Cabinet Guide
Karr Bick Kitchen Cabinet Guide
Kitchen cabinets cost as much as a new car!
That may be surprising, but it is true. And unlike a car purchase, a new kitchen doesn't come with a test drive. You can't walk around your new kitchen to see how it performs. With the seemingly endless number of variations and options available in the marketplace today, finding good information that is easy to understand can be an overwhelming task. Because cabinets are one of the most significant parts of your remodel investment, we wanted to provide a comprehensive Guide to Kitchen Cabinets, that is both entertaining and easy to understand.
Here is the good news, unlike driving a new car off the lot, completing your new kitchen increases the value of your home!
Why should you listen to us?
We have decades of experience designing and remodeling kitchens and bathrooms throughout the St. Louis area. In fact, one of our owners and lead designer, Jenny, started attending her father's "school of carpentry" at the age of 4, and she has been "on the job" since.
We don't always tell you what you want to hear, but we will tell you what you need to hear.
In the spirit of our commitment to #NothingOrdinary, this Kitchen Cabinet Guide is a dynamic evolving work in progress created for you. It is not for the purpose of filling the internet with pages of marketing fluff but to inform you the consumer. If you would like to talk with one of our kitchen and bathroom gurus, contact us for a free project consultation.
Kitchen Cabinets 101
Cabinet Door & Drawer Front Styles
Imagine for a second you that you are Dorothy from, The Wizard of Oz, and one day a giant home remodeling storm picks you up, tossing and throwing you about, eventually dropping you in a foreign land filled with too many choices and a lot of competing information.
Here you will find your map to selecting the right cabinet door, a yellow brick road if you will, to make sure that the choices you make are educated ones. So follow the link below, and you will learn about cabinet door construction and the common terminology we use when describing cabinet doors. This bit of knowledge will make the process of selecting your kitchen cabinet doors faster and much less overwhelming.
This decision can impact your overall design aesthetic, the function of your kitchen and your budget as well. So choose wisely because we all know, there is no place like home!👠👠 (too much? Ha! Got a little carried away 😉
Cabinet Construction
Framed or Frameless, that is the question. While not quite as big a question as, "to be or not to be" this is the starting point when choosing a line of cabinets for your kitchen remodel. And this decision will impact design choices throughout the process, so what do you need to know to be an informed buyer?
Quick Tips
- Because of the way they are constructed, frameless cabinets give you a few extra inches of storage within the cabinet.
- Framed cabinets allow for different door configurations: Standard Overlay, Full Overlay, Inset or Recessed Doors.
- Frameless cabinets only come in Full Overlay, although we can create the look of inset doors with some designer magic.
- Visit our cabinet construction page to learn more about the differences between framed and frameless cabinets, cabinet drawer construction, material choices, etc.
Cabinet Finishes
When it comes to cabinets, we probably get the most questions about finishes. The finish is critical to the look of the kitchen, even more so than the style of the door or the construction of the box.
When you stand back and look at the overall appearance of the space, often it’s the color palette that drives that 'oh so hard' decision of what finish to choose? There is a lot to consider when picking your kitchen cabinet finishes, for instance:
- What’s more expensive? Stained or painted cabinets?
- What is the difference between a catalyzed varnish finish and why is it different from paint?
- What is more durable? A factory finish or a local custom cabinet shop finish?
- Does beating the crap out of the cabinets make them cost more?
Cabinet Wood Species
We are going to talk about wood species, even though 90% of the cabinets we sell are painted or (if you read the cabinet finishes section) catalyzed varnish kitchen cabinetry. As a general rule, wood species is selected more for its look than its durability or price but some of the more exotic wood species can have a significant impact on the bottom line. Here are some of the topics we will tackle in this section:
- Which woods take stain best?
- Which woods are best suited for painted finishes?
- What are some exotic or specialty wood species?
- What looks like cherry but generally costs less?
- So strap in and join us for a nerdy walk down Wood Species Lane!
Cabinet Accessories
These are the toys that make the dream of becoming more organized a reality. Whether for decoration or utility, taking the time to really understand how you use your space allows us to make suggestions for special cabinet options that have become extremely popular in recent years.
Click the link to find some of our best ideas for making your bathroom or kitchen more functional.
Cabinet FAQ
From cleaning tips to whether cabinet purchases are taxable, in the U.S. 17,000 people Google search something each month that include the words, “kitchen cabinets”. That boils down to about 566 a day. If you do not sleep, that means you are asking Google a question about kitchen cabinets on average 24 times an hour!
Click the button to find answers to some of the more common wonders that keep you all awake at night.
Cabinetry Glossary of Terms
Sometimes when us "designery" peeps get on a roll we start to throw words at you that we assume you know. Like “pull" or "plate” or "finger route” and then when we see a very confused look on your face - 😕 - hopefully, we walk it back with an explanation. This can also occur after you have spent hours making decisions on some very important things and your brain is just plain tired.😩 This section of our kitchen cabinet guide is a glossary of terms so you know what we mean when we ask the question, “Would you like a catch latch on that inset cabinet door?”
Our Cabinet Brands
