#Kitchen Cabinet Ideas - How to Buy Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinet Shop

Cabinet Shop

Before you go out looking for new kitchen cabinets you'll need to consider the numerous options available. This guide will help you get started.

Cabinet features

Kitchen cabinets can be roughly divided into three categories: stock, semicustom and custom.

STOCK CABINETS are the least expensive; they are manufactured in volume and available in a limited range of styles, colors and sizes. Typically, they are made in standard widths in 3" increments.

SEMICUSTOM CABINETS give consumers more diverse, although not unlimited, options in finish, trim and molding details, hardware, door and drawer styles, and size. Semicustom cabinets are more expensive than stock but often come with more durable materials and better finishes. Lead times for delivery are longer than for stock cabinets.

CUSTOM CABINETS are available through specialty manufacturers and local cabinet shops. They offer complete flexibility in design: Custom color matching, precise sizing, and virtually unlimited options for materials and hardware are among the advantages. But lead times can be long, and as complexity goes up, so does the price.