Contemporary Cabinets

Categories: Cabinets, Kitchens, Uncategorized

The kitchen has evolved into the key gathering place in a home, making its appearance crucial to its atmosphere. As the popularity of open, large kitchens grows, homeowners are not using as many traditional wall cabinets and are leaning towards more modern styles. Before you begin your kitchen modernization, consider the following options and tips:

Types of Cabinets

Cabinetry is available in three classifications, each providing different features.

Stock cabinets come in standard sizes and shapes, and are usually available to take home from home improvement stores on the day of the purchase. This style is perfect for remodelers on a budget as it is considered the economy-grade style.

Semi-custom cabinets are built based on certain options of size and style a remodeler may choose. These cabinets make up the largest cabinetry market and require a long lead-time for delivery.

Custom cabinetsare made by hand to tailor the remodeler’s standards. These cabinets are the most expensive of the three types but cater to the homeowner’s specific style. The price varies widely according to size, materials and options.

Reface It

If you are happy with the overall layout of their cabinetry, then refacing might be an option to consider. Refacing gives existing cabinets a “facelift” by removing existing door and drawer fronts and replacing them with new ones, but is an option only if the basic cabinetry and drawer boxes are in good shape.

Modern Trends

Whether you are refacing or replacing your cabinets, Karen Winstrom from Dura Supreme Cabinetry and Heather Argo from Kraftmaid identify the following modern trends to consider:

Unusual and exotic wood species
Letting the natural wood grain show
Hand-detailing and distressing
Molding to add interest
Furniture-like accents including feet and legs
Functional storage
Door inserts such as glass, stainless steel, louvers and rattan

Chic Cabinet Makeover Tips

Remove upper cabinets and replace with open shelves or hanging plate racks.
Use colorful cafe curtains to replace any cabinet doors in the kitchen.
Place cork panels or opaque white glass into the centers of framed cabinet doors.
Install molding above the tops of cabinets or add trim to cabinet fronts.

—Kenmore, www.kenmore.com

Species Selection

When choosing semi-custom or custom cabinetry, you’ll have a choice of wood species; each with a specific grain and color which affect the look of decorative finishes. Here are a few characteristics of some of the more popular woods:

Maple has a smooth, even grain, making it popular for contemporary decor.
Cherry darkens over time, and is a good choice for traditional or formal decors.
Hickory is known for its flowing grain and dramatic color variation, making it a good choice for country decors.
Oak has a prominent open grain and is great with casual decor since it “seasons” as it ages.

Recent Wood Trend

Knotty Maple Wood is a newly popular option in wood species for your cabinets. Best as a complement to classic Western-American architecture, this species offers the following characteristics:

Knots of varying sizes and color throughout the wood.
Mineral streaks, bark pockets, warm holes, heartwood and sugar tracks may be seen in combination with clear, unmarked wood.
With this species of wood, no two cabinets are alike, allowing builders, remodelers and homeowners to create truly unique kitchens.

—Quality Cabinets, www.qualitycabinets.com

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