Choosing a Cabinet Door Style for Your Kitchen

When planning out a new kitchen design you will come to the point where you need to decide what door design will work best for your home and style. Choosing a door is not as simple as choosing the design but you also have to choose the color, stain, finish and any distressing. Glazing has become a popular technique for finishing cabinet doors as well.

When looking at the design of the door you will want to consider the feel of the entire kitchen to ensure the cabinet doors will fit well into that design. If you are choosing a more modern door but want distressed glazed finishes this may clash some with the overall feel of your space.

The first step is to step back and think about the overall look you hoping to create. Do you want a modern kitchen with sleek lines? A rustic distressed kitchen? Casual? Contemporary? No matter what look you are going for there is a kitchen cabinet style that will work. Stop and think also about how you will feel about the cabinets in a few years. Choosing a trendy door style may cause you some heartbreak down the road.

Second, think about maintenance and cleaning. Some door styles work best for wiping and cleaning while others are more intriquiet and harder to clean. A flat or shaker style door are great options for homes with children that may need lots of wiping down to remove fingerprints and spills. A more ornate or decorative may work better in a home without kids. Your lifestyle can really affect the choice in this department.

Third, consider what hardwear you want. Some door styles won’t match the hardware that you are wanting. If you want a sleek modern handle you will want a sleek modern door style. If you are set on a knob or pull buy one and take it with you to choose your door style. This will help you get a better overall feel for the final look.

Designing a kitchen is a huge undertaking but when you work through each step logically you will slowly weed out the choice that don’t work for you and come down to just a few choices that work for your home. Many custom cabinet shops and designers can help you with these decisions as well based on their first hand experience.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of a Kitchen Island-

A kitchen island is a popular kitchen add on but they are not for everyone or every kitchen. When working on a kitchen remodel or design you may be wondering if a kitchen island will work for you. As kitchens become more open the kitchen island is become more popular.

First you need to think about if you have room for a kitchen island. The National Kitchen and Bath Association or NKBA says that there should be 42 inches of clearance on each side of the island. This allows you to use the space as a work area and remain functional. If it is just a walking area and not a work area 36 inches should be enough space.

Next, the cost is a big factor to consider. The cabinetry and countertops are the big costs but there are also sinks, appliances and additional features you may want to install in your island that you need to consider. Running these numbers can help you understand if an island is a feasible option.

Consider the benefits and drawbacks of the open kitchen concept. One of the big advantages of a kitchen island is the counter space and additional storage. Also many island include a bar area for eating. The island can also house small appliances and the sink freeing up other island space. If you eliminate the island you can likely regain a lot this storage and counter space by creating a u shaped kitchen. The open plan also encourages more interaction so you will have to consider if this works well for your lifestyle. It can be a great way to interact with your children while they eat lunch or do homework at the counter

An island can disrupt the natural flow of a kitchen. Most kitchens flow runs off a classic triangle layout with the sink, cooktop and fridge. The functional space is much more important than the addition of an island so you will need to be sure the kitchen will function properly. Depending on how your kitchen flow is set and the design shape of your kitchen an island may or may not be beneficial.

There are alternatives to kitchen islands. You may want to look into the idea of a table in the space, a cart or leaving the space open. A table or cart are most cost effective and give you additional space without being permanent.

In the end the choice to add an island is based on what will work for your space, budget and lifestyle. Islands are a great choice but do not fit into all kitchens so considering the specifics is important to making the best decision.

Matching Cabinets with Stainless Steel Appliances

If you have dreamt of stainless steel appliances you may have wondered how they will look alongside your cabinets. Stainless appliances are wildly popular and do work well with many different cabinets styles but are ideal with select options.

You will first want to consider if you are going to be matching your new appliances to existing cabinets or if this is a whole new kitchen design. If you are working on a full remodel you will have a lot more options for creating a beautiful finish product then if you are fitting stainless appliances into your existing kitchen. Dark cabinets with a light countertop are a great option for stainless steel cabinets.

The style of the doors and hardware are something to consider when choosing a cabinet style to work with stainless steel. Stainless steel is modern and sleek and doesn’t work great with glazed or antiqued cabinet styles. It can work but it can also feel like a noncohesive project.

Dark stained cabinets give a layer of luxury to your kitchen and the light countertop will add a luxurious element to the space. The dark cabinets have a rich element to them that feels upscale and high end. Dark wood cabinets are classy and modern and have been in style for years. Maintenance on these cabinets is also great because the dark color helps to cover and hide any issues.

White cabinets are another great option to pair with stainless steel appliance. This give your home a beautiful light and bright feel. The cabinets will stand out against the cabinet but not clash. Painted white cabinets have been a popular choice in the kitchen industry for a long time. They are wipeable and easy to maintain and perfect for a variety of different design styles.

No matter what kind of cabinets you have a stainless steel fridge, oven or dishwasher will be a great addition to your space. Stainless is the top appliance choice for a reason and the beauty and functionality keep people coming back. A custom cabinet builder is a great resource for finding options that fit your style and will work nicely alongside stainless steel appliances.

What are Shiplap Cabinets?

Thanks to certain television shows and a trend towards rustic wood, shiplap has become one of the most common building materials used in interior and exterior design. The shiplap trend shows no sign of slowing down. Before you decide if shiplap cabinets are right for your home, you need to know what shiplap is and what it’s good for.

What is Shiplap?

Shiplap is a material that is known for its use in inexpensive applications. It was first used in building barns, outhouses, and other such inexpensive buildings. Shiplap boards are rough-hewn boards, which means that they’re not sanded and finished as carefully as boards normally used for construction, especially interior construction. The boards are known for having rabbets, which are corresponding grooves on the top and bottom of each board. That allows you to fit them together much like hardwood flooring. That gives shiplap construction its distinctive look.

Shiplap Cabinets

There are two basic kinds of shiplap cabinets. You can buy MDF cabinets that have been designed to look like shiplap. They’re probably the most affordable option but they’re slightly less authentic. They also lack the distinctive feel of the rough-hewn shiplap cabinets. If you want the most authentic shiplap cabinets you can find, you should look for ones that are made from authentic hardwood.

Softwood shiplap is available but most softwoods are, as the name suggests, soft. In fact, you can often dent or scratch pine with your fingernail. That’s probably not what you want from your cabinets. However, some people do like the rustic, distressed look. In those cases, a softwood cabinet might be ideal. It will take on more character as time goes on.

Building Your Own

Shiplap is simple to work with since the wood is designed to fit together. You can build shiplap cabinets yourself with some simple tools. One way to do that is to find thin shiplap boards and lay them over your existing cabinets. Alternately, you can measure your cabinets and build wooden frames in the dimensions of your existing cabinet doors. Cut and fit the shiplap boards together to make your cabinets.

One of the benefits of using shiplap is that you don’t have to be as precise or as skilled to make them look good. They’re rustic boards that look good if they’re slightly uneven or not as carefully constructed as professional cabinets.

Shiplap cabinets are a great trend to take part in, no matter which way you decide to go with it.

Should You Buy Kitchen Cabinets Secondhand From a Restaurant?

When homeowners set out to remodel their kitchens, they’re often shocked by the high price of the repairs. Sometimes, a full remodel can stretch into the five figure range. Furthermore, a third to a half of the cost can be the kitchen cabinets. That’s because the cabinets contain a significant amount of material, they need to be sized appropriately, and they need to be functional. That price can easily rise very quickly if you want insulated cabinets, lazy susans, pull-out compartments or other features. There is a way to keep those prices down, though; you could buy your cabinets used. Specifically, you could buy your cabinets used from a restaurant.

Why a Restaurant?

Buying cabinets from a restaurant has some advantages. For one, the cabinets you get from a commercial kitchen will likely be very resilient. They’re probably stainless steel or aluminum. They’re resistant to scratching, denting, or other kinds of damage. That’s because they’re designed for the stress of commercial activity. Furthermore, they will often be deeply discounted. Commercial kitchen cabinets are deeply discounted because they’re generally priced to sell. They’re not usually priced for the restaurant to make any kind of a profit.

Also, restaurant cabinets tend to have features that standard home cabinets do not.

Cabinet Features

Typically, restaurants have three kinds of cabinets at least. They have refrigerated cabinets, insulated cabinets, and standard cabinets. The refrigerated cabinets are basically just small refrigerators that keep food at a chilled temperature. Insulated or warming cabinets will have some kind of heating element to warm food; others might not have a heating element but will be insulated to reduce heat loss. Either one of these kinds of cabinets can be very useful for someone in their home. You’ll be able to keep food at your preferred temperature for longer.

The Look

The look of commercial cabinets is one that you either love or you hate. The look of stainless steel is very modern and industrial. If your kitchen is contemporary and new, it could look great. If your kitchen is ranch-style or classic, they might not fit the look. Others simply don’t care about the look as long as they’re functional. In many ways, functional is a look in and of itself.

All of these things are reasons why people look for commercial cabinets for their own home kitchen remodel. They’re affordable, functional, and very unique. They might be exactly what your kitchen needs.

3 Common Materials for Kitchen Cabinets

The material of your kitchen cabinets determines how well they stand up to abuse as well as how they look. In the United States, wood is the unmatched leader in cabinet materials. Roughly 91% of all cabinets in the United States are made of wood. Hardwood is the preferred material, but many of them are made of a veneer of hardwood over layers of a different wood. That can be a softwood or just a less expensive hardwood. The other leading materials are metal and glass. Metal cabinets are obviously the most durable; they have an industrial look that you might find in a commercial kitchen. Glass is classic and airy. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Wood

The obvious advantage of wood is that it’s incredibly diverse. There are hundreds of different species of wood; dozens of them are used for kitchen cabinets. Red and white oak are domestic woods that are popular in the United States. They’re near the middle of the janka hardness scale; they’re widely available and affordable. Red and white oak are great choices for anyone who wants a hardwood cabinet. Furthermore, wood makes a great material because it can be stained a different color, painted, or sanded to fix scratches. It can be adapted and repaired several different times.

The disadvantage of wood, especially in the kitchen, is the porous nature of wood. Since wood is porous, it absorbs moisture in the kitchen. It then expands and warps. When it dries, it contracts. That can cause wooden cabinets to no longer fit fast. Also, they might absorb liquid stains and be difficult to clean.

Metal

There are two basic metals used for kitchen cabinets, stainless steel and aluminum. Both of them are very durable and resilient. They’re often used in commercial kitchen because they do not require much upkeep. Neither of the metals will rust under normal conditions. Since they’re nonporous, they can easily be wiped clean. They also stand up just fine to caustic cleaning chemicals.

The disadvantage of metal is that you cannot adapt them. You cannot easily paint stainless steel or aluminum. It’s possible, but it’s not ideal. They can also be somewhat expensive if you don’t find them secondhand.

Glass

Glass cabinets are great for anyone who wants to increase the amount of light in their kitchen. They’re also great if you want to display the dishes in the cabinets. Glass is very breakable and does not readily accept paint.

What Cabinet Trends Are on the Rise?

Being able to predict what will change with interior decorating trends is useful for interior decorators, sellers, and anyone who wants to change their own cabinetry. Staying ahead of the trends is useful because it offers you the opportunity to get cabinets before they become difficult to find. For example, glass cabinets were very popular for a while. If you were to get glass cabinets before the trend hit, you would pay less and have more options than someone who waited too long. So, what trends are coming in the future?

Minimalism

Minimalism has been on the rise for a variety of different industries. It has expanded from everything from running shoes to home renovations. One of the most popular trends that is on the way in the coming year is the trend of minimalism. Designers have been designing and implementing different minimalist cabinets. One element of the trend involves removing the cabinet knobs or drawer pulls. Instead, the cabinet doors just have cutouts for you to grab and pull. The lines are much cleaner and simpler. Look for that trend to become more prominent in the coming months.

Hidden Appliances

Cabinets have long been used to hide appliances and trash cans. A drawer or cabinet that contains your trash can saves you some floor space and eliminates an unsightly trash can. However, the trend only looks to be growing. Newer cabinets have been known to contain dishwashers, refrigerators, and even the oven. That will create very clean lines in your kitchen.

Heavy Woodgrain

Heavy woodgrains have become popular as the trend towards rustic or distressed wood has become more popular. Common woods such as oak often have less pronounced woodgrains. Also, higher grades of wood have more uniform and lighter woodgrains. Those were popular for a long time but they’ve been reduced in popularity. That’s because older cabinets were often made using any wood that is available, which includes lower quality woods. As rustic and distressed wood trends seek to imitate these older cabinets, they’ve moved towards heavier woodgrains.

Those grains can also be enhanced by the choice of a type of stain. There are certain stains that are thicker in consistency and tend to lay somewhat over the top of the wood and reduce the grain. Black and dark grey stains will somewhat obscure the grain. Other stains will enhance the prominence of the grain. Look for those to become more popular.

Unique Ideas For Cabinet Hardware

Cabinet hardware, such as drawer pulls and hinges, isn’t exactly the most exciting subject. However, your hardware can really pull together the look of your kitchen. That’s especially true since distressed and repurposed wood is so popular. Gray and gray undertones are also very popular. Those unique looks demand unique hardware. Fortunately, there are many ways to come up with some truly unique drawer pulls.

Pipe Fittings

Anything brass is going to look great with warm tones such as hardwood. Brass pipe fittings also lend a very industrial look to your kitchen. You could use brass flanges, sections of pipe, washers or anything else. The easiest way to attach them to your cabinets is with some brass or copper bolts. They should thread right into the existing holes for hardware.

Scrap Wood

If you want to keep with a theme of distressed or repurposed wood, you could actually use scrap wood for the fittings. They don’t have to be uniform. In fact, it’s better for the theme if they’re all slightly differently. Depending on the types of pulls you need and the scrap wood you have, pieces of wooden dowel work great as pulls. Cut them to about an inch long and attach them to your cabinets. You can also use pieces to make handles. You simply need to sand them smooth. You can also use black tea or paint thinner to make them look distressed.

Antiques

If you go to an antique mall or even just a thrift store, you’ll likely encounter several different pieces of old furniture. Many of them are in horrible states of disrepair; that doesn’t mean they can’t make good drawer pulls though. Oftentimes, the wood and paint are the first to go but the metal hardware is still good. The hardware often has a patina of age on it that looks very good. If you can get a good price on it, antique furniture is a great source for drawer pulls and hardware.

Industrial Sources

Depending on the look in your kitchen, you might not need kitchen hardware at all. It’s very popular now to use hardware from more rugged applications. Some people even use hardware from exterior doors for their kitchen cabinets. The hardware is big and bold; it’s not subtle and hidden like most kitchen cabinetry. If that’s what you want, head to the section of the hardware store with the front doors.

What’s New for Kitchen Cabinets?

The key to staying on trend with your kitchen cabinets is to always be looking ahead. What’s hot right now will obviously be old news in a year or two. If you want to stay ahead of the trends, you need to look for what seems to be emerging. There are several different looks that are promising to be big in the future. Also, looking to Europe is always a good way to see what might be coming to the United States next season.

Gray Is in

For the past few years, white has been the most popular color for kitchen cabinets. It’s clean, simple, and elegant. Also, it goes with everything. However, white can be a little bit bland, a little flat, and it shows every speck of dust or grease. If you want to be able to go a little bit longer without cleaning up smudges and spills, you want gray. Gray also offers you some versatility if you want to add layers to the kitchen. For example, gray ranges from very light grays that are almost white to grays that almost black. You can mix and match these different grays to get a lot of depth for your kitchen.

Offset the Floor

Cabinets don’t exist in a vacuum. They can complement or they can contrast with the floor. For a long time, the all-white kitchen has been the age of the internet. Now, the trend seems to be moving towards offsetting the floor with some contrasting cabinets. Dark floors seem to be here to stay; therefore, you could choose a very light color for the cabinets. That will make the cabinets adn the floor pop.

If you have a light colored floor, especially something white, a dark cabinet would look great.

Gray Undertones

As stated earlier, gray is going to be very popular soon. However, that doesn’t have to mean your cabinets are gray. Gray is a great base color for building on. You can use gray undertones to make something a little more sedate and sophisticated. A gray undertone also he3lps a cabinet look aged with a slight patina without making it look damaged or old. Gray just adds richness to the color.

Metals

Metal is very popular for cabinetry now. Small understated hardware seems to be on the way out. Bigger and bolder cabinet hardware is in. That’s great news because it really opens up your hardware options.

5 Trends in Cabinetry

Every part of your home is subject to a trend; when that trend is short-lived, it’s considered a fad. There are some trends that are destined to stand the test of time, though. These are the ones that are timeless and classic while still looking modern and contemporary. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the kitchen. It’s the room where nearly everyone goes when they come to your home. It’s where you spend a lot of your time as well. That’s why kitchen trends are always changing. Here are five trends in kitchen cabinetry that you should consider.

1 – Shaker Styles

The shaker style decor is simple and unadorned; it’s named for a group of Quakers who make quality furniture without much embellishment. Shaker-style cabinets have become very popular in kitchens. They’re especially popular when paired with either a bare wood look or a very light color of paint.

2 – Efficiency Multipliers

Cabinets have moved beyond being just rectangles where you stack your items haphazardly. The new trend in cabinetry is an emphasis on efficiency multipliers. That means hidden features such as spice racks and lazy susans. It also means bread boxes, pull-out trays, and other features that allow you to more efficiently use the space.

3 – Shades of White

Simple lines and colors are very popular at the moment. They’re often paired with a very light color for the cabinets themselves. There are more shades of white than ever, and white will never go out of style. It will always be timeless and classic; it helps to brighten any room as well as providing a sense of greater space.

4 – Glass-Front Cabinets

Glass-front cabinets are incredibly trendy at the moment. They break up the visual monotony of walls of cabinetry. They also give you an opportunity to display any types of collectible dishware you might have. If you have a collection of coffee mugs, you want someone to be able to see it.

5 – Appliances in Cabinets

Remodeling experts say they have been installing more hidden appliances than ever before. In the past, your dishwasher, refrigerator, and any other appliances stood out as a break in your cabinetry. Now, cabinet doors are being installed over the appliances to create a seamless look to your entire kitchen. It is a clean and simple look.

These are five common trends that you should think about when you are remodeling your cabinets. They’re all timeless and will look good for decades.