Selecting Kitchen Cabinets for Kitchen Renovation

There are many factors to consider when shopping for cabinetry for your kitchen renovation. This feature will represent the single largest expense that you incur in the entire process, so spending significant time evaluating your options is highly recommended. Cabinetry is important because it provides the greatest marriage of form and function within the kitchen and it can really be the difference between a stunning and slickly laid out work station to a clunky and ill-planned cooking space. If the task of selecting the right cabinets for your kitchen renovation sounds daunting, that’s because it definitely is, so if you are anything less than 100% confident in your choice, finish and layout, you would do well to consult a design team or interior decorator that can offer a portfolio of work to help you make a decision you will be happy with that won’t destroy your budget.

Tips for Choosing the Cabinetry:

Details

It is important to perform a little research on the types of materials the cabinets are made of so you can select an option that will meet your requirements. Higher quality cabinets are made with several steps in the process of sanding, sealing and staining, which means they are very labor intensive. Laminate finishes are much cheaper but do not tend to hold up as well. Other small but extremely important details include taking critical measurements and meticulously reviewing the ordering process so as pieces and pasrt will fit together accurately. Failure to do this could result in re-ordering, which means delays to several steps that must come after the cabinets are installed.

Storage

This is another area where the homeowner must consider the functionality of their kitchen and decide how much cabinet space they will need. The difference in price can be quite a bit, so if you are someone who doesn’t have a lot of dishes and gadgets and tends to avoid cooking, you might consider smaller cabinets of less sturdy materials. The family of four that has little ones who like to play in the kitchen will probably benefit from larger cabinets of plywood.

Hardware

The homeowner can really spend quite a bit on hardware if they have expensive tastes. Adjustable hardware lets you customize the fit so that they seal just right and soft close drawers have really become the standard. Depending on the amount of cabinets you have, you can expect to spend between $300-500 on hinges alone so make sure you have been to the hardware and fully tested the ones you like.

Trends

Over the years trends tend to change quite a bit and the materials and styles of home cabinetry are no exception. These days folks typically choose cabinets that extend to the ceiling to maximize storage, and another growing trend is floor-to-ceiling wall style cabinets. Materials have seen a departure from particleboard and a preference for plywood, which is a much more substantial material that holds up to moisture better than chipboard.

Price

Here you will need to take a good, hard look at your finances. Everyone would love custom made cabinetry, but the cost is prohibitive to many people so they need to look at all options. Stock cabinets of the most reasonably priced furnishings you can find followed by semi-custom and full custom made cabinets. The more custom the cabinets are the greater the expense and lead time needed to build them. The prices are typically billed per linear foot and range from $60/foot to as much as $1200/foot depending on what you want – better get out the checkbook!

Need Some Guideance?

These guidelines will help you make an educated decision on your kitchen renovation cabinetry selection. Considering most cabinetry portions of this type of project account for roughly 60% of the total renovation budget, you cannot perform enough research. Should you feel overwhelmed at the prospect of making this decision, you can always call a contractor like Kitchen and Bath to discuss your project to review your budget.