kitchens | Kitchen Cabinet Value

Kitchen Cabinet Styles

Many homeowners are surprised to discover so many kitchen cabinet styles when they visit a home improvement store or a cabinet shop. The great variety and the number of available cabinet options can be overwhelming. This variety, however, also ensures that every homeowner can find kitchen cabinet styles to meet his or her personal taste.

We define kitchen cabinet styles by several components. The first is the wood used in construction. Homeowners choose the wood for their cabinets based on primarily color and grain. Some styles are also painted. The options include:

Oak
Maple
Cherry
Walnut
White
Espresso (black)

Most wood can be finished either natural or glazed. White cabinets can also be painted and glazed in an antique finish. The grain of the wood differs from one to the next. Oak, for example, has a very prominent grain. Cherry and walnut kitchen cabinet styles are recognized by both grain and color of the wood. The wood used for most cabinets built in the U.S. is maple.

The most visible part of a cabinet is the door. However, the side of the “box” is visible on the end of a group of cabinets. Doors are made either with raised panels or with recessed panels. Some contemporary style cabinets are made of flat door surfaces. The difference between these kitchen cabinet styles is whether the center of the door is raised above the level of the frame or is recessed below the frame.

The next consideration in choosing kitchen cabinet styles is to choose the wood, the finish and the door type that is the best fit for the architecture and décor of the home. For example, a Southern colonial with traditional décor is the perfect match for the antique glazed white finish with raised panel doors. A mountain cabin would be ideal for oak or walnut with recessed panel doors.

Most new homes built today are a “traditional” style of architecture, modeled on the two-story Georgian home or the ranch style one-level home popularized in the early subdivisions of the 1950s. These homes are well suited for kitchen cabinet styles in oak, maple, walnut and cherry cabinetry. Either of the door styles is appropriate.

White and black kitchen cabinet styles are a good choice in most homes. The styling of the doors and the choices in handles and knobs can make them blend well with almost any style home and any décor. In fact, many homeowners install all kitchen cabinet styles without handles and knobs.

There are two ways of thinking about handles and knobs (pulls). On the one hand, the handles and knobs protect the wood of the cabinets. Wet or dirty hands do not stain or damage the wood. On the other hand, some believe the knobs and handles detract from the beauty of the wood and serve no important function. Handles and knobs are available in a range of materials and styles to fit any taste.

Whatever your opinion about handles and pulls, kitchen cabinetry has become a work of art. Kitchen cabinet styles are available to suit any personal taste, any architectural style of the house and any interior décor. White and black contrast beautifully with stainless steel or colored kitchen appliances.
There is something very warm and beautiful about natural wood in any home. The choices available in the various wood colors and grains, makes it possible for everyone to find what they like among the many kitchen cabinet styles.

Door Styles

< MAPLE

The maple door has a ginger colored finish giving it a warm, relaxed appearance, which is due in part to the antiqued patina of the dark brown glaze. This glaze has been applied over a base stain on hard maple wood to provide a soft, aged look while highlighting the trim details. With its mitered doors and drawer heads, square raised panel, and full overlay construction, the maple door is a traditional yet transitional style having a wide range of compatibility to dark or light colored kitchen schemes.

GLAZED CHERRY >

The formal appeal of this door is provided by the rich, aged effect of the finish. Made to resemble cherry wood, the door style is actually constructed of hard maple, with which the eye-catching stain and subtle dark brown glaze have been applied. Mortise and tenon doors and drawer heads, applied molding, square raised panels, and full overlay construction.

< SHAKER NATURAL

The soft transitional styling of the Shaker door is what provides its wide range of appeal for contemporary, arts and crafts, or shaker tastes. The Shaker door is constructed of hard maple and has a natural finish. The door has a recessed center panel. Its mortise and tenon doors and drawers, and full overlay construction are what give the Shaker door style its transitional appeal, as well as the ability to span many different design styles.

SHAKER ESPRESSO >

The Shaker expresso door is a transitional style for those who prefer a simplistic door with a dark, rich stain. This style will suit those seeking a contemporary to Zen feeling space. The full overlay door is constructed of hard maple with a recessed center panel. The door uses the mortise and tenon construction.

< GLAZED WHITE

The Glazed White door is a square raised panel, mitered, full overlay door with a matching drawer head. It is painted a creamy white with a hand applied caramel glaze, highlighting all of the door details. This style appeals to the classic and French country seeking clientele.

GLAZED WALNUT >

You will find that the walnut is an identical match to the maple in style. What sets the two apart is a deep, rich, warm walnut stain on hard maple wood. Walnut is the perfect door style for those seeking a true furniture feel to their cabinetry.

< WHITE

The crisp, tailored, full overlay styling of the white door is what makes it cross over so many lines of style. This door style will be the perfect choice for homes ranging from cottage to classic. The white door’s mortise and tenon door and drawer are constructed of hard maple and finished in a durable white paint. The door and drawer both have a gentle profile surrounding a recessed center panel. The outer edge also carries a handsome profile to soften the overall look.

CARAMEL OAK >

The oak door is a terrific value in an all wood cabinet when compared to similarly priced particle board constructed cabinets found in big box stores. The doors and cabinet face frame are made from solid oak which provides the grainy oak appeal in addition to the durability and hardness that oak has to offer. The doors have square raised center panels with rails that are joined using mortise and tenon construction. All cabinet doors come equipped with finger routed pulls which make door knobs and handles optional.