An essential touch in your kitchen and bathroom or anywhere around your house is storage space. Homeowners should take the importance of the overall design and functionality into account. Therefore, planning and designing custom cabinets can elevate your kitchen’s look and usability to make it more personal and unique. This blog covers what you should consider when planning your kitchen cabinets, from materials to installation. Also, we are going to give you the best kitchen cabinet design that matches most of the kitchen styles.
1. Assessing Your Needs and Space
Evaluate your Storage Needs: What do you need this storage space for? Identify how much storage space you need depending on your cooking habits, family size, and lifestyle. Consider what each drawer or cabinet will consist of.
- Measurement: Acquire an accurate measurement of your kitchen, including the ceiling height and overall kitchen dimensions.
- When considering your kitchen layout, make sure it accommodates the ‘kitchen work triangle.’ Kitchen Work Triangle is the distance between your sink, refrigerator, and stove. A concept that helps form a functional and efficient kitchen layout.
- For your counter space, ensure enough space to accommodate the size of your sink and enough space for food preparation or as a landing zone.
- When deciding where to place your appliances, maintain enough space for doors to fully open without completely blocking pathways or cabinets.
- Walkways should be at least 36 inches to allow smooth traffic flow and provide enough space to open and close refrigerator doors and cabinets.
- Prioritize Functionality: Functionality is always the priority when designing your home. Custom Kitchen Cabinets are designed to meet functionality and design expectations. Materials
2. Materials
When choosing materials, research each durable material available, such as solid wood, plywood, or MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard).
Solid Wood: Durability and stability are guaranteed with solid wood as it can last you decades and be easily painted if you want to go for a different look without the hassle of replacing the entire cabinet rows. Solid wood cabinets can also be sanded and refinished multiple times, making them cost-efficient.
However, solid wood has a chance of water damage as it is susceptible to moisture. They require more maintenance to maintain the wood’s stand in time, although they are already relatively expensive.
Plywood: Plywoods are a cost-effective option, deemed more vital than Medium Density Fibreboard and are less prone to warping than solid wood because of their layered construction. Higher-grade plywood can withstand moisture well.
Plywoods require edge banding as the surface is less visually appealing than solid wood. The relatively thin veneer layer can be sanded, but only slightly. Due to its nature, the plywood quality can vary and be inconsistent.
MDF: MDF is appraised as affordable for its quality offered. Due to its nature, no grain provides a smooth and consistent surface ideal for painting. In terms of stability, MDF doesn’t warp or crash with changes in temperature or humidity compared to solid wood. They are also the easiest to work with when making detailed designs, as they are easy to cut and shape.
Highly sensitive to water damage and can lead to swelling and deterioration. MDF is also less sturdy than solid or plywood, as it’s more likely to snag under heavy loads.
3. Best Kitchen Cabinet Design
We have advised prioritizing functionality over design, but that doesn’t mean you can no longer choose a design. However, we always recommend that our customers choose a timeless design that goes along with the style they want in their home, whether modern, classic, minimalist or whatever you had in mind.
How to Choose the Right Design:
Aesthetics: You want to match the cabinet with your preferred kitchen style. Naturally, Traditional Shaker goes with a farmhouse-style kitchen, while Modern Shaker follows a more transitional style, and Flat Panels are ideal for minimalistic modern kitchens.
Shaker style
Classic or Traditional: Traditional is well known for its simplicity and timeless appeal. This is your option if you are going for a classic or farmhouse-style kitchen. But with its timeless appeal, this will blend with various kitchen designs, such as traditional or transitional kitchen styles, because of its versatility.
Disadvantage: Regarding the cons of this design, this may only be suitable if you are going for a more modern or minimalistic kitchen style.
Modern Shaker style: This style is similar to the traditional style but has a more sleek and streamlined design with slimmer frames and less ornate details. It’s a “Sleek Yet Classic” design for a modern twist on the classic design to make it more suitable for a broader range of kitchens. This design is ideal if you are going for a transitional kitchen style with a balance of traditional and modern elements. Due to its versatility, this design can work with both conventional and contemporary kitchen styles.
Disadvantage: However, this style might feel too minimalistic if you prefer a more intricate design.
Flat Panels
This design features a flat, smooth surface without frames or panels. Its clean and modern look suits a sleek, streamlined kitchen design. This is the style to choose if you want a modern, contemporary, or minimalistic kitchen style. The smooth surface design also makes it low maintenance, easy to clean and has fewer crevices for accumulating dirt.
Disadvantage: For its cons, this design will not blend well with your kitchen if you aim for a more classic or traditional style.
4. Finishes
Every detail matters. Therefore, depending on the overall look you would like for your kitchen to achieve the desired look, as well as practical considerations such as maintenance and lighting, the finishing touch is an essential factor.
How to Choose the Right Finishes:
Consider the kitchen size and lighting, whether you need to brighten the space more to make it more spacious or if it’s already well-illuminated and needs a more cozy atmosphere. Match the finish with the kitchen style you have decided upon when designing your kitchen. On top of that, you also need to consider your colour choice when deciding what finish to go for.
Glosse
- Advantage: The glossy finish reflects the light, which makes a shiny and sleek surface. This effect allows the kitchen to appear brighter, refreshing and more spacious. This is a practical option if you are going for a modern and contemporary kitchen design. It’s also suitable if you want to enhance the light and the space if you have a smaller space, as the reflective quality of the finish makes the kitchen look more open and larger. On top of that, a gloss finish is typically more effortless to clean, and the finish adds a touch of luxury to your kitchen.
- Disadvantage: However, there are things to consider with this design factor. Darker colours with gloss finishes can highlight fingerprints, smudges or scratches. Although it’s easy to clean, it may require frequent wiping to keep it looking clean and not interfere with your kitchen’s look of cleanliness.
Matte
Advantage: Matte is suitable for traditional, rustic, or contemporary kitchens with a more subtle and elegant look since matte finishes have a flat, non-reflective surface with a soft, understated look. This finish also hides imperfections, such as fingerprints, smudges and scratches, making them lower maintenance. The design’s vibe carries a warm and inviting feeling, as the lack of shine makes it more subdued
- and cozy. It’s suitable to make your home more inviting and warm. Matte finish is also labelled as a timeless appeal due to its classic and timeless quality, suiting variations of kitchen styles.
- Disadvantage: Conversely, they are less reflective as matte finishes absorb light rather than reflecting it. This makes your kitchen feel darker or smaller. The surface is also slightly more challenging to clean, although grease and dirt are less noticeable and more challenging to remove.
Conclusions
Designing your kitchen cabinets is crucial in bringing your dream kitchen to life. You can create a functional and unique space by thoughtfully considering your storage needs, choosing suitable materials, and selecting a design and finish that matches your style. Focus on functionality to ensure your kitchen works smoothly for your daily routine.
Pick materials that fit your lifestyle and budget, and choose a design and finish that complements your home’s overall vibe, whether modern and bright or cozy and traditional. Every detail counts in creating a kitchen you’ll love for years. With careful planning, you can blend beauty, efficiency, and comfort into a space that feels like home. If you need assistance bringing your vision to life, consider consulting with professional designers and contractors who can guide you through the process and help turn your dream kitchen into a reality.
If you have questions, visit our showroom in Vancouver or call us.
