DESIRED DETAILS
Before you start making calls to cabinetmakers, installers and refacing companies, get an idea of what styles you like—cabinets run the gamut from ultramodern to super-traditional. There is a wood choice for every desired effect. Lighter woods like maple can impart a very modern or country style, while dark woods and stains like cherry generally appear more traditional. The decorative hardware is just as important. Selecting something sleek, contemporary and stainless can update the look of cherry. If you choose to use molding, it also should match the overall look.
Cabinet design options are limitless, especially if you take into consideration custom options. You might want to include a couple of cabinets with mullion (glass) doors. Or to impart a unique look, consider a furniture-style cabinet reminiscent of a hutch or buffet piece.
One way to make a unique piece like this stand out while blending with the rest of the kitchen is to use a color that is complementary or contrasting to the rest of the cabinets. “Columns, molding and decorative valances can also be used to give a piece character and depth,” says Pamela Ponder at Artistic Cabinet Solutions.
Another way to accomplish an old-world look is to use a distressed effect or add a gold-leaf accent. Wayne Ball at Cabinetworks says about 50 percent of the cabinets his company installs are painted and sometimes glazed. With all the options available, there are plenty of ways to bring cabinets out of the background and make them a focal point of the kitchen.
A FULL FACELIFT
If you want an updated look without replacing your cabinets, refacing can provide a new style with much less upheaval and investment. Refacing cabinets means taking off the doors and drawer fronts and replacing them with new ones without replacing the entire cabinet. If the new doors do not match the prior “box,” panels can be adhered to the sides and back to create a consistent look.
“If you’re comfortable with the layout of your kitchen, then cabinet refacing is a very viable alternative to ripping out existing cabinets,” says Allan Apple, owner of Kitchen Fronts of Georgia Inc. Refacing probably is not the choice for you if you’re looking to move walls or drastically change the footprint of your kitchen. Most of the work Apple’s company does is in homes 15 years and older.
According to Apple, refacing is generally about 40 percent less expensive than putting in new cabinets. New cabinets can cost $15,000 to $20,000, while refacing starts at about $3,500, and usually takes three to five days, rather than the four to 12 weeks that can be required for a cabinet replacement. And material choices are no longer limited to laminate; you can get the same quality solid-wood doors found on new cabinetry. Apple says dark cherry is the most popular choice right now (at Kitchen Fronts of Georgia Inc., doors are made in an on-site cabinet shop), and a glazed finish is another hot trend.
LOOK INSIDE
Innovative storage options abound in the form of internal cabinet accessories designed to maximize space and allow for truly customized kitchens. Consider rollout drawers or trays, vertical dividers, or “hidden” storage next to the stove for cooking utensils—making the “junk drawer” a thing of the past. Apple says his company offers these types of functional details in addition to cabinet doors. He adds that many homeowners are choosing to go from exposed hinges to hidden hinges that are installed from the inside for a smoother, sleeker look.
A QUESTION OF QUALITY
In addition to coming in a multitude of design styles, cabinets also vary greatly in their quality. More low-end pieces and systems are made from particleboard and usually contain no solid wood at all. A slightly higher-quality cabinet will have a solid wood door and a particleboard box. The highest quality can be found in custom-made cabinets that have plywood boxes and doors of any wood.
It is not just quality that sets custom cabinets apart—they also are available in any size and shape. Stock cabinets, on the other hand, generally are sold in standard widths and heights that increase in 3-inch increments, according to Rick Gosk of Custom Wood Cabinets.
PLAN IT OUT
Once you’ve decided on style and quality, it’s time to create a cabinet design plan, ideally with the help of a pro. The layout of your cabinets is possibly the most important issue to consider. Inefficient design will render even the highest-quality cabinets less than ideal. After you produce an initial design—with or without help—you will be able to obtain a quote.
“It has been my experience that most homeowners have no idea of the costs involved in a kitchen remodel,” Ponder says. “They almost always have ‘sticker shock’ when they get the cabinet price, whether it is $5,000 or $50,000.”
If you want to get multiple quotes (which is a good idea), it might be difficult to compare unless you use the same plans and cabinet line. “It’s very hard to compare one cabinet line to another because there are so many variables,” Gosk says.
Whether you decide to try something new altogether or update the old, revitalizing kitchen cabinetry can completely alter the atmosphere of your kitchen and be done within a reasonable budget if needed. “People don’t realize that you don’t necessarily have to spend a fortune to have a kitchen that looks like you did,” Ponder says. “People need to keep their minds open to achieving the look they want at a price they can afford. Anything is possible.”
