They’re intended to be functional, but few design professionals or homeowners leave the choice simply at that. Otherwise, cardboard or plywood boxes might suffice.
Instead, cabinet choices have become hotly debated as the options have grown, whether for a kitchen, bathroom, library, family room, bedroom, basement, wine cellar, closet or any space in a home.
A major impetus has been the realization that cabinetry can add an important aesthetic cache to a room, thanks to the wider variety of styles, materials, trims, hardware and pulls available.
“They’ve become part of the jewelry of a house — what makes a house a home,” says Orren Pickell, president of custom home builders Orren Pickell Designers and Builders in Bannockburn, which also operates a cabinet shop, CabinetWerks in Lincolnshire. “We’re putting in an inordinate number of cabinets in all rooms these days, even in window seats because they increase space.”
Winthrop Properties, a development company in Evanston, is also making cabinets a bigger focus of its projects. It has made upgraded cabinets a standard feature in the condominium conversion of the 1929 Marshall Field’s building in downtown Evanston and a new loft-style building on South Morgan Street in Chicago’s West Loop.
“We’re using custom maple Italian cabinets with better woodwork, hinges and drawer mechanisms. We think it helps to sell a unit and people then don’t feel duped into buying an upgrade to complete their design,” says Bob Horner, managing partner.
But how much you pay for all your cabinetry work can vary greatly.
A higher-priced custom cabinet can easily consume 50 to 60 percent of the cost of a kitchen budget, for example. While custom cabinets may last longer, come with a longer warranty and better fit into all those nooks and crannies, you don’t always need to spend the most, particularly since many premanufactured cabinets will look and work as well. Or, you can opt for mostly stock ready-made cabinets and add some custom pieces for hard-to-fit areas or unusual demands, says Don Bachman, a St. Louis contractor.
How do you decide? Your decision should be based in part on how much you put into the building or remodeling of your entire home and the room in question, so that costs are proportionate. You also should weigh how long you think you’ll stay put in that home.
If you’re there for many years, you don’t want to have to replace doors within five years, cautions Pickell. If, however, you intend to remain only a few years, you can cut costs by replacing knobs or pulls for a fresh look.
A slightly more expensive option is to refinish fronts or replace them, though cost effectiveness will depend on the condition and look desired, cautions Chicago designer Leslie Stern.
Just how much the cabinet choice will help in resale is also a matter of debate. Chicago architect Allan J. Grant thinks it can make a big difference. “I always advise reaching for the highest quality, particularly for their own enjoyment,” he says.
Jennifer Ames, a real estate broker with Coldwell Banker in Chicago, thinks, however, that cabinets are just one of many factors that contribute to an overall positive impression, but not usually a deciding one.
“If you have cabinets with older flat fronts in white laminate or elaborate ones in oak, many buyers may discount the cabinets a bit in pricing. But, once you go to a better quality, more current design in maple or cherry, they won’t favor a top of the line design over a more affordable, but still very nice one,” she says.
In making a choice, consider all parts of the cabinet:
Construction of the box. Particle or plywood shelves are more sturdy than solid wood shelves because the construction is less apt to warp, says Jennifer Accomando, designer and office manager for CabinetWerks.
The interior shelves should be a minimum of 1/2 to 5/8 inch thick so that they don’t bow under the weight of what you put on them, advises architect Grant. The cabinet front, sides and back should be at least 3/4-inch thick, again for sturdiness. Drawers that are made of maple and dovetailed hold together better than if connected with staples, which may loosen or be pulled out. “It’s an old-fashioned way of constructing furnishings, but it’s proved to hold up over time,” she says.
Size. Custom cabinets can be made in all sizes and shapes; stock comes in 3-inch increments, Accomando says. Among an owner’s bigger decisions is whether to build them all the way to the ceiling for extra storage and a clean, crisp look or to leave a soffit above for displaying baskets and other decorative objects and not make high-cabinets hard to reach. How high, or low, below-counter cabinets are reflects a different decision. Many homeowners today opt for European-style 36-inch high cabinets so they don’t have to bend as they do with the typical 32-inch ones, particularly for vanities in bathrooms, Grant says.
Finish. Along with the detailing on the front of the cabinet, this choice will determine as much as three-quarters of the cost of the cabinet, says Bachman. At the low end, you should consider laminates, certain woods such as maple and medium-density wrapped fiberboard. At the higher end, there are spray lacquers, polyester finishes, more exotic woods such as cherry, walnut, mahogany and certain veneers, glazed and antiqued finishes, and beveled glass inserts. Any of these may add 30 or 40 percent to the basic cost, says Pickell. Part of the reason for the higher cost is due to the multiple steps that may be required to complete the finishing, along with the higher rejection rate, says Mick de Giulio, owner of de Giulio Kitchen Design Inc. in Winnetka and Chicago.
“If there’s a flaw in a high-gloss finish, it needs to be redone or discarded,” he says. What’s out design-wise these days, but which could become in again, is the painted look and solid white. Popular now are darker woods from the ’70s such as oak, though they look different this go-around because of different door styles and details, says Accomando.
Detailing. Raised panels and molding will add to the cost of the cabinet front, but if rooms, both with cabinetry, open to one another, you probably want to be consistent in your design choices. In certain dressier rooms of your house, such as a library, you may want to go with extra detailing. Architect Grant did that in a suburban library and used mahogany from the crotch of trees for doors and wall panels.
Interior hardware. This is the place where homeowners may think it’s fine to scrimp since it may not be visible, yet the pros know otherwise. The best hinges keep doors aligned, are concealed or partly concealed, made of chrome, nickel or brass, and adjust in every direction. Though European companies, and especially German ones, led the way with the best hinges, American companies now manufacture comparable examples. Drawer glides are another important detail so they can slide in and out smoothly. They should be undermounted or side mounted and be made of better metal with ball bearings, says David Heigl, a certified kitchen design with CabinetWerks.
Exterior hardware. When it comes to knobs and pulls, endless choices abound, and you may decide to buy these separately rather than from your cabinet company. Many stores such as Restoration Hardware offer countless choices in simple round, oval and square shapes or cute ones that resemble men, stars, knives and forks. But, again be prepared for a wide price range. Some can cost upwards of $40 per item. Multiply that by 20 cabinets and drawers, and you’ve tacked on $800 to your project.
Interior fittings. These days, you can outfit the interior of your cabinet with everything from rollout shelves to fancy spice racks, appliances and carousels. Again, every extra adds an expense, so decide where you feel the costs are most worthwhile, says Stern. Fittings should not be forgotten when it comes to libraries, for CDs and turntables, and for bathrooms, for hair dryers, makeup, medicine. At the same time, overkill is possible, Accomando says. She tries to work with clients to see how they use their current storage, whether they like to open a cabinet door and have everything there or prefer a two-step process of opening a cabinet and pulling out a shelf.
How much cabinetry. The best way to decide is to measure in linear feet existing cabinets and give yourself at least one-third more storage for future needs, says Chicago designer Todd Haley.
Having too much storage is rarely a negative. “You can always find something to put in it,” Accomando says.