Four Things You Should Know About Kitchen Cabinet Design
Kitchen cabinet design offers abundant options for every remodeler to find the perfect cabinets for their new kitchen. Understanding the basic elements of design will help you narrow down the variety of options and simplify the decision. 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 basics 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 are the main factor that determines the style and design of the 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. Metal can be available in colors or can be painted. These cabinets also show dents or dings if accidentally hit with a pan, and they 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 better or more expensive wood doors and exterior panels. 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 hickory. 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 multiple layers 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 of kitchen cabinets and drawers, they 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 of cabinet doors. Door style is the main determinant of kitchen cabinet design. For example, a contemporary kitchen would almost require 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, frame and lip panel, square raised panel, curved raised panel, lip board panel, and cathedral panel.
4. Accessories are the ultimate kitchen cabinet design staple. Accessories include knobs and handles, organization customizations, accessibility options, and special modifications. Knobs and handles should match both the style of the kitchen (rustic, weathered, chic) as well as 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 content. Many custom or custom units have these elements built in. Accessibility items include things like sliding trays or rotating units (lazy Susan, for example) to make things in cabinets easier to reach. Special modifications are changes made to any cabinet to make it work over refrigerated drawers or bar fridges, etc.
By understanding these kitchen cabinet design basics, you’ll be better informed, better able to ask questions, and better able to limit the number of cabinet styles you need to consider when choosing the cabinets to use in your kitchen remodel.
