Custom Kitchen Cabinet Comparisons
Written by: Admin | Date: Sunday, 7th August 2011

Kitchens are often the most important room in a home in terms of decor, style, and cost. Every choice made in a kitchen remodeling project affects its value and appearance. Cabinets are the largest and most visible feature in a kitchen, so it is essential to consider your options carefully when you are remodeling or updating. While cost is a big consideration, you should weigh the value of the cabinets in terms of return on investment over time.

The cabinet comparison choices most frequently compared are solid and veneer cabinets and the most conventional choice for new cabinets is solid wood. A kitchen with real wood cabinets is more valuable than a kitchen with veneer cabinets. A veneer cabinet may be a laminate plastic finish or it may be solid wood that is glued to the actual material of the cabinet to make it look like the cabinet is solid wood. Cabinetmakers have become very skillful at creating the appearance of upscale cabinets at lower costs and lower quality.

A veneer cabinet is constructed over a base that is not solid wood. The base may be medium density fiberboard, veneer plywood or a similar material. The edges of these cabinets are often finished with an iron-on tape that looks like real wood. Once the cabinet is in daily use, the substandard materials may begin to peel or wear and, in some cases, the veneer may be as thin as a paper sheet printed to look like wood. When the paper is scrubbed, it turns white and the cabinet looks cheap.

Off-the-shelf wood cabinets in big home improvement stores frequently cheat by using a solid wood door over a veneer cabinet frame. These cabinets are sometimes called "builder grade" in new homes because lower-end builders are likely to select cabinets that look good without the upper end features. A builder grade cabinet will have inexpensive features and usually a common finish and traditional appearance. If you look inside a cabinet and the interior is white, that cabinet is usually not made of solid wood and probably falls into this category.

The contradiction in cabinet design is that very expensive cabinets may also be veneered using unusual finishes to achieve unusual and modern looks. These cabinets are very costly and are sold primarily through design stores and kitchen specialty stores. Typically the actual cabinet is still made of solid wood or metal and the cabinet doors and exposed face is veneered to bring in the unusual materials. This type of cabinet is hard to miss because it will feature many upgrades, such as easy-shut-doors, fitted drawers, interior lighting and pull-out fully exposed drawers, and of course, the price will be well above entry-level cabinets.

When you are selecting your cabinet for resale, tour the comparable homes in your area with your real estate agent before you pick your materials. Identify the style of cabinets that are popular and sell well in your area. You are not picking a kitchen for your taste but for the buyer’s taste. The real estate agent can be very helpful in guiding you toward the correct cabinet and finishes that will add value and help your home stand out from the competition. When you are selecting cabinets for a home you intend to live in for more than five years, base your selection on quality construction, the architecture of your home and good finishes. Try to avoid trendy purchases that may fade quickly. Classic finishes will resist value loss over time and can look good many years after installation. In the end, pick colors and finishes you really enjoy that you feel you will continue to take pleasure in sharing with your family for years to come.

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