How to choose your kitchen cabinets with 3 easy decisions

Do you find yourself in the thick of a kitchen remodel with a seemingly endless amount of options? Do you want an island, a pot hanger? What about a gas or electric stove? Finally, how do you choose your kitchen cabinet style?

Your style matters
How will you use your kitchen cabinets?
Are you going to be hosting guests?
Are you going to be up for midnight snacks?
Do you enjoy cooking meals?
Stick to quality material
- Plywood
- Medium Dense Fiber (MDF) o Particleboard

Finding the right contractor

I had a friend in Alexandria, Virginia who contracted to remodel her kitchen, and when it came to the kitchen, she had to make decisions on her cabinets, tile, countertops, flooring, lighting, and appliances. She was very overwhelmed by the variety of everything.

You don’t have to be overwhelmed. Explore Kitchens can make selecting your kitchen cabinets easy with these three decisions.

Your style matters

Did you know that your kitchen is often the first thing a guest sees in your home? What kind of impression do you want to leave?

There are three main options when it comes to kitchen cabinet style. Your decision will speak to your personality. You should also consider the style of your house architecture before choosing your kitchen cabinet style.

Are you modern?

If you are looking for a cabinet style that makes a kitchen unique, the sleek look of a slab cabinet door with stainless steel pulls will meet your need. They also feature solid colors with no wood grain. This is a unique look that may fade in the next decade.

Are you classical?

Suppose you are more into the classic kitchen cabinet style. In that case, we recommend looking for cabinet doors with ornate molding or glazing that emphasizes the door’s details. You can match this style with more traditional metal hardware like bronze.

This look will be sure to catch the eye of guests who enjoy homemade pizza.

Or are you somewhere in between?

I couldn’t commit to the modern kitchen style’s bold look, but I also was not into the classical look. A safe decision is a transitional style such as a shaker or raised panel.

This look is a safe and timeless option for your kitchen remodel. It goes well with patterned stone countertops.

How will you use your kitchen cabinets?

A poll by Morning Consult indicates a new trend with people who are now working remotely spending 46% of their time in their kitchens.

How do you want to use your kitchen? Are you going to be hosting guests? Are you going to be up for midnight snacks? Do you enjoy cooking meals?

Answering these questions will help you make some functional decisions with your kitchen cabinets.

Are you going to be hosting guests?

When hosting dinner parties, you want to be sure to have plenty of cabinet space for entertainment dishes, trays, serving bowls, etc. You might also consider a large island if you can with your area. I went with a 4’x8′ quartz countertop island with five base cabinets.

Do you have fine china to show off? You should get some wall cabinets with glass inset into the door to display for your party guests.

Are you going to be up for midnight snacks?

If you are like me, you sometimes wake up hungry in the middle of the night. And who hates it when your vision goes blind after turning on the kitchen light after sleeping a few hours?

The recent trend in kitchens is in-cabinet lighting. Sensors that light up your cabinet or drawer when you open it.

And if you need light only for the kitchen island, Explore can provide pendant lighting perfect for your late night cravings.

Do you enjoy cooking meals?

One of my favorite pastimes is cooking. Right below my stovetop is a wide drawer of spices organized and ready to implement.

My point is placement is vital when it comes to choosing your kitchen cabinets.

Place the dishwasher by the sink. The silverware drawer next to the dishwasher.

Your kitchen’s three points should be within a pivot of your feet: stove/oven, sink, refrigerator. A kitchen layout like this makes your kitchen easy to use and enjoyable.

Stick to quality material

Of course, you want kitchen cabinets that last. There are multiple different materials that you can choose to use.

Plywood

Plywood is one of the premium options for kitchen cabinets. This material offers a strong and stable cabinet that will last a long time. We recommend using solid wood on the face frame.

Medium Dense Fiber (MDF)

MDF is an engineered wood product that is made from wood fibers pressed and bonded together. This material is highly susceptible to water damage and is really heavy. Nicks or scratches are hard to repair with MDF.

Particleboard

Particleboard is also a compressed wood fiber material. It is most used in bookshelves or desks. Particleboard is typically covered with a layer of melamine, wood veneer, or vinyl laminate. This

material is not a good material to use in kitchen cabinets. It is more susceptible to water damage than MDF, and it is also hard to repair nicks and scratches.

Overall, the highest quality material is a combination of plywood boxes with a hardwood face frame.

Finding the right contractor

The last piece of the puzzle with selecting your kitchen cabinets is finding the right contractor to design, supply, and install them.

You need a contractor to trust your budget with, a contractor that will listen to your needs. Explore will make your dream kitchen come true. Start with a FREE 3D model!

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