2014 Kitchen Remodeling Trends, Part 2: Cabinets Door Styles and Construction

There are so many more details to choosing kitchen cabinets, that I've created this next post.  The style of cabinets really set the tone (and cost--phew!) for what the kitchen says: sleek? country cottage?  formal?  traditional?  Take a look at these five styles:

Beadboard gives a relaxed, cozy feel to a kitchen.  It also is more femine.  Beadboard goes great in cottage and beachy kitchens.

Old World has pedigree--and an 1800s antique furniture feel to it.  The door panels are intricate, and look great with stone or wood floors and LOTS of crown moulding.

Modern slab cabinets are sleek, and industrial.  They can be painted in pops of color to give dimension to modern spaces that typically feel harsh and uniform.

Shaker are so so versatile!  I have to admit, there are so many directions you can take shaker cabinets: contemporary, arts and crafts, or colonial!

Traditional, raised panel cabinets give a simple furniture look to the kitchen.  Houses weren't really built with any type of raised panel cabinets until the late 1970s.  Kitchens were too utilitarian until then!  Crown molding can dress up cheaper raised panel cabinets from a 90s/turn-of-the-21st-century home.

At  Renewal Design Build, there is a great list of what to look for in the construction of your cabinets (and paint finishes).  The cabinet box, doors, drawers, hardware, shelves, and mounting strips are all things to look at.  You'll start to notice, as you shop around, that cabinets are sold in price points.  The lowest price point (Ikea for example) is going to have a particle board box, particle board doors and shelves with laminate over the top, and stapled particleboard drawers without dovetail joinery.  I put inexpensive cabinets like this in my own basement bathroom (they don't get a lot of use and we were on a budget):

shineyourlightblog.com, Tips for Refinishing Your Cabinetry

Once you get into the middle price point, you start getting more endurable features mixed in: more solid wood in the front of the cabinets, a little better hardware like full extension drawer guides.

familyhandyman.com, How to Build Under Cabinet...

If you are paying top dollar for your cabinets, make sure that you get the cabinet box and shelves made of 1/2-3/4" thick furniture grade plywood (these resist water damage), solid wood drawers with plywood bottoms, etc.

harlancabinets.com, "What does a high end kitchen cabinet look like?"

One warning: cabinet door styles really tip off when a house was built or the kitchen remodeled.  Remember the 90s when everyone put in these raised panel oak cabinets...and now we all want white Shaker style cabinets?

So mix up those Shaker cabinets with some color . . .

digsdigs.com: "Cheerful Summer Interiors..."

. . . or a backsplach that isn't subway tile . . .

cococozy.com, "Weekend Photo: Cheerful Cozy Spaces" Jessica Thomas Stylis

. . . or modern drawer pulls . . .

homechristmasdecoration.blogspot.com, "9 Colorful Kitchen Backsplash Inspiration"

Next up, Part 3: Kitchen Floor Trends.