Kitchen Cabinet Design

KITCHEN CABINET CONTRACTOR

8 Rules in Designing Your Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets are one of the most defining factors in a kitchen remodel. You need these to have the right size, placement, and storage space for your new kitchen. And, of course, you want kitchen cabinets that would please your eyes while achieving all of your functional considerations.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you need professional help immediately for a kitchen remodel. In fact, as kitchen cabinet contractors, we prefer it if our clients come to us already with an idea of what they want for their kitchen.

This way we can have a more in-depth discussion of what they need and want for their new kitchen. And, this is exactly why we wrote this guide so you have an idea of the most important rules that you must follow for a successful kitchen remodel or cabinet installation.

1. Draw Your Existing Floor Plan

Any remodel should start by drawing your current floorplan. It doesn't need to be professionally drawn. What matters is the accuracy of the area dimensions so you can have a good starting point for planning the redesign.

When drawing your kitchen's floor plan, it should include existing appliances in your kitchen, their placement, and their dimensions. You should include the same for your doors, windows, existing cabinets, sinks, and countertops.

All of these will help you find the right pre-assembled kitchen cabinets or make the custom cabinets that fit your kitchen.

2. Always Take Into Account the Kitchen Triangle

Whether you're doing a full renovation for your kitchen or only getting your current kitchen cabinets replaced, you should always take into account the kitchen triangle.

This is the area in your kitchen that has the highest level of activity. It consists of your sink, refrigerator, and stove as the points forming the triangle. As a rule, there should be no obstructions between these three points and the total distance between them should be between 10 to 25 feet. You can create a strategic kitchen layout by considering the functional and space requirements of these areas.

For example, you need to leave enough space for your refrigerator and the dishwasher near the sink and ensure that any cabinet drawers or doors would not block access to these appliances. In addition, you want to have enough space for cooking and taking out food from the oven or stove and transferring it to a serving dish or a cooling rack.

3. Design Your Kitchen Cabinets for How Often You Cook

If you regularly cook in your kitchen, you want to have adequate spaces for preparation and cooking in your kitchen. You also want enough storage by installing base and wall kitchen cabinets since you have more kitchen tools and grocery items than someone who only cooks occasionally.

Moreover, the extra storage will keep these items out of sight when you’re not cooking and keep clutter away from the countertops when you're cooking your food. Although you would have the same considerations if you're a professional chef or baker cooking food for your customers at home, you need more storage space for your commercial-grade kitchen tools and equipment.

And, investing in more heavy-duty material for your kitchen cabinets and countertop makes more sense due to the high activity happening in your kitchen. On the other hand, if you’re only cooking in your kitchen occasionally, you will only need base cabinets for your kitchen.

You won't need that much storage and any unused cabinet is just clutter for your kitchen. Instead, the key is to only install the cabinets that you would need and, as a result, you achieve an open and clean look for your kitchen.

4. Include Lighting When Designing Your Kitchen Cabinets

Ambient lighting is only there to help you navigate and move throughout the kitchen. You will find this inadequate for lighting up your work surfaces when preparing and cooking your food. To get enough lighting, you need under-cabinet lighting for the work surfaces beneath your wall cabinets and in-cabinet lighting to illuminate the interior.

5. Save Money Through Strategic Use of Different Materials

Cabinet doors and drawer faces don’t need to have the same strength as the cabinet boxes since these don’t carry the loads that the latter normally would. In such cases, it makes sense to use materials with less density like particles and fiberboards. You will not only save money but you also won't have to worry about throwing away any expensive material when replacing these to update your cabinet panels to the latest style.

6. Use the Right Finish Where Appropriate

Using gloss or satin finish will give a luxurious look to your cabinets. Unfortunately, scratches and dirt show easily on these surfaces and you can't avoid these at a high traffic and activity room in your home such as a kitchen.

On the other hand, although they will not show scratches and dirt much, semi-gloss and matte finish might not give the look that you'd want for your kitchen. Combining the practicality of matte finish and the sleeker look of glossy or satin finish will give you the best of both looks and durability for your kitchen.

Using satin or gloss finish on wall cabinets where they will be more likely to be noticed provides the best effect whereas people are less likely to notice it on base cabinets. On the other hand, the more durable matte and semi-gloss finish on the base cabinets makes more sense since these are more likely to be scratched and stained.

7. A Timeless Design Should Be Your Priority

Trendy kitchen cabinets look great when it’s part of the latest trend. But, it will look dated once it gets old and out of style. This is why going for the latest kitchen cabinet trends in style should never be your priority when investing in something you're expecting to last for a long time.

Instead, go for a timeless design that can stand the changing of trends over time. It will make for a better long-term investment since it won’t be any less stylish even after ten years in your kitchen. And, it will help you avoid being that neighbor with the quirky-looking kitchen after a few years.

8. Know When to Work With Professionals

for you. For example, don’t even think about applying satin finish without professional help. Satin finish requires special equipment and skilled application or else your kitchen cabinets will have noticeable brush marks.

What is supposed to be a smooth finish will have an even duller surface than a matte finish. Furthermore, kitchen cabinet contractors like us can help you save time and money in designing and installing cabinets for your kitchen.

We can save you from making mistakes and wasting expensive materials, and help you make the most out of your investment by installing cabinets that will stand the tests of heavy use. And, more importantly, we can create kitchen cabinet designs that will suit your needs that fit the style that you have without going beyond your budget.

Are you in need of professional kitchen cabinet design and installation? We can provide you with the right cabinets for your kitchen that won't break your budget. Whether you're looking for pre-assembled, ready-to-assemble, semi-custom, or fully custom cabinets, Kitchen Cabinet Contractors can make your dream kitchen a reality for your home. Call us today for an appointment.