Four things to know about kitchen cabinet design
Kitchen cabinet design offers plenty of options for every remodeler to find the perfect cabinets for their new kitchen. Understanding the basics of design will help you narrow down the variety of options and make your decision simple. Some of these basics relate to build quality and others are a matter of cooking style and personal taste.
Let us consider each in turn. Two of the staples of kitchen cabinet design are quality issues. The other two are about style and taste.
1.Material. What material will be used to build your cabinets? Material is one of the most important decisions you will make because the design and style of your cabinets is the main factor that determines the style and design of your entire kitchen. You have several options:
- Metal (stainless steel, aluminum). Metal can be expensive and heavy to hang. Some metals, especially those used in the past, were subject to oxidation. The metal can be available in colors or it can be painted. These cabinets also show dents or dents if accidentally hit with a frying pan, and will show scratches. For these reasons, it is not a popular choice in kitchen cabinet design.
- Wood combinations. Some cabinetmakers use less expensive wood, such as plywood or pine, to build the cabinet and then use doors and exterior panels of better or more expensive wood. Some also use particle board or other composite materials. Any wooden cabinet can be painted in the color of your choice. You can use a glossy finish or a matte finish.
- Solid wood. These cabinets are constructed entirely of high-quality finished wood such as hickory, oak, maple, or more expensive woods such as cherry or walnut. Traditional kitchens and some country-style kitchens may use a dark wood, such as cherry, mahogany, walnut, or ebony. Contemporary kitchens tend to use lighter colored woods like birch or maple. You will need to consider the color, the grain of the wood, and the finish applied to the wood. The best cabinets are finished with several coats of polyurethane to protect the wood. Solid wood is currently the most popular kitchen cabinet design option.
2. Construction. Low-quality cabinets are often assembled with glue or with nails or staples. This is not a good idea (if you have the option) because under heavy use kitchen cabinets and drawers won’t last. High-quality cabinets will be joined with dovetail construction. This is one of the most important aspects of kitchen cabinet design.
3. Door style. There are many types and designs in cabinet doors. The style of the door is the main determinant of the design of the kitchen cabinet. For example, a contemporary kitchen would almost call for a flat panel door design. The raised panel design, on the other hand, is the preferred door style for a traditional-style kitchen. Other cabinet designs include these door styles: overlay panel, frame and panel, rimmed frame and panel, square raised panel, curved raised panel, rim board panel, and cathedral panel.
4. Accessories are the final staple of kitchen cabinet design. Accessories include knobs and handles, organization customizations, accessibility options, and special modifications. Knobs and handles should match both the style of the kitchen (rustic, shabby, chic) and the other metals used in visible places in the kitchen. For example, brushed metals work great with stainless steel appliances. There are many devices and gadgets that can be installed in drawers and cabinets to organize the contents. Many custom or custom units have these items built into them. Accessibility items include things like sliding trays or swivel units (lazy Susans, for example) to make things in cabinets easier to reach. Special Modifications are changes made to any cabinet to work over refrigerated drawers or bar fridges, etc.
By understanding these basics of kitchen cabinet design, you’ll be better informed, better informed to ask questions, and better able to narrow down the number of cabinet styles you need to consider when choosing cabinets to use in your kitchen remodel.
