Kitchen Cabinets Are a Showplace to Display Treasured Objects and Tell Your Personal Style Story

A kitchen cabinet is a showplace to display treasured objects and tell your personal style story. It is also a space for frequently used items to be within easy reach.

Most cabinetry is manufactured from plywood or high-quality particle board. Shelves may be made from solid wood or from a combination of layers of medium to softer woods.

Durability

Kitchen cabinets are prone to wear and tear. If they are made from wood, they can become scratched and dented by frequent use and moisture damage from cooking steam. They can also fade in the sun and shrink in humidity. However, they can last a long time as long as they are properly maintained.

Cabinet back construction also affects durability. The most robust method is to use a heavy (3/8-inch or more), full-plywood, full-back panel. This panel allows the cabinet to be directly attached to the studs of the wall and eliminates the need for hanging rails and brackets.

Other durable materials are thermofoil and melamine carcasses, which have a hard surface that resists water and scratches. These materials are a good choice for high-traffic areas, as they can easily be cleaned with a damp cloth or sponge. However, they are not as warm and natural-looking as wood or metal. They are also more expensive than wood.

Aesthetics

The aesthetics of kitchen cabinets can dramatically impact your home’s design. Choose cabinet colors and designs that complement the overall theme of your kitchen. Neutral tones create a timeless look, while bold hues add pops of vibrancy.

Consider the style of the doors as well. Flat doors are ideal for minimalist designs, while shaker styles offer a more textured aesthetic. Cabinet hardware can also impact the aesthetics of your cabinets. Choose handles, knobs, and hinges that match your design preferences.

Cabinet materials are another important factor to consider when deciding on the perfect cabinets for your Warren MI kitchen. Different types of woods have varying textures and grain patterns. Some are more durable than others, and they can also respond differently to staining. Birch, for example, is prone to cracking and expanding when stained. The wood may also absorb stain at a different rate than other types of wood, causing the color to appear blotchy.

Functionality

A kitchen cabinet is a functional component of a cooking space, and it can be made to look as beautiful or as streamlined as you desire. For example, cabinets can wrap around appliances like refrigerators or be designed with curved corners for a more modern appearance.

Other customization options include up to 1/8-inch incremental adjustments in cabinet box sizes, finished interiors, beadboard ends and interiors, glass-ready open-front or mullion doors, storage units, and angled end cabinets. Cabinetry can also be made frameless for a sleeker appearance.

Specialty hardware can be added to doors and drawers for enhanced functionality, such as the push-to-open feature that allows you to open a cabinet door with a push of your finger and eliminates the need for handles. Lazy Susans can be added to corner or blind cabinets to make their contents easier to reach. And, there are drop zones that can be built in to conceal clutter, keeping keys, papers, and messages off countertops and out of sight.

Cost

There are a few things that can affect the affordability of kitchen cabinets. First and foremost, labor for installation is a huge cost that can be one to three times the cost of the cabinet itself. This can be done by a professional cabinet installer or a handyman-type of person.

Another big factor is the material used for the cabinet. The most common are wood and wood-based materials such as plywood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and particleboard. Wood-based materials are usually less expensive than solid hardwood.

There are a number of different types of wood and each has its pros and cons. For example, oak has a strong grain, but it also may be more expensive than other types of wood. Also, if you use dovetail joints this is an extra expense since they require gluing and nails at each end to attach pieces together. This is also more time-consuming than using box joints which don’t require additional work.