If you’re getting custom made cabinets for your kitchen, they might as well be the best custom cabinets so you can enjoy them for years to come. But how, exactly, can you know you’re truly getting the best custom cabinets? Here are five things you absolutely shouldn’t compromise on, even if you’re trying to be budget-conscious:
- Completely Custom Sizing
One thing that sets truly custom cabinets apart from semi-custom cabinets is that they can be made in absolutely any dimensions you need, maximizing storage space in small or oddly shaped kitchens in particular. Any company that’s selling cabinets that come in 3-inch size increments as “custom” isn’t offering you the best.
- Solid Wood Fronts
While sides and back of cabinets are often made of engineered products for extra strength, you should expect solid wood door fronts (unless you’re specifically looking for a trendy new option such as concrete, of course). These can be sanded down and repainted or restained multiple times, meaning you can get decades of use from your cabinets no matter how much the styles shift.
- A Variety of Door Styles
You should also have quite a few options regarding door styles for your cabinets. Simpler styles are currently very fashionable (flat front or classic shaker, for example), but there are more elaborate designs that can fit Mediterranean or French Country homes, both of which feel timeless.
- Strong, Solid Shelves
You don’t want your heavy pots and pans — or worse, your family china — tumbling down because the shelves in your cabinets aren’t strong enough. Ask about both the material used for shelving and its thickness to make sure it won’t bow under the weight of any kitchen staples, whether that’s a stack of plates or a cast-iron skillet.
- Specialty Hardware
Some of the bells and whistled offered on custom cabinetry are actually extremely functional. Soft-closing doors and drawers, pull-out shelves, lazy Susans and more can all help you to use your space more efficiently and spend less time rummaging around and balancing stacks of pots and pans to get at what you really want.
The best custom wood cabinets cost a bit more than their semi-custom counterparts, of course. Share in the comments where you think homeowners should be willing to splurge a little on their cabinetry and where it’s a good idea to save a little.
