Cabinets are some of the most visible and usable items of furniture in the kitchen and often take up a large percentage of the vertical space. They are necessary for storing all of the things that you will need to use in a working kitchen.
There is a huge variety of kitchen cabinet styles to consider when designing a new space or renovating an old one. Cabinets come with all sorts of fittings and can be made out of a huge range of materials. With this in mind, here is a guide to the kinds of kitchen cabinets that are available.
Slab
Slab cabinets have completely featureless, monolithic surfaces. They can be made of anything from wood to metal. These cabinets are perfect for modern minimalist kitchen designs and go well with quartz or marble surfaces like those sold by Legacy Countertops.
Their handles are usually inverted – meaning that no part of the cabinet sticks out and ruins the uniformity of the surface. Slab cabinets are becoming increasingly popular as people embrace minimalistic and uncluttered kitchen design.
Shaker
Shaker cabinets are one of the most popular kinds of kitchen cabinets in Austin, American homes. They are made of five flat panels and are usually constructed out of hardwood. These cabinets are incredibly utilitarian and can be adapted to fit many styles, not to mention they can be put together easily and can be efficiently flat packed.
Generally, shaker cabinets work well in Scandinavian, farmhouse, and cottage-style kitchens that feature lots of natural wood surfaces.
Louvered
Louvered kitchen cabinets are inspired by louvered doors and window shutters – which are traditionally used in hot European countries to keep interiors cool. They are fitted with a large number of horizontal panels that are spaced in order to provide a degree of ventilation.
These cabinets are exceptional at keeping kitchens cool and are very useful if your kitchen gets a great deal of sunlight. Louvered cabinets do tend to come with a hefty price tag due to the skill needed in their construction. Farmhouse kitchens suit these cabinets to a tee.
Beadboard
Beadboard cabinets are paneled using wide vertical slats known as beads. This design offers a classy and rustic look that is perfect for painting in neutral colors such as eggshell blue. Beadboard designs tend to be a little more expensive than shaker designs but not as expensive as louvered cabinets.
These cabinets can be used to emphasize the traditional appearance of a cottage kitchen. They are typically made of hardwood and are very resistant to heat warping.
Thermofoil
Thermofoil cabinets are some of the most affordable and variable types of kitchen storage. They are molded out of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), coated in plastic, and then baked at a very high temperature. Although these cabinets are often very cheap and can look great, they do not have very good heat resistance. For this reason, thermofoil cabinets can warp over time if they are installed next to an oven or radiator. Overall, these cabinets are superb for those on a budget but are limited in utility.
