How to Maximize your Cabinet Investment

A kitchen remodel is one of the most important ways to enhance the value of your home.  It is also one of the most used rooms too.  One of key portions of this remodel is the selection of kitchen cabinets.  You need to focus on not only everyday usage but also the designs and colors and material types.   

The most obvious challenge selecting kitchen cabinets

The sheer volume of selections can be intimidating.  Obviously selecting singular or mixing colors can be a challenge by itself.  That happens to probably be easier than deciding the material types.  And once you select the desired material, you then have an option to select varying designs.  All in all, the combination of all the variables can overwhelm some.  You need to approach this not from an intimidation perspective, but rather an opportunity to find just the right style that will fit within your desires for years to come. 

Kitchen remodeling projects can take many months to depending on the scope and materials.  You can enjoy seeing your dreams coming true by understanding all the options available for kitchen cabinets without getting agitated.

You need an idea of your budget

You will be introduced to so many options but you want to aware of your budget to meet your tastes.  Of course you do not want to such an unreasonable budget that you are not able to get the first level of quality in your selections.  A great analogy is looking for a rope bracelet for a loved one.  The same exact style can be purchased in silver, titanium and gold.  And simply selecting gold does not stop there since you can get gold plated, 14K gold or 18K gold.  The decisions on these permutations of a bracelet are the same when it comes to selecting Kitchen Cabinets.  The look may be similar, but the quality is different.   Simply remembering this will allow you to better focus on your dreams matching your investment dollars. 

Different grades of Kitchen Cabinets

When thinking of new kitchen cabinets, you will be introduced to different groupings based on the quality.  While the terminology may slightly vary based on where you looking to purchase, the principle is broken down into four grades.  They are

  • ready-to-assemble
  • stock
  • semi-custom
  • custom

This goes back to the reference on budget where you need to decide up front on the amount of money to be invested in your kitchen cabinets and then begin to learn the cabinet options within your budget.

Material types can be deceiving

Solid Wood kitchen cabinets may be the first to come to mind when considering any form of full or partial kitchen remodel.  Of course it is strong and durable and there is also a great cosmetic appeal.  But similar to the bracelet analogy of different types of gold, there are different types of solid wood such as cherry, maple and oak, among others.  When it comes to the material in general, solid wood kitchen cabinets are more suitable for staining than painting.  This is usually on the higher end of investment options.  Like anything else, you can also look at numerous other types of materials such as Lacquer Cabinets, Melamine Cabinets and PVC-vacuum Cabinets. All of these offer storage yet they all are made differently, can be altered differently as well as be maintained differently.

Style types for every taste

Shaker style cabinets are a hot topic right now.  They offer a very distinctive, clean and minimalist look.  Shaker-style door has five segments offered using industry terminology such as stiles (referencing the vertical pieces on the sides), rails (referencing the horizontal pieces on the top and bottom) and then the recessed panel in the middle.  The overlooked con of this selection is the extra (minor) effort to clean the dirt and dust that accumulates in the inset area of each cabinet.  Just like the material types be plentiful, you can also select from Beadbord Cabinets, Flat Front Cabinets, Glass Front Cabinets and Natural Wood Cabinets. 

Kitchen Cabinet Colors and Style options

Color choice can be overwhelming

Just when you have your budget in order, and idea of material type and style type you like, you can then be met with the mountain of color options to consider.  In some cases you may easily think of a light color or dark color, but there can be more to it when deciding on the design of your current and future kitchen.   You want your Kitchen Cabinets to bring out the best of your house and not having a trained eye to guide you may lose the opportunity to select one or more colors wisely.

Functionality should never take the backseat

It is easy to sometimes forget why you are getting cabinets beyond the cosmetic appeal.  Cabinet designs change based on where they are located, top, bottom, side, corner or island.  Will there be utensils, storage or maybe just display items?  You want to make selections that combine the best alternatives to how your Kitchen Cabinets look, as well as what they are intended to be used for.

Added value is still achieved

Similar to other home improvements such as bathroom remodels, a kitchen remodel will yield the biggest returns in terms of boosting your home’s resale value.   And in California, many homeowners can expect a return on investment upon resale that is slightly more than the national average.  

Pros vs cons can be viewed through a different lens

There are so many factors to consider when selecting Kitchen Cabinets and Elite Kitchen & Bath is here to help.   Rather than looking at all the kitchen cabinet options from a Pro vs Con perspective, we prefer to look at it as What Is Right For You.  Of course everything can be viewed from Positive to Negative, but we are here to have you enjoy learning about your options.   We believe in a single-source solution for remodeling. Elite Kitchen & Bath uses a design-build process. This means the homeowner has a True Turnkey Remodeling Experience for everything from design, material selections, project management, and construction all under one roof.  Homeowners appreciate there is one company that’s accountable for everything from start through completion.

Kitchen Cabinet Selections at Elite

No project too big or small

Sometimes it is hard to appreciate the many options that fall under the kitchen remodeling category.  Whether it is a simple topic or more complex topic such as making countertop, cabinet and shower selections, we can assist you on every decision.  So from super easy to more complex, from the ceiling to the floor, our mission is to provide the finest bathroom remodeling services to our clients.  

Sharing customer reviews is even more important to us

Of course we appreciate written reviews such as those found on our Google My Business profile.  But having professional customer reviews allows you to appreciate how we look at our clients, from the project detail to the client’s satisfaction.   Everyone wants to say they have happy customers, but we like to directly introduce you to them for new customers to appreciate the extra value that we provide. 

Professionalism first, remodeler second

Don’t waste your money on perceived savings when you can invest a little more working with a professional business.  Contact Elite Kitchen & Bath to find out for yourself how we have built a reputation for the timeliness, trust, and quality that sets a new standard in kitchen remodeling for the Santa Barbara, Ventura & the Santa Ynes Valley.  We know you will enjoy visiting our Showroom to select the Kitchen Cabinets meant for you!

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