9 Tips for Choosing the Right Kitchen Cabinets this 2021

When you’re planning to renovate your kitchen, choosing the most appropriate kitchen cabinets will be one of the most challenging tasks. Well, that’s because you have plenty of options when it comes to cabinet door style, finish, brand, and materials used.

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Besides aesthetics, your kitchen storage cabinets dictate the overall organization and workflow of your future kitchen. With that being said, it’s critical when you make a wrong decision for your new cabinets, so these expert tips we’re sharing will greatly help you.

Visualize Your Kitchen Layout and Organization

It’s a must that your prefab or custom kitchen cabinets match your future kitchen layout so that there is work and storage efficiency in your kitchen remodel.

Meanwhile, if you pretty hook up in keeping your kitchen organized, then you need to tell your contractor to put some dividers, pull-ups, or drawers in your kitchen storages. For instance, if you plan to have many spices and herbs, then you need to dedicate a spice rack inside your cabinet or drawer.

Which Is Better For You, Custom or Prefab Cabinets?

In finalizing your decision between a prefab or customized cabinets, it will greatly depend on your budget. Customized classic or modern kitchen cabinets costs around $500 per linear foot, while a stock or RTA cabinet hits at $70 per linear foot. 

There’s a huge price gap between these two, yet you will also feel the difference in their quality and style. If you have the budget, then go for custom cabinets since your contractor can accurately fabricate the right cabinet size and design that fits your corner, wall-hung, or base kitchen cabinets.

On the other hand, you will have limited design and size options for prefab cabinets that are mostly sold in any kitchen cabinet store. Also, there will be frequent instances where your chosen stock cabinet will not fairly match the other finishes present in your kitchen.

Harmonize Your Kitchen Appliances with Your Cabinet Designs

In designing your kitchen base cabinets, never forget to picture out the appliances you will be installed in between your cabinets or on top of it. This is important since it impacts your workflow during meal preparations. 

Some of the usual kitchen appliances you need to consider are gas range with oven, dishwasher, microwave oven, and fridge. Be sure to consult with your designers and pros on this matter, to avoid ruining the functionality of your kitchen.

What Cabinet Style Do You Want?

Basically, there are three main cabinet styles for you to choose from: modern, transitional, and traditional cabinets. If you’re still confused about which to choose, then ask help from your kitchen designers as they have experience in this domain.

In general, your cabinet style must be harmonious with the other colors and finishes inside your kitchen. For instance, a dark-colored kitchen countertop paired with a glass front glossy finish cabinet would totally look odd in all perspectives. 

Therefore, your cabinet style can either seamlessly blend with your kitchen’s overall theme or make a light pop out from the background.

What Cabinet Finish Do You Want?

The type of cabinet finishes you select influences the personality you are projecting in your new kitchen remodel. Also, this final touch greatly impacts the overall beauty of your cabinets. So far, you have 7 options for your cabinet finish:

  • Waterborne finish: It improves your cabinet’s scratch resistance and it comes with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Moreover, it’s easy to apply and dries fast.
  • Stained: Great choice for enhancing the wood grain patterns in your hardwood cabinets.
  • Glazed: This is applied on top of your cabinet paint or stain, where it adds more depth and style to your cabinets.
  • Natural: You get to enjoy the original color of your cabinets.
  • Painted: Excellent choice when you want a bold color on your cabinets.
  • Varnished: It helps your wooden cabinets resist aging, corrosion, and heat damages.
  • Distressed: Great for achieving a historical appearance.

Style and Finish of Your Cabinet Hardware

Typically, the minor details of your kitchen cabinets like its hardware matter it impacts its entire appearance. Also, selecting the right handle or pull knob for your cabinet doors will influence your ease of using it.

So far, here are the popular cabinet hardware finishes you can have for cabinet renovation:

  • Antique Brass: Best for lighter cabinets with a historical appearance.
  • Black: Its a neutral finish that you can use for either traditional or modern kitchen cabinets.
  • Iron: It usually has a deep gray finish which suits well for traditional cabinet styles.
  • Old Antique: It works well for homes with a historical theme.
  • Old Copper: Another excellent finish for homes with an antique theme.
  • Polished Brass: This one works well with both light and dark-colored cabinets. Its natural warm hues give a cozy appearance to your cabinets.
  • Polished Chrome: Its bright hue helps improve the clean and vibrant state of your kitchen.
  • Polished Nickel: It’s very versatile and can effortlessly blend with any cabinet colors and style.
  • Silver Satin: This is a few notches lower than chrome, and it’s less shiny finish fits well with your dark-colored cabinets.
  • Venetian Bronze: It has a darker finish but can reflect light pretty well. You can use this for dark cabinets without being too attractive.

Don’t Forget About Cabinet Door Styles

Refacing your cabinet doors is one cheaper way of getting a fresh look with your kitchen cabinets. It’s usually the door that gets easily noticed by any guests or family staying in your kitchen. Therefore, you can take advantage of that instead of completely remodeling your entire cabinets.

Here are some of the popular cabinet door styles for you:

  • Shaker: It’s one of the staple cabinet styles selected by many homeowners because of its durability, flexible appearance, and affordable cost.
  • Contemporary: It’s pretty similar to slab-style where there is no hardware seen in your cabinet doors. The sleek and glossy finish of this cabinet door style is an emblem of modern homes.
  • Slab or Flat-Panel: It has a streamlined appearance that gives it a clean look. You can still see a few door handles or pull knobs for this door style.
  • Glass front: Typically used with solid cabinets and some have LED lights on the rear side for added elegance.
  • Rustic: There’s a greater emphasis on the natural appearance of your wooden cabinets.
  • Louvered: It’s made of horizontal wood slats which provide ventilation for the things you’re storing inside.
  • Traditional: This includes raised panels, beadboard, or recessed panel cabinet doors.

Will You Consider Underneath Cabinet Lighting?

Installing a strip of LED lights underneath your cabinets is a thing today because it adds elegance and illumination to your wonderful backsplash and countertops. You can ask your expert installer to make your LED lights change color via remote control for added drama in your kitchen.

The Right Cabinet Size for Your Kitchen

Getting the right cabinet size is also important because it will affect accessibility and function. For instance, the height of your wall-hung cabinets must be within your arm’s reach based on your height, or else you’ll be having a hard time.

Looking into your base kitchen cabinets, it serves as your main working area and the place where you’ll install your slab counter, sink countertop, and kitchen appliances. Therefore, it must be made from durable materials like hardwood, steel, and concrete.

Typically, here are the standard dimensions for your kitchen cabinets:

Basic Cabinet Dimension

Height with countertop = 35” – 36”
Depth = 24”
Depth without countertop = 25” – 26”
Width = 12”, 18”, 24”, 30”, 33”,36”,  48” 

Takeaway

Basically, you have so many things to consider in renovating your kitchen cabinets this 2021. If you cannot effectively handle this thing, then you can lean on professional remodeling companies like USA Cabinet Store.

We are founded in 2011 and we have extensive experience and continuous training to ensure we can always elevate the beauty and functionality of your home. USA Cabinet Store is the leading design center and remodeling company serving homeowners and commercial clients in VA, MD, and TX.

Feel free to call us today for appointments or availing of our complimentary consultation.

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