Chic, modern kitchen cabinetry is the cherry on top of a well-done kitchen reno, and can make or break the aesthetics of your space. Think of them as the 'face' of your kitchen. While they're not one of the flashiest elements, they do take up a huge portion of the kitchen, and that prime real estate makes it important to pick the right type of cabinets for your style. Whether you're buying new cabinets to replace old ones, refacing your existing ones or completely reconfiguring your storage space, here are a few tips you should keep in mind when making your decision.
Kitchen cabinets come in a few set flavours. The three basic types are stock, semi-custom and custom cabinets. Stock cabinets are an entry-level, budget-friendly option, while semi-custom and custom cabinets offer more options, styles, finishes, and features for a higher price tag. The former are purchased pre-fabricated and pre-sized from general manufacturers. This means that if you decide to purchase stock kitchen cabinets, you will have to adjust other kitchen elements to them. They're mass-produced, available in set sizes, and can't be altered. They're usually constructed on site from modular units, and are made of everything from particleboard covered with plastic laminates or melamime to solid wood, depending on the manufacturer. Their finishing are often utilitarian and run-of-the-mill, and they often meet only minimal quality standards. What they lack in longevity, they make up for in an attractive price point, quick availability, practicality, and easy installation.
Semi-custom cabinetry is a step above stock cabinets. They're a healthy compromise between conventional stock and bespoke customised cabinetry and offer the best of both worlds. They allow for some size adjustments and are held to a much more stringent quality standard. Semi-custom cabinetry boasts an extensive selection of styles, finishes, storage solutions and decorative enhancements, featuring a personalized look at a reasonable price point. They cover everything from stock cabinets fitted with custom doors to made-to-order cabinets selected from a manufacturer's catalogue of featured styles, materials and finishes.
With customised cabinetry, on the other hand, custom storage solutions are crafted with your space in mind. They are the priciest of the three options, are completely made-to-order, and offer the widest range of styles, materials, finishes and accessories. They're tailored to fit your space and can include an endless array of innovative design solutions and add-ons. The downside of these cabinets are their hefty price tag, which can quickly whittle away at a modest renovation budget.
Once you've decided on the right cabinetry for your wallet, you then have to think about where your cabinets are going to go.
Base cabinets, or 'lowers,' as they're colloquially known, are the heavy lifters of your storage solution. They're built to be strong and sturdy enough to support the weight of a heavy countertop, while providing bulk storage space for large items. They often have two or three layers of shelves for pots, pans, crockery, and cleaning supplies, and sometimes come with pull-out racks or roll trays for easy access to items stored deep. Task-specific models also come with optional fittings like space for recycling bins, garbage bins, or laundry hampers. When the four-inch recessed riser called a toe kick is added to the bottom for additional storage, a base cabinet sits on the floor. They come in a stock variety of around 24 inches deep and 36 tall.
Wall cabinets or 'uppers' go on top of surfaces are usually attached above eyeline on a wall. They're a mainstay of many kitchens and add tons of functionality to the space. The workhorse of the kitchen storage solution, they allow users to easily access items like plates, cups, and other accessories while standing or moving about. They come pre-fabricated at around 12 inches deep, and help customers maximise their storage space, no matter the size of their kitchen.
Tall cabinets are less common in a standard kitchen. They're also known as pantry cabinets or utility cabinets, and offer a large, unobstructed space to store canned goods or kitchen accessories. Typical tall cabinets will range in height from 83.5 inches to 96 inches as one unit. They're some of the more aesthetic choices for cabinetry, though their size limits their positioning in a kitchen.
A last type of kitchen cabinets are specialty units. These maximize square footage and organization efforts and include corner cabinets, sink/cooktop fronts, suspended units, hutches, bottle racks and appliance garages.
Aside from their varied functionality, kitchen cabinets also come in a range of door styles. Raised panel cabinet doors come with a center panel that is raised from the rest of the door; recessed or flat panel cabinet doors have a center panel that is lower than the rest of the door, with a higher outer edge; full overlay doors cover the entire front of the cabinet box, creating a seamless, streamlined look; partial overlay doors cover only part of the cabinet box front, with a small portion left showing, a la traditional cabinetry; inset cabinet doors fit inside the cabinet face frame openings, giving a full view of the cabinet frame, and come in beaded and non-beaded versions. Similarly,
arch doors have a raised panel with a half-oval-shaped curve at the top; cathedral doors also have a raised panel with a medieval arch at the top; shaker doors have recessed panels with a simple design; slab doors have a flat panel that is neither raised nor recessed; and beadboard doors have decorative wood paneling with vertical grooves.
Cabinets come in a range of styles from rustic to shaker, slab, louvered, flat-faced, inset, distressed, beadbord, thermofoil, glass-front, open-shelved, or customised to suit your aesthetic and budget, and can be sourced from the dealers listed below.