Kitchen Cabinet Installation

What's the difference between Stock, Midlevel, and Premium Cabinets on the Market?  

Stock Cabinets 

The Good

Often called stock, these units are usually right off the shelf and ready to assemble.  They will work as long as your new kitchen does not require a variety of size or storage options and you just need the basics.

The Bad     

Fewer styles, sizes, features, and trim options. Cabinet boxes are usually particleboard instead of plywood.  Many models are also frameless and therefore the only door option is full overlay.

Stock Cabinets We Carry

Fabuwood Cabinetry

All hardwood and NO particleboard

Turn around time  2-4 weeks

Midlevel Cabinets

​The Good

These units are a perfect fit for most people. The cabinets are semicustom and offer many sizes, styles, materials, finishes, and trims.  Most use face frame construction which shows part of the frame between the doors and drawers.

The Bad     

​Features and quality can really vary depending on the manufacturer.  Some manufacturers will unfortunately provide tons of finish options in an effort to distract you from the fact they use particleboard boxes.  In this category the details really matter.  You can have two identical prices yet completely different details, therefore separating a great cabinet from a trashy one.

Midlevel Cabinets We Carry

Waypoint Cabinetry

Kith Cabinetry

Turn around time 3-5 weeks

Premium Cabinets

​The Good

So you want it all!  Custom cabinets offer every size, style, option, finish, and accessory you could dream up.  Since they are customizable in 1/4" increments rather than typical 3" you can create just about anything.

The Bad     

You get what you pay for, and since you are getting everything you want, you'll pay more for it.

Premium Cabinets We Carry

Candlelight Cabinetry

Dynasty Cabinetry

Turn around time 6-8 weeks 

All of us want our kitchen to be stylish; however it is the construction of your cabinets that will determine how long your kitchen last.  Notice some of the building basics listed below.

Drawers

The key is dovetail joints. 

The best drawers have solid wood sides and grooves on all sides to avoid any stapling.  This standard should be expected in every category, even the lower price points.

Drawer Hardware

Full extension guides are better than under-mounted

double rollers or integrated rail designs.  "Soft close" drawers add value by preventing drawers from slamming shut.  This can really make a difference over time.

Doors

A solid wood frame surrounding a wood or veneered plywood center panel is preferable.  MDF or particleboard panels might work, but definitely avoid doors with laminate or thermofoil over particleboard.  Keep in mind even very high end cabinet makers will use veneered plywood center panels if any paint or stains will be used.  This allows for a more unified and seamless panel.  Full wood panels can be beautiful if you are going for a natural wood look, but since they will not be uniform in the middle due to seams, they might distract in other designs.

Shelves

Look for 3/4" plywood or MDF.  Particleboard which is 5/8" or 1/2" will likely sag over time.

Cabinet Box

The best is definitely 1/2" or 3/4" plywood.  MDF is OK but 3/8" coated particleboard or similar can cause major issues down the road.

Obviously the door style and finish you choose will set the tone for your entire kitchen.  Here are some of the basics to keep in mind. 

Door Types

Inset Doors:

Most cabinets built in the early 1900's had inset doors.  Small hinges are mounted right on the face frame or just inside of it.  Usually the hinges are visible when the door is shut.  The face of the door is therefore on the same plane as the leading edge of the cabinets.  Some drawbacks are that it's more difficult to access the inside of the cabinet, and due to the small space between the door and the frame, the hinges must be adjusted regularly to avoid rubbing.

Partial Overlay Doors:

Partial overlay doors and drawers are mounted right over the face of the box in order to cover the opening completely and partially cover the face frame.  Although this makes it possible to install more functional hardware, the face frame will still slightly reduce the amount of accessible space in the cabinets.

Full Overly Euro Style Doors:

This is the modern version of the overlay.  The door completely covers the cabinet frame and therefore the whole cabinet.  This allows you to take advantage of all the space in the cabinet.  It also allows you to choose frameless cabinets which can reduce your cabinet cost by 6-10%.

Finish Types

Staining:

For a natural look, stain colors are applied and then hand rubbed into the wood to ensure rich, consistent color coverage.  Stains enhance the inherent beauty of each wood type.  Natural characteristics such as wood grain, mineral streaks, and knots become more prominent, which may create lighter or darker effects in color.  The color of a stain can be different on various parts of the same door.  End grain and veneers absorb more stain than other wood components, resulting in a darker color.

Painting:

Several coats of paint will saturate the wood for rich, beautiful color.  The characteristics of the wood are less prevalent with painted finishes than with stained finishes.  Since wood naturally expands and contracts, the joints on a door do the same.  You may see hairline cracks in the finish surface of the joints.  These joint lines are normal and do not affect the strength of the doors construction.  Most painted finishes are available only in maple due to the uniform appearance and smooth, clean characteristics of this wood.

Glazing:

A highlight glaze is brushed into the corners and recesses by hand to emphasize the subtle variations in color.  Glazing is a finish process that involves two hand-detailed techniques, so no two doors look exactly alike.  The initial flood coat of glaze softens the original base color.  The highlight glaze increases visual depth and interest in the corners and recesses.  A veneer center panel will absorb more of the glaze resulting in a slightly darker color than the solid wood components of the door frame.

Distressing:

This labor-intensive finish process gently turns back the hands of time, creating a cabinet that has been loved and used.  The vintage finish technique involves multiple steps, which includes random distressing and over-sanding to create an aged appearance.  Because of the hand-application of the different techniques, no two doors will look exactly alike.  Vintage finishes are in the same family as painted finishes and therefore share the same characteristics.  As wood naturally expands and contracts, the joints on the door will as well.  Hairline cracks, such as joint lines, may result.  These are normal and do not affect the strength of the door's construction.

Nowadays there are millions of organizing tools to make sure your cabinets are functional and easy to use.  Here are some common ways to organize your kitchen so it's easy to enjoy. 

Roll Out Trays

This feature allows easy access to the back of your cabinets.  Trays fully extend to save your back!

Lazy Susan

This traditional tray is a must for corner units, however there are a variety of new units designed to take advantage of all the space in a corner cabinet instead of just the center circle.

Slide Out Wastebaskets

These keep your trash out of sight and yet easily accessible.  Many include a separate trash and recycle bin.

Drawer / Vertical Dividers

These are great if your trying to corral small items such as cooking utensils and flatware, or neatly divide hard to store cookie sheets and trays on their sides.

Slide Out Wood Table

These are awesome.  This transforms your top drawer into a 32" deep folding wood countertop.  With the ability to hold up to 70 lbs, this is a great way to add usable counter space!

Rev-a-shelf

We carry all Rev-s-shelf organizational products at discounted prices.  Definitely take a look the catalog on their website rev-a-shelf.com.  The variety of new items and ideas will blow your mind!