The material you pick for the doors of your kitchen cabinets will affect their durability and visual appeal. The best cabinet doors strike a chord between sturdy construction and attractive design. When perusing prospective materials for new cabinets, options are abundant. The following are the most practical and aesthetically pleasing top kitchen cabinetry materials.
· Oak
Oak will be inexpensive, robust, and long-lasting. It comes in various styles and looks great when stained with medium and dark tones, mainly due to its pronounced grain patterns. Depending on the design style you wish to achieve and the extent to which you want to adopt the natural appearance, you may opt for either knotty oak or regular oak.
· Cherry
Cherry is quite durable and can withstand marring and impacts. It is formal and sophisticated when used in a traditional setting, and its design versatility can give your kitchen a more modern feel.
· Maple
Hard maple is a more expensive alternative to oak due to its lighter colour and finer grain, but it is also significantly less dense. Because it takes stains well, maple is a popular choice for fully custom and semi-custom cabinetry. A natural or transparent finish gives it a bright, modern appearance.
· Alder
The grain of alder is somewhat wavy but mostly straight and narrow; it is a relatively soft wood. The grain is subtler than other woods yet smooth and detailed. This semi-hardwood has a natural reddish hue resembling a cross between cherry and oak.
Kitchen cabinets made of alder, one of the hardest timbers, will last a lifetime. However, its softer nature makes it more easily damaged by scratches and impressions than more complicated wood.
The Right Kitchen Cabinet Material
These are the elements to consider as you evaluate various materials for your cabinets.
· Colour
Before deciding on a wood type for your kitchen, consider what colours best suit your design scheme. Thankfully, wood may be stained or painted to suit your needs better. Kitchen cabinet materials should be evaluated based on their finished appearance rather than their raw form.
· Cost
You can get precise cost estimates for each material by specifying the dimensions of the doors you require, as most cabinet businesses and manufacturers base their rates on square footage for each cabinet material type and door style.
Make sure you search for other designs and types of wood that will cost per square foot.
· Grain
One of the most striking features of wood is its natural grain. The grain in knotty woods is solid and visible because of the wood’s dark colour. Compared to the foundation wood, the fine grain lines in other woods are barely distinguishable in colour.
If the door’s natural wood grain is not to your liking, you may always have it painted or covered with a veneer face. Veneered or painted cabinets allow a more precise grain match than solid wood cabinets.
Conclusion
It is essential to consider durability, maintenance, and overall aesthetic appeal when choosing a suitable material for your kitchen cabinets. Whichever material you choose for your kitchen cabinets, it is crucial to buy from a reputable seller and ensure the cabinets are installed correctly to maximise their longevity.