How to Choose the Best Type of Cabinet for Your Kitchen

Did you know that the cabinetry in your kitchen is by far the most defining and prominent feature? Choosing the right cabinetry style will determine the overall design of your kitchen. However, finding a style that fits your desires, aesthetic preferences, and needs is not an easy feat.

In this post, we’ll break down the different types of kitchen cabinets for you and help you decide what type you may choose for your kitchen. How about we start with the factors you should consider before making a choice!

Factors to Consider When Choosing Kitchen Cabinets

With all the different types of kitchen cabinets, the one you choose can make or break the style and functionality of your kitchen. You need to think about your kitchen design, among other factors, while making this choice. So, what factors are these?

Consider the Style of Your Kitchen

Kitchens are built in different styles, from traditional to contemporary and modern. It’s important to consider the color and size of your kitchen too. If you have a relatively small kitchen, consider cabinets with space saving-tech.

Consider the Materials

Cabinet materials come in a wide variety, and you can choose anything from wood, melamine, stainless steel, metal, and even thermo foil. Wood is still the most popular material, but this is a matter of preference, so go with anything you like.

Consider the Design

When it comes to styles and doors, you have so many options to choose from, and when it comes to layout, you have endless possibilities. Think about the overall style of your home before you choose the right cabinet style. Given that doors are the most visible part of the cabinets, the style you pick is very important.

Functionality and Aesthetics

While the beauty and overall look of the cabinets matter, you need to think about functionality. Will they be enough to store everything you have? Would drawers be more functional compared to shelves? How accessible are they to you?

How About the Hardware?

Hardware refers to the knobs, handles, and pulls. All these should come together to create a beautiful and stylish look. With the extensive variety of finishes, styles, and colors available, you need to consider the overall design of your kitchen to choose the right ones.

Beyond that, think about the finish. Would you like a neutral look? Would you like stained, finished, or painted wood? How about decorative finishes such as glazing or distressing? Do you want something that’s easy to clean?

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets

Basically, there are five basic types of cabinets, and you need to determine if you’d like all of them incorporated in your kitchen.

You can have top cabinets installed above the counter, base cabinets that go under the counter, tall cabinets that can be standalone, corner cabinets, and specialty cabinets that could be anything from wine racks to rubbish bins and spice racks.

Beyond that, you can have appliance cabinets, a kitchen island, drawer units, or free-standing cabinets.

Kitchen Cabinets Construction

Essentially, there are two types of construction, which are framed and frameless.

Framed cabinets come with stiles and rails that offer more flexibility with the types of doors you may choose. Frameless construction, on the other hand, offers a contemporary look, but you can only go with overlay doors.

Choosing Between Doors and Drawers

Base cabinet drawers are an incredible addition if you want to maximize storage and have easy access to dishes and tools. Drawers will offer you better use of space. When you install several deep drawers, you can store things like pots, pans, and other cookware.

If you prefer having doors, you can opt for pull out shelves behind the doors. Open shelving is also very convenient, and if you want a casual kitchen style or have a smaller kitchen, it’s a great idea.

Cabinet Quality Grades

There are four types of cabinet grades, all based on construction and quality. You can choose from stock, ready-to-assemble, custom, and semi-custom. The grade you choose will highly depend on your budget, so you need to decide how much you want to spend on your kitchen cabinets first.

Ready-to-Assemble Cabinets

These types of cabinets are readily available, and you can purchase them boxed from the store. The selection in terms of style, material, and size is quite limited, though, and you need to assemble everything after purchase. If you’re handy enough or love DIY projects, then you may be able to save a lot with RTA cabinetry.

The process can be tricky, though, and unless you do a very good job, the cabinets may not be set for long term durability. Alternatively, you can have a professional make the installations for you.

Stock Cabinetry

Stock cabinets are purchased presized from manufacturers, and if you want an economical option, stock is the way to go. These cabinets are mass-produced and only available in fixed sizes, which means there is no way for you to alter them. They are made from different materials ranging from solid wood to melamine and particleboards, but they come with limited accessories.

Semi-Custom Cabinetry

These kitchen cabinet types have a broader selection when it comes to materials and style. These are a mid-range cabinet option, and you can make size adjustments if you need to. Consider them as special order cabinets that even though they are standard, they can be altered to increase depth.

Still, you can’t alter everything, but they come in a wide range of finishes, styles, decorative enhancements, and storage solutions so you can get a personalized look. Semi-custom cabinets can be made-to-order from manufacturer catalogs, or they can be stock cabinets with customized doors.

Custom Cabinetry

Custom cabinets are at the very high end, and they are made to order. They are the most diverse in terms of style, finishes, accessories, and materials. Essentially, these can be one of a kind depending on exactly what you want, and they can be any innovative design with any unique shape you like.

However, they can also be quite expensive. These types of cabinets are designed just like furniture, and you have the flexibility of shape, depth, and everything else you may desire with no standards whatsoever.

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets: The Takeaways

With all the different types of kitchen cabinets available, you can have the one that suits you and your home the best. Of course, you must consider your budget, but the kitchen is the heart of a home, so make sure you choose something you absolutely love.

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