How to Choose the Best Cabinets for Your Home
Project: Naturally Modern
Cabinetry: Custom Full Overlay
In the hands of a skilled interior designer, cabinets can become architectural storytellers, shaping the narrative of your home and reflecting your unique style. But how do you choose the best cabinets for your home? By equipping you with the knowledge to make informed choices – our interior design team can help you find the best bathroom or kitchen cabinets for your aesthetic that will withstand the test of time.
Before beginning your redesign, here are some basics to know when selecting bathroom or kitchen cabinets.
Custom versus Stocked
Inset versus Full Overlay
Stained versus Paint Grade
Custom versus Stocked Cabinets
How do you choose between the custom or stocked cabinets for your kitchen? When upgrading your kitchen or bathroom, cabinets are pivotal in defining the overall aesthetic and functionality. Understanding the difference between custom and stocked cabinets can help you make an informed decision that aligns with your preferences and budget.
Custom Cabinetry
Pros:
Tailor-Made – If you have a space that does not allow for standard-size cabinetry, going custom is a great way to make your design seamless.
Design Flexibility – With custom cabinets for your home, you can add unlimited design details, including custom feet, cabinetry door styles, and moldings, to name a few.
Unique Colors – The options are endless, with paint or stain color options.
Any Wood Species – You can choose from any wood species. At Ducy Design, our top choices would be white oak and walnut.
Higher in Quality – Custom cabinetry is typically made to order with higher quality materials than stocked. Made of an all-plywood box and dovetail drawers.
Locally Sourced – if sustainability and supporting your local trades are important, then custom cabinetry is a way to do that.
Cons:
Lead Time – Custom cabinetry lead time can vary between 12-16 weeks.
Cost – Depending on where you are located geographically, the cost could be higher than stocked cabinetry.
Stocked Cabinetry
Within stocked cabinetry, you have a range of builder basic and semi-custom cabinetry lines. Here is a breakdown of the PROS and CONS of both.
Pros:
Quicker Lead Times – Ready-made and available for immediate purchase, these cabinets are ideal for projects with tight timelines.
DIY Friendly – Stocked cabinets are designed with simplicity, making them accessible for DIY enthusiasts. With stocked cabinetry, the cost to draw your kitchen layout is included in the cost of the cabinetry as long as you purchase through them. You can get basic layouts and renderings provided through the stocked cabinet company. This is helpful for those DIY enthusiasts who are not working with architects and designers to draw their cabinetry layouts.
Semi-Custom Lines available – These lines offer a more extensive range of customization of door styles, finishes, and sizes than the builder's basic stocked lines.
Cost – This may be slightly more affordable than custom cabinetry, depending on your location geographically.
Cons:
Construction quality – There are several common sacrifices made with stocked cabinet lines. Builder basic stocked lines are typically lower in quality than semi-custom stocked lines and completely custom cabinetry. The main difference in the builder's basic stocked cabinetry quality is box construction. They are made of MDF versus MDF with Plywood sides versus custom cabinetry with all plywood construction. Often, you can tell by the interior and exterior door quality, the drawer box quality, the laminates vs. veneers used on the boxes' exterior, and the cabinets' interiors. The shelving thickness and edge banding are another telltale sign.
Finish Quality – After determining the importance of the box construction, the finish quality is paramount. From entry-level to high-end, preparation and execution are incredibly different. Most cabinet lines use a paint-grade wood or HDF material to paint, which is normal. The difference starts to become noticeable with the higher-end products because of the prep work done to the door panels before being painted and the quality of how they are painted. This is true also for wood products that are stained.
Limited Design Freedom – The builder's basic stocked cabinetry lines have limited color and stain options along with your standard sizing. The sizing of your cabinetry will typically be in 3” increments. Typically, your standard size base cabinet starts at 9” wide, and the largest size is usually 48” wide. Challenges can arise where you need a 10” or 11” cabinet leaving you having to install larger cabinet base fillers to bridge the gap. These fillers can be unattractive.
General Design – With a stocked kitchen, you end with more of a generic finished product. If you are somebody who values unique design details, it is limited. Within the stocked cabinetry, some better-quality lines allow you to add custom features such as feet, cabinet size, and specialty glass. However, if you make custom changes to a stocked line, the cost ends up being more than if you were to begin with custom cabinetry. This is especially true based on where you are located geographically. Ducy Design is headquartered in Northeast Ohio and has access to local cabinet makers at a very competitive price point.
Inset versus Full Overlay Cabinetry
Choosing between inset and full overlay cabinetry can significantly impact your kitchen or bathroom's overall look and feel. These two design styles represent distinct approaches to cabinet construction, influencing your space's aesthetic appeal and functionality. Inset cabinetry, with its timeless and elegant appearance, features doors and drawers set into the cabinet frame, providing a flush and seamless look. On the other hand, full overlay cabinetry, known for its contemporary and sleek design, covers the entire cabinet frame, creating a clean and modern look with minimal visible frame. Understanding the characteristics of inset and full overlay cabinetry is essential in making an informed decision that aligns with your personal style and design preferences.
Full Overlay Cabinetry
Full overlay cabinetry has the cabinetry doors and drawers covering the cabinet's frame. This specific style is available in stocked cabinetry lines as well as custom.
Variety of Aesthetics – Full overlay cabinets can go from a traditional look to a contemporary aesthetic, depending on the door style utilized. If a slab door style is used on a full overlay frameless cabinet, it can create a contemporary and sleek aesthetic. Alternatively, if a flat panel door with ogee detail is used, it can make for a transitional or traditional aesthetic. The design emphasizes a seamless and streamlined look by covering the entire cabinet frame.
Maximized Storage – With a minimal visible frame, full overlay cabinets offer more storage space than traditional framed cabinets. The larger door and drawer fronts provide greater accessibility to the interior, making it easier to reach items stored within the cabinets.
Versatile Design Options – Full overlay cabinetry comes in various styles, finishes, and materials, providing homeowners with a wide range of design options. This versatility allows for customization that can complement various interior styles and preferences.
Clean Lines and Minimal Gaps: Full overlay cabinets create clean lines and minimal gaps between doors and drawers, contributing to a polished and refined appearance. This is especially true with custom cabinetry, as fillers can be minimized to any size needed. However, with stocked cabinetry, you may end up with large unappealing fillers to make up for limited stocked cabinet sizes.
Project: Tremendous Transformation
Cabinetry: Custom Full Overlay
Inset Cabinetry
Inset Cabinetry doors and drawers sit within the frame of the cabinets. This style is not typically available in stocked cabinetry lines and must be custom-made. Inset cabinetry is our preferred style for a cleaner and more custom look!
Customized Detailing – Inset cabinets allow for intricate detailing on the cabinet doors, such as beading or molding, adding a level of customization and craftsmanship that enhances the overall elegance of the cabinetry.
Flush Appearance – The doors and drawers of inset cabinets sit flush with the cabinet frame, creating a seamless and cohesive appearance. This flush design contributes to a visually pleasing and harmonious look in the kitchen or bathroom.
Precision Craftsmanship – The construction of inset cabinets requires precise craftsmanship. The doors must fit precisely within the frame, showcasing attention to detail and a high level of workmanship that is often associated with custom and high-end cabinetry – this is the way cabinetry used to always be made.
Project: Monochromatic Magic
Cabinetry: Custom Inset
Project: Carrara Classic
Cabinetry: Custom Inset
Stain versus Paint Grade
The choice between stain and paint-grade finishes for cabinetry represents a crucial decision in the realm of interior design, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms. Stain-grade cabinets accentuate the natural beauty of wood, allowing its grain and texture to shine through, imparting warmth and character to the space. On the other hand, paint-grade cabinetry offers a versatile canvas for expressing a wide range of styles, from classic to contemporary, with a myriad of color options.
Stained Cabinetry
Pros:
The warmer and organic look displays the natural beauty of wood
Easy to touch up
More durable than paint grade and does not chip
Cons:
Fewer stain options versus paint options
20% more expensive than paint grade, depending on wood species
Project: Classic Meets Modern
Cabinetry: Custom Inset
Paint Grade Cabinetry
Pros:
Limitless paint color options
20% less expensive than stained cabinetry
Cleaner aesthetic
Cons:
Does not have the warmth and organic feeling of wood tones
It requires more maintenance and tends to chip over time. Lighter colors will show more dirt than darker colors and stains.
Project: Lakeside Living
Cabinetry: Custom Full Overlay
As interior designers, our biggest takeaway post-pandemic is that the cost of stocked cabinetry has increased tremendously – even for basic cabinetry packages. If you are passionate about adding custom details, including specialty moldings, glass or mesh inserts, metal detailing, or fun cabinet feet, your best bet is to go custom. It becomes more cost-effective to add these details into custom cabinetry versus stocked lines.
Project: Coastal Farmhouse
Cabinetry: Full Overlay
Project: Tremendous Transformation
Cabinetry: Custom Full Overlay
If you are planning to renovate your space, schedule a consultation with Ducy Design. We will walk you through the entire process, keeping your aesthetics and budget in mind.