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How to Choose Kitchen Cabinets: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

Whether you are designing your kitchen from scratch or remodeling an older one, one of the most important purchasing decisions you will make is which kitchen cabinets to choose.

Custom Kitchen cabinets really set a tone for space and there are so many different options available.

If you’re looking for functionality, install larger custom kitchen cabinets to store large goods such as vacuum cleaners and cookware. 

And don’t forget to plan where to store the Instant Pot Max in your kitchen design.

Why not have some door-less cupboards that can be used as extra storage for books?

Paying extra attention to these details will keep potential buyers happy.

Also, cabinets are not cheap, so knowing that you’ll be looking at the cabinets you choose for years to come can make the decision even more nerve-wracking.

Fortunately, there are some tips and guidelines you can follow when figuring out how to choose kitchen cabinets.

Read on and learn some ways to make this major decision a little easier.

How to Choose Kitchen Cabinets: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

Factors to Consider When Cabinet Shopping

There are so many things to think about and so many questions to ask yourself when you begin shopping for new cabinets. 

There are so many things to think about and so many questions to ask yourself when you begin shopping for new cabinets. 

Needs and Wants

Before even beginning your cabinet search, take some time to think about what you want and what you need. If you are replacing old cabinets, what do you like and dislike about them?

Do you need more space or is the amount of space you have now working for you?

Second, consider your personal style and your home and kitchen style.

Do you want a modern or retro look or want to make your kitchen another style (HGTV)?

Also, determine how important factors like durability are to you.

Are you looking for something that looks nice but is low priced or that will last for many decades?

Once you take the time to contemplate these factors, it will be much easier to move on from there.

Also, determine how important factors like durability are to you.

Types of Cabinets

The next step in learning how to choose kitchen cabinets is deciding which type of cabinets are best for your desires and your budget.

The most inexpensive cabinets you can buy are ready-to-assemble (RTA).

You can buy these at big box retailers and they come in pre-determined sizes.

They often look great, but they may not be all that durable.

You can also buy stock cabinets from the manufacturer for savings.

These also come in pre-determined sizes but are somewhat higher quality than RTA cabinets. 

Semi-custom cabinets are more expensive than the first two.

However, they can give you a bit more wiggle room in size and materials options and are of good quality in general. 

Custom cabinets are the most expensive option.

However, with custom cabinets, you can let your imagination go wild. 

You can design them however you like and choose materials and styles from scratch.

Semi-custom cabinets are more expensive than the first two.

Cabinet Styles

There are three types of cabinet styles to consider as well, explains Fixr.

Framed cabinets have overlying frames that support the front of the cabinet.

Holes are cut into that frame and doors are attached, and drawers are inserted.

You can see the frame when looking at the cabinet. 

Frameless cabinets, on the other hand, have no frame on the front and the doors are attached with hinges to the side and cover the entire open space.

These are a bit more expensive, but they also look more modern.

To view an example, you can see some Shaker cabinets in a frameless style.

The third type of cabinet is open shelving.

This can look fantastic if you are extremely organized, but if you are not, you will probably want doors instead.

The third type of cabinet is open shelving.

Now You Know How to Choose Kitchen Cabinets

Consider all of these factors before beginning your shopping, and you will be much more easily able to pick out the right cabinets for you.

Good luck and happy shopping.

Now that you know how to choose kitchen cabinets, if you’d like to read more posts about making your home beautiful, check out our Home Remodel and Home Repairs section.

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