The most critical feature in the visual appeal of a kitchen is its cabinetry. Whether you are renovating to improve your room’s functioning, trying to boost its resale value down the road, or brighten up and transform the aesthetics of the space, the cabinets matter. However, cabinet options can be vast and intimidating, especially if you are new to the remodeling world.
One of the most important things to think about is how long you plan to live in your home. The reason to ask yourself this question is to figure out your plans: trends can change over the next several years, and if you are reselling way in the future, you may go for a more timeless, standard kitchen. On the other hand, you can catch onto the newest trend and design your space in the latest fashionable design to bring in buyers in the short term.
Much of the decision comes down to the specific cabinets you seek. Think about the particular style of cabinetry you need. Should you buy stock, custom, or semi-custom, or ready to assemble cabinets? Let’s look at the different categories and see what would work best in your kitchen.
Stock Cabinets are the Call for Many People
If you are going to list your house on the market in the near future, stock cabinets are an excellent and logical path to take. Within a year or two from now, they will still look great and supply a decent return on investment, allowing you to boost your resale value when you put it for sale. However, you’ll have narrow choices in stock cabinets, severely limiting your design goals and hopes. You may find yourself at a big-box retailer with only a handful of cabinet styles, colors, and wood types to choose from, reducing your options considerably. If you are looking for custom cabinets to fit your design scheme, stock products will not be what you want.
The vital advantages of stock cabinets are they save you time and cash. You can go to the store, pick them off the shelf at a major retail store or have them delivered in no time to your doorstep, and the cost is often the lowest you will find in the marketplace. Yet, the disadvantages are limitations on their design and storage choices and sub-par quality compared to other types of cabinets you can find. Many homeowners will be OK with stock cabinetry, but those kitchen designers with dreams of a fine-tuned space must lower their expectancies.
Custom Cabinets are High-End Winners
On the opposite end of the spectrum is custom cabinetry, where you can create any cabinet creation you can dream up in your mind. Manufacturers can construct any cabinet you need, building cabinets that fit neatly into that tight breakfast nook space or awkwardly shaped corner. Custom cabinetry includes creative storage options to utilize every available square inch of space, increasing aesthetics and practicality.
The exciting thing about custom cabinetry is that you can think up a unique design, or the cabinet maker can modify an existing model, allowing you to piggyback on an already good idea. This capacity to produce boundless types of cabinets appeals to many kitchen renovators and is one of the features that elevate custom cabinetry above the other cabinet types.
Custom cabinet fanatics can also select from many more styles and finishes: exotic woods, a variety of finishes, and ornate and polished door styles and designs. Though every cabinet maker provides their own methods and specialties, you can find so many choices to satisfy your creative itch.
The primary drawback to custom cabinetry is the price tag. While you may get high-end materials, custom carpentry made just for you, and the newest specialty finish, you will pay a lot more for it. If your renovation budget is a bit strained, custom cabinets are likely not the choice you want to make, as they will undoubtedly bust that budget.
Semi-Custom Cabinets are a Nice Middle Ground
If you are torn, hovering between stock cabinets and their restrictive options and custom cabinetry and its hefty price tag, there is a middle ground. Some manufacturers offer an assortment of stock cabinets where kitchen remodelers can add specific customizations. Other sellers tilt toward custom cabinetry with more minor adjustments (for instance, you can switch out finishes and doors to come up with a lower overall cost). Semi-custom cabinetry links both of these worlds, allowing you to get imaginative while saving cash.
Though there can be a wide variety of quality and choices in semi-custom cabinetry, the result is a welcome compromise: high-quality cabinetry in a broad spectrum of options to satisfy most specific stylistic and storage goals. Semi-custom cabinetry also is exceptional for providing an attractive, custom look at a much more sensible price.
Ready to Assemble Cabinets Can Be the Solution
Another cabinet option increasing in popularity is RTA cabinetry. Although it falls more into the semi-custom category, it is another attractive way to meet your remodeling needs. Ready to assemble cabinets can provide the same results but for an even better cost. Individual cabinet pieces are delivered to you unassembled, so you put them together and save on labor costs. You can order them with customizations or as you find them on the retailer’s website. The choice is yours!
Which Type of Cabinet Fits Best in Your Kitchen?
Every homeowner is unique and in a different situation. If you will resell your house soon and want to get things going as fast as possible, stock cabinets are your choice. For designers who want limitless options in their cabinetry to reach all of their design goals, custom cabinetry will be fantastic. For many renovators in between, semi-custom cabinets can be a perfect fit, as they balance value, quality, and customizability. Finally, ready to assemble cabinets may be just what you are looking for, as they offer value and quality in one package.
