Kitchen Cabinet Buying Guide

Kitchen Cabinet Buying Guide

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You must be looking into buying kitchen cabinets because you are designing a new kitchen or remodeling an old one. Whatever be the reason, this kitchen cabinet buying guide will give you all the knowhow you need to make an informed choice.

Cabinets are essential to keep any kitchen organized and easily accessible. Having too many cabinets or too few may hinder the overall usability of the kitchen. It is also important to keep in mind the weather and general climatic conditions of the place you live and buy cabinets made from materials that are good for local conditions. Also keep in mind the layout and space in your kitchen when buying kitchen cabinets. Remember that more than 50% of a remodeling budget is typically spent on kitchen cabinets, so your choices will affect the functionality and aesthetics of your kitchen for years to come. So these are the major factors you need to consider when buying kitchen cabinets:

Materials: While trends may come and go, there are some materials and looks that will never go out of style. You could choose materials that are contemporary or classic. There are a diverse range of materials to choose from nowadays, from melamine to metal and stainless steel, as well as the good old solid wood. You also choose glass to open up your kitchen to more light and display those cherished crockeries.

Finish: It may be hard to believe, but it is true that lighter shades hide dirt and dust more efficiently than darker shades. There are a lot of decorative finishes you can give to your cabinets-from glazing, crackling, distressing, etc. Solid wood materials can also be stained or finished or just left to their natural state.

Hardware: These are what will give your cabinets that personalized look, so you can play with a wide variety of door knobs, drawer pulls, etc., until you zero in what looks good in the kitchen. These also include drawer slides and ball bearings or nylon rollers.

Deciding on pre-made or custom-made: There are generally three types of ways in which cabinets are manufactured. These are custom, semi-custom, and stock. Custom cabinets are made to order according to the customer’s specific requirements. Semi-custom cabinets are pre-manufactured ones that can be modified according to the customer’s liking. Stock cabinets are those that you buy off the shelf and which may not have much room for any kind of modifications.

Utilizing dead space: There may be many awkward nooks and corners in your kitchen that may not be easy to install cabinets in, but these can still be put to good use by installing a Lazy Susan’s or a pie-corner base. A Lazy Susan is the kind of cabinet that opens up and spins and rotates so that you can reach items easily. The pie-corner base pulls out from awkward angles, effectively utilizing the space. Another way to utilize space is to opt for doors that are not swinging. Instead, choose pocket doors, flip doors, and corner drawers.