The Design Of Cheap Kitchen Cabinets: Kitchen Remodeling Ideas
As you peruse style options for your cabinet doors and drawers, consider combining different styles or colors to make the overall design more interesting. For instance, if you like the Mission style, you might consider complementing that basic choice with sections of cabinets that vary the design or color. One easy way to do this is to swap out wood panels for glass in one section of the kitchen (there are a number of glass options, including beaded and frosted). Or you can use the slab style on drawer faces. To vary the color, consider using a contrasting stain or painting cabinets in one area of the kitchen, perhaps along a short wall or an island. Think of the design process as painting with a large paintbrush: A few graceful strokes break up the monotony of all the cabinets in the same color and design. You can tie the design together with details like cove molding at the top of the cabinets or complementary handles. Design software can help you visualize the possibilities.
UnLIke most woodworking projects, kitchen cabinets are rarely built as single units. Instead, it usually makes sense to plan for a whole set, buy the materials, and custom-build a series of cabinets that neatly line up and fit the space requirements.While some of the work may be a bit factory-like, the custom-design aspect makes it more creative, interesting, and satisfying—letting you add varia- tions wherever you need them in order to make the best use of your kitchen space.
Whether you are an experienced woodworker with a shop full of pro-level tools or a do-it-your-selfer with a few stationary tools in a garage or basement space, this book will enable you to build kitchen cabinets that will stay great looking and easy to use for decades. If you are low on skills, time, or tools, you may choose to build only the cabinet cases and the drawer bodies yourself. You can then order doors and drawer faces from a company. If you’re feeling more ambitious, I’ll show you how to build some simple doors and drawer faces, including slab and cottage style. And if you have the time, skills, and tools, I’ll show you how to build more elaborate doors and drawer faces with details like raised panels and milled rails and stiles.Why build yourself instead of buying ready-made cabinets? Here are some good reasons:
- Inexpensive ready-made cabinets are usually poorly made, often with particleboard cases that are inadequately stapled together. They typically have cheap hinges and weak drawer glides. uilding yourself allows you to choose quality materials.
- Better-quality ready-made cabinets will cost a great deal more money. Depending on the materials you choose, you can often save quite a bit by building yourself.
- Ready-made units come only in standard sizes and usually require spacers—that is, vertical strips to fill in dead space between cabinets. When you build yourself, you can achieve a classier custom look with cabinets that fit like a glove, while also eliminating wasted space.
- Let’s not forget the satisfaction that comes from building something yourself—not just the sense of accomplishment at the end but also the good feeling that comes from the process of design-ing and building a one-of-a-kind kitchen.
- The unique kitchen that you build can fit your family’s needs to a tee. You can size cabinets, drawers, and shelves so your plates, glasses, pots and pans, and appliances fit neatly and comfortably.
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