2 types of kitchen cabinets

There are countless cabinet designs. However, you can easily narrow down your options simply by considering the material used to make these kitchen accessories.

1. Wood cabinets

Wood cabinetry has been around for a long time and remains very popular (a 2006 report from Profile America indicates that wood accounted for 90% of all cabinetry installed). In recent years, the introduction of overlapping slab panel doors has breathed new life into these fixtures. This design is the perfect complement to modern designs. When combined with doors without handles, you may very well assume that the entire installation is one wall.

Unless its surface is painted, the natural characteristics of the wood will determine its most suitable choice. You have a plethora of options, ranging from dark-toned cherries to light-colored maples. Here is a sample of the benefits you get with each choice you make:

– Maple: This type varies from medium to hard wood, with straight, wavy and curly grains. Two key draws of this variety are its inherent chip resistance, which makes it quite durable, as well as its uniform, lightweight appearance, which gives it a smooth, clean appearance when dyed. It also has a unique characteristic of taking on the likeness of more expensive hardwoods and softwoods such as cedar and cherry. This is achieved by special finishing techniques. Considering all these benefits, it’s no surprise that it’s the most popular option (in 2007, it accounted for 46.5% of US sales, according to the Profile America report).

– Oak: This is an excellent choice for cabinets. It stains well and can be found in white and red color variations. However, you will have to deal with its heavy weight; although this is due to its high density and hardness, which makes it quite durable.

– Birch: This variety only has slight variations in color that range from cream tones to light yellow. A great advantage of this smooth hardwood variety is its high shock resistance, which makes it a good choice for long-lasting cabinetry.

2. Stainless steel cabinets

With the advent of modern and stylish kitchen design, kitchen cabinets have also taken on a new look to go along with it. This is clearly represented by the stainless steel cabinets. Such a design perfectly complements built-in household appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines and ovens. When professionally installed, it creates a perfect fit that makes the entire installation look like one unit.

Stainless steel cabinets have several other benefits besides looking good. A key benefit is durability. The material is significantly stronger than wood; therefore, it can withstand much more powerful blows, while remaining intact. In fact, it’s tough enough to withstand the most frequent scratches and light bumps without significant visible damage.

Another benefit you have with metal cabinets is the fact that it doesn’t require painting. Painted surfaces within the kitchen can often peel off due to moisture buildup resulting from food preparation, washing and cooking processes. Such exfoliation will definitely transform once beautiful surfaces into a monotonous and unattractive look. Fortunately, this does not happen with stainless steel surfaces.

Perhaps the only downside is the fact that you can’t change the look by remodeling. While remodeling is an expensive renovation, it helps breathe new life into an outdated look within your kitchen. However, that is only possible with wooden surfaces, rather than stainless steel.