7 Tips for Choosing Kitchen Cabinets
When it comes to home improvement, the kitchen is often the main priority. Whether you have a small or a big kitchen, it is for sure the most used part of your home. For one thing, a kitchen has a lot of appliances you use daily. Secondly, it tends to get dirty easily due to use of food. Finally, the cabinets itself may deteriorate on their own depending on the quality. Not to mention the hinges that may stop working. With so much use, not only the kitchen tends to wear off faster, but it is also more noticeable when something is wrong. No wonder it is the part of the house that buyers and renters look at the most before investing on a place to live.
Within the kitchen renovations you can make, updating your cabinets may be the most expensive, yet the most exciting. It is the most exciting because it totally can change the function of your kitchen, hence your happiness. The more educated you are about what cabinets work for you, the happier you will be with the results. A group of Oahu General Contractors put together a brief plan designed to help people deciding how to pick the best kitchen cabinets for their goals. Bellow are outlined the 7 tips for choosing the right kitchen cabinet.
Choose the Material: What Type of Environment Are The Cabinets Going To Be Exposed To?
This is where most homeowner lack important knowledge. It is so important that we have divided it in two steps. First and foremost, you want to think about where you live. What kind of weather are the cabinets going to be exposed to? Most homeowners are surprised when the contractor asks them this question. For example, hardwood expands in the heat and is prone to accumulating humidity and termites. Plywood wears out faster and is also at risk for termites. On the contrary, PVC cabinets are waterproof and termite free. You can already see that if you live in an area prone to termite attack such as Hawaii, you should consider PVC cabinets. If you live in Alaska for example, you don't have to worry about termites or heat. Therefore, you can definitely can take advantage of the benefits or hardwood cabinets.
Choose the Material: Price and Taste
After you know the pros and cons for each material your choices have already ben narrowed down. Thus, it will be much easier to choose. Basically, look at your budget, speak to your contractor for quotes and pick the one that offers the best quality/price while following your taste.
Choose a Cabinet Door Style
There are different styles. Thus, you should choose a style that is functional but also matches your personality. They are called door profiles. If you like a more traditional style you will want to look at a door recessed or raised. They can vary a lot in design. For a more modern look you will want to pick a slab door.
What Appliances do You Have?
This is another important step that most homeowners will miss. If you like to cook you are likely to have a lot of kitchen appliances. For example, mixers, pressure cookers, slow cookers, and maybe even an air fryer. These are all bulky and even a bit heavy. Most people become annoyed at taking them in and out of the cabinets and start keeping them on the counter. Then they realize they don't have space in the counter to even chop their food! It becomes such a dysfunctional kitchen. Did you know cabinet makers can build an appliance lift in the cabinet? Imagine using your appliances all the time without ever fighting to store it or to lift them again.
How Do You Use Your Kitchen?
Besides appliances think about what else do you store in your kitchen. How much storage space do you need? Do you like more drawers or more shelves? There are cabinet makers literally thinking about every single detail they can add to their cabinets to make homeowner's life better. Do you cook with a lot of spices? If so, a pull-out spice rank will help you keep them organized and property stored in the dark. Do you need more space for storage but can't add more counter space? Check out a lazy Susan to maximize the space in the corners! Are you a wine lover? What about a built-in wine rack to display all your wines? There are endless possibilities. Speak to a kitchen designer for some great ideas and you will be thankful how much more you will enjoy your kitchen.
Kitchen Island
Most people tend to love a kitchen island. But more than looks, it provides a lot more space for storage which should get you excited about. If you have enough space to add one you should consider it regardless of the kitchen style you picked. Islands add a lot of value to your home as far as function, and ROI.
Put It All Together
It is time to analyze all the conclusion from the previous steps. If you are working with a kitchen designer, they will help you with this step. If you are working with a contractor, they should be able to direct you to a custom cabinet builder. In this case it will help if you find some examples that you like live or in pictures. Hopefully, you found a contractor that you can trust, and he should be happy to give you his opinion in how to make it work based on his experience.
Choosing the right kitchen cabinets can be stressful. Homeowner who are well educated about their options tend to make the best decisions along with their goals. If you are planning on remodeling your kitchen don't hesitate to discuss options with your general contractor or maybe even get a kitchen designer.
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