Cabinets 101

Since the warm weather has arrived, everyone is ready to remodel. It's been a busy week of helping clients plan, design and estimate their upcoming remodeling projects. I have a method of designing a new kitchen that is simple and always works.

After my initial consultation with a client, we set a date to go "shopping." This is a chance for me to get to know my client's taste in decor and help them find a style for their new space. I always, always, always start with cabinets.

Cabinetry is what I refer to as the permanent furniture of the house. Sofas and carpet can come and go, but the cabinets you select today will be in your house an average of 25 to 40 years. This is not a place to skimp on budget nor in your time researching, analyzing or selecting your cabinets.

Because the cabinets will be the last element to change in your house, this should be your foundation for selecting all other surfaces. There is also a process I use in helping the client make their choice of cabinets. First, I start with the style of the door. Does the client prefer a raised panel door, a recessed door or a slab door? Raised panel doors, especially with decorative moldings, are typically seen in more traditional settings while recessed doors with little to no molding will work for a shaker or mission style home. Slab doors, doors with no detail at all, are usually used in modern homes for a sleek, contemporary look.

Once the door style is selected, it's time to select the wood species. There are so many wood species available in today's market that it can be a little overwhelming. However, like the door styles, certain species lend themselves to certain design styles. Maple, cherry and birch are smooth woods with little graining and have a more clean or elegant look. Oak, pine and alder woods have more distinctive graining and usually offer a more rustic feel to cabinetry.

Now that a door style and wood species have been determined, it's time to select a stain color. Stain colors will vary greatly depending on the type of wood taking the stain. For example, the same stain called "honey" will look very light with a yellow or gold tone if applied to maple. The same exact stain applied to a cherry door will look deeper and darker and pull hints of red tones out of the wood. This is because maple is, by nature, a lighter, more golden wood and cherry is naturally darker with more red in its base. People are also often confused by the word "cherry." If a cherry cabinet is mentioned, most people will visualize a very dark red/brown color. But keep in mind that cherry is a wood species, not a color! Light stains on cherry wood can produce a beautiful light to medium tone and is not dark at all.

Congratulations! You have now built a foundation for building the rest of your kitchen. With your style defined by the door, the wood species and stain color selected, you can now take your door and begin coordinating it with your countertops, flooring, backsplash, paint colors and appliances. This will ensure that all the elements will flow naturally and beautifully and the kitchen of your dreams is now within reach.

If you have more questions about selecting cabinets or what to do next, please leave a comment below, or twitter me at renovatekate.

Until next time,

Kate