A kitchen remodel can be both exciting and daunting. There are so many elements to take into consideration while selecting your cabinetry that it is important to take the time to make sure you incorporating all of your wants and needs.
Storage Needs
As you are planning your kitchen remodel make sure to take into account all of the storage needs that you would like to incorporate into your cabinets. This is the time to make a detailed outline of all of the items that you are planning on storing in your cabinets. It is important to make sure you have the correct cabinet spaces for each and every item. For example, do you prefer fixed shelves or pull out shelves? Would you rather have deep drawers for large pots and pans or shallow drawers for smaller items such as foil, parchment paper, and sandwich bags? If you have larger appliances that you keep on the counter such as an espresso machine, make sure you leave enough room between your countertop and upper cabinets to accommodate for those appliances as well. This is your opportunity to make sure that your cabinets accommodate all of your storage needs.
Cabinet Finish
There are two types of finishes you can select for your cabinets, either a stain or a paint grade. Stained cabinets present a more natural look. Since they are stained, you will still be able to see the graining in the wood. The different type of wood that your cabinets are made out of will determine the appearance of the cabinet due to the wood species graining, knotting, and undertones. With paint grade cabinets there are an endless selection of colors. Depending on the cabinet maker you can pretty much choose any paint color that you are drawn to. Since the wood will be painted, you will no longer reveal the characteristics of the natural wood. If you are worried about durability of your finish I would recommend selecting a stain grain cabinet. This finish is much more durable than paint is. Paint grade cabinets are more prone to scratches, chipping, and stains.
Door Style
The style of your cabinet doors makes a huge impact on the overall look of your kitchen. Some of the more popular designs are flat panel, raised panel, and shaker. If you are looking for a more modern, sleek cabinet then flat panel is the way to go. This is a simple, flat panel door with no detail. Raised panel cabinets are a more traditional style. These doors can be simple or ornate, depending on the exact style you select. Shaker doors are always trending because they are a nice balance between simple and ornate. They are not as modern and sleep as a flat panel, however they do no have as much detail as a more traditional, raised panel. If you are looking to incorporate multiple door faces consider adding glass panel doors to your upper cabinets. Think about the dishes that you are storing in your upper cabinets. Are these something that you want to highlight and display? If so, you may consider glass panel doors.
Your cabinetry is one of the most important elements of your kitchen. As you are in the process of remodeling make sure to take all of these aspects into account when designing and selecting your kitchen cabinets