How To Buy Perfect Kitchen Cabinets In Los Angeles

Your kitchen is often called the heart of the home because its where most social activities take place. A nice open concept kitchen invites family and guests to gather and socialize while cooking and dining. Since there are countless different finishes and styles, it can be hard to figure out what will work best for you and your family.

Whether you are looking for a custom-designed kitchen cabinet with a specialty finish or a more traditional design, we can help. This guide will go through how to find the perfect cabinets to make your kitchen be the topic of discussion at your next gathering.

Table of Contents

1. Allocating Kitchen Costs
2. Choose Your Kitchen Style
3. Choosing Your Box Materials
4. Types of Kitchen Cabinets
5. Choosing Between Framed Vs. Frameless
6. Deciding Your Kitchen Door Overlay
7. Deciding on Kitchen Colors and Finishes
8. Considering Kitchen Cabinet Accessories
9. What About Accessible Kitchen Cabinetry?
10. Ask the Professionals
11. Where to Buy Kitchen Cabinets In LA

Allocating Kitchen Costs

If you are looking to remodel or build your kitchen from scratch, it can add up quickly. Many people don’t realize that they should allocate out 30-50% of their budget just towards the kitchen cabinets.

A way to make the budget closer to 30% instead of 50% is to shop for different kitchen cabinet bargains and deals. This will help you save more money in your budget so that you can spend it on other things such as kitchen flooring and kitchen appliances.

There are 3 main types of cabinets on the market currently: stock cabinets, semi-custom cabinets, and custom cabinets. Stock kitchen cabinets, also commonly referred to as RTA (ready to assemble), are usually the cheaper of the 3 options. Semi-custom kitchen cabinets offer a wider variety of cabinet styles and finishes which often increase the price in comparison to RTA cabinets. Custom kitchen cabinets are of course the most expensive and are generally priced depending on the wood maker.

Choose Your Kitchen Style

Stock Cabinets

These kitchen cabinets often come unassembled in a box and have instruction on assembly. Often, these are good for people looking to do a quick home renovation and do not want to spend too much money. You will be limited to door style and color finish options since these cabinet come pre finished.

Semi-Custom

Semi-custom kitchen cabinets offer a great in between option when it comes to cabinets. They are built to order, which allows for a much greater selection in door style and finish options. You will often have more size options and customization that can be offered to these types of cabinets.

Custom

Custom kitchen cabinets are similar to semi-custom, except you can design them to be made in any way you want. This type is great if you want/need awkwardly shaped cabinets or ones that are weirdly sized

Design Affects Price

These levels of design correlate with an increasing price. Your cheapest option will be a stock cabinet, but semi-custom and custom cabinets will be worth the little extra money to get the perfect style for your needs.

Choosing Your Box Materials

You can find kitchen cabinets that are made from an array of different materials. Common wood species used in kitchen cabinetry are maple, cherry, alder, and oak. Some materials are better than others though. That is why it is especially important to take into consideration what your cabinet is going to be made of when deciding what to buy. For example, for painted kitchen cabinets, its often recommended to use a maple wood because the wood absorbs the paint evenly. Stained cabinets can be used on any wood species.

Particle Board

Also known as a furniture board, this material is composed of wood particles held together by an adhesive and compressed under heat and pressure to form panels. Particleboard cannot be painted or stained, and therefore is more often used for shelves where it is covered with either wood veneer, Thermofoil, or laminates.

Plywood

The most used material in building kitchen cabinets is plywood. It is composed of thin slices of wood bonded together with an adhesive so that the wood grain of each layer is running in the opposite direction as the one below it. Thus, forming a strong and durable building material capable of holding screws and other fasteners more securely.

Types of Kitchen Cabinets

Different types of cabinets have different functions in our kitchens. You have two basic types of kitchen cabinets which are base cabinets and wall cabinets. However, there are different variations of each type as well.

Base Cabinets

Base kitchen cabinets are cabinets that are set on the floor and support your countertops. There are different types of base cabinets, such as sink and corner base cabinets.

Sink base kitchen cabinets have a false drawer in the front and an open back so that they can accommodate the plumbing to your sink.

Corner base kitchen cabinets are designed to utilize all the space in your kitchen as best as possible. They feature a spinning design so that you can easily store and access more things in the corner of your kitchens while maintaining a beautiful design.

Wall Cabinets

Wall kitchen cabinets are just that, cabinets that hang above the countertops on the walls of your kitchen. Wall cabinets can have a variety of adjustable futures including:

• Adjustable shelves
• Different sizes (ie. small cabinets for above your fridge)
• Number of doors (single, double, or triple)
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There are also corner wall kitchen cabinets that function similarly to corner base cabinets.

Pantry Cabinets

Similar to base cabinets, pantry kitchen cabinets rest on the floor, except they extend upwards to have a much taller storage area. Most feature two doors and about three adjustable shelves.

Choosing Between Framed Vs. Frameless

Once you have figured out what types of kitchen cabinets you need, it is time to decide if they will be constructed with or without frame.

Frameless kitchen cabinets are often used in more contemporary and modern designs while framed kitchen cabinets are used in traditional and craftsman style designs. There really isn’t an advantage to either frame style, but you do get a little more room inside your cabinet when its frameless.

Deciding Your Kitchen Door Overlay

The term door overlay refers to how much the door overlays the frame of the kitchen cabinet. There are three different types of door overlays.

Full Overlay

A kitchen cabinet door that is fully overlaid covers the majority of the frame, leaving only about ¼ of an inch of the face frame showing. As a result, you need hardware otherwise it would be very difficult to open the doors and the drawers due to there being such little space between them.

Partial Overlay

A partial kitchen overlay is the traditional and least expensive door overlay. It has the door sit on the cabinet face and leaves about an inch of the face frame showing. You do not need any hardware for this style.

Inset

A door that is inset rests within the frame of the kitchen cabinet. By doing so, you get a sleek design on the outside, but less storage space and you need hardware for this type.

Deciding on Kitchen Colors and Finishes

Finally, you need to pick the perfect colors and finishes to tie your kitchen together. The place you are buying your kitchen cabinets from should be able to help with this process. All you have to do is give them some ideas about the color scheme of your kitchen, as well as how much natural light the room receives.

Leaving the Doors Unfinished

Your first option is to do nothing at all with the kitchen doors and just apply a clear coat to protect the wood. They will be left in their natural state to provide a more rustic feel to your kitchen. This is often done with cherry or mahogany.

A Simple Paint

Painted kitchen cabinets are painted with a gloss, semi-gloss, or satin finish paint for a more stain-resistant approach. Most commonly, these are applied as a lacquer paint for durability.

Staining Your Cabinets

Using a stain is the most common way to finish a kitchen cabinet. It can enhance the wood grain and even change the color of the cabinet. When it is applied by spray it provides a more uniform finish. However, when applied by hand, stain provides a unique, varied color effect that many people like.

Glaze and Highlight

After you paint or stain a kitchen cabinet, you can choose to glaze and highlight it or just highlight it. A glaze and highlight is a transparent coating meant to add color and depth to the cabinet. It settles in the corners and decorative details to add a darker highlight.

A highlight is sort of like a glaze but its main goal is to simply keep the finished color intact.

Considering Kitchen Cabinet Accessories

Now that you have decided on the important aspects of the cabinet, it is time to consider some kitchen accessories. A few options to consider include:

• Add a decorative touch with spacers, rosettes, and plinth blocks
• Convert false kitchen drawers to something usable with a tip out tray
• Faux legs and feet to make it appear that your kitchen cabinets are floating
• Plate holders to display your dinnerware
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These accessories are not mandatory but can add an extra, unique element to your kitchen.

What About Accessible Kitchen Cabinetry?

Another aspect of your kitchen cabinets that you should consider is the ability to make them more accessible. It is your home, so you might as well live easily within it. These customizable options include:

• Elevated toe-kicks at the base of kitchen cabinets to allow for individuals with wheelchairs to be more comfortable
• Lowered kitchen cabinets for microwaves so that you don’t have to reach so high to get out your hot food
• Pull down spice racks
• Pull-out kitchen shelves and drawer organizers to make your glassware and pots easier to reach
• Pull out tables that fit in your kitchen cabinets
• Raised dishwasher cabinets so that cleaning dishes doesn’t do a number on your back
• Roll-out baskets for things such as your garbage can make it easier to have access to
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Think about these options before making your final decision on your cabinets. Often, the cabinet maker can customize the kitchen cabinets so that they will easily fit these accommodations.

Ask the Professionals

If you are still struggling to figure out what kitchen cabinets will work best for you, consult a professional.

Here at Polaris, we offer free kitchen consultations from experienced support specialists who have your budget and needs in mind. They will be able to recommend different styles and designs that will best suit your kitchen aesthetic.

They can also help provide details to your kitchen remodeling contractor, so you don’t have to try to remember everything they said.

Where to Buy Kitchen Cabinets In LA

Looking to find the perfect cabinets for your kitchen? At Polaris Home Design, we offer an extensive selection of different kitchen cabinet styles and finishes. Choose from custom and semi-custom solutions that are created to always fit your needs best.

Our high-tech manufacturing process results in healthy, long-lasting cabinets that will look wonderful in your kitchen. All our strong plywood cabinets have full-height back panels to make them stronger and more easily installed.

Never worry about your kitchen cabinets losing their shape due to our I-beam upper sides that make them just that much more durable. Also, enjoy easy-to-clean melamine interiors coupled with soft-close hinges to ensure your cabinets are never any trouble to you.

Interested in our cabinets? Contact us today for a free quote and design of your dream kitchen. You can also take a look at one of our many kitchen showrooms to get a first-hand experience of what kitchen cabinet styles you will like best.