The choices you make about your kitchen cabinetry can set the mood of your kitchen. Light-colored woods such as oak and maple can make a small dark kitchen seem brighter and larger. Darker woods like cherry or mahogany create drama, giving your kitchen a high class look, like a fancy dining room. Whether you choose the drama of mahogany or the friendly warmth of oak kitchen cabinets, if you want to give the cabinets less visual heft, look for turned leg pieces that mimic the appearance of furniture. Door trim kits for appliances can help tie a kitchen together visually, but check with the manufacturer first for compatibility. All kits might not fit all wood cabinets.

 

 

The internal box is the cabinet’s backbone: the stronger the better. Look for heavy boxes with at least ½-inch-thick walls or structural rails that can be attached with screws to the wall studs. Cabinet boxes can be found make of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and oriented strand board (OSB), but the best is plywood with dado or mortise joints. The corners should have metal or wood braces for rigidity. High-quality cabinets have dovetail joints in the drawer boxes, as opposed to straight joints, and you’ll also have the option to match the interior finish to that of the exterior.

 

 

Before you leave your cabinet supplier, or finish your online purchase, pick up a repair kit, which should include items like wood wax, putty, or wood tinted markers to cover set nails or repair small scratches. Always buy a few extra hinges and drawer-slide systems because these items tend to wear out first—but they're easy to replace. Don't forget to unpack all of your cabinets before installing them to ensure you’ve received the correct units. That way you'll know immediately if there's a problem.