An informative guide to help you make cabinet selections for your new home. Includes details on various styles, woods and finishes, plus helpful hints to keep in mind when making your choices.
Cabinets are one of the most powerful ways to bring a room to life and convey the distinct character of your home’s interior. And high quality cabinetry doesn’t just look good; it offers the benefit of a superb system of organization. Whether you’re choosing cabinets for your kitchen, bathroom or laundry room, the following guidelines will give you an idea of what to take into consideration when making your selections.
Kitchen: Recognized as “the heart of the home,” the kitchen is both a functional space and the center of activity. Not only is it a favorite gathering place for family and friends, it’s often the first room buyers will look at when you decide to sell your home in the future. When making cabinetry selections for your kitchen, remember that cabinets are a difficult item to change out in the future. All woods will change over time due to oxygen and UV light. While most people feel that hardwoods only get more beautiful as they age, the changing color is something you should keep in mind because it means that future additions won’t allow an exact color match.
Since the kitchen is such a primary focus, it’s important to make sure your cabinet selections meet all your needs. If you’re interested in having taller cabinets or storage over the refrigerator, now is the time to choose them. You might also want to consider enrichment options that reflect your lifestyle and entertainment needs, such as roll-out shelves, wine racks, plate racks and decorative accessories like crown molding.
Bathrooms: To keep a consistent look and feel throughout your home, your bathroom cabinets will usually match what you’ve selected for your kitchen. Consider the convenience of a raised vanity, an especially nice option for master suites. Not only does it give your bathroom an extra touch of elegance, it often provides more storage space and additional drawers.
Laundry Room: Though you may choose to continue the same cabinetry into your laundry room, many people opt for a simpler style in this area. Your storage needs are a prime consideration, so focus on making choices that will give you the space and convenience you need. Consider details like how often you use the room and how many supplies you’ll need to store.
Selecting a Cabinet Style
Cabinetry has two basic construction styles: standard overlay and full overlay. A standard overlay reveals much of the cabinet face frame for a more traditional approach. With this style, the size of the openings for drawers and doors will be reduced. Those looking for a more uniform and sleek appearance may prefer the full overlay style, where the door covers most of the cabinet face frame. Doors and drawers are usually spaced within a quarter inch of each other, creating a cleaner look, increased storage and easier access.
Cabinet doors also come in two basic styles: flat panel and raised panel. Flat panel offers a simple, smooth front with no design detail, while raised panel features a variety of decorative styles like recessed or raised details. Another possibility for your upper cabinets is to combine solid wood with a glass-front door.
Choosing a Type of Wood
Whether you prefer oak, maple, cherry or hickory, each type of hardwood cabinetry has distinctive characteristics and style.
Oak is the least expensive of the hardwoods, prized for its strength and durability. Because it is forgiving of nicks and bumps, it can be an ideal choice for cabinets. The grain pattern ranges from straight grains to arcs, and colors range from light tans to deep reddish browns. Oak tends to gain a golden glow as it ages. When finished with a light colored stain, noticeable differences in color will be evident between the open and closed grain areas of the wood. A darker stain will provide a more uniform appearance.
Maple is a hard and durable wood with a smooth, subtle grain pattern and a clean, fine texture. Mineral streaks and pitch fleck are a few of its natural characteristics. Colors range from creamy to light blonde tones to dark reddish-browns. As part of its natural aging process, maple will mellow into a rich golden patina. As with other wood species, darker stains will reduce the natural wood color variation. Keep in mind that mineral streaks and other markings are natural in the wood and are not considered to be defects.
Cherry is a warm, rich hardwood known for the elegant look it creates. It is distinguished by grain swirls, fine pinholes, pitch pockets, mineral streaks, and variations in color and grain. The natural color of cherry ranges from pale yellow to deep reddish-brown. Staining reveals subtle variations and colors, which typically darken over time. The shading will also take on a deeper, richer red patina.
Hickory is a very tough, dense hardwood, making it an extremely durable cabinet material. It is known for dramatic color variation, ranging from deep reddish-brown heartwood to pale-white sapwood. Darker stains moderate the color variance in hickory. Unlike with other hardwoods, wood selection for hickory cabinets does not attempt to minimize discrepancies in wood color tones. Knots and streaks are considered an inherent aspect of the charm of hickory cabinets.
Thermo foil is another option for cabinetry. Constructed by molding a laminate veneer sheet to wood, it has the look of white painted wood. Thermo Foil finishes are extremely durable and easy to clean.
No matter which type of hardwood, style or finish you choose, remember that high quality, beautiful cabinetry is a major selling point for any home. The cabinets you select for your home reflect your personal taste, create a system of organization and add a distinctive design finish to every room.
The Home Gallery by Richmond American gives homebuyers a wealth of resources to help with design selections, including innovative Color Studios, beautiful model kitchens, an array of product samples, and professional Design Consultants who provide personalized assistance and advice. To learn more or find a Home Gallery near you, visit DiscoverHomeGallery.com.
