Kitchen Cabinet Designs
If you look at the history of kitchen cabinet designs over the years, you will see some great new trends. Our pioneer ancestors had a few simple shelves, a storage box or two and a table. Today we find upper and lower cabinets in hundreds of styles with silent drawer glides, soft-close hinges and even interior LED lighting. How you decide what is right for you will depend on a handful of factors. Here are some tips to choose the right kitchen cabinet designs for your home. You can also learn general information about kitchen cabinet designs here.
The Basics
With hundreds and hundreds of style choices to choose from, selecting your cabinets can de a daunting task. The basic idea of a cabinet remains the same: It's just a box that you set on the floor or hang on the wall. Granted, it’s a very nice-looking box — one that will cost a bit under $100 for a small, simple wall cabinet or one that may reach $1,000 for a single unit.
Kitchen cabinet designs fall into two basic types: face-frame cabinets, the standard here in the US; and frameless cabinets, which have been popular in Europe for some time now. Both types consist of a box made from some type of sheet wood: plywood, particleboard, MDF, Melamine, etc. Higher end cabinets typically use thicker plywood for the "box," compared to the less-expensive composites. They differ in how the front of the "box" is built: Face-frame cabinets have an additional "frame" of material that makes up the front of the cabinet. In frameless cabinets, the edge of the sheet stock makes up the front of the cabinet. The results are that face-frame cabinets typically have more space between the doors and provide a look that is traditional, while frameless cabinets have doors set closer together and a more modern look.
Drawers, Doors and Hardware
Drawers and doors dress up our simple boxes and provide for added functionality. Higher end kitchen cabinet designs may incorporate dovetail drawers and raised-panel door construction. Various types of hardware can also enhance the quality of the cabinet. Soft-close concealed hinges and self-closing piston drawer slides are preferred in today’s top kitchens.
Selecting a Cabinet
The trick to selecting cabinets is to match the color palette of the room with the style of the home. Simple, white, flat-panel cabinets are a good match for a country-style kitchen. Meanwhile, a more modern home may incorporate cherry cabinets with frosted glass panel doors in the wall cabinets, and raised-panel doors for the base cabinets. Proper color selection can also bring out the beauty in the tile or stone work that often accompanies fine kitchens.
If you find yourself challenged by color choices, door designs and hardware options, a visit to your local home center or kitchen design center will allow you to see a lot of these options up close and personal. Most salespeople at these locations can also guide you on the costs involved for all of the various options in kitchen cabinet designs.
Since kitchen cabinets can eat up most of your budget for a kitchen remodel, take your time and choose wisely. Chances are, these choices will be with you for many years to come.
Author Kevin Stevens moved to Colorado from Michigan in 1991. He has been a woodworker for over 30 years, and has also worked as a biotechnology engineer. Kevin now runs a remodeling business where he practices green technology and sustainability. He is currently building an off-grid cabin in New Mexico.
