4 Tips for Choosing the Right Kitchen Cabinets
When planning a Kitchen Remodel for a Texas Hill Country home, most clients want to update their cabinetry in some way. There truly are hundreds of options and it can become an overwhelming task to narrow the choices down. However, by asking a few simple questions, you can narrow the field considerably and select an updated look that fits your style, budget and home aesthetic.
Consider your storage needs
Do you prefer a clean, and uncluttered look, requiring appliances to be tucked away, while still being readily accessible? Or on the flip side, do you have a lot of beautiful serving dishes that you’d like to display when they’re not in use? If you’re someone who truly enjoys cooking, maybe you own a wide assortment of cookware that you’d like easier access to. Cabinetry can be made with pull out drawers that allow for additional storage and stacking options; or even shelving that pulls out and lifts to counter-height. This allows homeowners to utilize their appliance and then tuck it away again without having to move it to another countertop location. Appliance garages are also quickly becoming a desired addition in new kitchens, as clients want to tuck their appliances out of sight. For homeowners that enjoy displaying special serving-ware, we typically recommend glass front upper cabinets. This allows for the display of a few items, while hiding away the items that aren’t as eye-catching.
Prefab, Modular or Custom?
New kitchen cabinetry will typically consume about 35% of the overall budget of a kitchen remodel, according to HVTG. Some clients opt to re-stain or repaint existing cabinets, if theirs are still in good shape. However, if you’d like to change the existing floorplan, or possibly remodeling due to something like water damage, then you might need to replace your cabinetry. This is when it’s wise to do some homework on what’s best for your layout, your design, your needs and your budget. Cabinets generally consist of three options: prefab, modular or custom. Prefab cabinets can be purchased pretty easily through your local home improvement store. These can be a great option for homeowners with a simple kitchen layout and can cost considerably less. The color options for these are expanding in recent years too, which allows for more design options. Modular cabinets are somewhere in the middle between prefab and custom. They typically follow the standard size guidelines, but homeowners have a few more options that allow for a bit of customization (wine racks, pull out pot and pan drawers, etc.). Finally, custom cabinets are exactly what the name dictates: custom. A cabinet maker will work with the homeowner to build to their exact size, storage, color, and material specifications. Of course, because of this, homeowners can expect custom made cabinets to cost considerably more than prefab.
What’s your style?
Have you put any thought into what you’d like the overall style of your home to be? Are you drawn more to a traditional style that stands the test of time? Or maybe a more modern, clean and sleek finish are more your taste? Perhaps your style falls somewhere in between. When determining your style, consider also the finish: color, paint, stain, matte or maybe even a lacquered sheen, etc.
Don’t forget the Door Fronts
We’ve already mentioned glass fronts and touched on the finish for cabinets. Styles change every few years but most clients won’t want to (or have the budget to) change them out that frequently. So, it’s wise to select door fronts that you’ll be happy with for some time. We’ve seem more and more that our Texas Hill Country clients are opting to include a variety of styles. Some choose to swap out a couple of upper cabinets for glass fronts, again, allowing for the display of nice dishes. This look works for a variety of styles: rustic, farmhouse, etc. It might not fit well in a modern kitchen, though. In addition, styles like Shaker, flat, or diamond should all be considered to create a cohesive look.
Your kitchen cabinets have the ability be more of a statement, when entering the kitchen, or they can simply compliment a well-designed floor plan. Either way, asking yourself these 4 questions will help you to narrow down your style, design and aesthetic, which will allow you move forward and have a better idea for your budget.
