Kitchen Cabinet - doors, hardware, refacing…

If you are planning on tackling a kitchen renovation project on your own, it is inevitable that you will run into a situation where you are having a hard time fitting everything that you need and want. The difficulty usually lies in the corners, where it may be difficult to maximize the utility of the base cabinets. Luckily there are a few options to help with tricky corners when you are laying out your kitchen cabinet design.

Most people don’t have a problem figuring out the wall cabinets, but when it comes to the base cabinets, it is really going to come down to three choices- a diagonal corner cabinet, and blind base cabinet, or leaving dead space. Your decision on which to use will usually be based on a combination of available space, overall look, and need for storage space. With that in mind, here are some pro’s and con’s for all three.

DIAGONAL CORNER CABINET- Most stock cabinet manufacturers or rta cabinet importers will have these in one or two different size base cabinets, and they will usually come with a lazy susan kit installed. In terms of available storage space, this cabinet will definitely give you the most. It gives you easy access to the space by utilizing a bi-folding cabinet door. While it is the most commonly used cabinet for a corner space, it does have it’s drawbacks. The cabinet is usually 36″ on both sides, which means that you are limited on how you can arrange the cabinets on either side of it. While is gives you access to the full space, the lazy susan unit will sometimes limit how you can use that space. Even with the drawbacks, it is still the most common corner cabinet used in kitchen design.

BLIND BASE CABINET- When space is not available on both walls in a corner, the blind base cabinet is the cabinet to use. The blind base cabinet is basically a two door cabinet that has one door removed. It comes with an extra thick stile in the middle to allow the cabinet to be shifted left or right to fill the space. The unique feature about a blind cabinet is that is can occupy anywhere from 42″, up to 48″ giving you versatility when laying out the kitchen. The drawback to this cabinet is the fact that you don’t have easy access to the half of the cabinet that is hidden. This can make it awkward to remove items placed back in there.

DEAD SPACE - If you are limited on both walls, and the blind cabinet would take up too much space, the last alternative would be to leave dead space. While losing storage space is the last thing you want to do, it is sometimes unavoidable (especially in small kitchens). When neither of the options above will work, you have to think about maximizing the space around the corner. To do this, you will be butting the edges of the cabinets from the two walls together. The tricky part comes when you have drawers. By simply butting them together you will not be able to open the drawers. To get around this, you will need filler strips in the corner to bump out the cabinet and allow room for the drawer(s) to open.

So if you are tackling a kitchen renovation on your own, it is important to focus on the corner cabinets and the appliances, filling in the gaps from there.

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I have been remodeling house for 15 years, and I have the secret to getting high qualitykitchen cabinets at an affordable price. Interested in finding out my secret? Follow these links to find out the secret to getting kitchen cabinets at 30-40% below retail prices

Lets face it, the kitchen is one of the most expensive rooms in a house to build or renovate. Other than your countertop selection, kitchen cabinets are going to be the most expensive part of your kitchen remodel. Custom kitchen cabinets can cost anywhere from $10,000-$100,000 depending on the type of wood, brand name, and amount of detail you are looking for. With the current state of the mortgage industry, and the slowdown in the housing market, most people are looking for a way to increase the resale value of their home without a huge financial investment that they may or may not get back when they sell their house. Is there such a thing as budget kitchen cabinets?

RTA Cabinets have become a great option for both the novice homeowner and the seasoned builder. They have been around for quite a while, but because of manufacturing improvements over the past couple of years, there are now more and more companies manufacturing and selling Ready-To-Assemble Kitchen Cabinets, with higher quality standards. This category of cabinets includes everything from the flake board cabinets you find at Ikea that you assemble yourself, to the pre-assembled cabinets you find at Home Depot or Lowes, or the RTA cabinets that you find on-line that have plywood sides and come ready-to-assemble in a box. As you can see by the descriptions, there are different levels of quality and material used in Ready-To-Assemble (RTA) cabinets. Some of the RTA cabinets that you find on-line end up being stronger and sturdier than the name brand cabinets because they are using a solid plywood cabinet box for their construction. When looking at the structure of the cabinet, always make sure that they are using solid wood for the cabinet face and stiles, plywood for the cabinet box itself, and a plywood or solid wood back for a strong connection to the studs in the wall.

Lead times are another huge advantage of using RTA Cabinets. One of the biggest problems with custom cabinets is the lead time required to order and get your cabinets in time for installation in your house. Most require 6-8 weeks in order to produce and ship your cabinets. With RTA cabinets, you can walk into a home supply store and buy them as needed, or most RTA Importers/Distributors traditionally ship with 1-2 weeks (some even faster). This allows you to adjust to the inevitable changes that will occur in your project, plus it doesn’t slow you down in the event of miscalculations… a miscalculation with custom cabinets could delay your project for an additional 2-3 months.

The key to a high quality Ready-To-Assemble cabinet is how the cabinet is held together. Some of the lower end RTA cabinets use wood glue and staples, screws, or a system of metal clips with screws to hold the cabinet box together. These types of kitchen cabinets have a tendency to separate or split apart where the staples or screws connect to frame. For a high quality RTA cabinet, make sure that they use a cam lock assembly. The cam lock comes in two versions: one is a hidden assembly that uses a combination of pegs and rotating locks, while the other one is an exposed cam lock which also uses rotating locks. Both systems are simple use and do not require any assembly experience, which makes it a great option for home owners and/or novice DIY Handymen.

What it ultimately comes down to with Ready-To-Assemble Cabinets is the cost. A full kitchen of ready-to-assemble cabinets can cost as little as $2,500 where as the same kitchen built with custom cabinets could be 5x, 10x, or even 20x that cost before installation. RTA Cabinets make renovation an easy DIY project that you can tackle on your own and avoid the high labor costs associated with custom cabinet installation.

Whether you a seasoned builder, property manager, or a handy homeowner looking to remodel your kitchen or bath, RTA cabinets should not be overlooked if you are trying to add sturdy cabinets at a reasonable price. The money you will save will be amplified by the equity that you will be added to your home or rental unit.

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I have been remodeling house for 15 years, and I have the secret to getting high qualitykitchen cabinets at an affordable price. Interested in finding out my secret? Follow these links to find out the secret to getting kitchen cabinets at 30-40% below retail prices

For the typical homeowner, it is almost impossible to think about spending any extraneous money on much of anything these days. However, putting money into the right areas of your home right now, could earn you a considerable return on your investment down the road. Think of it as putting money away into your savings account or retirement plan. Traditionally the two most beneficial rooms to invest money into are the kitchen and bathroom.

The cost of a kitchen remodel can easily spiral out of control, but there are some inexpensive alternatives such as RTA kitchen cabinets. These cabinets are solid wood, come in several different finishes, are higher grade then the “builder’s standard”, and less expensive then custom cabinetry. RTA cabinets can be found online. Imagine re-building or simply upgrading your kitchen from the comfort of your home. No pushy sales people at those big supply stores, that split their time between selling ladders in the hardware department and kitchen cabinets in the home improvement department. There are dozens of RTA cabinet stores online dedicated to just cabinets. It’s like specialty store shopping, at wholesale club prices.

The thought of re-doing my kitchen on my own seemed a little daunting upon first thought. But after some online investigation, I came to realize that I too could be a do-it-yourselfer. After pricing out the new cabinets for my kitchen, I was shocked to find out that I would be able to add on additional upgrades such as a built-in wine storage area.

Upgrading your kitchen using ready to assemble cabinets is a cost-effective way of ultimately growing your single most profitable investment; your home. They are an exceptional alternative to custom cabinetry, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. With a little elbow grease, you can save yourself thousands and increase the return on your investment tremendously.

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I have been remodeling house for 15 years, and I have the secret to getting high qualitykitchen cabinets at an affordable price. Interested in finding out my secret? Follow these links to find out the secret to getting kitchen cabinets at 30-40% below retail prices

Most homeowners are not afraid to tackle a kitchen remodel, but for some reason the idea of buying kitchen cabinets on-line seems like a scary option (gutting your kitchen should be the one that keeps you up at night!). How do you know you are not being scammed? How do you know you are getting a good product? What happens if something goes wrong? These are all common questions that I hear from homeowners who are interested in saving money, but are skeptical about the buying process. To make it simple, here are some tips for making sure that you are getting a good product from a reputable company.

1. Do Your Research - Just about every website out there will claim to be a direct source, or import the cabinets directly, but in reality they are nothing more than a virtual store. Most of these companies have their cabinets shipped from the manufacturer or a cabinet importer and don’t actually ship the cabinets themselves. Why is this a problem? Let’s say something goes wrong or there is a problem with your cabinets… who is responsible? The biggest problem with buying from companies like this is that they have no way of verifying your claims or supplying replacement parts. By buying from suppliers or importers that can provide replacement parts, help resolve issues, and provide a quick response, you can ensure that any problems are resolved quickly and professionally.

2. Don’t fall for marketing tricks – There are a lot of companies out there that will advertise big savings- 20% OFF, Lowest Prices Guaranteed!, etc… what you will often find is that their prices are really just 20%-30% higher than the direct importers.. when it comes to lowest prices guaranteed, they will stipulate that it has to be the same exact cabinet and they will have their own name for it…. These are all just tricks to get you to their website. The most popular sites will have competitive prices listed in plain very and be up front about shipping costs and any guarantees that they offer on their cabinets.

3. Look for quality content – An easy way to separate the good from the bad, is by their content. Anyone can cobble together a website, but good suppliers will have a lot of valuable information about not only the cabinets, but also about their company, and resources for using them. While all of these are important, the most valuable differentiator is going to be references. If they have a good track record, their customers will not be afraid to offer their feedback and references.

Now you have a better handle on where to buy cabinets, let’s talk about the buying process. While most of the companies will offer free help with the layout, their expertise will only be best utilized if you do some of the legwork ahead of time. Some sites allow you to pick and choose your own cabinets, other require you to call a live person…. Either way will work just fine (personal preference), but it is important to have the dimensions of your kitchen, the measurements of your appliances, and an idea of what you want your kitchen to look like. By having this information ahead of time, it will make the process much smoother.

4. Make Sure the Site is Secure – Identity theft is something that everyone is concerned about these days, but that concern can be mitigated by using reputable sites. If a site is showing an SSL certificate and any of the security protection services, it is actually safer to use these sites than it is to give your information over the phone. NOTE- most credit cards and debit cards will have a daily limit or transactional limit to help prevent fraud. It is important to check what that limit is on the card you will be using, so that you don’t try to process a transaction that exceeds your limit.

5. Order Processing – It is important to confirm the process time and communication. Cabinet orders will take longer than most internet transactions because of the size and weight of the boxes. The average processing time is usually a week, so don’t get worried if you don’t get an update for a couple of days.

6. Receiving Cabinets – This is the most important step in the process. No matter how well the cabinets are packaged or palletized, once they are giving to a trucking company anything can happen. Since most orders will be handled multiple times once they are shipped, and they will be exposed to shifting and banging, occasionally damages will occur. This is why it is important to inspect all of the boxes for damages. Even if the boxes don’t show any visible damage, concealed damage could occur due to rough transit. A lot of times this is out of the control of the seller, but a good company will help you work through the claims process and try to expedite the replacement of anything that was damaged. This is why it is important to make sure that you are dealing with a direct dealer or supplier who will have the replacement parts available.

By doing some research, being prepared with the right information, and finding a company with a good reputation for customer service, buying kitchen cabinets on-line should not be an overwhelming project.

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I have been remodeling house for 15 years, and I have the secret to getting high qualitykitchen cabinets at an affordable price. Interested in finding out my secret? Follow these links to find out the secret to getting kitchen cabinets at 30-40% below retail prices

Solid wood cabinets are what most people would expect to find when shopping for kitchen cabinets, but that is not the case anymore. In the past, cabinet builders would use solid wood for every aspect of the cabinet. In today’s economy and the demand for lower priced products, most cabinet makers will use other materials for the cabinet box itself. You can still find some custom cabinet manufacturers that will use solid Maple, Oak, or Cherry for their cabinets but you are definitely going to pay a premium for them.

Most manufacturers these days are using plywood for their cabinets and calling them solid wood cabinets. This is just another spin on the concept of solid wood, since they typically use solid wood for the face frame and doors, but utilize a combination of solid plywood with a veneer of solid wood for the sides and back. If you come across any cabinet manufacturers that are using lower grade particleboard or fiberboard, be very leery.

While wood kitchen cabinets have always been the traditional look, there has been a resurgence in the demand for metal cabinets. While metal cabinets will provide the retro look that some homeowners are looking for, they definitely have some drawbacks. The first being the overall appearance. Metal cabinets tend to give a cold, sterile look to a kitchen. This lends itself towards the modern look, versus the traditional warm and inviting looking of the typical kitchen.

In addition to the appearance, you also have the noise factor. Traditional wood kitchen cabinets will absorb some of the noise of a kitchen, whereas metal kitchen cabinets will tend to amplify the sound. This can be especially true when removing or replacing plates and dishes.

With the popularity of Ikea, you also have the rise in another building material for kitchen cabinets- melamine. This is simply a veneer of melamine material over a sub-surface of either particleboard or fiberboard. The problem with this material is the affect moisture will have on it. While the melamin itself will not absorb moisture, the material underneath it will…. unlike solid wood cabinets, this form of cabinet will tend to buckle or warp from moisture.

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A thousand journeys always begin with a single step. No matter how far and dangerous the distance that we have to traverse, we should continue with our journey and reach our destination. My goal is to impart with everyone all my knowledge and the know-how about everything that involves kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and outside furnitures, accessories and products. I will provide guidance and shed light on house stuff to give sufficient backdrop. As I take on the single step, I hope you will enjoy this short review.

House owners spend a great deal of fortune just to make their bathroom beautiful and comfortable, even though the bathroom is one of the least likely places in the house that any visitor would check. For *bath savvy* and fanatics, they accessorize and buy the latest breakthrough in bathroom arena, since they want to take their bathing experience to the next level. They also want to transform their bathroom into a haven of solitude and sanctuary. A lot of people are very meticulous and particular about bathroom accessories because they think that a simple and small accessory can make a difference and can add to the over-all pleasurable aura of the bathroom.

One of the famous bathroom vanities today is the ProSun International Sunshower. It is a bathing product that is both a shower and a tanning machine. Now, citizens who avail of this can shower and tan themselves at the same time. This product brings to life the adage, hitting two birds with one stone. ProSun sunshower is highly practical, as it does away with the traditional tanning, like going to the beach or tanning salon just to get that perfect tan. This bathing product relaxes the body and at the same time pampers it with it’s tanning powers.

Beauty and health are two things that a person get when they use ProSun sunshower. The light UV rays that it has, tans the skin and it spurs the production of vitamin D, which is good for the skin. In fact, Vitamin D can make bones stronger and help in the calcium and phosphorous incorporation in the body. Everything that the sun can offer, shall be given to the person who uses this product. Tan complexion is not the only benefit of sunshower, it also gives protection to the skin and makes it healthy and vibrant. This is one of those bathroom vanities that you would like to get your hands on.

The best thing about sunshower is that it’s a multi-tasker, in a sense that it’s a machine that can perform two functions–bath and tan. It saves its users time and money as they can get the same tan and sensuous bathing experience through sunshower. Sunshower is easy to operate since it has control panel and a tanning program that indicates how many minutes to use everyday to get the target complexion. This machine has a bronzing machine inside it that tans the person into a golden crisp goddess. It’s design is no problem for it comes in aluminum, brass and chrome that is easy to pair with the bathroom design.

Sunshower gives a sun bathing experience without the expense of getting skin related diseases like skin cancer. It imitates the power of the sun inside the vicinity of one’s bath, without endangering one’s complexion. One will just follow regularly the time and period of duration when using sunshower, to avoid any unwanted skin tone outcome. It gives equal distribution of tan in the body while he/she enjoys bathing. This is beneficial to the users because there are cases when the tan is not equally distributed in the body, which is very unpleasant. This is due to wrong operations and the idea that a lot of people are not comfortable being naked inside a tanning salon or bed. But with this, they have privacy, and have no choice but to take off their clothes since they will take a bath as well.

Although sunshower is relatively new in the bath industry, a lot of people are flocking to the market to avail this because of the overall features and functions it can do to the body. It actually saves you the burden of spending too much to make oneself beautiful and to have a healthy skin while getting a tan. Sunshower is the only machine which rolls function and practicality into one.

Another breakthrough, to raise the level of bathing experience, is the new Kohler Watertile Rain overhead showering panel. The said machine is composed of four tile shower overhead that imitates the power of rain. This showerhead is easily installed in the ceiling and can easily manipulate the water level coming out of the fifty four nozzles giving a person soothing bath rain experience. Although this product is unique and creative, it seems that it’s a just another ordinary shower machine. The difference is that it’s placed on top of one’s head. The good thing about it is it saves a lot of space, and it can let aa person experience rain right at the comfort of their bathroom. The drawback is that it’s not practical and highly beneficial for the users. It costs a fortune of $500 and up, yet it’s functions can be achieved by a simple shower machine. This watertile rain overhead showering panel is not suggested for those who have a low bathroom ceiling. In short, its function is limited to the nature and design of the bathroom.

Today, bathroom accessories are becoming “in” as more and more people realize that bathrooms cannot be complete without the finishing touches. In fact, accessories may be called as the icing on the cake as it completes the whole picture or design. No matter how small they are, they can really add spice in one’s bathroom. One of the examples of accessories is a bathroom cabinet to place things and hygiene materials inside it. Others include handles for tower and soap dishes that can enhance the atmosphere of bathroom.

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For more valuable information on bathroom vanities, bathroom accessories, bathroom cabinet, patio furniture

The traditional kitchen of the past has evolved to be a multi-functional room for most families. What had traditionally been a room for food preparation and storage, has now become a hub of activities that include entertaining family and friends, school homework, and bill paying. With that in mind, the methods for lighting a kitchen have also changed. With a multi-purpose room comes the need for multi-purpose lighting.

One of the biggest problems with lighting in older homes is the shadow effect. While the lighting might be adequate for food preparation, it may leave the room dark and harder to see in other rooms. A centralized light source may even cause the cook to work in their own shadow when preparing food, which will make the job twice as difficult.

So when laying out your kitchen, thinking about the lighting scheme is just as important as what type of countertops you are planning on buying. Here are some of the key areas and how additional lighting will help

COUNTERTOPS / PREP AREA- The countertops end up being the darkest area in the kitchen because of the cabinets above, and the shadow that is usually created by the cook. The easiest way to illuminate the countertops is to install small, undermounted lights. By installing them towards the back of the cabinets, and evenly spacing them apart, you will be able to provide a pool of light to the prep area without creating a glare on the work surface.

BREAKFAST BAR/ ISLAND AREA- The best way to add pools of light to your breakfast bar or island, is with pendant lighting. Most pendant lighting will not only have adjustable heights, but you can a touch of personality to the room because of the wide range of finishes and styles that are available. By installing a dimmer switch, you can also turn them into mood lighting.

SINK / STOVE AREA- The last thing you want to have to deal with when working over the stove or sink is your own shadow. Most range hoods/microwaves on the market will provide for overhead lighting, but that won’t help you over the sink. By installing some recessed lights over both areas, it will help illuminate the two most heavily used areas of the kitchen

KITCHEN CABINETS- The kitchen cabinets are often the focal point of most kitchens, so why not highlight them to show them off. By using angled downlighting on the cabinets, you can really show of the color and detail of the cabinets you selected.

DESK / WORK AREA - Since the desk/work area is usually stuck in the corner of the room, it is usually one of the most poorly lit sections of the kitchen. One of the current trends is to make a built in desk look like a piece of furniture. If that is the look you are going for, you may want to conside a simple desk lamp to accent the area. Undermounted lighting is also suggested for just above the desk.

So before starting your new house or your kitchen remodeling project, it is important to come up with a lighting plan as well. By thinking about what areas of the room are going to be most utilized, you can put together a lighting plan that will ensure adequate lighting for all of the many uses your kitchen will serve.

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I have been remodeling house for 15 years, and I have the secret to getting high qualitykitchen cabinets at an affordable price. Interested in finding out my secret? Follow these links to find out the secret to getting kitchen cabinets at 30-40% below retail prices

If you are shopping for kitchen cabinets, odds are the first place you turned to was Home Depot or Lowes (Menards if you are in the Midwest). It’s easy access - you can tell them what you want and they will lay everything out for you. They usually have a wide range of styles to choose from, and the cost is significantly less then your typical custom cabinet company. Custom kitchen cabinets can range anywhere from $20,000 - $100,000 for your average size kitchen. Unfortunately, the majority of homeowners can not afford to pay $100,000 for a new kitchen. When it comes to remodeling a home or constructing a new one, people are always looking for ways save money. You don’t want to sacrifice style for quality, but for the average person they have to find a happy medium to keep their renovation project within their budget.

Aside from custom cabinets, most cabinet manufacturers and distributors today (even the private label brands at the big box stores) are acquiring their materials and products by having them directly imported, which reduces the cost per item, and allows them to pass some of the savings onto their customers. However, the big retail stores still have the high overhead cost associated with brick and mortar stores. Most of these cabinets fall under the category of RTA cabinets or Ready-To-Assemble cabinets. They are considered ready to assemble, because they come pre-fabricated and can be assembled with as little as a screwdriver. The assembly is easy and the benefits are even better. But, if you could save even more money by buying direct, and skipping the store, would you? Well now you can. There is a new of distributors that are importing these cabinets and selling them direct to the consumer.

If you compare the delivery time, quality and price of most RTA cabinets to a Lowe’s or a Home Depot, the RTA kitchen cabinets sell themselves. The big box stores don’t have the room to stock all of the cabinets they sell, so they will have longer lead times which can be several week or even several months, depending on the complexity of the cabinets. When purchasing RTA cabinets you are looking at about 8-10 business days for your order to be processed then around 2-4 days for shipping. The quality comparison is even more convincing. Your typical Lowe’s and Home Depot kitchen cabinets include multiple pieces made of particle board, which does not hold up well if you are not familiar with the material. Good RTA kitchen cabinets are made entirely of real wood. The front of the each cabinet is made of solid wood and the sides are made of ½” or ¾” finished plywood. The shelves are also made of ½” finished plywood along with the drawers as well. As mentioned earlier, these are RTA (ready to assemble) cabinets. Higher quality RTA cabinets will only require a screwdriver, and utilize cam locks to hold them together.

If you still need to be convinced that RTA kitchen cabinets are your best bet for well made affordable cabinets, the price comparison seals the deal. A typical 10×10 kitchen at Lowe’s and Home Depot easily goes for $6-$10k. That same estimate with RTA cabinets can be as little as $2-$4k. So by choosing RTA cabinets for your next kitchen remodel not only can you save thousands of dollars that can be well spent on other parts of the house or just simply saved, you are getting solid cabinets that look great.

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I have been remodeling house for 15 years, and I have the secret to getting high qualityRTA cabinets at an affordable price. Interested in finding out my secret? Follow these links to find out the secret to getting RTA Kitchen cabinets at 30-40% below retail prices

Good organization is a key factor in the success of any business, and because so many businesses are now computer reliant, being able to organize the computer work area efficiently is one way to ensure good overall organization.

Computer cabinets are designed to organize the convenience of working with all the usual computer components, having a specific place for each of the computer-related devices like the monitor, printer, and scanner. Computer cabinets should reduce the need for the computer operator to have to leave his or her workstation in order to perform the most common tasks like scanning and printing documents.

Other Computer Cabinets Features

Good computer cabinets also have room for additional hard drives, all the necessary cables when they are not in use, a CD storage rack, and any other idle computer accessories. Most computer cabinets have compartments for extra printer paper, photo paper, and ink cartridges, and room for computer manuals and any other books necessary for the business operations. Even pencils, pens, and markers have their place in well-designed computer cabinets, because the computer has not yet managed to eliminate their use.

Stylish As Well As Functional

Computer cabinets should be attractive as well as functional. Their sheer size means that they will be one of the most prominent features of a work area, and computer cabinets which have been created as furniture and not just as storage units can really add to the décor of an office.

Everyone likes to take pride in his or her workplace, and being stuck with unattractive utilitarian computer cabinets can really detract from the fun of the job for many employees. So many stylish and functional computer cabinets are available in so many designs and finishes that there is certainly one to enhance the appearance of any office. There are even corner computer cabinets which make great use of the wasted corner space in small offices.

Many office decorators stress the role that color can play in creating a mood in the workplace. They will advise that the colors of computer cabinets harmonize or complement the colors of the office carpeting and upholstery, and that the colors do not add a jarring note which will make it difficult for the computer operators to concentrate.

Finally, well-made computer cabinets will allow all the cords for the computer and its various components to be kept out of the way, so that nobody is apt to get tangled in or trip on them.

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Cabinets are the key ingredient in any kitchen. They will influence the look and feel of the heart of your home more than anything else because it’s not only the most visible part of the kitchen, but the “Meeting Place” of every home. Picking the right cabinetry is essential in creating your kitchen’s personality, but don’t let appearances mislead you. It’s what’s behind the door that will matter the most, every time you open your cabinet drawer or door.

Since cabinets represent the single largest investment in a new kitchen (about 60 to 70 percent of a kitchen’s cost), you should carefully explore all your options to avoid confusion and potentially costly mistakes. Here’s a little Cabinetry 101 to help you get started choosing the right products for your cabinet design.

Stock, Semi-Custom and Custom Cabinets
When you think stock, semi-custom and custom, don’t think of these choices in terms of the level of quality, because fine cabinetry is available with all three - as is poor quality. These terms simply designate the type of production method used to make the cabinet. Simply put, stock cabinets are mass-produced, semi-custom are stock cabinets that can be slightly altered and custom cabinets are built to order to meet individual needs and specifications. All three varieties are available in framed (a box with a frame surrounding the front edge) and frameless (a box with no face frame) construction. The cost of having your kitchen cabinets can start around $7,000 to $9,000 for stock and $14,000 to $18,000 for custom. With the amount of styles, materials, brand names, accessories and hardware out there, the price can quickly escalate.

Stock Cabinets
These are the plentiful cabinets, because they’re produced in large quantities on a mass production scale. Cabinet manufacturers, dealers and home improvement centers stock pile large quantities of cabinet parts so cabinets can be assembled quickly. Not wanting to miss out on a piece of the pie, stock cabinet manufacturers have greatly improved and expanded its product line to include a nice bounty of sizes, shapes, styles, wood species and finishes. The drawback to using stock cabinets is that you can’t make any modifications, so what you see is what you get. You may also find you come up a little short in width and height (filler strips are used to fill the gaps). Stock cabinets still remain the most popular choice because they’re affordable and readily available.

Semi-Custom Cabinets
Semi-custom cabinets are a stock line of cabinets where simple modifications will be made at the time of production. Semi-custom also offers you more choices when it comes to style, construction materials and colors. You can be a little more creative when going semi-custom by choosing some unique built-ins like pullout bins, lazy susans, matching interiors and inverted frames. Be sure to ask the manufacturer if this option is available. Be thorough with semi-custom because changes can be very expensive and increase delivery time (which is already a month or more) and they may not be returnable if they don’t fit.

Custom Cabinets
Don’t be fooled by the word custom or think that you will be able to draw a design and have it made to your specifications, because that is hard to find (and very, very costly). In the real world of manufactured cabinetry, custom can mean anything from slight modifications to elaborate add-ons. Most manufacturers start out with a basic product line offering cabinets in standard sizes and customize from there. The big difference between a semi-custom and a custom manufacturer is the number of changes they are willing to make to their product lines. Most manufacturers offer a large selection of finish options, trims and storage configurations and accessories. Be patient if you go custom because it can take 12 weeks or longer before your cabinets are delivered and in many cases payment in full is required when the order is placed.

Cabinet Doors

You should enter the cabinet selection process through the doors. Their style, color, and decoration will contribute most to your cabinets’ overall look. Be sure that your countertops, flooring, and other design elements complement the cabinets you choose. The first thing you need to decide is the material you want to use and how you want to finish it off.

Wood
Wood doors remain the preferred entree, not just because they’re so plentiful but because they’re durable, beautiful and versatile. The top woods are oak, maple, cherry, hickory and pine. If you’re having a hard time deciding what natural wood you prefer, ask yourself what kind of grain you like. If you prefer a hardwood with a tight grain and a strong pattern that darkens when exposed to light, you’ll want to go with cherry. Maple is a light hardwood with a tight grain and less noticeable pattern, while oak is a light hardwood with an open grain and striped pattern. For a more open grain with a strong pattern and random knots you can go for pine - just remember it’s a soft wood and shows dents and scratches easily. The odd wood out is hickory because it has very dramatic grain patterns and color variations.

Shaping The Door - Slab, Raised and Recessed Panels
When it comes to deciding the shape of your cabinet doors you can choose to go flat, raised or recessed in a pattern that can be plain and simple or intricately carved. Slab is a flat door style that gives the appearance of a solid piece of wood with no raised or recessed profile. They’re usually made out of several pieces of solid stock lumber and joined with an adhesive. If you opt for laminate slab you’ll get a door made of substrate material and then covered with laminate. The best way to understand the look of a recessed panel is to think of a picture frame with a flat panel. The frame can be attached to the panel by using a mitered joint, tenon and mortise joint (similar to tongue and groove) or cope and pattern joint. These panels are easy to decorate and popular when made with a groove. A raised panel is constructed in the same manner as a recessed panel except it’s given an edge by cutting it dimensionally and then routing or shaping the desired edge profile, like square, Cathedral or arched.

Finishing it off
Thanks to hi-tech finishing techniques used by cabinet manufacturers, cleaning your cabinets is no longer a major household chore.

By using polyurethane finishes, particularly those that are heat catalyzed, your cabinets should only require a good dusting or wiping. Think longevity, when you choose your finish, because a clear finish will show the natural changes in wood over time, while staining the wood in its natural color will lock that shade in forever.

Behind The Doors

Know All Your Panels - Side, Back, Top and Bottom
Now that you’ve satisfied your taste - aesthetically speaking - it’s time to get practical and learn about what’s behind the doors. After all, a cabinet is just a box…and the quality of the cabinet lies in the construction of the box, not the door. As a rule, when it comes to cabinetry - you get what you pay for. High-end cabinets are usually always high quality and low cost cabinets are just that - poor quality. The majority of cabinet manufacturers offer several different levels of prices based on quality. Don’t forget why you need cabinets in the first place - storage.

Your storage area is usually combined of a series of individual boxes, joined together side-by-side. Boxes that sit on the floor (base cabinets) are covered with a countertop, and may have all drawers, doors, shelves, pull-outs or a combination of these. Sink bases almost always have doors, but no shelves or drawers, leaving the interior space open for the sink and plumbing.

Boxes that hang on the wall, are called wall cabinets, and offer storage above countertops and appliances using shelves.

The panels (sides) that make up the box need to have enough strength and structural integrity to keep the box from falling apart. In the base cabinet, the side panels support the full weight of the cabinet on the floor in framed cabinets.

It may surprise you to learn that solid wood is rarely used for cabinet panels. This is because solid wood tends to warp over time when exposed to moisture. Engineered wood, particle board, furniture-grade flakeboard, medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and plywood are more stable than solid wood, and are used in the majority of cabinets. To help make the panels more water-resistant and durable they’re usually treated with special chemicals. All of these material have an excellent reputation for durability and screw-holding power, especially plywood. So before you make you’re final decision, be sure to look at the quality of its panels - all of them.

It may not sound like a big deal now, but when you start washing dishes or preparing a meal you’ll want to know that your toekick board was installed properly. The toekick is a recessed area at the front of the cabinet near the floor that allows you to stand close to the counter. It also adds support to the cabinet floor and keeps unwanted critters out of your cabinets.

Drawers
Your drawers will likely be made of solid wood or MDF, have framed or flat slab fronts and be held together by dovetail, mortise-and tenon or butt joints. Thing big, when you think about your drawers, because that’s usually the first place where storage space is never enough. A top drawer should be able to support at least 75 pounds.

Cabinet Hardware

Just when you think you’re done designing your cabinets, now you have to think about hardware. Hardware is available in every conceivable style and color, but you should pay close attention to the hinges, knobs, pulls and backplates, because these pieces can really make a statement in your kitchen.

Hinges
The most important piece of hardware are your hinges, which come in several varieties like the self-closing, spring loaded barrel hinges, knife hinges and concealed hinges. Barrel hinges are fully exposed and provide a wide door opening. For a full 180 degree door opening you’ll want to use knife hinges. This hinge is usually screwed to the cabinet frame and partially embedded. Depending on the manufacturer the hinge may be either partially or fully visible when the door is closed. For a more European style where the hinge is hidden you’ll want to use concealed hinges. Most of them are self-closing but with a partial opening (110 degrees).

Drawer Suspensions

As far as abuse and daily wear-and-tear goes, your drawers are always at center stage. What will matter most over time is the style of drawer slides, which include full extension, b all bearing, track-and-roller and wood.

Full-extension slides attach to the bottom or the sides of the drawer and provide full access to the drawer interior. Their ball-bearing system adds stability and strength and are available in stronger versions to store heavier kitchen items.

Ball-bearing slides attach to the bottom of the drawer sides and offer smooth, quiet operation. Their concealed runners mounted to the bottom of the drawer don’t get as dirty as those mounted on the side.
Track-and-roller slides attach to the drawer sides. Their epoxy-coated steel tracks and nylon rollers offer quiet operation but are less stable than ball-bearing ones.
Wooden slides work as slots in the drawer sides or bottoms and move the drawer along a wooden runner. This option is no longer very popular because the drawers tend to stick as the wood expands and contracts.

Decorative Hardware - Knobs or Pulls
Now that you have your cabinets designed to your liking, you need to think about what you want to use to open and protect your new drawers and doors. Do you want knobs or pulls or a combination of both? When it comes to choosing colors, materials and finishes the list is endless. You got brass, chrome, gold, silver, pewter, nickel, porcelain, marble, glass, wood - and that’s just a sampling. Once you pick the material, you’ll have to choose from a selection of finishes - polished, antique, aged, forged, carved, enamel and more. Stay focused and remember that you’re looking for function and comfort from your hardware - not an ulcer.

Knobs are handles (generally small in size), that are mounted to the drawers and doors with a single bolt or screw. Knobs are no longer limited to being round. They can be flat with rounded edges, round like a ball, square, “T” shaped, or even bun shaped and they come in a variety of finishes.

Most questions concerning knobs involve size, quantity or positioning. Look at knobs as being the eyes and nose of your cabinets - if placed improperly they can look out of place and take away from the rest of the kitchen. You’ll never go wrong if you keep your knob under a 1 1/2 inch diameter.

Pulls perform the same service as knobs, but tend to be larger or more elaborate, and can greatly alter the look of the cabinet. Pulls may be combined with a backplate or used alone and require two or more screws. They also come in many different styles, but the more common types are D handles, bail handles, ring handles, latch handles, and cup pulls.

Don’t Be Shy - Ask questions????

Look for the KCMA seal, which means the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association has approved the construction of the cabinets and the materials used to build them meet minimum industry standards.
Do you recognize the brand name and does it carry a Best Buy seal or other evidence of independent testing and approval?

Does the manufacturer offer the necessary parts and pieces necessary to achieve the style and design you’re looking for?
Will the cabinets be delivered by your deadline?
The manufacturer’s warranty can be a very valuable part of what you pay for when you make your cabinet purchase and can vary from one year to lifetime. Find a warranty that makes you comfortable about your investment.

Trendy Samplings
As cabinets continue to grow and change, consumers are left with a draw full of options and trends. Here’s some trends that you might want to sample. There’s a new process called glazing, where a contrasting color stain is laid on top of a base finish to give it a more prominent look. If you want to show-off some of your kitchen gadgets or special china you can have a glass door installed.

More than anything else, consumers crave the convenience of built-ins, which can range from “appliance garages” that hide aging appliances like toasters behind pull-down doors to tilt-out sink bay drawers to spice racks. The most popular built-in is for the least popular item in a kitchen - the trash can.

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