How to Choose The Right Kitchen Cabinets

Looking at doing a kitchen renovation? It all starts with your cabinets. Loving a kitchen is always a combination of fashion and function, so when choosing the right cabinets for your kitchen, there are a few insights to keep in mind to make the best decision possible for your dream space.

Here are some quick tips on how to choose the right cabinets for your kitchen.

Budget

Consider your total kitchen renovation budget first. Quality kitchen cabinetry typically makes up 70-80% of your entire kitchen renovation budget.

Much like everything else in life, with cabinetry, you typically get what you pay for.  If you want to enjoy your kitchen for years to come consider investing is quality kitchen cabinets that include great hardware, quality materials and proper construction with a finish that endures the wear and tear of your lifestyle.

Not all cabinetry is created equal, so make sure you are buying from a reputable company that stands behind their products. Consider bang for your buck value when considering kitchen cabinetry not just the cheapest product available. You’ll thank yourself years down the road that you did.

Style & Design

“Modern farmhouse”, classic, contemporary or sleek European cabinet design, your kitchen cabinets always set the tone for the overall style of your kitchen.

Spending some time online finding ideas of what you love will go a long way before engaging with a kitchen renovation company. When you do invite someone into your home, do they have a designer on staff that will help you? Engaging with a qualified builder who can offer design tips, ideas and provide a 3D or colour mock-up of your kitchen, not just a wireframe plan to help you visualize your space will make the decision making process easier and ensure you end up with a kitchen design you love.

Door Material

Let’s clear up some misconceptions about cabinet materials so you can make an informed decision about your kitchen cabinetry.

Melamine: Don’t let the name scare you. It isn’t uncommon for people to be a bit scarred from watching early versions of melamine cabinetry peel, fade and wear. Today’s melamine, especially created by reputable companies, has come a long way and provides the most durable, cost-effective and innovative designs for your kitchen cabinets. They are absolutely worth a second look today!

Wood & Wood Products: For painted kitchen cabinets, maple and high-density fiberboard (HDF) make great choices. They finish beautifully, and with subtle or no grain, are perfect for custom colours.

For a painted, shaker-style door, a one-piece HDF door will weather well and be more resistant to humidity changes and warping than a 5 piece, real-wood shaker door. Especially when doing a kitchen renovation in Winnipeg, with its humidity changes in each season, a one-piece door can make a lot of sense.

If you are looking for beautiful kitchen cabinetry that shows off the natural grain and character of real wood, oak, cherry and walnut cabinets are popular choices though typically come in at higher price points.

If you’re not sure what type of wood to use, you can always ask a designer and the kitchen renovation company you choose should be able to educate you on the benefits of each of the materials they have to offer.

Custom or Stock Cabinets?

Most people are unaware of the difference between stock cabinets and custom cabinetry, which has an important impact on the look of your finished kitchen renovation as well as the cost.

Stock kitchen cabinetry is mass-produced in order to reduce costs for the manufacturer and typically only comes in 3-inch size increments for the homeowner. That means that the cabinets may be less expensive but may require the use of filler strips for installation in your kitchen in order to make your unique space fit the cabinetry.

It isn’t unusual as well for stock cabinets to have extra holes drilled in the box in order to accommodate a variety of hardware it may need to accommodate. Though not always a big deal for every project, knowing which type of cabinetry your kitchen cabinet supplier uses is important in comparing quotes.

Custom kitchen cabinetry is the desire of most homeowners since it maximizes space and is designed and built specifically for each homeowner. The challenge with custom kitchen cabinetry can be quality and cost. 

Building custom cabinetry properly and uniquely for each project can be a costly venture for companies that offer this service as it is time-consuming and difficult to scale. For independent cabinet makers, quality and finishing can be a challenge as they learn the trade and where quality equipment is expensive to acquire.

Companies like Décor Cabinets in Morden, Manitoba have mastered the art of producing custom cabinetry for homeowners all over North America, providing the type of quality every homeowner demands, backing it with the warranty and service they deserve, at a cost that is comparable to stock kitchen cabinetry.

If you are comparing quotes between companies, it is important to know these important differences and how they will affect the look and cost of your kitchen renovation.

Construction & Hardware

Kitchen cabinet manufacturers can have different approaches to building their products that can have an impact on the cost, durability and aesthetic of each cabinet.

Some manufacturers achieve cost savings in the thickness of material or quantity of material they use for their cabinet boxes. Does your supplier provide full tops for their base cabinets, providing more durability or try to save money by reducing the quantity of material on the top or back? Small differences in the materials used can make a difference to the durability of your kitchen cabinetry.

What type of hardware comes standard with the kitchen cabinetry they offer? Is it soft close hinges and drawer slides or is that an upgrade? If it is standard on their cabinet, is it quality hardware that will last a lifetime or lower quality hardware that is at risk to fail after a couple of years of hard use?

Most shelving in stock kitchen cabinetry is the same thickness as the cabinet box –at 5/8ths of an inch thick. Cabinet manufacturers that are committed to providing a more durable product offer ¾ of an inch thick shelves that are less likely to bend or warp under the pressure of heavy appliances or dishware. Suppliers will differ in their use of thicker shelving. Ensure you inquire with yours before making a decision.

Cabinet door finishes also differ between manufacturers! Quality painted cabinets should have a coat of primer, two coats of paint and a strong lacquer applied as the top coat. Many cabinet manufacturers will save costs by using only one coat of paint on their finish leaving their product at risk for nicks and scratches that penetrate the paint and show the wood underneath. These scratches are more likely to occur and are harder to cover up with touch-up kits if and when they do, enduring the wear and tear of daily use.

Looking for a kitchen renovation in Winnipeg?  Here at Kitchens Plus, we can design and custom-build the perfect space for you and your family without breaking the bank.

 Contact us today for a FREE in house consultation, 3D Design and quote!