How to Best Shop for Kitchen Cabinets

Shopping for kitchen cabinets is no small expense in either time or money. Consider all of the effort you are about to put into considering various styles, colors, textures, and materials not to mention the installation and everything that entails. Cost-wise, you are looking at up to 40% of your kitchen remodel budget spent on the cabinets. That’s no small change and you want to be sure you’re spending wisely.

Why? Because if you think about all of the real estate that your cabinets take up in your kitchen, along with the purposes they are expected to fulfill as your primary means of storage in this room, you are making a serious investment that you are going to be living with for years to come. There are so many reasons why you need to get this right the first time, so before you head out to begin shopping around you should review this convenient guide to help you along the way.

Making Your Selection

Just be warned, there are a lot of options out from which to choose your perfect kitchen cabinets. This is going to take some time, and it should be a task that you don’t want to rush into. Don’t worry about the trends that are popular, trends fade and yet you are still left with the cabinets you purchased in chasing that trend.

So, trust your judgment and your personal taste, let these things dictate your selections. But you should also be sure that you are buying quality products, don’t skimp and put in the cheap stuff. You don’t want to find yourself seeking out professional cabinet refinishing in la habra ca only a few short years after you’ve put in your new cabinets. You want stuff that’s going to last a long time and stand up to the typical wear and tear of a busy kitchen.

One last thing, always look for cabinets that have received a Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association certification. The KCMA tests every product that it endorses with a rigorous set of criteria and standards that guarantee you have purchased a top-quality cabinet.

Budget Considerations

Every home improvement project starts and ends with the amount of financial resources available to put towards completing it. So, you need to keep that in mind as you look at the cabinet choices that are available to you. If you don’t have a lot of cash to spend you are likely going with a stock cabinet option.

These are cabinets you can find at home centers and hardware stores, they come pre-assembled or some assembly required. You have a range of colors and styles at your disposal but you are limited by what that retailer has in their catalog.

Custom or semi-custom options are ideal for homeowners who have more money to spend because while you have a wider range of choices you are also going to be spending more to get the cabinet you really want.

Features

Finding the best cabinets means having the ability to maximize cabinet space and loads of functionality for making your new cabinets as useful and convenient as possible. When it comes to available features you have plenty to choose from and depending what you decide upon you could be increasing your costs by as much as 20%.

You have options like roll-out shelves, wider and deeper drawers big enough to accommodate pots and pans, and of course, larger storage spaces. There are even features such as a pull-out trash can and a charging station for your devices.

Aesthetics

This is one of the most critical considerations that goes into shopping for kitchen cabinets. You want something that is going to match or complement the interior design scheme of your kitchen. With all of the various colors and styles out there you need to be sure you’re not installing something that’s going to clash and ultimately drive down the value of your home.

Think about the architectural design of the home, you’re likely not installing modern cabinets in a rustic home. You want a cabinet that is going to work with what you already have. Size of the kitchen is also important to keep in mind; smaller kitchens will do well with cabinets that have lighter colors and stains because these will make the kitchen look bigger.

Darker cabinets are good for bringing contrast to a kitchen but they can also make the room feel a bit smaller and cozier. Many homeowners choose darker cabinets for larger kitchens with neutral or white walls.