Six Things To Consider When Picking New Cabinets

Here are six things to consider when picking new cabinets for your kitchen or your bathroom. When you start looking at all the details it can start to be overwhelming. I always recommend looking through photos to get a feel for what you like the look of first. Your budget is also going to affect what you actually can afford to buy. If you plan to be in a home for a long time, if you have family members that are hard on things, and if you don’t want a lot of change, then I highly recommend spending as much of your budget on quality cabinets as you can possibly afford. It will save you time and money down the road. You don’t have to become an expert on cabinets but understanding the basics will help you make informed decisions.

1. There are three types of framed cabinets - partial overlay, full overlay, and inset. Partial overlay is typically what you will find with stock cabinets. That’s when you see a bit of the cabinet box and the doors and drawers stick out from the cabinet box. A full overlay is more typical with a sleek modern kitchen. That’s when you see none of the cabinet box at all. Inset is what you are probably seeing a lot of when you look online or in magazines. Inset cabinets have the drawers and doors set back into the box of the cabinet more like a piece of furniture. If you haven’t noticed this and don’t care, then stick with partial overlay!

2. Frameless Cabinets (Euro-style) - The cabinet box has no front frame, allowing for larger, full-overlay doors and drawers, providing better access and more usable storage. This also provides less stability and they are harder to find here. Ikea has this option.

3. What is the cabinet made of? Most commonly you will find plywood for durability and moisture resistance, or engineered wood (MDF/particleboard) for budget-friendly stability. High-quality cabinets often use 3/4-inch plywood for boxes and hardwood for face frames, while standard options use melamine-covered particleboard. Door materials include solid wood, MDF, or laminates. I personally hate MDF for doors. I have gone into too many homes with swollen cabinet doors. This is MDF that has gotten wet. I also don’t love a laminate. They look good initially but often will start to peel and there’s nothing you can really do to make them look ok again. I recommend making room in your budget for solid wood door faces. This means you can refinish or repaint in the future as needed.

4. How are the cabinet parts put together? Are the drawers dovetailed? What kind of hinges and drawer pullouts are used? Are there reinforced corner blocks? How moisture resistant are the materials? Century Cabinets, a commercial company, does a good job really delving into these details.

5. Door style - There are so many options here. Popular and timeless are shaker style (my personal favorite). You also have have complete flat fronts for a more modern look. Raised or inset panels are options. If you want a more ornate look there are lots of trim options. There is no bad choice here - just a matter of personal preference although cabinet door fronts definitely follow trends. If you don’t personally care, for house resale purposes pay attention to what you see a lot of in online kitchen pictures and choose something similar.

6. Cabinet finish - Do you like the look of wood or paint? Real wood cabinets are making a comeback in higher-end kitchens. They are also often easier to maintain than the white kitchen cabinet that will always be a classic look. As with anything in design, the kind of wood currently on trend is very different than the 2010’s when a dark cherry was very popular or a reddish oak look from the 1990’s. White oak is currently very popular.