How To Choose The Best Cabinets For Your 2023 Remodel

Kitchen And Bathroom Cabinets That Are As Good For The Environment As They Are For You...

There was a time in our architectural history, not too long ago, that homes came with built-in cabinetry as a function. In order to save on building costs, and to some degree, add flexibility, they have gone missing except in the kitchen and bathroom. With sustainability taking a front seat with consumer interest, perhaps it is time to reconsider cabinetry. Not any cabinets will do. Not all cabinets are created equal. This is what you need to know about cabinets before you invest. 

First and foremost health is the most important aspect of your cabinetry. How healthy are your cabinets for the environment (think of tree harvesting and replanting practices) and how healthy are they for you? If it isn't solid wood, reclaimed wood, or metal your cabinets could very likely be toxic gassing off VOCs and/or come from environmentally destructive harvesting and production practices. How do you determine which cabinet company is going to give you the healthiest start to your kitchen or bath remodel? Look for these seals:

THE MORE THE MERRIER: If your looking at cabinets that carry one of the logos to the left, you are off to a good start. The more logos that a cabinet maker carries, the healthier they are. At the very least, your cabinets should support good forest stewardship and highest EPA standards for human health. 

Good forest stewardship ensures that wood harvesting isn't taking more than the earth can provide. For trees taken trees are planted. Trees intended for your cabinets have been thoughtfully selected instead of "clear cut" leaving blighted areas in the forest. 

The highest EPA standards ensure that your personal health as best it can be. The biggest offender in composite woods and glues is formaldehyde. According to OSHA "exposure to low levels in the air or on the skin can cause asthma-like respiratory problems and skin irritation such as dermatitis and itching. Concentrations of 100 ppm are immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH)." If this isn't a risk you are willing to take with your health or the health of your loved ones, make sure that your cabinets are CARB certified. 

Once you have decided which cabinet company is going to be the healthiest for both you and the environment, it's time to move on to construction. What should you look for in terms of durability?

CONSTRUCTION: Are your cabinets made of the right stuff? When it comes to cabinet durability, it is important to look beyond the beauty of the surface and dig down into what your future cabinets are made of and how they are constructed.  

PLYWOOD | PARTICLE BOARD | MDF: Plywood is "made from thin sheets of cross-laminated veneer and glued together under heat and pressure." This is where its strength lies. When braced correctly, it's durability far surpases that of particle and MDF board. However, when it comes to a smooth surface for decorative finishes to adhere to, particle and MDF board have plywood beat. Still, most of the desirable quality cabinet characteristics fall under plywood. Plywood resists moisture, is lighter to handle and holds and screws and nails better. For long lasting quality cabinets, look for plywood. If you are more concerned about budget, you will find more options in particle board. Also, particle board edges out plywood in being environmentally friendly due to being made up of recyclable materials.  

DOVETAIL  |  MORTISE & TENON  |  MITERED: Which is the strongest joinery for your cabinets? It depends but dovetail usually takes the lead. Dovetail is excellent for tensile strength, and elegant. Dovetail is used to join the drawer sides to the front. Mortise & Tenon are perfect and incredibly strong when joining a 90 degree angle. It is the perfect joint for creating heirloom pieces because of its durability. Look for this in your cabinetry. Mitered gets the job done. When two pieces of wood are joined at a 45 degree angle, it is usually mitered. This is perfect for creating a seamless look but not particularly durable when used as joint piece that will endure heavy stress. Be aware of where your cabinets are using this joint. 

CORNER GUSSETS | BOARD BRACES | I-BEAMS: The best way to brace your box. Corner gussets are the most economical but not the most durable. These plastic triangles are usually glued, stapled or nailed to support the corners during shipping and installation. While they get the job done, they do not provide the same stability that integrated braces do. Board braces are often integrated with dado, glue and nails and provide much more support than corner gussets but not as much as plywood I-beams. Integrated plywood I-beams create the kind of stability that remains durable for years.

FRAMELESS "EUROPEAN"  |  FRAMED "AMERICAN" : Frameless cabinetry is going to give you that sleek drawer to drawer and door to door European look. If any form of modern is your cup of tea, this is style is for you. It also provides the most clearance and easy maintenance. However, if you prefer a more traditional look, consider the face frame of American style cabinets. They offer more stable surface for hinges and are characterized by the small to large gaps between drawers and doors. They also allow for recessed or flush door styles. 

Some of the advantages are, 

"In frameless construction, cabinets do not have a face frame attached to the front of the cabinet box. After they have been installed, all you will see are the flat door and drawer fronts, providing a sleek, simple aesthetic that can work with many design themes throughout the home. 

Frameless cabinets do not have a center stile coming down in the middle of the two cabinet doors, providing easier access to the items inside, as well as more storage space to work with. The shelves are typically adjustable. Drawers in frameless cabinetry also tend to be larger because of the space saved by not having a face frame attached to the front."

DOOR CONSTRUCTION TYPES: There are three common door construction types. Not all work on all frames. For example, you couldn't use a standard overlay on a frameless cabinet because gaps would show the interior.

INSET: This cabinetry construction method is crafted by hand-fitting the door and drawer front within the face frame of the cabinet, giving a full view of the cabinet frame, and having the doors/drawers flush with the face frame. Inset cabinetry is a popular and distinctive look inspired by early American furniture makers and offers an authentic, hand-crafted look with timeless appeal.

FULL OVERLAY: This is a cabinetry door construction style where the cabinet doors and drawer fronts are sized to cover most of the cabinet face frame, leaving minimal space (reveal) between adjacent doors. This option creates a more custom look and is one of our most popular styles.

STANDARD OVERLAY: Also known as Traditional Overlay, this construction type has a more exposed face frame (wider reveal) compared to Full Overlay cabinet doors when the doors and drawers are in the closed position.

DOOR STYLES: You can mix and match your styles. On that note, let's talk about the three basic styles you have to choose from. Each style has a variety of variations that allows your designer to create a very custom look. 

SLAB:  This is a solid, flat cabinet door with no rails, stiles, or center panel. Slab cabinet door styles are usually selected for transitional and contemporary designs or to add a unique look to a drawer front.

FLAT: Also known as recessed doors, this is where the center panel of the door is flat rather than raised or contoured, and has a specific inside edge profile adjacent to the flat panel. Flat panel cabinet doors are favored by those who prefer sleek, clean designs. They work well for traditional, transitional, and even contemporary looks.

RAISED PANEL: This type of door style has a raised center panel with a specific profile or contour or both. Raised panel cabinet doors work well for traditional and transitional looks.

MULLION DOORS: Both decorative and functional, a mullion cabinet door is composed of panes of glass, mirrors, or other cabinet inserts that take the place of a center panel on a door. Multiple mullion styles are available. Mullion doors work in combination with the common 3 styles listed above. 

FINISHES & MATERIALS: Learning the lingo helps move the cabinet selection process along. The more prepared you are (doing your homework) the smoother your appointments are and there is less "interpretation" that needs to happen between you and the designer.

GLAZE: Glaze is a semi-transparent finish that is either hand brushed or sprayed over a stain or painted cabinet. It adds depth, richness and visual complexity to the finish. 

DISTRESSED: After the paint or stain has been applied edges are softened and randomly sanded to create an aged look. For heavily heirloomed selections edges and faces are rasped, chiseled, joint-cracked, spattered, dry brushed and bird-pecked to add a patina. 

The last step is to add glaze for more depth and dimension. It accentuates the aging techniques applied to the cabinetry for a look that endures for years. 

ACRYLIC: This offers a reflective, high-gloss finish that offers a smooth and glossy sheen to your           cabinetry. A preferred option for high-end modern or contemporary styled designs.

VENEER: Veneer is a thin sheet of hardwood that is adhered to the cabinet material. It could be MDF, particleboard or plywood. All of the visible surfaces are veneer. This helps to lower the overall look of a project without sacrificing the look. 

LAMINATE: Unlike veneer, laminate is a printed surface made to look like wood. Often times this is selected because of durability, it's easy to maintain and cost effective. In the desert or areas where high temperatures and low humidity are common, this is a better choice over thermofoil. 

THERMOFOIL: Also known as “foil cabinets,” these cabinets use a flexible vinyl finish material which is applied by heating and molding the vinyl over the cabinetry wood. While they are easy to care for and budget friendly, they do tend to be heat sensitive which is why they don't fair as well as their alternatives in the desert. Delamination is not uncommon. That said, according to The Spruce, most homeowners report that they don't have any problems with it for at least 10yrs. 

Last but not least decide whether you want soft-close, hidden hinges, or bottom mount rails. For pullouts and drawers undermount soft-close drawer guides feel the best and allow for the least amount of stress on you and the cabinet system. Another thing to consider is whether or not you want to see the hinges. For modern cabinets hidden hinges are the best way to go. For transitional and traditional styles consider the barrel hinge. While it is decorative, it isn't as visible as the flat hinges of the past. 

At the end of the day, your kitchen and bath specialist will help you navigate the ins and outs of cabinet design. They are a very real investment and one you want to get right. Most people only change out their cabinets once in the lifetime of a home. Keep in mind, not only are you thinking about how your cabinets are going to serve you now, consider how you will be using them a decade or so from now. That is part of how you make a forever home a place that you can live in forever. 

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