Five Things to Consider Prior to Purchasing Kitchen Cabinets
Make an informed choice since kitchen cabinets are among the most crucial components of any kitchen makeover! We can assist you in getting going.
Many cabinet brands hold the majority of a kitchen’s necessities, including pots and pans, dishes and utensils, and canned and dry products. Additionally, cabinets take up a significant amount of space—25 to 30 feet in a normal kitchen—and greatly influence the room’s appearance and atmosphere. Selecting cabinets for a kitchen makeover involves a lot of considerations, such as size, material, and construction technique, and costs can vary greatly. Read on for essential information that will help you make sure you’re purchasing kitchen cabinets that match your belongings and your taste, regardless of your budget.
1. Depending on how they are made and marketed, kitchen cabinets come in three different varieties.
There are three different forms of kitchen cabinet construction: semi-custom, custom, and stock.
Many home improvement stores sell mass-produced stock cabinets. Although some might need some assembly, they are frequently pre-assembled and ready for installation. With prices ranging from $100 to $300 per linear foot, stock cabinets are the least expensive alternative; but, their color, material, and design possibilities may be restricted. Typically, delivery takes a few weeks.
Custom cabinets are constructed using the material, color, and finish of your choosing, precisely matching your requirements for size and design. They can be constructed from floor to ceiling, sometimes with crown molding at the top, and frequently include unique features like a coffee station or an appliance garage. They may also have furniture-style elements like bun feet and leaded-glass doors. Custom cabinetry often has a higher price tag, with prices ranging from $500 to $1,200 per linear foot, and a lengthier manufacturing time due to the craftsmanship and attention to detail involved.
Stock cabinets with a number of optional features that allow you to customize the look and storage capacity are known as semi-custom cabinets. For example, you can choose a different finish for the door fronts or alter the size of the drawers. Semi-custom cabinets typically take four to eight weeks to deliver and range in price from $150 to $650 per linear foot.
2. When choosing cabinet sizes, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance.
It’s a good idea to think about the sizes you need to store your cookware, electronics, pantry essentials, and other items before you start the exciting process of designing the cabinets’ appearance. Consider where you need more (or less) storage space and what your present cabinets’ height, width, and depth are lacking.
3. There are two types of cabinets: framed and frameless.
When describing cabinet constructions, the words “framed” and “frameless” will be used.
Framed cabinets have a box, which is your cabinet, and a face frame, which is the framework that is fastened to the front of the box and provides the support that doors and drawers require to attach. The box can be somewhat slimmer and possibly fit into smaller places if it has a face frame for strengthening.
Generally speaking, frameless cabinets have thicker cabinet boxes that the doors and drawers attach straight to. (The strongest possibilities are cabinet boxes that are at least half an inch thick or constructed of a more durable material, like plywood rather than particleboard.) It is simpler to reach the entire interior when there is no face frame that protrudes just past the storage section. Frameless cabinets, a popular European design, tend to seem more modern and fit nicely with contemporary kitchens.
4. Make your budget reasonable.
Think about your goals for the house before purchasing kitchen cabinets that look the nicest and pass a quality test with flying colors. You could cut corners if the property is about to be rented out or put on the market because, generally speaking, kitchen remodels don’t provide the highest returns. However, you might want to spend money on mid- to high-end cabinets that meet all of your needs if you’re designing a kitchen of your dreams that you’ll love for years to come.
Next, take measurements of your kitchen to get an idea of how much room you’ll need for cabinets. Keep this amount close at hand so you may compare it to the cost per foot of the top and lower cabinets you choose. Even before the expense of add-ons, quality cabinetry can cost up to $500 per foot or more, while basic stock cabinets can cost around $100 per foot. Purchasing kitchen cabinets might take up to 40% of the total expenditure for a makeover, depending on your choice.
Keep in mind that additional costs will apply for customizations like deepening or shallowing the cabinets, adding unique features like wine racks or breadboards, or even adding oak-lined interiors, leaded-glass doors, roll-out shelves, or pull-out garbage cans. The cost of kitchen cabinets might increase by more than 20% as a result of these customized touches. Nonetheless, there are methods to save money without sacrificing quality. For example, choosing semi-custom cabinets over bespoke ones or restricting add-ons to a few essentials that you will use for many years to come. Keep in mind that high-quality kitchen cabinets can endure up to 50 years while evaluating the costs and advantages of your future house.
5. Start your shopping at a cabinet or home improvement store.
Start your internet comparison shopping as soon as you’re ready to furnish your kitchen with new cabinets so you know who sells what. To get a sense of what’s available, check out sites like Cabinets.com, RTA Kitchen Cabinets Online, or Cabinets To Go. After that, visit a few places to personally view different cabinetry possibilities. While kitchen cabinet showrooms and more specialist retailers display samples of bespoke work, home improvement centers and kitchen appliance stores may offer stock cabinets accessible for inspection. You may begin browsing at local retailers with assistance from the National Kitchen & Bath Association.