3 Ways To Personalize Your Kitchen Cabinetry

All too often, a standard tract home kitchen lacks any kind of personality. Cabinets that are all the same mind-numbing layout and shade with no dimension or detail to be found. Quite frankly, it’s likely they are an exact or more than a reasonably close match to many other homes in your neighborhood.  Boring. If your kitchen could use a new updated look of its own, then a kitchen remodel is right for you. Here are three ways that you can introduce a distinctive personality into your kitchen cabinetry.

1. Kitchen Cabinetry Door Styles

Despite what you may think, there are a multitude of door styles available to fit the look and feel of your space. Not to mention it can be one of the most important choices you make in the overall design of your new kitchen. Not only are they likely to be the first thing anyone that walks into the room sees, but cabinetry is known to be of the most expensive design elements of a kitchen as well. From simple to glam, there’s a door style for that. Here’s a quick overview at some of the most popular styles used in Phoenix homes.

• Shaker:

  As THE most popular door around, a shaker-style door is made from 5 flat-panel pieces. Four of which make up the frame and a single flat panel center as the fifth piece. This look has clean simple lines that pair well with practically any sort of home décor or persona.

• Flat:

  Simple, yet stylish. A flat-panel door is for the minimalist. No fancy (or expensive) details make this door style popular in contemporary or modern applications.

• Inset:

  An inset door gets its name because it is set inside the frame of the cabinet, whereas most styles butt up against the frame. The precise nature of this door style lends itself to being one of the more expensive choices on the market. Exposed hinges are common and typically required with this look, so be sure to factor this added cost into your budget planning.

• Beadboard:

  Common in cottage styles, a beadboard door is made up of the center panel of the door looking like traditional beadboard paneling. This more decorative approach, while stunning and chic, does come with cracks and crevasses that can take a bit of extra attention in order to keep clean.

• Thermofoil:

  This budget friendly style is made out of MDF (a fiberboard) and is wrapped in a plastic-type coating then baked. The baking process is done under high intensity heat to create a complete and impervious seal. This style is only available in solid colors, which can be difficult to repair if ever damaged.

2. Kitchen Cabinetry Finishes

There are several finish techniques that can be used to keep your remodel project distinctive to you. The upside of getting creative with your cabinetry and utilizing a custom finish technique is that it will stand apart from anyone else’s with its own charming characteristics. The downside to make note of though is that it is unique. Undoubtedly, uniqueness can be a pro and a con simultaneously. While it supports particularity, it does mean that there can be some variation within the individual doors and cabinet boxes even within your own project.

• Carriage

  This finish is rubbed throughout, and does contain small dents and worn holes making each door it’s very own. Glazes, when used, can catch in these divots leaving visual specks of glaze color on the door.

  

• Antique, or Aged

  A burnishing rub is used on the cabinet generating an aged look. Small dents and worn holes make each door unlike any other. This technique, like Carriage, can create an even more customized look when paired with a colored glaze.

  

• Vintage

  Another technique using rubbing to bring about a time worn look. It’s worthy to note that this finish distinguishes itself from the Carriage technique in that the door does not contain any dents, dings or holes.

  

• Olde World

  A popular Artisan finish that includes burnishing, rubbing throughout, worn holes and dents, in addition to carved edges and dry brush glazing.

  

• Cottage

  Providing the feeling of a cozy country cottage, this technique uses spatter to create a charm like no other.

  

• SeaSide

  Like its name, SeaSide uses burnishing and dry brushing of slate glaze to create a light and breezy look.

  

• Heirloom

  Burnishing and dry brushed with a slate glaze to create a family heritage style appearance. Small dents and worn holes are present in this door finish.

  

• Brush Finish

  Glaze is hand applied in a standard and subtle brush stroke overtop the paint color. Applying the finish by hand allows the brush strokes to be seen.

  

3. Kitchen Cabinetry Mouldings & Embellishments

Mouldings are another fine detail that you can add to your cabinetry that will give your space a true custom look. When included in a kitchen remodel, choosing the right type of molding to go with the style of your space can enhance even the most basic of cabinet design. Here are a few of the most popular mouldings that you should know about to personalize your space and cabinet configuration.

• Traditional Crown Moulding

  As the most established in the kitchen cabinet industry, traditional crown moulding tends to be the go-to for many Phoenix homeowners. Moulding, such as this is used to fill the space between the upper cabinets and the ceiling.

  

• Stacked Moulding

  In instances with high ceilings, it is more cost effective to add moulding to the top of the cabinetry than to run the cabinets up to meet the ceiling. A common detailed moulding to use in this case is a stacked moulding, which then becomes more of a decorative element in your space. The concept behind stacked moulding is that numerous pieces of moulding are stacked together creating a seamless look. The more elaborate the design, the more the cost.

  

• Base Moulding

  Moulding applied at the bottom of your base cabinetry directly above the toe kick. Appling this moulding to your island can help make it look more furniture-like than standard cabinetry, especially when used in conjunction with other decorative elements.

  

• Corbels

  Decorative accents that can be added to your cabinetry to enhance the appearance and act as a focal point in your room. Corbels can range in degree of detail in order to compliment even the most glamorous of designs.

  

• Feet

  Adding “feet” to your base cabinets, whether in your kitchen or bathroom can change the look of your space. As a decorative accent, applying them to your design gives your cabinetry more of a furniture-like appearance.

  

• Legs

  Legs can be used in a variety of ways to truly personalize your cabinetry. Whether as a corner statement piece alongside the cabinet, underneath a floating cabinet holding a shelf of sorts or as a table or bar top leg for added support, they can include decorative detailed elements to enhance your space. The look of chunky fluted or mission style legs are popular with many homeowners.

  

Choosing the right kitchen cabinetry for your home can quickly become overwhelming with so many options and styles to choose from – especially knowing that there are over 90,000 imaginable combinations! It doesn’t have to be though. With the help of an experienced general contractor that specializes in kitchen and bathroom remodeling, selecting your materials and seeing the possibilities of your dream remodel come together should be exciting.

TWD (or otherwise known as Todd Whittaker Drywall Inc.) has been in your neighborhood performing home improvements and remodeling services for over 20 years. They have a conveniently located design showroom in Peoria, Arizona with cabinet door and species samples, color and glaze options, not to mention value-added cabinet upgrades that you can try out for yourself. As an authorized dealer for Wellborn Cabinet, the possibilities are infinite in creating your personalized space. All Wellborn cabinets are “made in the USA” from quality materials that undergo strenuous quality check procedures to ensure a superb finished product. On time. Every time.
Visit the TWD website (https://www.twdaz.com) for more information on the services they offer and set up your appointment with one of their trained designers today.

Photo Credit: Finish and embellishment photos provided by Wellborn Cabinet, Inc.