Today we will break it down for you when it comes to buying kitchen cabinets for your kitchen renovation. If you’ve done a google search on kitchen cabinets you’re likely feeling overwhelmed at the myriad of options out there. Hopefully this article can help you sort out some of the many options to help get you pointed in the right direction. Be sure to check out our Where To Start Prior To Choosing Kitchen Cabinets to help you organized before choosing cabinets !
Let’s start with wall cabinets. Wall cabinets are the most used cabinet because in a kitchen they house most of your kitchen items. Opposite of the floor cabinet these cabinets are the ones that sit above the counter and are most commonly 12 inches deep.
There are many beautiful options to choose from however, we will focus on a few of the classics. Some of these include cabinets with glass doors which display your dishes (that is if you have dishes you want to show off), shaker cabinets which are timeless and simplistic and never really going out of stye because of clean lines and feature a flat center panel with square edges. There are flat front cabinets which have a nice modern element to them, natural unfinished wood cabinets, for a more rustic and cottage style and bead board cabinets which are more intricate and require a more detailed construction to them. When choosing the right cabinet you don’t have stop at outer details to make your cabinets pop. To add a fun element, LED light strips can be added under the cabinets to illuminate the counter as well as inside to display the glassware for added ambiance.
There are three main types of cabinets. The first are base cabinets with a top drawer or bottom drawer. Pullouts can also be added to these. The second kind of cabinet is a 3 drawer base cabinet. This type has three drawers as the name explains; the top is more narrow and the bottom two are more wide allowing for more storage space ideal for pots, pans and appliances. All doors and drawers are recommended to have a soft closing. If you have babies or toddlers you get what we mean ! The third type of cabinet is a corner space cabinet which often go unused/wasted. Within this option you can pick either a lazy Susan or a blind corner cabinet. Sometimes they are not the most convenient to use but again, it’s better to have more storage space than not. Part of choosing a cabinet involves choosing hardare. We recommend this site when choosing your hardware: www.revashelf.com.
Many people like to add a specific trash, recycle and spice cabinet to their kitchens. The code in CA says that from each side of the cooktop you must have some countertop on each side for safety reasons. When cooking there must be a place to set the pan down. Also if you have gas cook top you must have a shut off valve inside the cabinet on one of the sides near the cooktop for emergencies. That means you can’t put drawers inside the cooktop but you you can with a lazy susan or base cabinet on the side of a cooktop.
Before buying cabinets there are two options; fully custom cabinets that normally cost two to four times more than semi custom cabinets. With fully custom cabinets the sky is the limit and you can do whatever you want literally customizing every corner of the cabinet! If you are on a budget but you want to make it highly customized and affordable the two types to choose from are European style with flat doors, or more traditional. After assessing your budget choose the cabinets according to the cabinet door you like the most. Normally semi custom cabinets take 2-4 weeks for production if you choose a standard color and it can go up to 3 months depending on color and brand.
Many times the flat cabinet styles are a different brand from the more traditional ones. Also the vendor has more room for custom cabinets for an additional cost because he produces the cabinet. While the normal cabinets have the door made in a factory in mass production. Remember to consult your contractor before you buy cabinets for potential discounts quality, and value for your money.
Sometimes you might really want a specific brand, pricing and style but it won’t be available in the color you want. So first, find the specific door you like for your budget and then start working on the design. It is highly recommended to have your contractor measure the cabinets for you before ordering your cabinet doors. If your space is not straightforward, sometimes it is better to order cabinets after demolition. Again, it’super helpful to have a contractor on board before making a final selection.
