When you walk into a kitchen, what is the first thing you notice – assuming there are no dishes overflowing in the sink? Most likely your first impression comes from the cabinetry because it is on at least one, two or three walls of the space. Cabinets are high impact elements that anchor and unify the kitchen.

One of the biggest secrets in everyone’s kitchen: how many items are hidden behind the closed doors of the cabinets? Let’s face it – we all have stuff. If we eat and cook at all, we need some dishes and pots and pans. So even if you’re a minimalist, you need some storage. And your square footage will also determine whether you must subscribe to the KonMari Method! But whether you have one wall for storage or three or more walls available, you’ll need to plan, plan, plan accordingly. In the kitchen remodeling development process (that’s a mouthful!), you will work with your designer to define your project parameters.

Kitchen Cabinetry 101

OK. You’ve gotten to the point in the project when it is time to choose cabinetry.

Choosing cabinets is like buying anything permanent for your home, so think about this:

• Style – modern, transitional, new traditional

• Functionality – usability and properties of the cabinets that make life easy

• Layout – how much cabinetry will you have and make it work with everything else you want, including appliances and countertop space?

Considering most people stay in their homes an average of 13 years, cabinetry is probably one of the most permanent items you will choose. And along with appliances, they can be the biggest budget item. So, as the old knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade says, “Choose wisely.”

This can also be the most fun part of the project. Cabinetry basics include:

• cabinet construction (framed-inset, framed-overlay, frameless/full access

•  material – wood box or engineered box

• door styles

o  Slab-flat panel (modern) can be wood veneers or textured laminates

o  Five-piece flat center panel Shaker (transitional)

o  Five piece raised center panel (new traditional)

o  Glass inserts

o  Metal doors/aluminum frames

• a paint or stain color or more than one color. You can mix-and-match. We use complementary paints and stains to create visual separation. 

Imagine you are standing in a car dealership. You have multiple choices and so many ways you can customize your automobile. Same with your cabinetry! You can buy something off the lot – those are stock cabinets. Or, you can begin to select special features that reflect your taste and you don’t have to compromise on your wish list – that would be semi-custom cabinets. There are a range of choices and price points in the semi-custom category. If you’re looking for a BMW, you’re in the custom cabinetry section. Yet, let’s be honest, you don’t have to shop there. Semi-custom cabinetry offers almost all the versatility in design and functionality that you could ever want. 

And that’s where we come in. With our expertise, we can help you sort through the myriad of cabinetry choices and design options. As kitchen, bath and interior space planners and designers, we will show you how to select the best products for your space that reflect your taste and monetary goals.  

Once you’ve decided on your cabinets, the project moves forward with other decisions like appliances, lighting, countertops, backsplash tile, plumbing fixtures and flooring. As you look ahead, you get to choose more jewelry for your kitchen: hardware. Or, you might have no hardware at all. Many of today’s cabinets have magnetic touch latches that require no pulls or knobs. There’s more to say about hardware, so we’ll get back to that in another blog post.

Don’t feel like you need to know all the answers. That’s what we’re here for. Consider us your guides through the remodeling odyssey. Your perfect kitchen is our destination!