Kitchen Cabinet Designs: Avoiding The Pitfalls
So you have decided to get some work done on your kitchen cabinets? Congratulations! We would like to help you in this article to pull it all together, and come up with a comprehensive checklist to help you in your planning, and to avoid as many possible pitfalls along the way as you can. What Is Your Budget? The first issue to face is the financial: Certain kitchen cabinet designs may be way beyond your ability to pay for it. Decide what you can afford to pay. Have you saved for this project? If so, have you saved enough? If you will be looking to finance this project, would you be better off with a bank loan rather than paying dealer-arranged financing? If you know, overall, your financial limitations, this will make it much easier to choose the best kitchen cabinet design for you. Stock, Custom Cabinets? In general, you will have 2 choices in kitchen cabinets: Stock cabinetry, which comes in standard (stock) sizes, or custom-built cabinets. If you have an odd-sized or shaped kitchen your only option may be the custom cabinetry, but it will cost you more. If you will have custom-built kitchen cabinets installed, careful measurements must be taken, as the cabinets will be made to fit the dimensions given. Most homeowners should be able to choose a stock kitchen cabinet design that meets their needs, as many different types are available today. What Materials? You will have a choice of materials. Some kitchen cabinet designs make use of metal cabinets, some wood or wood-mixture cabinets. You can even choose plastic cabinets if you like. The choice of materials for your cabinets will influence the price, of course. Metal is often the most expensive, then solid wood, then wood-mixture (or composite wood). Each type of material used in a kitchen cabinet design has strengths and weaknesses, pros and cons. Wood is very beautiful and cheaper than metal, but can stain, is harder to clean and may eventually need refinished. Plastic kitchen cabinets are available in a wide variety of colors, but may not last under tough conditions. Metal is very sturdy, but is expensive and very heavy to install, and can rust if it gets wet. Professional Installation Or Do-It-Yourself? A professional installation can be a wonderful way to implement your kitchen cabinet design ideas - they will literally do all the work for you. But can you afford to hire them? On the other hand, if you implement your own kitchen cabinet design, you can save the cost of professional installation, but are you up to the task? Do you have the tools -- and the know-how -- to do the job right? Does Your Kitchen Have A Design Theme? Your kitchen cabinet design should be considered as a part of your overall kitchen design or theme, and the two need to be coordinated. For example, don't try to mix a country-kitchen cabinet design in a ultra-modern kitchen environment -- it will stick out like a sore thumb! Wood Kitchen Cabinet Designs - Avoid The Cheap Stuff If you have decided on a wood kitchen cabinet design, you should be sure to avoid the cheap stuff. Any good-quality wood kitchen cabinet design will use high-grade lumber in the construction of the cabinet frame, door fronts, drawer fronts, and cabinet sides. If the shelves are moveable (adjustable) they should have brackets or pegs which will be able to support a lot of weight. The back of the cabinet - the part that rests against your wall - should be closed in, not open. Open-back cabinets can cause damage to your walls over time, as dishes and other items get pushed up against it. |
