It’s a well documented fact that kitchen cabinets can be very costly so before you go spending a large chunk of your remodelling budget, it’s important to choose carefully. Read on for some tips on how to choose the best cabinets for your kitchen:
Kitchen cabinetry can take up most of your budget and because it’s such a large investment, and one which hopefully you won’t be doing again for several years, then it’s important to weigh up the options and be able to choose confidently. Here’s how:
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Freshening up
If your cabinets are in good condition and working order and you’re more than happy with the layout of your kitchen then the cheapest option is to paint or stain them a different color. Alternatively you might look at refacing which involves putting a new veneer on the exterior of the cabinet box and replacing door and drawer fronts. This task is best left to the professionals. It’s a speedier option than putting in new cabinets but be warned that the most expensive part of kitchen cabinets is the drawer and door fronts and if you’re paying someone to replace them, it might just be cheaper to buy new. The other advantage with buying new cabinets is that it gives you the chance to consider a different layout and look for your kitchen remodelling.
Types of new cabinets
So you’ve decided to buy new cabinets but what choices are to be had? Will stock cabinets fulfil your requirements or will you need to go down the custom built route?
A custom cabinet is a type of bespoke kitchen cabinet which is built to your exact specifications, i.e. size, type of material, design, finish and accessories. It’s the most expensive option and has by far the longest lead time.
Semi-custom are as the name implies, part custom built. In other words the cabinets are made to your size requirements but they are manufactured in pre-determined increments. You may need a spacer to hide redundant wall space, and that can mean less storage. In addition the range of materials, finishes and accessories won’t be as wide as for custom cabinets, but they’ll cost less.
Stock cabinets are the final option and these are the cheapest choice. They’re pre-made and come in standard sizes, and if you do your research you can find many made from solid wood. There’s no reason why most kitchens can’t be fitted out with stock cabinets provided you find a designer who is willing to work around the standard sizes.
Construction
There are two types of cabinet design, framed and frameless. Framed cabinets are more popular in traditional kitchens and means that the door is attached to a frame around the cabinet opening. The more modern European style of frameless cabinets means there is no frame and the door fits right on the side of the cabinet. They offer more interior room than a framed cabinet.
Accessories
Kitchen cabinet manufacturers now offer a wide range of accessories which are all designed to organize your storage, conceal appliances, and generally make your kitchen work more efficiently. Just remember that all of these extra accessories increase the price, so consider carefully which accessories you would benefit from most.
Hardware
Finally, pulls, knobs and handles add that all important finishing touch to your kitchen cabinetry. Available in a wide range of styles and prices, they can give even cheap kitchen cabinets that custom look.
Author Bio:
Kenneth Newel is an Home improvement Blogger. She has been writing on Kitchen Design and Budget friendly makeover ideas since last 2-3 years.
I’m trying to decide what kind of cabinets to get for my kitchen. I didn’t know that you could have custom cabinets made! It would be perfect for having a cabinet that meets my exact needs.
I’ve been thinking about hiring a company to make new cabinets for my kitchen. As I was reading your article I noticed you mentioned framed and frameless cabinets. I think frameless would look great in my kitchen and I’m thinking about having them custom made. Thanks for the great read.
I had been thinking about getting custom cabinets, and wondered if that was the right choice. You wrote that with custom, you get to choose every aspect of the cabinet including accessories. Since I have some specific needs in my kitchen, this would be perfect as I could store things in a way that would make life easier. Thanks for the amazing read.
I never knew how important it is to choose kitchen cabinets that offer ample interior room through different construction types. My sister is having her kitchen remodeled right now. Hopefully, she can use these tips to choose the perfect storage space for her home.
I hadn’t heard of bespoke cabinets that are built to your specifications. That sounds like a good idea if can’t find a set you like shopping around. I want an inbetween between modern/traditional look, so I’ll want my cabinets to be fairly monotone and unstressed.
When you transform your kitchen, the style and type of cabinets are to be considered. It also consumes a major part of your estimated budget. However, you can make it better and affordable with the help of a well experienced specialist. He would suggest you the best size of the cabinet, which would meet your demand as well as accommodate the room. Their looks can be augmented with appropriate paints. If you can do it yourself, definitely your expenditure will be low.
Nice tips. Just to add up, always go with the trends. There has been a rise in paneling appliances and hiding them rather than showing them off, which was the former trend.
Andy Shepard
Asmillworks.com
Thanks for talking about custom cabinets and how they can be made to fit into the specifications that you need them to be. With that in mind, I will be having this type of cabinet in the kitchen because we needed to add a cabinet. However, the space where we plan to put it is in an irregular shape.
I had no idea that there was such a thing as a semi-custom cabinets were a thing. It’s kind of cool that they are made to fit your space, but manufactured in already decided increments. What tips do you have for choosing a great contractor to install the cabinets?