I’m going to be walking you through the options you have with your kitchen cabinets in terms of what they’re made of. Some options cost more than others. The durability and style are affected as well when it comes to the kitchen cabinets material or wood species you select.
Most people are confused as to why one kitchen cabinet is so much more expensive than another. Or why two cabinets that look so similar can be priced differently. There are a lot of different factors that go into pricing kitchen cabinets. But the material the cabinet is made of will play a large part.
Hopefully, by the end of this blog, you’ll understand what exactly what to look for when you start shopping for kitchen cabinets. Or when you talk to your remodeling contractor about the cabinets in the kitchen that may be right for you.
Kitchen Cabinet Materials or Wood Species
The first thing you need to decide is what material or wood species your cabinet is going to be. There are options like:
- Laminate
- MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard)
- Oak
- Ash
- Maple
- Hickory
- Character Maple
- Cherry
- Walnut
- Alder
Price Matters
Laminate and MDF are primarily going to be on the lower price point. Cherry, character maple, or hickory are going to be more expensive. Then you’ve got oak, ash, and maple somewhere in the middle.
So the really nice wood grains, those are going to cause the wood species to be a little bit more expensive. You’re gonna see the same thing when buying furniture. Cherry furniture is typically always more expensive than maple furniture, it’s just the way it is. So that is something that you need to take into account when looking for new kitchen cabinets.
Some people may already know “I want cherry cabinets.” But if you don’t have a preference, look at all of the wood species or materials to get a feel of what you simply like best. We work closely with Shiloh Cabinetry, which offers custom cabinet selections and they describe each wood species clearly. You may find one that you really love that is the most affordable. You may never be able to tell the difference between that or one of the higher-priced wood species. At the end of the day, it’s all about the style you love and your personal preferences.
Take painted cabinets, for example, in the past, every painted cabinet, for the most part, was maple. It takes paint very well, so it’s just a natural choice.
But as the rise of the painted and shaker cabinet began to occur, manufacturers needed to find a way to lower the price so that it would be more accessible to consumers.
That is when the MDF cabinets really started to rise in popularity so that homeowners could afford this look.
MDF takes paint very well and you visually cannot tell much of a difference at all in the two. Yes, solid wood is more durable, but as long as you take care of your cabinets, MDF should be fine long-term. It’s a great cabinet and it looks amazing, so some people just do not care. If that’s who you are, then definitely look at an MDF cabinet or even an oak or an ash cabinet. But for painted cabinets, you’ll mainly see MDF instead of maple.
I hope you now understand the different options you have when it comes to the materials that are available to you when purchasing kitchen cabinets. Kitchen cabinets are the largest expense material wise when it comes to your kitchen. You want to make sure you choose the best quality material so that you can enjoy your cabinets for the next few decades!
After deciding which material you’re going to go with, then the fun of choosing which cabinet door style is next. You can read here to find out more.
If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line kitchen remodeling design and build firm, you’ve come to the right place. We know everything there is to know about kitchen remodeling, and we’re ready to help you!
Click here to schedule your free kitchen design consultation today!