Your Pinterest board must have many options for a bright, airy kitchen. But did you know to pull it off, you would need to make difficult decisions? Choosing the right cabinets is one of them and comes with the biggest reward. Below is why.

The cabinet door style you choose is the largest decision you will make for the general style of your kitchen. Unfortunately, choosing a kitchen cabinet style can become overwhelming fast when you can’t distinguish between a shaker and a slab. To save you stress, we narrowed down what you need to know about kitchen cabinet styles so you can find the perfect fit for your home:

Frameless Vs. Framed Cabinets

There are two options on how to construct your cabinet: frameless and framed. Framed cabinets have an extra face frame at the front of the cabinet box where the hinges and doors are attached. With framed cabinets, you have the choice of full overlay, partial overlay, or inset door. With the overlay style, the door rests on top of the cabinet frame. Meanwhile, with inset cabinets, the doors are set into the cabinet frame so they sit flush with it when closed. You get a classic look with inset cabinets but it can be more costly and provides less storage since they need more work from your kitchen cabinet retailer so you achieve a perfect door/frame fit.

Frameless cabinets, which started in Europe but gained popularity in America, have full overlay doors that attach directly to the cabinet box through hinges on the interior of the cabinet. Frameless cabinets look contemporary and have more space inside.

Inside these two construction categories, you can choose several common door styles.

Shaker Style Cabinets

Shaker is the most popular cabinet door style because of its clean, classic lines since it works beautifully with any aesthetic, whether it is modern, transitional, or traditional. Also known as a ‘five-piece’, a Shaker door is basically a flat panel with a frame that has rails (horizontal pieces) and stiles (vertical pieces).

Its simplicity means it can complement various kitchen designs depending on how you customize the cabinet and the other kitchen design elements you pair it with. You can turn Shaker-style cabinets into a little more modern or more traditional by adding different types of edge detailing inside the frame.

The width of the frame can also change the cabinet completely. The thicker and more ornate the frame, the more traditional.

While shaker-style cabinets are loved for their versatility and timeless appeal, they can be annoying to keep clean since dust and grime collect on the inside of the frame. But, if you can handle the upkeep, this kitchen cabinet look will enhance almost any style and look chic as well.

Slab Cabinet Doors

When you think of a sleek, modern aesthetic, you are picturing slab cabinet doors. As called flat panel cabinets, this style has a single, smooth piece of wood, plywood, or MDF. Flat panels are available in various finishes and veneers from glossy white, grey, or colored lacquer to natural wood tones. The unadorned cabinet front creates a clean background for statement hardware or no visible hardware to look sophisticated.

Flat panel cabinets are usually associated with a stark, minimalist vibe but that’s not their only look. You can warm the cabinets with different colors and wood finishes. For example, a wood like black walnut has both light and dark characteristics that will add warmth and interest. And even though they look high-end, flat panel cabinets won’t have to break your budget. A modern flat-front cabinet door is very cost-effective. Wood is expensive but there are perfect laminates at the fraction of the cost that looks just as good on flat panel cabinets as the real things.

Bonus point: Since there are no crevices and detail to attract dust, grime, or cooking grease, flat panel cabinets are easier to clean compared to other cabinet styles.

Traditional Cabinet Doors

Best known for their timeless and warm appeal, traditional style cabinet creates an elegant as well as homey look. If you love a formal aesthetic and want to incorporate furniture-inspired details like decorative legs and corbels into your space, traditional cabinets are a great choice.

Usually, traditional kitchen cabinets have raised rather than flat center panels and typically stick to a warmer color palette, often wood tones. You can also opt for glazes and antique finishes. Unlike the more squared and simple Shaker-style cabinets, traditional cabinets usually have arches, curved details, or other embellishments. If you want a light and airy feel, traditional cabinets may not be the way to go.

Beadboard Cabinets

If the feeling you want to evoke in your new kitchen is of a charming cabin or a modern farmhouse kitchen, then go for beadboard kitchen cabinets. Styled after traditional beadboard that was on walls, these cabinets will fit in a home that is modern or traditional.

Another great point is that they are not that expensive since the overlaid cabinet doors are made with groove panels in the front. You can complement this look with an aged brass cup pull for the full cottage effect. You can either stain or paint beadboard cabinets. White beadboard cabinets are common but far from the only option.

We would recommend that you paint beadboard cabinets in a color other than white. Go for emerald green or navy, as white beadboard can be a bit tricky to keep clean because of the little grooves in it.

Conclusion

Now you know various cabinet styles you can tell your kitchen cabinet retailer to ensure your kitchen looks exactly how you want it. If you’re thinking about freshening up your kitchen, the cabinets are a great, and inexpensive way to transform your room. Artline Kitchen and Bath are here to fulfill your look for a dream kitchen so head to our site or store in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.