How To Choose Your Door Style

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Kitchen cabinets are more than boxes you throw stuff in and quickly shut the door. The Cabinetry you choose should flow with the property style while enhancing your Kitchen’s features, providing functionality for your personal needs, and increasing the value of the home all the while being a pleasurable, comfortable place that you walk through practically everyday of your life. No pressure. 

If the above paragraph isn't enough, as custom cabinet makers we will be asking you to consider many other things to consider before choosing a door style out of numerous options. 

1. What is your home style? Traditional (Try a raised panel door), Farmhouse, Beach House (Shaker or Inset Doors work great), Modern - Industrial, Trendy. (Flat or Slab Doors work for this style)  (Consider all existing design elements - flooring, appliances, interior trim and moldings, basically the overall theme and design) 
2. Functionality. Do you prioritize practicality or visual aesthetics?  Do you want to display vintage or high quality dinnerware? Glass door styles will showcase these items perfectly. For high use cabinets, you will need durable materials and finishes that will sustain the test of time. 
3. Cost. What is your budget? Clients often don’t want to answer this question, but it is a very important one in order for us to make realistic recommendations, or to decide to not put a great deal of time into an unrealistic situation. Most budgets can be accomplished, even if the suggestion is geared toward RTA Cabinets rather than custom. We are able to suggest materials that work well for your budget or door style alternatives that can be cost savings. Setting a realistic budget saves everyone time and tells us a lot about what is reasonable and how we can best serve your needs within a certain range. 
4. Materials. Again, this is where staying within budget is critical. We all love a Rift White Oak, but be willing to hand over the wallet. The Lumber and sheet goods are the most expensive on the market at this time. Maple and Alder, still costly but a third of the cost of a Rift White Oak. This is the type of information we can provide to our client’s because we buy materials everyday. MDF and TFL are the most cost effective materials, commonly used and still build a great cabinet. 
5. Maintenance and Cleaning. The less detail a door has, the easier it is to clean them. Over time a door’s finish may need to have scratches repaired due to normal wear and tear. Scratches on stained doors are not as visible as on painted doors. 
6. Color. The color you choose for your cabinets can alter your kitchen’s theme. There are over a thousand different options. We see thousands of kitchens and bathrooms, so again, we can provide you with some great ideas and suggestions - take advantage of that! 

Now it's time to choose the best door style to flow with the initial design. 

1. Shaker- the most popular door style. Its clean lines and easy to clean feature keeps it a classic. However, it feels so overused since it's what everyone has at this time to us, still most people won’t deny its sense of classiness. It works great in traditional and transitional kitchens.
2. Raised Panel-  Adds elegance and personality to traditional and rustic kitchens. 
3. Inset Panel - Great when used to elevate the features of a contemporary and farmhouse kitchen. Maintains a similar simple feature as a shaker with a slightly different twist. 
4. Beaded Panel- Add a classic touch to a coastal or farmhouse kitchen.
5. Glass Doors- Create a bright and open space in any style kitchen!
6. Arched Panel Doors - Arched panels though traditional, look great in Country-style and Mediterranean kitchens. Nowadays, there are many different styles of arches. 
7. Mullion Doors - an addition to plain glass door styles. Ask us about different ways to design these door styles. 

Refer to our Door Styles Page to look at these various door styles!