Focusing on the Cabinetry of Kitchen Design
The kitchen cabinets are the first things seen when entering a kitchen. Choosing the right kitchen cabinet doors and drawers can set the tone for the kitchen style.
Whether undergoing a total kitchen renovation or just refacing the cabinet doors, the kitchen design can go nowhere without the style of the cabinets. Whether creating a Tuscan kitchen, or a modern style, the cabinet doors play a big part in how the kitchen looks and feels.
Begin with the Counter
If a set theme or style for the kitchen with specific cabinet doors is not already in place, try letting the counter lead in choosing the cabinet doors. If using granite, it’s especially important to select the exact slab that will be used before beginning to make the rest of the kitchen design decisions.
The kitchen counter helps dictate what the cabinets will look like in two ways. The first is color. Many kitchen counters will have multiple colors, shades, and tones running through their surfaces. These tones can help the homeowner set the entire pallet for the kitchen design. For example, try picking up the deep brown tones in Giallo Ornamental with a wenge or walnut-colored cabinet door. Or focus on the few white and cream accents seen in Uba Tuba or Butterfly granite, and match the cabinet doors to the granite veins.
Even Corian and engineered stones will frequently have small dots and colors that can help determine the color of the cabinets. Caesarstone’s Crema, for example, has multiple tones of cream, yellow, and caramel in a limestone pattern. Try taking one of those shades and lightening it up for the cabinet door color. Or, go the opposite direction, choose the darkest shade on the counter, and then deepen it even more for the cabinet doors so that the design flows smoothly.
Besides the color, the counter helps determine the type and style of the kitchen cabinets. With a great deal of movement and veining, wild granites and stones will take center stage in a kitchen design. A simple cabinet door, such as a slab, mission or shaker, or a modern door, in glass or stainless steel, will work better than a cabinet with more detail.
More sedate counters, such as closely grained granites, engineered stones, and Corian, can handle a more decorative cabinet door. Look for mitered doors or French Country cabinets, with their carved doors, millwork, crown moldings, and corbels.
Set the Theme
Another way to select kitchen cabinets, or narrow down cabinet choices once the counter has been selected, is to set a theme for the rest of the kitchen. An Italian kitchen, for example, will have sleek doors and an uncluttered appearance. Accent it with a modern kitchen floor in textured Italian porcelain, and bring the cabinets up on legs to enhance the design.
On the other hand, a Tuscan kitchen will have dark, heavy cabinets in warm colors. More rustic, the cabinets will have simple decorative lines in their moldings.
Country and rustic, farmhouse-style kitchens will have simple, blocky cabinet doors, often with a heavy frame. Two colors are available for painting or staining the cabinets, one on the outer edge or frame and a second color on the interior to highlight the design. Truly rustic style cabinets are available with worn, rubbed finishes and even pinholes in the wood. Finish these cabinets with a farmhouse sink and a travertine or slate floor.
For transitional looks that can embrace modern sensibilities and classic decorative components, look for shaker door styles with clean, classic lines. Shaker doors will work with nearly any style of the countertop and look good in many finishes and colors.
Try shaker doors in eclectically styled kitchens with wild granites and decorative backsplashes. Dress up the cabinet doors with handpainted knobs and pulls to add an extra touch of decoration without pushing the design over the edge.
Remember to keep the design moving in whichever direction it is set. Finish modern kitchens with large format porcelain floors and stainless steel pull on the cabinet doors. Add handpainted backsplash tiles to a French Country kitchen while using durable, timeless French Limestone tiles on the floor in a Versailles pattern. Finish off the design with complimentary wall colors and lights.
The kitchen is one of the most utilized rooms in the home, so make sure it’s comfortable, functional, and suits the homeowner’s style to continue to enjoy its use for years to come.