Kitchen Cabinet Buying Guide

Kitchen cabinets are crucial in defining your kitchen's shape, look, and functionality. They are a long-term investment, so it's important to consider materials, overlay styles, colors, door styles, and hardware to ensure they fit your stylistic and lifestyle needs.

This guide will cover everything you need to know about buying kitchen cabinets, helping you make the most crucial choice in your kitchen design.

Types of Kitchen Cabinets

The first step when deciding on your kitchen cabinet is choosing the type of cabinet you want: stock, semi-custom, or custom. This largely depends on your budget, customization abilities, and the size range you need.

Stock Cabinets

• Ideal for small budgets
• Come in standard sizes and styles with no variation
• Available immediately

Semi-Custom Cabinets

• Wide range of sizes, colors, and finishes
• Enhanced features like pull-outs, Lazy Susans, cutlery drawers, etc.
• Mid-range pricing
• High quality

Custom Cabinets

• Unlimited possibilities for sizes and finishes
• High quality
• Longer delivery time
• Expensive

Cabinet Construction Styles

When it comes to choosing your kitchen cabinets, you’ve got two main styles to choose from: framed and frameless. Each one brings something unique to the table.

Framed Cabinets

• Have a face frame on the cabinet, which adds stability and durability
• Compliment traditional and contemporary décor

Frameless Cabinets

• Have no face frame; the hinges attach directly to the cabinet box
• Also known as European or full-access cabinets
• Don’t have the center stile, so have easier access to the cabinet interior

Cabinet Materials

The material your cabinets are made of significantly affects how long they last and how much they cost. Common materials are particleboard, MDF, and plywood.

Particleboard

• Economical since it is made of wood chips
• Common in stock cabinets as the underlay for laminates and veneers

MDF

• Medium Density Fiberboard is dense and durable
• It provides a smooth surface for veneers and paint
• High quality
• Fabuwood uses MDF in all frameless cabinets for its durability and eco-friendly nature

Plywood

• Strong and stable
• Composed of layers of veneers glued together
• High quality

Wood Veneers and Laminates

• Wood Veneer: Thin layers of wood adhered to plywood or particleboard.
• Thermofoil: Flexible vinyl applied to engineered wood, resists chipping.
• Laminate: Plastic layers fused to a wood base, offers many colors and patterns.
• Melamine: Durable plastic applied to wood, easy to clean.

Cabinet types

When planning your kitchen, you'll find there's a whole variety of cabinets you'll need to consider. The three basic cabinets you will include are: base cabinets, wall cabinets, and tall cabinets.

Base Cabinets

• These cabinets support the counters
• The standard size of base cabinets is a height of 34 ½”, width of 6”-42”, and depth of 24”

Wall Cabinets

• Offer storage above countertops
• Made for lightweight items like dishes
• Standard dimensions include a height of 12”-54”, width varies from 6”- 48”, and depth is 12”

Tall Cabinets

• These cabinets are ideal for pantries
• The standard height of a tall cabinet is 54” for the bottom half of the cabinet and 30”, 36”, or 42” for the top half of the cabinet. The width ranges from 18”-30”, and depth is standard at 24”

Door Styles

When buying cabinets, there are three door overlays: full, partial/standard, or inset.

Full overlay cabinet doors completely cover the cabinet box and the face frame. They offer a more sophisticated and modern look, like our Illume collection.

Partial overlay cabinet doors cover part of the cabinet frame but leave some of it visible around each door and drawer, like our Metro door style.

Inset overlay cabinet doors rest flush within the frame and are opened with a knob or handle.

Door Designs

Kitchen cabinet doors come in various styles so you can find the perfect look for your kitchen.

Slab-style doors provide a flat, smooth surface without panels, frames, or contours. Because of their sleek and seamless nature, they are often used in modern or contemporary designs.

Shaker doors are traditional. Shaker cabinets have a simple, clean appearance and feature a recessed center panel. Our slim shaker door style is a modern twist on the classic shaker, providing more design opportunities.  

Cabinet Finishes

After selecting your preferred door design and style, you must choose which finish will work best in your kitchen décor.

Natural wood tones showcase the natural beauty of the cabinet and the unique grain in each door.

High gloss finishes offer a modern appeal and can be used with any color cabinet.

Heirloom uses sanding to create an aged look, perfect for vintage aesthetics.

Distressing emulates an antique look, also working well with a rustic or farmhouse aesthetic.

Hardware and accessories

Cabinet hardware is the icing on the cake for your kitchen design. Think of knobs, pulls, and other accessories as the jewelry that ties everything together. Your hardware should match your kitchen's style and vibe. Whether you love brass, brushed nickel, or matte black, pick finishes that complement your cabinet color.

Remember the handy accessories that make your kitchen a joy to use. Lazy Susans, pull-out shelves, cutlery drawers, and peg organizers are popular options that can transform your kitchen into a functional haven.

Common Cabinet Buying Questions to Consider

• Do you want stock, semi-custom, or custom cabinets?
• Do you want your cabinets painted or stained?
• Do you want a two-tone kitchen design?
• How deep do you want your cabinets?
• What type of crown molding do you want?
• Do you want a charging drawer with outlets?
• Do you want undercabinet lighting?
• Do you want your cabinets to go to the ceiling?
• What kind of cabinet accessories do you need?
• What hardware style works best in your kitchen design?

Buying Cabinets Online vs. a Brick-and-Mortar Store

When buying kitchen cabinets, you have two main options: shopping online or heading to a store.

Online shopping offers the convenience of browsing a vast selection of cabinets from the comfort of your couch. Detailed descriptions and customer reviews are at your fingertips, helping you make an informed choice. Plus, you can order sample doors to see and feel how they'll look in your kitchen once you’ve narrowed your selections.

On the other hand, going into a dealer or store provides a more personalized experience. You can get immediate answers from experienced staff, and seeing the cabinets up close gives you a true sense of their quality and finish.

Both options can make your kitchen cabinet buying experience enjoyable and rewarding. Whether you value the ease of online shopping or the hands-on approach of visiting a store, you’ll find what works best for you.

Choosing the perfect kitchen cabinets can feel like a big task, but it’s all about balancing your budget, space, style, and needs. Whether you're going for stock, semi-custom, or custom cabinets, getting to know the different materials, construction styles, and features will guide you to the best choice. This way, you’ll end up with a kitchen that looks amazing and works perfectly for your daily life. Check out our Visualizer to see your cabinet choices in a beautiful home design!