Whether you are remodeling or building a new home, choosing the cabinetry that is going to work well for you is an important decision. Your cabinetry is one of the more costly projects in your home and a decision that is more than likely going to impact your home for years to come. When you are narrowing down your choices here are a few things that you should keep in mind.



The Cabinet Construction

There are two basic forms of cabinetry construction; you have what is referred to as a face frame cabinet or a Euro style cabinet. When properly assembled either construction method will be sturdy and withstand the everyday demands on them, the only difference is the look you are hoping to achieve.

A face-frame cabinet has a frame around the front of the cabinet. This means that when you are looking at the cabinet you will see this frame. It will be visible between the doors and around the doors and drawer front. This type of cabinetry is fine, especially with more traditional types of décor. If however, you are going for a modern or contemporary look you should lean toward a Euro style.

The Euro cabinet is designed so that when you are looking straight at the cabinetry you only see the doors. No part of the actual cabinetry box will be visible. This is a great design feature because it will give you one continuous line of cabinetry and is a fantastic choice when going for a sleek look.

Using Wood Cabinetry

Once you have decided on your cabinet's construction then you need to decide what type of cabinets you are going to use. When you are choosing wood cabinetry there are some things you should know. One place to start is making sure that you really understand what wood cabinets look like.

When you are deciding on wood cabinets you need to understand that wood is natural and does not come in repeatable patterns. This means that if you choose a set of maple cabinetry that over an entire run of cabinets the grain and coloring can change from cabinet to cabinet. Maple for example can run the full gamut from a blond coloring to darker browns. This has to do with the mineral deposits in each tree so your manufacturer will have no control over this. Having these variations is why most people choose wood as it gives your home a more natural atmosphere.

Using Thermo Foil or Vinyl Cabinetry

If you like wood but your budget will not accommodate wood cabinetry then you may want to consider using a thermo foil cabinet. This cabinetry is made by cover MDF with a heat pressured thermo foil or vinyl. They come in a variety of solid colors like white and antique white and have wood tones like Sanibel or pickled maple and honey maple are also available. This type of cabinetry is uniformed throughout and you will not get the variations that come with wood.

Stock or Custom Cabinetry

Then next thing you should decide on is whether your cabinetry is going to be a stock cabinet or a custom cabinet. With a stock cabinet there is ample choice of cabinetry but you are somewhat limited to what they stock. Most cabinet manufactures offer stock cabinets that vary in width in increments of 3" so you may need to do a little finagling when it comes to making the cabinets work.

Custom cabinetry on the other hand has no limitations. You can choose your cabinetry and the manufacture will build them according to your specifications. This includes sizes, depths, and coloring. Custom cabinetry may cost a little more at times but you have more flexibility with your layout and can truly customize your décor.