Other than the cost of labor, kitchen cabinets consume the most significant bite out of your kitchen remodel budget, potentially 30% to replace. This week, my article will review options for your kitchen cabinets. If you missed it, read my post on Planning a Kitchen Remodel if you are starting the thought process.
Kitchen Style
First, a review of the top styles chosen from the 2019 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study. Overall, the top cabinet style selected is Transitional 21% a mix of traditional and contemporary, Contemporary is 15%, and Farmhouse is 14%. Shaker style doors, they have recessed-panel doors, continue to be the top cabinet style choice 57% from the Houzz survey. The top cabinet color is white 43%, with wood following at 25%, and gray emerging at 11%. The top cabinet knob finish is nickel-matte (brushed or satin) with all three cabinet colors.
Replace, Refinish, Reuse
If you dislike the style of your current cabinets, and you have the funds in your budget it’s an easy choice to replace them. If you like the style and not the color of your cabinets if they were stained and made of solid wood, they can be re-stained a new color. If the cabinets were painted, paint them a fresh color. If the foundation of the cabinets is in good shape, and you want an updated door style, consider replacing the doors with a style you prefer and paint.
Cost Effective Cabinet Replacement
Lowe’s offers stock and custom cabinetry, click here to learn more. If you are the DIY type, Lowe’s offers an online Virtual Room Designer where you can lay out your kitchen plans. Another cost-effective option is to make an appointment to use the in-store design team at Home Depot for help.
Custom Cabinets
Talk to friends in the area, using your neighborhood Facebook group to ask for a recommendation is a great way to get inside information on a builder. You want to make sure you get the quality of product and reliability of the builder to ensure your custom job doesn’t turn into a nightmare. Over the years, I have heard of some terrible situations, contractors never returning, projects dragging out for months. You want to seriously consider all customer reviews before selecting a pro to work with on your kitchen remodel, or you can use the Find a Pro on Houzz for your area.
Questions to consider while you plan:
Once you have decided on which route you will go with the cabinets, review these questions before you plan out your kitchen layout:
- What amount of storage do you need in your kitchen? Create a list and have a realistic awareness of how much space you have and what you want in your remodeled kitchen. Keep in mind the key to a clutter-free kitchen is have a space for everything that you use daily.
- Do you want a pull-out garbage drawer?
- Do you want an open shelf concept? There are floating shelves, and there are open cabinets that are built in, without doors.
- What are the appliances that you will need to access in your kitchen? Will you want them on your counter or stored away?
- Will you have a kitchen island and what size? What features do you want incorporated on your island; for example, do you want open (or closed) storage?
- Do you need to add a tall cabinet for a pantry, or additional pantry space?
- Would you like to add a coffee or tea bar?
- Do you want an electronics charging area?
I encourage you to create an IdeaBook on Houzz or a Pinterest Board as it will help if you work with a kitchen designer or contractor to show them images of what you like and want. For inspiration, I have created a Kitchen Inspiration IdeaBook for you to peruse for ideas. If you need help picking out your color palette and ensuring that all your kitchen elements work together, give me a call 610-955-8202 or email for a consultation.
By Debbie Correale, Redesign Right, LLC. Photo by Josh Hemsley on Unsplash.