OVERVIEW of Kitchen Cabinets:
The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your home, and the right choice for kitchen cabinets is key to the successful execution and ongoing use of the space. Now more than ever, you can choose from a diverse range of kitchen cabinet materials and finishes. For each aspect of home design and remodeling you can also strive to make choices that are 1) Functional, 2) Stylish, 3) Cost-Effective, and 4) Environmentally Sustainable. These are the four key guiding principles in the GREENandSAVE strategy. You will find that in certain cases, one or two of the criteria take precedent over others. However, as you review the home improvement options that are right for your home, you may be surprised to learn that reaching all four is more achievable than you thought.
Selection Tip: In choosing a kitchen cabinet material and finish make sure to think through the countertop and backsplash that will work best for your design and installation. Solid surface and natural stone materials typically need to be precut prior to installation versus tiles that can be cut and set right on the job site. Kitchen countertop backsplashes sometimes look great when they match the countertop material, but you can alternatively enhance the countertop material by choosing a different tile to run from the top edge of the counter all of the way up to the underside of the head cabinets. If you decide on the tiles, also take care in choosing the right color grout and look for new tile grouts that are stain resistant. Think of the kitchen cabinets, countertops, and backsplashes as an integrated kitchen design system, so try to avoid buying one before you get perspective and price out the materials, finishes, and installation implications for all three.
DETAILS on Kitchen Cabinet Doors:
There are a variety of options when choosing your cabinet doors. The most popular options are:
- Inset doors: These are designed to sit within the rails and stiles of the cabinet frame. Inset doors are tightly fitted between the edges of the cabinet box. Originally, they were only used as frames, but more recent designs use vertical columns to use frameless cabinets. Inset doors can only be opened with a knob or door pull.
- Raised panel doors: These are designed to add character to your home and become one of your home’s main focal points. The designs that raised panel doors center around are from specific periods in our nation’s history. Raised panel doors are made of three parts, panels, stiles and rails. The panels fit within the frame of the door and are not glued to allow for expansion and retraction. The stiles are long vertical pieces that are attached to the door jamb and the knob. The rails can be either vertical or horizontal and are attached to the stiles.
- Lipped doors: These are similar to inset doors in that a part of the door still sits within the cabinet frame. There is a groove along the back edge in which a part of the door rests in the cabinet, while the rest sits on the surface of the cabinet. This door also requires a knob or door pull.
- Partial overlay doors: These doors are mounted on the face frame. Overlay describes the amount of the face frame that is covered by the cabinet door. This type of door is the most common type of cabinet door.
- Full overlay doors: These doors cover almost the entire reveal. Less than one-eighth of an inch is left on the face frame between doors. Full overlay doors are generally found on frameless cabinets, but can be assembled on framed cabinets as well. This type of door requires concealed hinges, and knobs or door pulls.
- Tambour doors: These doors consist of several pieces that are aligned together and attached to a backing sheet. The backing sheet is installed on a track, allowing the door to function like a shade by moving up and down, or around a corner.
GREEN Considerations:
If you decide to supply your kitchen with wood, make sure to use FSC-certified or reclaimed wood. A Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification guarantees that wood is grown and harvested in a sustainable manner. Many companies also use reclaimed wood, meaning they use salvaged wood to produce beautiful products.
Checking to be sure that the products you are placing in your home are manufactured and sold in eco-friendly ways is half the battle of keeping your home environmentally-friendly.
