Shopping for Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen Cabinets are by and large the core of any kitchen. They can be highlighted by kitchen appliances such as the refrigerator, stove, cooktop, dishwasher and microwave, or these appliances can be modified to blend in by using panels that match your kitchen cabinets.

Shopping for kitchen cabinets can be intimidating, especially for a first time buyer. There are hundreds/thousands of major kitchen cabinet companies, and many more smaller custom kitchen cabinet shops where you can get any cabinet made from any species of wood that your mind can imagine. Add to that list the explosion of RTA Kitchen Cabinet importers, and the laminated cabinet manufacturers, and suddenly the list can be overwhelming. Not to mention the fact that higher price doesn't always means high quality in construction, or more features being available.

In the past, pricing had always been the way to categorize kitchen cabinets. Traditionally, tthe higher-quality cabinets simply cost more money. As I mentioned before, with more and more Kitchen Cabinet importers conforming to the KCMA (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association) building standards, some of the RTA Kitchen Cabinets or Stock kitchen cabinets can actually be a sturdier cabinet than the traditional, made to order cabinets. Regardless of what type of kitchen cabinet you decide to go with, it does not take much effort to spend tens of thousands of dollars on the actual kitchen cabinets.

Most kitchen cabinet manufacturers build their kitchen base and wall cabinets in standard sizes. The kitchen base cabinets are often 34.5 inches tall and 24 inches deep. They come in widths starting at 12 inches and can go up to 48 inches often in increasing width increments of 3 inches. Kitchen wall cabinets are often 12 inches deep and 30 inches or 42 inches tall. They also come in the same size widths as the base cabinets. Wall cabinets also come in several different heights and depths for locations such as over the refrigerator or over the microwave/hood range unit. With custom kitchen cabinets, you have even more choices available, since the kitchen cabinets will be created specifically for your kitchen space.

Different semi-custom kitchen cabinet manufacturers make different-sized kitchen cabinets for all sorts of special looks and situations. It is not uncommon to have one cabinet extend beyond adjacent cabinets to create a distinguished look. It pays to shop around to see all of the different possibilities and special cabinet features offered by the custom and semi-custom kitchen cabinet manufacturers.

One of the biggest advantages to true custom kitchen cabinets is the ability to make one giant base or wall kitchen cabinet instead of separate boxes that are screwed together by the installer at the jobsite. A custom-cabinet maker can easily make one giant base cabinet 8 feet long that installs as if it were a piece of furniture. The same is true for wall kitchen cabinets. The advantage of this method is the lack of vertical seams where two traditional cabinet boxes would mate up to one another.

Pay particular attention to the materials used to build the kitchen cabinets. Some kitchen cabinets are made with minimal-quality engineered lumber, particleboard, or fiberboard. . If you plan to load a wall cabinet with heavy traditional china, the weight of the dishes may cause the cabinet to pull apart over time. This is particularly true when it comes to the semi-custom cabinets that the name brand cabinet manufacturers sell at the big box stores (which is why price is not always an accurate gauge of cabinet quality). Many of the RTA Kitchen Cabinet manufacturers use solid plywood sides, which obviously creates a strong kitchen cabinet box than a particleboard or fiberboard box. When it comes to custom cabinets, the material choices are endless and can usually be specified by the customer.

Another factor that will determine the price of kitchen cabinets is the material used to hold it together. Custom kitchen cabinet manufacturers will often use a combination of dovetailed joints, wood biscuits, and glue to create tight joints. Mid-grade kitchen cabinets will have a wide range of materials holding them together (staples and nails on the lower end, to cam lock assembly and wood glue on the higher end). Most RTA Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers utilize the cam lock system, which creates a nice sturdy cabinet, and when enhanced with wood glue, can last a life time. Steer away from any kitchen cabinets that are using staples, wooden dowels, or just screws. The strength of the cabinet will be compromised at the joints with these weaker joining materials.

Kitchen Cabinets Refacing

Kitchen cabinets refacing is one of the less expensive home improvement projects that you could tackle that could considerably create an impact to your home. Other than costing just about a third of the amount you have to allot to a cabinet replacement project, it cal also be done by a professional in as fast as two days. This can be done to whatever type of cabinet so long as the cabinetry is still in great condition and the layout suits you well. Refacing is your solution to an outdated look. But if there are already signs of damage and deterioration or you want to change the location of your kitchen cabinets, then you what you should be looking into is replacement for the whole feature which can be quite costly.

Before getting on with the task, keep in mind that kitchen cabinets refacing require ample carpentry skills. In case of repairable damages like holes, certain measures like sanding, filling and sealing should be done first before the installation of new faces can be done. The current finish of the cabinets should also be determined as the removal of different finishes requires different products. Measurements need to be accurate. If you think you are not up to the job, then hiring a cabinet refacing contractor or company is the better way. Though availing of contractor services can add to the budget, this option poses less risks and can add considerably to the years that you and your family can enjoy the new look.

Kitchen cabinets refacing is done through adding new doors or faces, replacing hardware and improve the framework holding them. The framework can be spruced up using different approaches. The exposed portions of the existing frames can resurfaced with paint, matching wood or install laminate veneer over them. Veneer comes in cherry, oak and maple and is available in a range of stains and thickness. Some of the most popular refacing materials used by homeowners include: wood veneer, wood over wood laminates and plywood. When the hardware already shows signs of wear or still remains dull even after polishing, then it is high time to replace them. It is important to shop for hardware such as knobs, cases and pulls that complement the rest of your cabinetry. Your choice of kitchen cabinets refacing products will affect the overall price of the project, appearance and durability.

White Kitchen Island with Natural Top

Small kitchen - small island. I use it to put a cutting board on...a little extra counter while I cook. I'm very happy with it.

• Kitchen island with storage
• Wood with white and natural finishes
• Open storage with 3 shelves
• Cabinet with paneled door
• Utensil drawer

This convenient island adds style, storage and versatility to your kitchen. Made of wood with a classic white finish, it features a large, natural-finished work surface with open and enclosed storage below, plus a drawer for utensils and accessories. Decorative accents include a scalloped bottom rail, a paneled bead-board door and wood knobs with a lustrous natural finish. Made in USA. 31-3/4Hx35-1/4Wx19-1/2D".

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Kitchen Cabinet Doors

You should enter the cabinet selection process through the kitchen cabinets doors. Their style, color, and decoration will contribute most to your cabinets’ overall look. Be sure that your countertops, flooring, and other design elements complement the cabinets you choose. The first thing you need to decide is the material you want to use and how you want to finish it off.

Wood

Wood doors remain the preferred entree, not just because they’re so plentiful but because they’re durable, beautiful and versatile. The top woods are oak, maple, cherry, hickory and pine. If you’re having a hard time deciding what natural wood you prefer, ask yourself what kind of grain you like. If you prefer a hardwood with a tight grain and a strong pattern that darkens when exposed to light, you’ll want to go with cherry. Maple is a light hardwood with a tight grain and less noticeable pattern, while oak is a light hardwood with an open grain and striped pattern. For a more open grain with a strong pattern and random knots you can go for pine - just remember it’s a soft wood and shows dents and scratches easily. The odd wood out is hickory because it has very dramatic grain patterns and color variations.

Shaping The Door - Slab, Raised and Recessed Panels

When it comes to deciding the shape of your kitchen cabinet doors you can choose to go flat, raised or recessed in a pattern that can be plain and simple or intricately carved. Slab is a flat door style that gives the appearance of a solid piece of wood with no raised or recessed profile. They’re usually made out of several pieces of solid stock lumber and joined with an adhesive. If you opt for laminate slab you’ll get a door made of substrate material and then covered with laminate. The best way to understand the look of a recessed panel is to think of a picture frame with a flat panel. The frame can be attached to the panel by using a mitered joint, tenon and mortise joint (similar to tongue and groove) or cope and pattern joint. These panels are easy to decorate and popular when made with a groove. A raised panel is constructed in the same manner as a recessed panel except it’s given an edge by cutting it dimensionally and then routing or shaping the desired edge profile, like square, Cathedral or arched.

Finishing it off

Thanks to hi-tech finishing techniques used by cabinet manufacturers, cleaning your cabinets is no longer a major household chore.

By using polyurethane finishes, particularly those that are heat catalyzed, your cabinets should only require a good dusting or wiping. Think longevity, when you choose your finish, because a clear finish will show the natural changes in wood over time, while staining the wood in its natural color will lock that shade in forever.


Behind The Doors

Know All Your Panels - Side, Back, Top and Bottom
Now that you’ve satisfied your taste - aesthetically speaking - it’s time to get practical and learn about what’s behind the doors. After all, a cabinet is just a box...and the quality of the cabinet lies in the construction of the box, not the door. As a rule, when it comes to cabinetry - you get what you pay for. High-end cabinets are usually always high quality and low cost cabinets are just that - poor quality. The majority of cabinet manufacturers offer several different levels of prices based on quality.

More posts on kitchen cabinet doors

• Repainting the doors of the kitchen cabinets
• Createc UV High Gloss Kitchen Doors by Polytec
• Cabinet Door Parallel Jaw Bar Clamp Kit
• Cabinet Doors Twisting in the Clamp
• The Key to Purchase Cabinet Door

Home Building - Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are the key ingredient in any kitchen. They will influence the look and feel of the heart of your home more than anything else because it’s not only the most visible part of the kitchen, but the “Meeting Place” of every home. Picking the right cabinetry is essential in creating your kitchen’s personality, but don’t let appearances mislead you. It’s what’s behind the door that will matter the most, every time you open your cabinet drawer or door.

Since kitchen cabinets represent the single largest investment in a new kitchen (about 60 to 70 percent of a kitchen’s cost), you should carefully explore all your options to avoid confusion and potentially costly mistakes. Here’s a little Cabinetry 101 to help you get started choosing the right products for your cabinet design.

Stock, Semi-Custom and Custom Cabinets

When you think stock, semi-custom and custom, don’t think of these choices in terms of the level of quality, because fine cabinetry is available with all three - as is poor quality. These terms simply designate the type of production method used to make the cabinet. Simply put, stock cabinets are mass-produced, semi-custom are stock cabinets that can be slightly altered and custom cabinets are built to order to meet individual needs and specifications. All three varieties are available in framed (a box with a frame surrounding the front edge) and frameless (a box with no face frame) construction. The cost of having your kitchen cabinets can start around $7,000 to $9,000 for stock and $14,000 to $18,000 for custom. With the amount of styles, materials, brand names, accessories and hardware out there, the price can quickly escalate.

Stock kitchen cabinets

These are the plentiful cabinets, because they’re produced in large quantities on a mass production scale. Cabinet manufacturers, dealers and home improvement centers stock pile large quantities of cabinet parts so cabinets can be assembled quickly. Not wanting to miss out on a piece of the pie, stock cabinet manufacturers have greatly improved and expanded its product line to include a nice bounty of sizes, shapes, styles, wood species and finishes. The drawback to using stock cabinets is that you can’t make any modifications, so what you see is what you get. You may also find you come up a little short in width and height (filler strips are used to fill the gaps). Stock cabinets still remain the most popular choice because they’re affordable and readily available.

Semi-Custom kitchen cabinets

Semi-custom cabinets are a stock line of cabinets where simple modifications will be made at the time of production. Semi-custom also offers you more choices when it comes to style, construction materials and colors. You can be a little more creative when going semi-custom by choosing some unique built-ins like pullout bins, lazy susans, matching interiors and inverted frames. Be sure to ask the manufacturer if this option is available. Be thorough with semi-custom because changes can be very expensive and increase delivery time (which is already a month or more) and they may not be returnable if they don’t fit.

Custom kitchen cabinets

Don’t be fooled by the word custom or think that you will be able to draw a design and have it made to your specifications, because that is hard to find (and very, very costly). In the real world of manufactured cabinetry, custom can mean anything from slight modifications to elaborate add-ons. Most manufacturers start out with a basic product line offering cabinets in standard sizes and customize from there. The big difference between a semi-custom and a custom manufacturer is the number of changes they are willing to make to their product lines. Most manufacturers offer a large selection of finish options, trims and storage configurations and accessories. Be patient if you go custom because it can take 12 weeks or longer before your cabinets are delivered and in many cases payment in full is required when the order is placed.

How to Select Kitchen cabinet designs?

Majority of the space in a kitchen is taken up by the kitchen cabinet. Because of this, it is quite important that you choose kitchen cabinets wisely. There are lots of choices available for you in the market. But before you buy, you have to take into consideration a number of factors. These factors include cost, style, door material, color and frames.

If you are on a tight budget, it is advisable that you reface your existing cabinets. Point to be noted here is that refacing is more economical as compared to remodeling. In addition, refacing also take less time in comparison to remodeling. Deciding on kitchen cabinet design for your kitchen is not easy, as you have to choose from four different kinds of design patterns, namely, stock cabinets, frameless cabinets, custom cabinets and semi-custom cabinets.

The cost of these kitchen cabinet designs will depend on the brand, layout, kind of wood and finish you want and interior accessories. In terms of price, stock cabinets are most economical. This is because of the simple reason that you have only have limited choices, styles and colors in stock cabinets.

Generally speaking, stock kitchen cabinets come in three grades. First one is the standard, which is made from particleboard. It also consists of 4-sided drawer box that is glued and stapled. Second one is the midrange stock cabinet. The drawer boxes of these cabinets are much better than the standard one. Last but not the least is the higher-grade stock cabinet that features concealed hinges and plywood sides.

The prices of semi custom cabinets are moderate. The best part about these cabinets is that you get lot more variety in terms of styles, finishes and colors. Another good thing about semi custom cabinets is that they come in number of heights and depths. These cabinets are normally made of wood. To give it a good furniture finish, semi custom cabinets are made with two sanding processes.

Of all the kitchen cabinet designs, custom-made cabinets are the best. The main reason behind this is that these cabinets provide you with unlimited styles, design and colors possibilities. No doubt, custom-made cabinets are more expensive than any other kitchen cabinet design but if your main objective is to get quality kitchen cabinets then there is nothing better than custom-made cabinets. Frameless cabinets normally have no front frame. In addition, the door of these cabinets is attached directly to the box.

Are You Considering New Kitchen Cabinets?

The style you select for your new kitchen cabinets depends totally on you. What feel do you want to create? What look are you going for? What flows and goes with the style design in the rest of your home?

Antique, bone and linen white or off white kitchen cabinets can create everything from contemporary, traditional to modern. Basically, just matching the decor of the rest of your house should be your main concern. This makes things easier when you select the complimentary finish, stain, door style and cabinet hardware for your kitchen cabinets.

Kitchen cabinet styles are normally just a matter of taste. Please note that the kitchen cabinet door design does not necessarily have to dictate the overall theme for your kitchen cabinets. The theme is normally decided by the wallpaper, paint color, accessories or decoration, pictures, etc.. For long lasting appreciation of your new kitchen let your taste decide for you unless you are imitating or copying a specific cabinet style or theme of a favorite decorator. Try to focus on the quality of the construction of the cabinets you intend to use.

One of the following cabinet styles can be used basically in any kitchen theme. Ones' home should be their get away, our sanctuary so to speak, from the busy, hectic outside world. Listed below are five design trends that you may identify with. This will help you to identify and choose cabinetry styles, finishes and personalization to create a home just for you.

Eclectic Charm is fun with a mixture of all the things you love that just seem to go together. This is an individualized laid back approach that allows you to blend textures, tones, different eras and use of color and shape to bring it all together.

Restful Retreats creates peace from the chaos and presents a style that's focused around comfort and relaxation. This style is the perfect retreat from a hurried world.

The world at your doorstep best describes worldly grace design. This design draws inspiration from nations or places you carry in your heart and are seemingly drawn to the decor of the country. Italian, old world African, Asian and latin influences are just a few inspirations you might like. Always in good and classy taste, these designs are more defined and tailored style that is timeless.

Simple Element styles are clean and crisp with clean lines and less ornamentation. In other words simple, sophisticated space with smart presentation, yet with a calm soothing effect.
When deciding what is best for your taste and style, browsing through pictures of cabinets can help you with ideas to incorporate into your own style. Always pay special attention to traffic flow because if the flow is not conducive and does not flow smoothly from one to the next, try changing fixtures, appliances or even entrance ways. Angling countertops is a simple solution for the narrow doorways and the same can be said for certain corners on a kitchen cabinet island. Making sure you have enough room between stations will keep the human bumper cars pass easily without the shoulder to shoulder grind. Hanging kitchen pictures allows you to gain a different perspective.

Does the kitchen seem to busy or crowded? Does it seem too cramped or small? Is there enough lighting that creates interest? Obviously, you will want lighting for both day and night to accent the things you love best about your kitchen Your kitchen features should make your kitchen bright and cheery and not like a dungeon. A lot depends on the color of the stain on your kitchen cabinets. These cabinets cover a significant amount of wallspace.

This means less light reflecting surface. If you have very little window light during the day, you may want to consider white or very light wood grain cabinets. Consider these ideas before you make final decisions on your kitchen and kitchen cabinet decor saving you time, money and affording you peace of mind.