Your kitchen should be a place where you feel comfortable, but what actually makes a kitchen feel like home? It isn’t only about having good knives or cookware. It’s also about shaping the room around the way you use it. When it comes to comfort and functionality, few upgrades do more than custom kitchen cabinets.
Chances are your home already had kitchen cabinets installed when you bought it. They do their job, giving you somewhere to store ingredients and cookware. Sooner or later, though, many homeowners feel the need to change things up, and that is when they start to consider custom cabinets for their kitchen.
What are custom kitchen cabinets? Simply put, they are cabinets made to order for your kitchen and the way you use it. A designer asks what you want from your cabinets and plans them around your room. Custom work does cost more than stock cabinets, so it’s understandable to have doubts.
Custom cabinets come with a long list of benefits, which is why many people decide the investment is worth it. If you want to see what these cabinets can do for you, here is a rundown of the benefits you can expect from custom kitchen cabinets.
They’re Made to Fit Any Kitchen
The name says it all: the main advantage of custom kitchen cabinets is that they are made to fit your kitchen. If you are planning a kitchen remodel, it makes sense to have the cabinets made to order too, so they suit the overall look and layout of your new kitchen.
Some stock cabinets are oddly proportioned for the room they sit in. They can make a kitchen feel awkward and tight, which is why many people eventually ask professionals to build cabinets to measure. And when a kitchen has no cabinets at all, starting with custom cabinets is often a better choice than buying pre-made ones.
Kitchens with an unusual shape are the hardest to fit with pre-made cabinets, because standard sizes rarely match their angles, alcoves and ceiling heights. For kitchens like these, custom cabinets are often the only way to use every bit of the space.
Increase Your Storage Capacity
A common complaint about pre-made kitchen cabinets is limited storage. Either the compartments are too small, or they are an awkward shape that makes it hard to store bottles, boxes and the other things you keep in a kitchen cabinet.
If that sounds familiar, consider having your cabinets made to order. That way you get cabinets that fit your needs. Generous storage matters most if you love to cook, because you need enough room to keep your ingredients and equipment close at hand.
Some homeowners who order custom kitchen cabinets even ask for specific dimensions to fit the ingredients and cookware they use most. It takes skill and experience to design cabinets that hold a lot without taking up much of the kitchen.
They Accommodate Your Every Need
The great thing about these cabinets is that they are tailor-made for you. Even the height of the cabinets and the placement of the handles can be planned around the people who use the kitchen. Many homeowners live with cabinets that are partly beyond their reach.
That makes the cabinets uncomfortable to use, and it can be unsafe when you are stretching for objects stored too high. Well-designed custom cabinets let you maximize your storage space while keeping everything comfortable to reach.
Professional designers can build your needs into the cabinets. Tell them your preferences and they can show you a range of ways to tailor the kitchen even further, from drawer layouts to interior organizers. A kitchen planned this way is noticeably more comfortable to work in.
You Can Design Your Own Cabinets
It’s always satisfying to personalize your home, so why not take it a step further and help design your own cabinets? If you have a clear idea of what you want, you can ask your cabinet maker to follow a design of your own. That helps you create a kitchen you will enjoy spending time in.
You can choose everything from the material and the finish to the overall shape of the cabinets. If you are not confident in your design skills, don’t worry: semi-custom cabinets start from standard designs and are then partially tailored to your liking.
It doesn’t have to stop at the kitchen, either. The same approach works for cabinets in other rooms, such as bathroom vanities and built-in storage. Since we are talking about kitchen cabinets here, though, it helps to get familiar with common kitchen cabinet styles first.
You Take Control of the Budget
With pre-made kitchen cabinets, the price is already set, and there is usually little room to adjust it. With custom kitchen cabinets, you have more control over the budget. You are free to set the budget you want for the cabinets, as long as you stay realistic about what quality cabinetry costs.
Custom does not always mean extravagant. Tell your cabinet maker what you are comfortable spending and they can suggest ways to get a refined look for less. Choices such as the wood species, door style and finish all affect the price, so there is room to adjust.
With pre-made cabinets you can’t change much about what you are paying for. With cabinets made to order, you decide where the money goes. They also give your home a character of its own, because no other house will have quite the same kitchen.
Well-made, distinctive features can also add to a home’s appeal. If you hope to sell your house in the future, custom kitchen cabinets may help it stand out to buyers, because they add a quality that standard fixtures do not.
Better Craftsmanship and Durability
Perhaps the biggest plus of custom cabinets is how they are made. They are built to order rather than mass-produced to standard sizes, and they are not rushed to suit a builder’s schedule. Good custom and semi-custom cabinets are made with care, and it shows in their durability and overall finish.
If you want kitchen cabinets that last a long time, made-to-order cabinets are a strong choice. Each piece is built specifically for your kitchen, so the maker can focus on the details of your project.
Stock cabinets can be a perfectly good option, but they rarely match the craftsmanship and durability of custom work. To see the difference for yourself, look at pre-made cabinets in a store and then compare them with the samples a custom cabinet maker shows you. Pay attention to the joinery, the drawer boxes and the finish.
Cabinets are a big part of your kitchen. Besides looking good, they do a lot of work and make everyday tasks easier. If the limits of standard kitchen cabinets frustrate you, custom cabinets are well worth considering.