Everything You Need to Know About Choosing Kitchen Cabinets

The kitchen is a focal point in any home. Even when we gather in the living room, somehow everyone ends up in the kitchen. You want yours to be both functional and gorgeous. For that you need to consider what your kitchen cabinets will look like.

While colors and other finishes matter, the aesthetics of your kitchen cabinets can make a huge impact. Fortunately, you have more options than ever. Today’s kitchen cabinets are beautiful with decorative details and colors, functional with useful upgrades, and created with some of the best quality materials on the market.

Before you start choosing cabinets, it all starts with a plan. Ask yourself these four questions:

• How do you want your kitchen to look?
• How do you currently use your kitchen, and what is it lacking?
• Do you want items to show, or would you like a sleek, uncluttered look?
• How much space do you have to accomplish what you need?

Next, consider the following:

Materials

Some of the most popular materials on the market for countertops are marble, wood, concrete, and stainless steel. Some of these can be used as cabinet fronts, if you have a considerable budget! Considering how your countertops will look affects your cabinet choices. If you are choosing a dramatically patterned granite or marble countertop you may want to go with a simple cabinet style. When considering wood, there are so many options to choose from that aren’t based on the old standards of oak or maple. There are beautiful eco-friendly and sustainable cabinets made from recycled plastic bottles and reclaimed wood that meet the design style of today’s homeowners.

Finishes

Today’s kitchen designs are following mixed media trends with upper and lower cabinets coordinated instead of matching. Imagine marble and teak, or walnut inserts mixed with stainless steel. The possibilities are endless. Combinations like caramel-toned wood and dark counter and appliance surfaces, or natural and airy elements like light-toned wood and glass. Textured finishes are also really big in modern kitchens, pushing the envelope on kitchen design. Be aware that these textures aren’t always easy to clean and can capture grease and dirt.

Decorative Details

There are so many fun options for kitchens today you don’t need to be limited to traditional layouts and what your original home design provided. You can have cabinets with curves, integrated range hoods, bright-colored cabinets, rustic shelves, hidden pantries (larders), plate racks, and more. If you can imagine it, someone has probably designed a cabinet for it.

Internal Functions

Cabinets for your built-in appliances are very popular now, combining functionality with style and design. You’ll find kitchen cabinets housing the microwave, refrigerator/freezer, dishwasher, pull-outs for mixers, and other items, built-in cutting boards, and sliding pantries.

Storage

You still need to maximize storage. There is a fine line in choosing cabinets that are appealing on the outside yet keep things organized on the inside. Regardless of the style you want: modern, traditional or transitional, colors, and finishes; cabinets need to be planned from the inside out to make sure you are using every possible space to store your items.

One of the best things you can do when considering a remodel is to consult a professional team that understands the nuances and can design based on your style preferences and needs. There are a ton of unknowns to deal with when planning a remodel, and it’s easy to miss things or allow certain details to fall through the cracks. Bay Area clients can use our design-to-build method to make planning easy.  You design your dream, work directly with the builder and get material assistance from our interior designer to select everything suited to your style.

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