Plywood: The highest quality kitchen cabinets are made of cabinet-grade multi-layer plywood. Plywood cabinets are strong, easier to install and considerably lighter in weight than MDF or particleboard cabinets. While more expensive, plywood cabinets are a good choice if you expect to own the house for a long period.
The most durable kitchen cabinets are ones made from solid hardwood. Cherry and maple are popular choices. They're the most expensive but they last a long time and look great doing it. Plywood and MDF (medium-density fiberboard) are less expensive choices.
Cabinets are grouped into four grades based on quality of construction: ready-to-assemble (RTA), stock, semi-custom and custom. Decide up front on the amount of money to be invested in cabinetry and then browse cabinetry lines and options within your budget.
Solid timber
For many bespoke kitchen makers, solid hardwood is hailed as the most durable material for kitchen cabinet frames. Hardwood is timber from deciduous trees which are trees that shed their leaves, such as oak, maple, walnut, and birch.
Shaker-Style Cabinets
Known for their simple design and recessed-panel doors, Shaker cabinets have been in style for more than 100 years. Shaker cabinets are popular in farmhouse kitchens, but they also work with a variety of home decor styles.
Simple styles of kitchen cabinets, such as traditional Shaker, sleek contemporary or flat panel are far easier to clean and keep clean. Opt for a stain or paint that has a glaze. This fills in any wood grain cracks and corners that attract dust.
Use lighter colors.
A light color on the walls and cabinets instantly brightens a space making it look larger and in turn, more expensive. Light colors reflect light and hide a multitude of sins, including those scratches, dings and dents in your old cabinets.
In summary, look for dado joints, all-wood frame and drawers, dovetailed drawers, soft-close drawer hardware, and a lifetime warranty. Don't be fooled, just because a door style is contemporary and the drawer mechanics are soft-close doesn't mean the cabinetry is of a good quality.
The use of particle board in cheaper cabinets
Instead of solid wood or plywood, cheap cabinets usually use particle board for everything from the shelves to the doors to the cabinet box. Particle board is made of wood scraps that have been recycled, including wood chips and sawdust.
All Wood cabinets feature an all-plywood construction, and soft close door and drawer hardware is standard. We offer 16 door styles and finishes, with a complete line of accessories. Let us help you save on a brand new kitchen and bath.
White oak is one of the most expensive cabinet materials on the market and can be roughly 40% more expensive than its red-oak counterpart. There are two key reasons for such a stark contrast in pricing.
Shaker-style cabinetry is a timeless design that fits any budget, whether it's small or unlimited.
HDF and MDF can be effective options for kitchen cabinets. These materials are lightweight, low cost, and relatively easy to work with. Thermofoil, laminate, and melamine are also inexpensive kitchen cabinet materials that mimic the appearance of wood, so the kitchen can look great without emptying your wallet.
Shaker Style Cabinets
With clean, classic lines, Shaker is the most popular cabinet door style because it can work beautifully whether your aesthetic is modern, transitional, or traditional.
She says light neutrals are generally the best colors for resale because they appeal to most people, but she advises against painting cabinets taupe or beige. “There's the tendency for people to accidentally go too warm—with golden or tan overtones—and then that would be a mistake that's hard to correct.”
Increased quality. Generally, the more expensive kitchen cabinets you purchase, the higher the quality these are. This means they are less likely to break and should last for years, sometimes decades, or even longer.
Stock cabinets come in predefined sizes and colors. On the other hand, semi- and full custom cabinets conform to your space, not the other way around. While custom cabinets can be more expensive, they allow for a unique design that maximizes your kitchen space and fits your lifestyle.
Arguably, the most timeless kitchen cabinet color is white. Bright white cabinets suit a variety of beautiful kitchens, including modern, contemporary, and farmhouse styles. Brilliant whites work to give kitchens a light and airy feel, and off-white options, like the White Dove shade, provides warmth.
If it's a feeling of space, then the lighter of the two dominant colours should go on the vertical cabinet spaces, and the darker one on the horizontal countertop ones. If you want a more intense feel, flip that dynamic around.
White kitchen cabinets are enduring and versatile, appearing in cottage, traditional, and even modern kitchens. Especially on simple Shaker-style doors, the right white paint color can create a light, fresh look in a kitchen. Choose modest hardware with clean lines to keep with the classic look.
If you have young kids in the house who are always tracking in mud and other outdoor debris, or if you simply don't want your kitchen cabinets looking dingy all the time, a darker neutral shade like grey can help to mask some of that dirt.
White cabinets evoke a clean and sanitary look, while creating a light and airy feel to your kitchen.
White. Few paint colors stand the test of time quite like white. "Honestly, the only color in my opinion that will never go out of style—in the sense that you can never really pinpoint when it was done—is white cabinets," says Shaolin Low, principal and founder of Studio Shaolin.