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New Kitchen Cabinet Ideas: Tips and Inspiration
Choosing your kitchen cabinets is a big decision. Your cabinets set the look and feel of the space even more than your counter tops and backsplash, and should be congruous with the general interior aesthetic of your home while also standing out in their own right. Where do you start then? We’re covering some of today’s leading new kitchen cabinet ideas, plus plenty of tips for ensuring that you go with the right option for your home.
Cabinets are one of the pricier features of a new or renovated kitchen, with an average price of about $100 to $200 per linear foot, according to HomeAdvisor. For your typical 10 foot by 10 foot kitchen, you can expect to spend anywhere from $2,000 to $24,000 on your cabinets alone depending on style and quality—which is all the more reason to do plenty of research before deciding which variety you’re going to go with.
Picking out your perfect cabinets begins with going over your available option. Here are some of the most popular new kitchen cabinet ideas available today—including top picks for material, finish, style, and more.
New Kitchen Cabinet Ideas: What’s Your Style?
The kitchen is the heart of the home. As such, it’s important that it appears in alignment with the rest of the interior. An ultra-modern kitchen in the middle of a French country style home will look seriously out of place, and vice versa. So before you start looking at new kitchen cabinet ideas, figure out exactly what broader interior style you’re working with.
Not sure? Here are common home styles and a few ways to spot them:
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- Modern – Clean lines, minimalistic, simple shapes
- Mid-century modern – Bold neutrals and clean lines mixed with a touch of opulence
- Industrial – Visible building materials, open floor plans, factory-like feel
- Bohemian – Non-streamlined; layers of texture, pattern, and colors
- Scandinavian – Neutral colors, minimalistic, wood accents, lots of natural light
- Coastal – Beachy vibes, soft colors, white woodwork detailing
- French country – Decadent fabrics, warm colors, stone and raw wood structural details
- Modern country – Lots of wood detailing, rustic, simple, minimalistic
- Farmhouse – Wood, white, and wrought iron; exposed timber; wood flooring
This isn’t a definitive list of interior styles, but it’s a good place to start when defining your space and what sorts of kitchen cabinet styles might look most at home. By staying true to your style, you help ensure that the kitchen doesn’t clash with the rooms around it—and that future buyers don’t wonder why you decided to go one way with the kitchen and another way with the rest of the interior.
Kitchen Cabinet Materials
When you think of kitchen cabinets you probably think of wood. Wood is the material most traditionally used for cabinetry, since it’s durable, sturdy, and endlessly customizable. However, there are various kinds of wood and wood substitutes used in cabinet construction, and they vary in terms of quality and price point.
Solid wood has a natural grain and is generally going to be the most expensive choice. It’s available in multiple varieties, and can be customized in appearance with staining or painting. To get the look without such a high cost, go with cabinets made of engineered wood with a solid wood veneer so that you get the grain (and the staining capabilities) without having to pay for a homogenous piece of wood.
The most common wood cabinet varieties from light to dark include:
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- Cypress
- White Ash
- Soft Maple
- Hard Maple
- Hickory
- Red Oak
- White Oak
- Yellow Birch
- Cherry
- Red Alder
- Gum
As far as engineered wood goes, you’ll come across several options when looking into new kitchen cabinet ideas. These include particleboard (usually covered in a veneer or laminate), plywood (sometimes combined with solid wood, and generally closer to a solid wood price point as well), and medium density fiberboard (an engineered variety similar to particleboard but sturdier and heavier)
There are also other, non-wood kitchen cabinet materials to consider, such as metal, melamine, Thermofoil, and laminate. In most cases, these materials are used as an outer facing veneer, with wood or plywood used for the bulk of the cabinet. That being said, it is possible to purchase completely stainless steel cabinets, though they’re probably not worth considering unless you live in a super modern or industrial home.
Choosing a Finish Color
After the material, the most standout feature of your kitchen cabinets is the finish color. The finish is where you really set the feel of the space, as evidenced by the clear aesthetic difference between, say, an all-white kitchen and a kitchen with a dark stained wood finish.
When choosing a finish, you can decide between clear (essentially the natural color of the wood), light, medium, and dark. How your finish ultimately ends up will depend on the exact type of wood that your kitchen cabinets are made of and how many layers of stain are applied.
If you don’t want to go with a stain—or if your kitchen cabinets can’t be stained, because they do not have a solid wood veneer—then you can also opt for a painted finish. If you do decide to paint wood cabinets, note that this will cover up the natural grain. So if you want a painted look, consider choosing a less pricey kitchen cabinet material to start with, such as particleboard or laminate.
Other finish-related choices you’ll be able to make include the overall effect (i.e. vintage/antiqued or glazed) or highlighted (a basic stain with higher saturation in cabinet recesses to add additional dimension).
Door Styles
Another thing to think about when looking into new kitchen cabinet ideas: the style of your cabinet doors. This will include the style of the door itself, plus the cabinet overlay.
The main difference between various door styles is generally going to be dimensionality—for example: flat panel, raised panel, multi-panel, or beaded panel. Door styles are also defined by their larger aesthetic definition, such as traditional, rustic, French, contemporary, or craftsmen. Obviously there’s a lot to consider here, so your best bet is going to be looking at samples, which will you give you the clearest possible idea of what the different door styles look like and what different types of paneling apply.
As for the cabinet overlay, that refers to the amount of cabinet frame that is showing around the door, and it can have a big effect on the general appearance of your cabinetry. If you want a totally streamlined look, go for a full overlay, which is a door without any framing. A more rustic or traditional look would be a partial overlay, which refers to cabinets with a visible frame that’s providing some additional texture. The frame can range in thickness from ½ inch and up, depending on what you’re trying to achieve.
Glass or No Glass?
Glass doors can be an excellent choice for your kitchen cabinetry if you want a more open feel or are looking to display your glassware and dishware. Combine it with interior lighting for a cozy feel, or even some open shelving.
Of course, glass doesn’t refer to the entire cabinet. You’ll still have a wood frame, and you’ll still have your choice of door styles (though perhaps a more limited selection to choose from).
Glass cabinetry doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can choose to just have one cabinet or pair of side-by-side cabinets with glass doors—such as a corner cabinet—to add some visual interest without the need to have all of your kitchen items constantly on display. It’s a great choice for showing off some of your more special pieces too, such as your china set or crystal glassware.
General Tips for Choosing Kitchen Cabinets
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the kitchen cabinet ideas out there? Here are some quick tips for narrowing down your options.
Start with style
Consider function as much as form
Budget, budget, budget
Looking for more help designing your dream kitchen? Check out our guide on how to design a kitchen, plus our deep dive into just how much a kitchen renovation costs.