Kitchen cabinets dictate more than just space utilizationthey’re the defining design element of your kitchen and the biggest contributor to its value. That’s why choosing the right door style is crucial.
A skilled interior door company can help you navigate the multitude of choices, ensuring your door is both energy efficient and gorgeous.
Flat-Panel Cabinet Doors
Flat panel cabinet doors (also known as slab cabinets) have a simple, smooth construction that blends well with a variety of kitchen designs. They pair nicely with lighter woods and white elements to accentuate brighter kitchen colors, or with darker woods and gray elements for a richer feel.
They’re also a good choice for more traditional styles, and they look particularly great with natural wood tones. The simplest way to dress them up is with unique hardware that either ties the door together or stands out against it.
When it comes to choosing the right cabinet doors for your kitchen, you’ll want to weigh your options carefully. For most homeowners, the choice boils down to two types: flat-panel or shaker cabinet doors. Shaker cabinet doors are a popular option because of their recessed center panel and square edges, but they can require more maintenance than flat-panel doors. Both offer timeless elegance, so it all comes down to personal preference.
Slab Cabinet Doors
The flat, slab cabinet doors create the sleek, contemporary look of modern or Euro-style cabinets. They’re available in a variety of materials, including solid wood and medium-density fiberboard that’s covered with plastic laminate or thermofoil. Because they lack frames and contours, slab cabinet doors tend to be more durable than frame-and-panel doors. The doors can also stay cleaner because they don’t have as much ornamentation.
The slab door style is usually the most expensive option. Delorie Countertops & Doors offers wood slab doors in walnut 2-coats clear and walnut tamarack to complement your kitchen’s design scheme. These premium cabinet doors feature natural grain variations and come standard with plywood boxes, soft close drawers and full extension/soft-close hinges. They can also be stained and painted, if desired.
Glass Cabinet Doors
Having a glass front cabinet is a great way to show off your favorite ceramics, dishes, and crystal. It can also encourage you to stay tidy as your items will be exposed and not hidden away behind solid panels.
Glass front cabinets can be traditional with a wood frame and a glass panel inset or contemporary with frameless glass-front doors. You can even get a hybrid style by ordering doors with an open frame that you can fill in yourself with frosted or seeded glass purchased locally.
Changing your solid cabinet door to one with a glass panel is not difficult. Measure the groove in your doors for the panel and cut a piece of glass to fit. Apply a bead of clear silicone around the edges of the groove and carefully set your glass. Use L-brackets or nails to secure it, but be sure to drill pilot holes first to avoid splitting the wood.
Wood Cabinet Doors
When it comes to solid-wood cabinet doors, most homeowners choose either a Five Piece Flat Panel or Five Piece Raised Panel door style. The key difference is how the cabinet doors are constructed. Five piece construction includes stiles, rails, and a center panel that is made from the same material as the rest of the cabinet door frame. Decorative profiles can be routed into the stiles and rails for added detail.
Solid wood cabinet doors expand and contract with humidity changes. This can cause paint cracks between the panels and frames over time. A solution is to select a paint-grade wood frame and use an MDF center panel. This provides more stability and a less-prone to warping appearance.
MDF can be precisely cut and sanded for a professional-looking finish when painted. It is also more affordable than solid wood doors. Alternatively, opt for laminate cabinet doors that have a melamine surface and a choice of color patterns, hues, and “grains.”