Your cabinets have a significant impact on the appearance of your new kitchen. With tons of choices in colors and styles, you can find almost any look to create the kitchen of your dreams.



One of the things you need to consider is whether you want to re-face or completely replace your cabinets. Also consider the amount of storage room you need and your budget.

When deciding whether to replace or re-face your cabinets, you should first think about the condition of your current kitchen cabinets. If changing the color or overall look of your cabinets is what you need, re-facing may be best for you. Re-facing is also good for faded or worn cabinets. On the other hand, if you want to increase storage space and or redo the layout of your kitchen, you should probably replace your kitchen cabinets. Also, if your current cabinets are broken or falling off the walls, cabinet replacement is a must.

You want to start by familiarizing yourself with the different cabinet materials. Here is a look at two of the most popular choices in cabinet materials on the market today:

Cabinet Materials

Solid wood is made entirely of natural wood, these cabinets are very sturdy and last longer than many other cabinet materials. Wood cabinets have a natural beauty and can be found in most colors and stains. Solid wood cabinets tend to have a higher price tag than other cabinet types, but their beauty and strength are hard to match. The wood used to make these cabinets is usually ash, birch, oak, hickory, cherry, maple, pine or poplar. Solid wood cabinets have many attractive features including strength and durability, natural beauty, availability in various shades and stains, and the ability to update its look by re-staining at a low cost.

Laminate is often used for kitchen cabinets because it is affordable, durable and very easy to maintain. Its surface cleans well with only soap and water. Laminate is made of several layers of stacked PVC plastic and topped with a decorative layer that may have a color or pattern embedded into it. It is available in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

Cabinet Types

Stock Cabinets are available in standard sizes and shapes. Stock cabinets are the least expensive but your choices are limited when it comes to cabinet design and function. Since these cabinets do not come in special sizes, they may require filler strips to close gaps between a cabinet and a wall.

Semi-Custom Cabinets are the middle-of-the-road choice. They come in a wider variety of sizes and shapes than stock cabinets and offer more colors, including a wider variety of wood types and staining.

Custom Cabinets give you endless choices and flexibility when choosing kitchen cabinets in design, style, color, wood type, etc. Although they are more expensive than the other two types, they are well made to fit your individual kitchen and give you a unique look.