In every kitchen, cabinets are the most prominent and defining segment of the room, so guessing the right style, which suits you aesthetically and according to your needs, is the key thing on the way to a successful kitchen design. Do you need space to accommodate a complete set of utensils and dishes for twenty-four people? Do you want to put your grandmother’s cook in a prominent place, but you can’t stand what the shelves look like? Do you prefer a minimalist style of plate kitchen elements, or are you a fan of a more traditional approach, and the so-called shaker style? Do you have enough funds to start making a custom kitchen?
Let’s start with the basics. Whether you have decided to buy a ready-made kitchen, or you choose a custom kitchen, it is necessary to decide whether your kitchen will contain all four types of cabinets or just some? Otherwise, we distinguish between the base (cabinets under the work surface), those mounted on the wall, high (often stand-alone, like some mini storage) and special elements, such as corner cabinets or shelves.
As with any other piece of furniture nowadays, kitchen elements come from a wide range of styles. By choosing a door, however, you make it easier for yourself and start the process of narrowing the choice. Decorators recommend a medium, transitional style of cabinet, which means a mix of old and new, traditional and modern. With the addition of glass elements or aesthetic solutions such as the so-called. curved cathedrals, you are on your way to choosing something modern and functional. Drawers and doors? If you want to make the most of storage space and provide as easy access as possible to your dishes, utensils and everything you use for food preparation, our recommendation is to take as many basic cabinets as possible, which have as many drawers in them as possible. The more drawers, the better we arrange the space, especially deep drawers (an option that is available to you when you make a custom kitchen), which thus become the optimal solution for storing pots, pans, dishes and other cooking items. For those who have an aesthetic aversion to drawers, you can opt for doors, which have drawers hidden inside. Open shelves are also a good idea, at least for those of you who are perfectly organized, or who want certain elements to be always easily and quickly available to you. They fit best with a newer, more modern style, and work well in a small space because they open the room and make it look bigger. The advantage of open shelves is, of course, the price, because you need less material for them than for the entire cabinet. Open shelves in the traditional style can be used as a space where you will exhibit some decorative dishes, vases or the cook from the beginning of the story, which your grandmother gave you. Open shelves are also a good option for the space above the sink, or, if your kitchen is high, place one high shelf, in which you would place little things that you don’t use, but which you can’t even get rid of. If you have a slope in the apartment and make a custom kitchen, these shelves can also be an effective and affordable solution.
So, let’s finally discuss types by design:
SHAKER KITCHEN CABINETS
The most popular style for cabinets today is the Shaker-style. The Shaker-style consists of five pieces of flat-panel, creating a frame with four pieces and with a single flat center panel as the fifth piece. This is a popular trend because of the simple and classic look they offer to either a traditional or contemporary design.
Materials that are used for Shaker-style kitchen cabinets are most often high-quality American wood, especially the one found in the northeastern United States. When we’re talking about wood that is commonly used for shaker cabinets it’s cherry, maple or quartersawn oak. Shaker cabinets, of course, have some characteristics which include flat paneled doors with rail frames, quality wood, and utilitarian designs.
FLAT PANEL KITCHEN CABINETS OR SLAB
A slab kitchen cabinet is one with a flat, solid door with no raised edges and very minimal hardware. These cabinets are typically found in homes with a transitional or contemporary style. This works great in a home with a minimalistic approach to design or a kitchen with a bold design choice that needs other, more subtle elements.
LOUVERED
Louvered kitchen cabinets are recognizable by horizontal wooden slats that run across the cabinet door.
They are just the perfect fit for smaller kitchens, making them look unique and the plus of this style is the ventilation that it requires. But the thing that is a problem with this style besides being expensive is that it is harder to clean because of the slats.
GLASS FRONT KITCHEN CABINETS
If you like showing off your gorgeous vintage dishes, glasses, or pans this is the perfect fit for you since it allows displaying it. Glass front kitchen cabinets are kitchen cabinets with glass panels usually reserved for the upper cabinets since you for sure have some dishes you still like to keep in lower cabinets.
TRADITIONAL KITCHEN CABINETS
When we’re talking about traditional kitchen cabinets we always think of a kitchen that is very rich in detail and decorations but still has that fresh and elegant look, typically in white but any color matches. Traditional kitchen cabinets are also most likely made of natural elements such as wood or stone.
OPEN KITCHEN CABINETS
This type of kitchen cabinet allows design flexibility and customization, so feel free to use your imagination. That is the main reason why this type of cabinet has become very trendy lately. It allows homeowners to display their dishes like glass front kitchen cabinets. It’s mostly made of wood but other materials can be used too.
BEADBOARD KITCHEN CABINETS
Vertical planks are known as “beads” that have been pieced together to form a solid sheet offer a dynamic look giving the impression that your kitchen looks larger because of its higher ceiling looks. It gives the kitchen warm, cottage or farmhouse style so if you’re looking for that kind of kitchen this style is perfect for you. But keep in mind one thing, the cracks and crevasses can be hard to clean.
THERMOFOIL
Thermofoil kitchen cabinets are molded out of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) which is a cost-effective kind. Therefore this style represents sleek and glossy surfaces making the small kitchen appear bigger, but can only come in solid colors and imitation wood. They are easy to maintain and clean but have poor heat resistance so you shouldn’t install them too close to a heat source.
DISTRESSED KITCHEN CABINETS
This style is maybe one of the easiest to achieve if you want a comfortable, free look. Hit the cabinets with a hammer or chain to add dents or dings, or just sand away paint on some spots to reveal the wood underneath and there you have it! Easy to maintain but also if you ever scratch or hit the surface it’s hard to notice because of its looks.
TWO-TONE KITCHEN CABINETS
High and low tone effect: Use one color for lower cabinets and another for hanging ones. To create a fresh and long-lasting look – stick to the colors that complement each other, i.e… they go side by side. If you want a more challenging look, choose deeper, richer shades for lower cabinets, and much lighter ones for upper ones. Instead of mixing and combining cabinet colors, choose ones that already have two tones of color. Be careful with choosing cabinets that have two tones that are repetitive because they can look tiring. Our favorite modern look involves those two tones of color, where the cabinets are painted in one color and the wall around them in another.
CUSTOM KITCHEN CABINETS
If you just can’t decide which style you want, what color, or what material, you can create your kitchen cabinets that can be the mix of all styles we’ve mentioned. Simply contact your local designer and with their help choose the one you like.
Those were different types of kitchen cabinets by design, Now let’s talk about kitchen cabinets by materials they’re made of.
Types of kitchen cabinets by materials are wood, cherry, hickory, oak, pine, birch, alder, mahogany, hard maple, laminate veneer, fiberboard, high gloss, plywood, wood veneer, plastic laminate, melamines, thermo textured, aluminum, polyethylene. Let’s mention some of the most popular ones in 2021:
WOODEN KITCHEN CABINETS
If you wanna stick to classics, this is the right choice. Wood is known as durable and quality material that can be made in any color that you prefer. They are easy to clean, most likely you will just need a wet rat or wood cleaner.
OAK KITCHEN CABINETS
Oak kitchen cabinets are one of the best-selling cabinets on the market and are known for their open grain and heavy, strong hardwood. With many color options and hardiness factors such as being naturally water-resistant, it makes sense for a kitchen that’s used frequently. Oak is also less costly than other solid hardwoods, and many like that aspect. The open grain does make a negative feature for some though because it will show through any finish and can be difficult to cover if you decide to paint your cabinets later. The lower cost, while good now, could also be a negative if you decide to sell your home.
PLYWOOD
Plywood cabinets are made from pressed sheets of wood that are then covered with a veneer. Plywood has good mechanical properties, is strong and resistant to damage, Its price is reasonable, and plywood is easy to maintain. There is a large selection of decors and colors on the market. You can get almost anything you want, whether it’s a smooth or rough structure, imitation wood or paint in matte or high gloss.
FIBERBOARD (MDF)
MDF is a medium-dense fibrous material obtained by pressing small wood particles with a binder under high temperatures and is very suitable for further processing and cutting. It is very high quality, solid, and resistant to moisture and offers a large selection of colors, It has a smooth, non-porous structure so it does not absorb dirt and is easy to maintain but also suitable for rounded surfaces.
THERMO TEXTURED
Thermo textured kitchen cabinets are created by heating a sheet of flexible vinyl and molding it over engineered wood, but keep in mind that this material is not 100% water resistant so there is a chance that moisture gets into the core wood which can cause warp. They can be made in many colors and designs so homeowners can pretty much use them in every kitchen.
ALUMNIUM
This material is very popular, first of all, because of its easy maintenance, and durability, they can last for years. It’s also available in many colors and designs but they are a bit noisy which is pretty much expected since it’s made out of metal and can dent easily.
MAPLE WOOD
Maple is also one of the hardest woods on the market for cabinets and doesn’t take on dings or dents as much as other, softer woods like oak or pine. Maple is light in color with a reddish tint, ranging from pale blonde to light cinnamon. Even grain gives it a consistent appearance even across large surfaces and allows for the wood to be sanded to a smooth finish. Both factors make maple well suited to modern interiors where a rustic, coarse-grained wood might look out of place.
CHERRY
Cherry wood cabinets are traditional types that you can find in a kitchen. This wood is close-grained, smooth, and also hardwood which means that it will tear well. It doesn’t change color if exposed to sunlight but it can react in unpredictable ways. The cost for these cabinets is on the more expensive side if we’re comparing different wood types.
HIGH GLOSS
High gloss kitchen cabinets have a shiny finish that reflects light. Easy to clean but the reflectiveness of this material makes scratches and smudges more obvious than on other materials. These cabinets are more expensive, hard to repair but worth every penny since it makes your kitchen look fancy.
Today, kitchen remodeling has come to the very top. The combinations are all sorts so you can also find kitchens that use metal in combination with stone. Glass is also often used from other materials, which is very grateful for maintenance. What you choose is up to you. The look of the kitchen is important to everyone, but don’t let it be crucial to you. Pay a little more attention to choosing materials to make your kitchen more durable and functional. Once you’ve defined that, get creative. Combine, change and arrange until you get exactly what you want!
