The A2Z of Kitchen Cabinetry – Part 1

So you are all set to remodel your kitchen and have come to the most crucial decision. How should you style the kitchen cabinets, the most visible part of the kitchen, the face of the design, the single element that will influence all your other choices?

This remains one of the most difficult decisions to make because of the overwhelming number of choices at hand.

Here’s our complete comprehensive guide to kitchen cabinetry which will make your task easier.

Understanding Cabinetry

On an average, the cost of remodeling a 100-Square foot kitchen ranges from $14000 to $50000. That’s a staggering investment with a huge disparity in the two numbers. A huge chunk of it will be spent towards your cabinetry. Depending on which end of that price range your budget fits in, you can choose from one of the following type of cabinet.

Stock Cabinets: The most budget-friendly choice, these will be readily available at your local home improvement center. As with most mass produced furniture, the style and colour choices are limited. But if you shop around, you can find one that fits your style and budget.
Semi-Custom: Consider this to be the mid-range in cabinetry. It is made-to-order according to premade sizes. The choice of colours and styles is more elaborate in semi-custom cabinets.
Custom Cabinets: Made as per your choice from start to end, these are the most expensive of the three and offers an endless choice of styles, finishes and accessories. From lazy suzans to appliance garages, name it and you can include it.

Custom Cabinets

If you have decided to opt for custom cabinets then there are two different types of construction that you need to be aware of.

Face-frame: This is the more traditionally constructed cabinet which typically involves a plywood box with a solid-wood frame attached to the front. The hinges which attach the doors can be concealed or exposed.
Frameless: Frameless cabinets are also called ‘Full Access’ cabinets because it offers more space and accessibility by avoiding the face frame. The doors are attached directly to the side of the cabinet box and the hinges are concealed and invisible when the cabinet doors are shut.

Frame Styles

There are three different types of frames which will determine the style of cabinetry that is built.

Full Overlay: In full-overlay styled cabinets, the doors will cover the entire face frame (Frame cabinet) or the entire cabinet box side (Frameless). This allows a seamless appearance with very little space between doors and drawers. There are plethora of door styles to choose from with the full overlay design.
Partial Overlay: In partial overlay styled cabinets, a small portion of the face-frame or the cabinet box is deliberately left exposed. This portion is called the reveal. This is the most economical choice while constructing kitchen cabinets.
Full Inset: This design style is inspired from English architecture and features cabinets and drawers that fit in precisely with the face frame. It takes a great amount of precision and skill to construct full inset styled cabinets and hence, these are the most expensive choice.

In the second part of this article, we will door shapes, inserts and cabinetry finishes.

The A2Z of Kitchen Cabinetry – Part 1

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