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Kitchen Remodeling – Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen Cabinets – Options, Styles, and Cost

As you plan the design for your kitchen remodel there are several major factors in the decision-making process.   Kitchen cabinets generally consume 50% of the typical budget, so this is a motivator to do your homework.  When you are considering your cabinet purchase there are decisions that affect function and cost.

Custom, semi-custom, stock, frameless, framed, full overlay, inset… these are just some of the options you have to choose when purchasing kitchen cabinets for your remodel.  We will offer a short description of each term to help aid you in that decision making can be easier.

Custom Kitchen Cabinets

The Cabinet Door

The kitchen cabinet door will be a large percentage of the cost of any cabinet you select.  We have described four main cabinet door types in our post.

Framed Cabinets frame the opening of the cabinet and the door attaches to the frame.  These doors are popular in traditional kitchen design.

Frameless Cabinets do not have a frame and the door attaches to the side of the cabinet.  Designers will often use this style in the contemporary kitchen design and one of the advantages is the open access to the cabinet interior.

Full Overlay Doors covers the full frame of the cabinet, traditional overlay doors cover some of the frames.

Inset Doors sit inside of the cabinet frame.

 

Cabinet Styles

The type of kitchen cabinet line you choose will probably depend on whether you want custom, semi-custom or stock cabinets.  Several links to a few manufactured brands we carry are located here.  We outline below the description for each type of cabinet.

Custom Cabinets are a good choice should you wish to have your cabinets fit the space precisely as you have designed.    Custom cabinets are built to your exact specifications and the options are limitless.  Be aware that the lead time for custom built cabinets is usually much longer than other cabinet styles.

Semi-Custom Cabinets can be made to fit your kitchen, but the manufacturer creates them in predetermined sizes, so spacers are often used to bring about a perfect fit.  This will take away from usable storage space.  Choices in materials and finishes will be limited but will be less costly than custom.

Stock Cabinets are pre-made and will be a standard size.  A stock cabinet is usually made of lesser quality material and offers homeowners limited options for style and finish.  The good news is that they arrive quickly and are the least expensive to purchase.

Cabinet Accessories & Functions

Regardless of the option you choose for your kitchen remodel it is important to evaluate the quality of doors, hinges, drawer systems and finish.   One of the latest options for hinges are soft-close.  Soft-close means that the hinge closes the door the last one inch and holds the door tight in the closed position, eliminating the need for a cabinet catch.  Many cabinets offer Pullout and over-sized drawers, trash, and recycling drawers and Lazy Susans.  The cabinet manufacturers offer inserts to fit drawers and cabinets that hold spices, cutlery, dishware to mention a few.

With so many choices to be made and the importance of your kitchen remodel in the overall plan for your family, we recommend receiving professional advice through an interior designer.  Remember to review the manufacturers’ warranty.

Also, check out Builder Magazine for predicted trends for kitchens in 2018.