The Ultimate Guide to Buying Custom Kitchen Cabinets
How to Choose the Right Custom Kitchen Cabinets for Your Home
Choosing the right custom kitchen cabinets for your home can feel overwhelming with so many decisions involved. Our goal at Dean Cabinetry is to guide you through the process to make it feel as stress-free and seamless as possible. From setting a budget to choosing the right style and design including cabinetry hardware and your kitchen layout, the professionals at Dean Cabinetry will help you choose the right cabinets for your needs.
Setting a Budget for Your Custom Kitchen Cabinets
Budget Planning for Custom Kitchen Cabinetry.
A great starting point for budgeting your kitchen cabinetry is measuring your kitchen to determine how much cabinetry you will need. Once you know your linear feet (LF) of cabinetry, you can estimate your cabinetry costs for each level of cabinetry: stock, semi-custom, and custom. Stock cabinets have the lowest cost per linear foot, but have limited materials, styles, and dimensions. Semi-custom cabinets have a slightly higher cost per linear foot but have more options available. Custom cabinets have the highest cost per linear foot, but the possibilities are endless.
Once you decide on the type of cabinetry best suits your needs, you will need to consider extras. Details beyond the cabinet doors, drawers, and boxes, like molding, cabinetry inserts, and pullouts will add an additional cost. For each additional detail, you can estimate an additional $10 per linear foot.
Lastly, you’ll want to consider final finishes like cabinet hardware appliances, countertops, and light fixtures, so they don’t sneak up on you. These costs can add up quickly, so it’s helpful to do some research on your preferences and the price ranges of final finishes before finalizing your cabinetry budget.
How to Choose the Right Style and Design
Design customization with kitchen cabinet stores near me that get me.
The overall look and feel of your kitchen will be heavily influenced by the cabinet style you choose. Three common cabinet styles include traditional, modern, and transitional.
Traditional cabinets are known for their timeless and classic appeal, evoking a sense of elegance and formality. They feature ornate details, intricate moldings, and raised panel doors. These cabinets tend to be made from rich, dark woods like cherry, mahogany, or oak.
Modern cabinets have a minimalist and sleek appearance, emphasizing simplicity and functionality. They have a more open and airy feel and complement a minimalist or industrial aesthetic. Modern cabinets typically have clean lines, flat surfaces, and little or no ornamentation. Materials used for modern cabinets often include glass, stainless steel, laminate, or other contemporary materials.
Transitional cabinets aim to strike a balance between traditional and modern styles, creating a more versatile and flexible design. They may have some decorative elements, but they are generally simpler than traditional ones. The focus is on clean lines with touches of sophisticated details.
The designers at Dean Cabinetry can offer creative solutions and suggestions that align with your home’s specific aesthetic and your preferences. Your designer will work closely with you to understand your unique wants and needs, and will help you customize cabinet styles, finishes, colors, and hardware choices to match your home’s overall design theme. They will help you with all aspects of the design, from choosing the best materials, maximizing your space for optimal functionality, and offering the best cabinetry solutions for your budget.
Your designer can also help you keep up with the latest kitchen cabinet trends. For 2023 and 2024, kitchens without upper cabinetry, or with open shelving instead of cabinetry are becoming more popular. This trend adds an open, clean feel to the kitchen. In lieu of white and natural tones, pops of color or higher contrast colors are also trending. As well as blue and green custom cabinetry, making a bolder statement in the kitchen.
Custom Cabinetry Hardware and Accessories
Knobs, pulls & more to complete your custom cabinetry.
Cabinet hardware and accessories play an important role in enhancing the overall functionality and aesthetics of your cabinets.
Cabinet knobs are a classic and versatile choice for cabinet doors and drawers. They come in various materials, shapes, and finishes, making it easy to find options that match your cabinet style. Cabinet pulls, also known as handles, provide a modern and sleek look. Like knobs, pulls come in various designs and finishes, allowing you to customize them to fit your chosen style. Our cabinet hardware size guide will help you select the right size knobs and pulls for your cabinetry.
Soft-close hinges ensure that cabinet doors close quietly and gently, preventing slamming. They are a practical addition to any cabinet style and improve longevity by reducing wear and tear. Similarly, soft-close drawer slides allow drawers to close quietly and smoothly. They are ideal for kitchen drawers and help prevent fingers from getting caught.
Pull-out shelves and drawers are popular accessories that make it easier to access items in lower cabinets. Spice racks can be integrated into cabinet doors, interior shelves, or pull-outs, providing organized and easily accessible storage for spices and small containers. Built-in trash cans and recycling bins hide unsightly waste bins, keeping your kitchen looking clean and organized.
Tips for Designing and Planning Your Cabinet Layout
From cabinet layout plan to cabinet installation.
Accurately measuring your kitchen is a critical step in ensuring your cabinetry and appliances will fit correctly in your space and will create an efficient layout. To start, you can use a measuring tape, pencil, and piece of paper with our kitchen measuring guide.
You will share your kitchen measurements with the Dean Cabinetry team. Your designer will use specialized software to create a digital representation of the kitchen layout. The software can show you multiple layout options that optimize the available space and adhere to functional kitchen design principles, like the kitchen work triangle.
Your kitchen designer can analyze the layout options, taking into consideration factors like workflow, traffic flow, and ergonomic design. The kitchen work triangle, which connects the three primary work areas—sink, stove, and refrigerator—should be well-balanced to ensure efficient movement while using your kitchen.
Your designer will help you determine the best placement of cabinets, appliances, and workstations with reference to the kitchen work triangle and other guidelines. Once your layout is solidified, your designer will continue to collaborate with you, making adjustments to meet your specific needs and preferences, until you achieve a well-organized and beautiful kitchen design that maximizes efficiency and functionality.
Working with a Cabinet Professional
Custom kitchen cabinet experts.
There are key benefits of working with kitchen cabinetry experts over opting for big box stores or attempting a DIY approach. Dean Cabinetry’s team of professionals brings extensive expertise and experience in designing and installing custom cabinetry. We offer personalized solutions that align perfectly with your space, lifestyle, and aesthetic preferences. Unlike box stores, where you might have limited options and standard sizes, Dean Cabinetry can tailor your cabinets to fit even the most unique and challenging kitchen layouts.
Custom cabinets from Dean Cabinetry are crafted with precision and attention to detail. We use high-quality materials and manufacturing techniques to ensure durable and long-lasting cabinets that not only look beautiful but also function optimally for decades. When compared to mass-produced cabinets from box stores, the quality and craftsmanship of Dean’s custom cabinetry are unmatched. You also have the freedom to customize every aspect of your custom cabinets, including materials, finishes, hardware, and accessories.
The Dean Cabinetry Difference
Our streamlined 6-step process.
Our goal is to be your cabinetry partner from start to finish. Dean Cabinetry’s one-stop-shop approach streamlines the process, ensuring seamless coordination between different stages of the project. You can rely on our team to handle every aspect of the installation, making the experience stress-free and efficient. Our 6-point process will take you from discovery, where we learn about your kitchen project and preferences, through budget, design, ordering, and installation, all the way to follow-up.
We end our 6-step process with a follow-up visit to understand how your experience with us went. We prioritize customer satisfaction, aiming for a 5-star experience for every homeowner and contractor that we work with. Our team is dedicated to providing excellent service at every step of the process. Working with professionals who genuinely care about your project ensures that any concerns or issues are addressed promptly and effectively.