More Than Just a Box Selecting the Right Cabinetry

Choosing cabinetry for a remodel project or a new construction home is serious business. Really, it is.

Cabinetry has the biggest impact on a kitchen remodel both visually and financially (for bathrooms, it is usually the plumbing or tile that comprises the largest percentage of the cost estimate), so it is important to understand design features and style options for any project early on in your planning process.

Further, it is valuable to define your focus. For example, some people feel that form (style/aesthetics) should follow function (ergonomics/workflow) while others focus on form, with function being their secondary criteria when it comes to cabinetry layout and components.

Cabinetry is comprised of a box (carcass), hinges (for doors), glides (for drawers), doors, drawers, drawer boxes, shelves, convenience hardware and decorative hardware.

The boxes can be constructed of all- particle board (furniture board is a common but more robust type of particle board), plywood or a combination of both. Particle-board cabinets are more cost-effective than plywood but have some shortcomings, such as being heavy and harder to install, and the particle board being easier to damage than plywood (and difficult to fix).