plywood and Blum soft-closing hinges and slides.
Size
Kitchen cabinet dimensions are standard, and it is important to understand them when planning for your kitchen remodeling project. Standard cabinets are available in a range of widths and heights, which help ensure that countertops, appliances, and other kitchen accessories fit well and look attractive.
Base cabinets are typically 24 inches wide and come in different depths depending on their use. For example, a deeper option is better for storage of mops and buckets, while shallower options are perfect for dry food and canned goods.
Upper cabinets come in various sizes, including 48-inch options which reach all the way to your ceiling. These are ideal if you have 9 or 10-foot ceilings, and they create the appearance of a fully-built-in kitchen.
Stock cabinets are readily available in stores and online, and have a shorter lead time than custom options. However, they can be low-quality products, so it is important to shop carefully. A well-designed and built kitchen should last at least twenty or thirty years, so don’t skimp on the quality of your cabinetry.
Style
If you want a sleek, minimalist look that lets the hardware shine, flat-front doors are the way to go. Also called slab doors, they are solid without panels or framing for a clean design that looks great in modern and contemporary kitchens.
A more traditional style is framed cabinetry with inset door and drawer fronts. This option works well in farmhouse and cottage kitchens. It’s easy to add a touch of elegance with a beaded trim option that surrounds the doors and drawer fronts.
Glass-front cabinets are a great way to show off unique dishes and crystal, or your collection of international beer mugs. You can keep them dust-free by choosing frosted or tinted glass, or you can get creative with reeded or leaded glass inserts.
Some homeowners have special needs that require modification of their cabinets. Kemper offers a range of options to accommodate those needs, including adding functional end runs to your cabinets for additional storage space or installing pull-out shelves for easier access to hard-to-reach items.
Materials
The material your cabinets are made from plays a huge role in their overall aesthetic. It’s important to understand the different materials and weigh what will work best with your design and budget.
One of the most popular cabinet materials is wood. It’s durable, looks beautiful, and offers a timeless look that will always be on trend. It’s also easy to clean, and is non-toxic.
Other cabinet materials include melamine and wood veneers. Melamine is a thin layer of plastic laminate on top of a sturdy base material like particleboard or MDF. It’s affordable, comes in a wide variety of colors and designs, and is easy to clean. It’s less durable than solid wood, though, and can chip easily.
Local millwork shops offer a range of custom cabinetry options. Form uses advanced technology and laser-guided machinery to make precise cuts, then skilled craftspeople assemble the pieces by hand. The process ensures seamless construction under high quality control standards.
Finishing
Depending on your interior design style, your cabinet finishes and hardware will showcase your unique personality. For example, polished brass can be a luxurious accent to your kitchen cabinets, complemented with stainless steel appliances.
A popular finish for custom cabinetry is natural wood. Natural-looking stains allow you to show off the knots, veins and other “imperfections” of the wood. Shellac is one option for achieving this look, but it doesn’t protect your cabinets like a wood stain.
A glaze is another finishing touch that can give your custom cabinetry an artisanal, hand-painted quality. A brushed glaze is where the color is applied with consistent vertical brush strokes, similar to a pencil sketch. It creates a very sophisticated look.custom kitchen cabinets