How Do I Choose the Best Maple Kitchen Cabinets?

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Maple kitchen cabinets are a popular choice for many kitchens. Maple is a strong and durable hardwood. It's ideal for cabinets used by families for daily use since it resists dents and scratches. Maple is also considered a wood that holds stain well, so there are many shades to choose from. However, if you're hoping for very dark kitchen cupboards, maple kitchen cabinets may not be the best choice, as they are are mostly available in light to medium shades from honey to cinnamon.

If your kitchen is extremely sunny, you may want to choose painted rather than stained maple cabinets. Stained maple tends to fade in sunlight. If sunlight is constantly on one part of your kitchen that includes your cabinets, you could eventually have mismatched wood tones in your cupboards. Stained maple cabinets are definitely not a good choice for outdoor kitchens such as on open patios or poolside areas.

When looking for maple kitchen cabinets, you'll notice two types of grains if you look closely. One type is a burl and the other is a bird's eye. Bird's eye maple has circles or rounded rectangles featured in the grain.

The burl style of maple used for kitchen cabinets has curl shaped clusters in its grain. You should examine both types in person such as in a kitchen design showroom to discover which type you prefer. Ideally, examine each of the two types of maple grain in a range of finishes so hopefully you find the ideal color and style to match what you want for your kitchen cabinets.

Although maple cabinets are not usually available in dark wood like cherry, they often cost much less. Maple is a mid-priced hardwood that offers good value in cabinets because of its strength and durability. As maple kitchen cabinets are popular, you should be able to choose from a large selection of reasonably priced pre-made styles. Maple is often second only to oak in its popularity for kitchen cupboards.

If you prefer custom-made maple kitchen cabinets, these will cost more. The advantage of choosing custom maple cabinets is they can be built to your exact specifications, both in terms of storage and style. Unlike pine cabinets that tend to dent easily, maple cupboards are much more durable, so paying more for a unique custom cabinet design may be a good investment.