The door style of your cabinets plays the biggest role in determining the look and feel of your kitchen. Why? Because it is by far the most visible design element.
Styles can range from simple to ornate. Doors can feature hardware, in a range of sizes. You may consider doors that fit flush with one another or ones that show the frame of the cabinet. Kitchen cabinet doors can rotate up, swing out or roll closed. The possibilities are endless.
The following are some of top styles our customers are loving right now:
Flat Kitchen Cabinet Doors
Why do we like flat kitchen cabinet doors? Because they offer a stylish, yet simplistic look.
Flat doors are typically seen with frameless kitchen cabinets. This modern design is exactly what it sounds like – a flat surface. Cabinet doors fit flush with one another. Typically, they don’t feature embellishments, such as carvings. However, there are definitely some flat kitchen cabinet designs which do.
In most instances, these doors are paired with a frameless design. This features hinges set on the inside of the cabinet wall, rather than on the cabinet’s exterior frame. The design gives you full access to your storage, making these cabinets extremely space friendly. There’s not lost half inch or inch of cabinet space due to extra wood. There are far fewer corners (if any) that go unused.
In short, flat kitchen cabinet doors with frameless cabinets give you the maximum in storage square footage.
Inset Kitchen Cabinet Doors
Inset kitchen cabinet doors are the classic door design. Ultra durable, they offer a classic, elegant look.
As the name would suggest, inset doors are positioned within the frame. Both the door and the frame have to be precisely crafted to allow the door to ‘nest’ inside the frame without any gaps.Due to the high level of precise craftsmanship, these tend to be some of the most expensive cabinets on the market.
They are often custom designed. And due to the nature of the inset door, they typically require hardware – like door pulls – for operation.
Distressed Kitchen Cabinet Doors
Distress (aka antique-styled) kitchen doors feature rubbed corners and distressed paint. This look delivers an older feel that’s ideal if you have a period house. In most cases, distressed kitchen cabinet doors are found with a fully-framed design.
Beadboard Kitchen Cabinet Doors
For the ultimate ‘cottage’ style, look no further than beadboard. The paneled, all-white design delivers a bright and airy feel. Keep in mind though, cleaning all the cracks and crevasses between the beadboard can be a pain.
Shaker Kitchen Cabinet Doors
Shaker kitchen cabinet doors are by far the most popular. The name derives from shaker-style furniture which features clean lines and functionality. This allows shaker doors to work well in a wide variety of kitchens. They can also be crafted in nearly any color or material you choose, giving you the maximum number of options.
Additional Kitchen Cabinet Considerations
With some any styles from which to choose, it’s not uncommon to have a lot of questions about which doors are right for you. The following are some of the questions we’ve encountered as of late.
It seems everyone’s installing white cabinets. Do I need to do this too?
The advantage of white (or off-white) cabinets is that it delivers a bright and clean look. If you’re trying to make your space look bigger, this is a natural choice. However, it’s far from the only choice. There are a variety of styles and finishes which can help you open up your space.
Should I have open shelving?
That’s entirely a personal choice. Opening shelving (or glass-paneled doors) can offer an open and airy feel. There are a couple things to keep in mind though. The first is that open shelving means the contents of your cabinets will be visible. Depending on what you’re displaying and/or storing, it can end up looking messy.
Another thing to consider when you’re thinking about open shelving is that whatever is stored on those shelves will be completely exposed to the elements of your kitchen. This means dust can more easily settle on bowls. Grease splatters have a chance to land on cups. And, food fights may be a bit more cumbersome to clean.
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