Kitchen Cabinets

If the thought of replacing your kitchen cabinets, either by purchasing ready-made cabinets, or building them yourself, makes you break out in a cold sweat, read on. While repainting them, (one more time), is an option, it also involves more labor with each re-do, which you already know.

Once you decide whether to “do-it-yourself”, hire someone else to “do-it-for-you”, or go to your local cabinet store, the rest is not as scary as you might think.

If you want a framed look to the front of your cabinets, your choice could be what is called a “face-frame” design. This style is sturdier due to the added support of the frame. If you have 4 teen-agers who constantly slam the cabinet doors shut, this might be a good choice for you. On the other hand, if you like a sleek, contemporary look, and don’t have slammers in the house, then frameless cabinets would be a good choice.

Now you know what style you want… the next choice is whether you want stock or custom cabinets. Stock cabinets are already built and offer a limited variety of designs. If you are on a budget, stock cabinets would be easier on your finances, and you could probably find a style that would give your kitchen a new look without spending your entire savings!

For those who can say, “The sky’s the limit”, custom cabinets are for you. The variety of design, material used, or the finish is endless. You could have exotic woods, any color you could possibly think of, and gold handles, if that’s what you want.

There are many choices of materials used for custom cabinets. Some of these materials can also be found on stock cabinets. You might choose a laminate, which are sheets made of three layers: the bottom layer of brown paper, a second layer of paper decorated with the desired pattern, and a third layer of clear sheet. Both the second and third layers are coated with resin. This material is often referred to as “formica”. It is resistant to stains, scratches, and heat. Vinyl clad is vinyl, textured to look like different patterns, wood grains, or colors, permanently bonded to carbon steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. If wood is your choice, there are so many kinds to consider, it could take you some time to decide. The bottom line is, laminate is the most cost-effective, wood can range from reasonable to the outrageous, and vinyl clad is somewhere in the middle.

You can choose materials that give your kitchen a totally modern look or the warmer, more “homey” look that wood can project.

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