Deborah Butler, Brickwood Builders Primary advice would be to do enough research to really understand the construction of the cabinet boxes and the quality of the drawer glides. Most people buy finish (and/or bells and whistles) and pay no attention to the construction quality which is what will make your cabinets last longer and be a good investment. White, or off white, is the rage right now, but don't go there unless you want to invest the time to keep them clean - they can show everyday dirt and wear faster than stained cabinets. We do not use big box stores like Lowes or HD.
We look for reasonably good quality boxes (1/2" to 3/4" plywood) that are not outrageously priced but you will need to have some idea of budget to do any meaningful looking. Price is relative to each person. Wood boxes can run anywhere from $400 linear foot to $1,000 linear foot (and I am sure there are some out there more expensive than that).
eagledzines Quality cabinets offer - Plywood boxes, plywood or wood shelving, dovetail drawers, plywood drawer bottoms set into a groove--not stapled and glued. Adjustable shelving top and bottom, self closing slides, undermount slides, soft close door hardware are some quality options. The more expensive cabinetry offers more of a design selection. Different brands will offer both lower and higher end cabinets.You will have to shop around and decide what is the most important options to you considering the budget you have. Option upgrades can affect the price dramatically. Things like drawer pullouts and trash pullouts, glass doors, silverware trays, dish drawer pegs, corner pullouts, etc. Add these in last when you see what is left of your budget.
michelle2go thank you so much advices. I am totally building a new kitchen. We'll add a breakfast booth too. The current cabinets are small and not functional and not my taste, they are just dummy. i am very excited but little scared at the same time. really don't want to any mistake after spending time and money....
bubblyjock Consumer Reports have done some pretty thorough studies - worth investigating what they say (read at your local library; costs to read online).
Just because it's real wood, doesn't make it better, and conversely, just because it's mdf, doesn't make it worse. Take a wander around big box stores, kitchen design showrooms, Houzz :) etc, to see what you like/dislike. The cabinets are pretty much all the same inside - standard specs throughout the industry - but you'll pay more for gadgetry, fancy woodwork, fancy finishes, etc.
Ikea is a great place to start - affordable, free 2D/3D design program you download and use to create your own kitchen, or they'll help you in-store, and they have a pretty attractive range of finishes, styles and gadgets that are, on the whole, WAY less expensive than their nearest big-box competitors.
Or, find a competent experienced designer (who can COOK - one of my pet peeves is that many are utterly clueless in the kitchen) whose work you admire, and get them to help you. It may cost you more, but you should be more satisfied with the result.
OnePlan Tee hee ! I like that comment - one that can cook !! When I started designing some 26 years ago - I was the only female designer on all the training courses ! And one of the only keen cooks too !!! It really does make a difference if you design for someone by imagining you are actually using the kitchen to prepare Sunday lunch for 10 !!!
S. Thomas Kutch have to disagree with bubblyjock somewhat.....standard industry specs can range drastically for levels of quality....they aren't all pretty much the same inside. The components you'll find in the big box stores are low to mid-grade quality level.......you'll find a ton of stapled construction and plastic connectors............something you won't find on high grade or custom cabinets.
I would start with a layout. Establish what components you want (i.e. drawers, cabinets, pantry, etc.,etc) and where you want them. Where you want wall cabinets, shelves, etc., etc. Where your appliances will go, what kind of sink you want.....what kind of counter top you want. Then establish the style and finish details (i.e. modern, laminate, flush face or shaker, stained wood, full overlay etc., etc.) Gather up pictures of kitchen looks you like for examples. The grade or quality of the cabinets is going to determine your linear foot cost..
Once you get an idea of what you want nailed down, go visit a number of dealers and suppliers to get a better idea of what the ball park cost will be for specific cabinet lines based on your layout......then you can better determine your budget based on your wants and desires and your bank account. I tell clients to start with wish list without considering the cost factor and we work backwards from there.
The hard truth is, we all have Cadillac taste but very few have the Cadillac budget......and don't forget the small custom cabinet contractor. I once lucked into a deal with an older cabinet maker. He was retired and between jobs........I got 24' of lower and upper cabinets, custom made, full wood boxes and solid wood face frames, with doors and hardware in a shaker style for $200 / lf. A little less than half the cost I got from the nearest dealer quote.....and better quality. All I had to do was stain and finish them......the money I saved the client we put into a high quality porcelain farm style sink and soap stone counter tops.
That's the fun of this process.......you never know what you're going to stumble on to sometimes.
bubblyjock @ s thomas kutch - you're right, and I should have been clearer: in saying that most cabinets have the same specs inside I was referring to dimensions rather than materials: most cabinets are made with human factors engineering in mind, so standardized heights and depths for most "normal" people (whoever they are, lol).
Lowes, Ikea, Kitchen Design showrooms, Cabinet makers for starters
what brands do u recommend? what kind of advice would u give me?
We look for reasonably good quality boxes (1/2" to 3/4" plywood) that are not outrageously priced but you will need to have some idea of budget to do any meaningful looking. Price is relative to each person. Wood boxes can run anywhere from $400 linear foot to $1,000 linear foot (and I am sure there are some out there more expensive than that).
Just because it's real wood, doesn't make it better, and conversely, just because it's mdf, doesn't make it worse. Take a wander around big box stores, kitchen design showrooms, Houzz :) etc, to see what you like/dislike. The cabinets are pretty much all the same inside - standard specs throughout the industry - but you'll pay more for gadgetry, fancy woodwork, fancy finishes, etc.
Ikea is a great place to start - affordable, free 2D/3D design program you download and use to create your own kitchen, or they'll help you in-store, and they have a pretty attractive range of finishes, styles and gadgets that are, on the whole, WAY less expensive than their nearest big-box competitors.
Or, find a competent experienced designer (who can COOK - one of my pet peeves is that many are utterly clueless in the kitchen) whose work you admire, and get them to help you. It may cost you more, but you should be more satisfied with the result.
I would start with a layout. Establish what components you want (i.e. drawers, cabinets, pantry, etc.,etc) and where you want them. Where you want wall cabinets, shelves, etc., etc. Where your appliances will go, what kind of sink you want.....what kind of counter top you want. Then establish the style and finish details (i.e. modern, laminate, flush face or shaker, stained wood, full overlay etc., etc.) Gather up pictures of kitchen looks you like for examples. The grade or quality of the cabinets is going to determine your linear foot cost..
Once you get an idea of what you want nailed down, go visit a number of dealers and suppliers to get a better idea of what the ball park cost will be for specific cabinet lines based on your layout......then you can better determine your budget based on your wants and desires and your bank account. I tell clients to start with wish list without considering the cost factor and we work backwards from there.
The hard truth is, we all have Cadillac taste but very few have the Cadillac budget......and don't forget the small custom cabinet contractor. I once lucked into a deal with an older cabinet maker. He was retired and between jobs........I got 24' of lower and upper cabinets, custom made, full wood boxes and solid wood face frames, with doors and hardware in a shaker style for $200 / lf. A little less than half the cost I got from the nearest dealer quote.....and better quality. All I had to do was stain and finish them......the money I saved the client we put into a high quality porcelain farm style sink and soap stone counter tops.
That's the fun of this process.......you never know what you're going to stumble on to sometimes.
Sorry about that!