Kitchen renovations add immense value to your home. Practical design combined with high quality, modern features and fixtures makes for a comfortable space. And most contractors would agree that the kitchen cabinets are the most important element in your remodeling project.
Take your time when choosing the ideal kitchen cabinets, ensuring that the materials, design and layout fit perfectly with your home and lifestyle.
Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinetry comes in a variety of materials. Each one presents certain advantages and prices range from affordable to very expensive. Have a look through this list of common cabinet types to get an idea for your ideal choice.
Melamine - Perhaps the most affordable style available, melamine kitchen cabinets are found in many suburban homes. Most melamine styles are stock, meaning you can order from a list of common sizes and designs, as opposed to creating a custom layout for your dream kitchen. Melamine cabinets come in a wide variety of colors and matching trim and moldings are commonly available to add detail and depth to the room. Melamine cabinets are made from pressed wood with heavy duty paper glued on top for a smooth, easy to clean surface. Damaged melamine is difficult to fix.
Laminate - Also popular in stock cabinet lines, laminate is made from paper impregnated with resin and pressed together to form a thick, durable material. You can find genuine wood imitations in this type of cabinetry, but the range of colors and finishes is more limited than melamine. Laminate also costs around 35 percent more than melamine, mainly due to the durability and manufacturing process.
Lacquer Board - This type looks similar to melamine, but it's made with lacquer-coated medium density fiberboard (MDF). Lacquer Board cabinets are available in many different finishes and forms, from sleek modern designs to more elaborate sculpted cabinets. The price point is higher than both melamine and laminate, and the finish makes it difficult to keep the doors free from fingerprints.
PVC - Using a manufacturing process similar to lacquer board cabinets, PVC lines are made from fiberboard coated with polyvinyl chloride, a highly durable and easy to clean material. This type of cabinetry will last longer than laminate or melamine brands, but it also comes with a steeper price tag. And the range of color selection is limited to a few tones.
Wood - Durable, versatile and full of character, wood cabinets are an investment in your home. This style of custom or semi-custom cabinetry comes in a variety of colors, stains and finishes. Depending on the type of timber used, even the grain pattern can present a distinct look and texture. Maple, oak, walnut and mahogany are all popular woods to use in the kitchen, and furniture and other features can be made to match the cabinets for a clean look. Wood kitchen cabinets are available in traditional or modern designs, although they do cost a good deal more than their manufactured counterparts. Humidity may also be a problem with real wood cabinets.
Wood Veneer - When you want the look of wood without the hefty price tag wood veneer cabinets are the obvious choice. This style is made from a thin sheet of wood glued in place over a plywood base. Less reliable and much more difficult to repair, wood veneer cabinets are nevertheless popular due to their attractive appearance and character.
Glass and Metal - A fairly recent offering on the market, glass and metal cabinets offer a modern look for your kitchen renovation. Glass doors add sparkle and help create a feeling of openness, while stainless steel and brushed nickel faces mounted on an MDF base deliver a sleek finish that will stand up to serious abuse. Both of these finishes are difficult to keep clean and relatively expensive, but for a completely unique look in your new contemporary kitchen these kitchen cabinets are hard to beat.
Accessories Make Your Kitchen Come Alive
Basic cabinets provide the space and storage required in today's kitchens. But the accessories you choose for your redesigned kitchen will make all of the difference to the final look. Think about the built in features and cabinet additions that will improve efficiency, add convenience and provide that extra special touch.
Take your time and give careful consideration to these accessories. Adjustable shelving, built in Lazy Susan units, custom made wine racks, and pullout baskets or bins make your kitchen more organized and functional. How about including some filing drawers and a telephone desk for a compact home office solution? Can you incorporate an area dedicated to recycling and composting without taking up valuable counter space? Consider your daily life and the repetitive tasks you tackle in the kitchen. Then design your kitchen cabinets to allow for those tasks.
Handles and hardware can also turn stock or plain cabinets into something extraordinary. Think about the mood and overall style of your home, whether that is traditional, contemporary or transitional. Are you hoping to reflect a certain ambiance, such as French Country or a cafè setting? Handles and hardware help you to capture that ambiance. And these components are often an affordable way to dress up standard cabinets.
Hidden mechanisms and invisible handles also work well in small kitchens to create a more spacious look. Always opt for well made drawer tracks and hinges, since smooth and reliable operation are important in any workspace. Many people pay more attention to the outward appearance of the kitchen cabinets and forget about how the mechanisms behind those cabinets make a difference.
Investing in a new kitchen is a wise step that involves many exciting decisions. Take the time to choose the ideal kitchen cabinets, paying special attention to the type of cabinet, as well as the design and color. Include personalized accessories, handles and hardware that reflect your tastes and the style of the room. Cabinets provide the foundation for this all important room and choosing top quality, well chosen cabinetry takes time.
Posted by: diana