So, your ugly kitchen needs a face-lift!
It's ok, kitchens age. If you feel your kitchen is stuck in a time warp and is holding your soul prisoner to it's outdated, worn, drab feng-shui...fret not. We have more selection available to us than we've ever had in the history of kitchens.
The choices for kitchen cabinets in Toronto and the rest of North America in general are simply mind blowing (yay Capitalism). Where do you start?
First things first, how much space do you have in your kitchen? Are you willing to knock a wall or two down to increase the space? How will that affect the adjoining rooms?
Once you've made up your mind about the space you need, the kitchen cabinets are the next item to consider. They are the focal point of the room, the most functional element of the kitchen and basically the "thing" that every other item of your kitchen "wraps around".
What you choose will either make or break the deal.
There's really 3 choices at your disposal:
#1- If budget is the main criteria, drop by IKEA, Lowes, Rona and Home Depot. Cabinets are sold in individual pieces, stock measurements and you can mix-and-match with enough variety to get you from A to B for the most economically sensible option. Downside being, you're limited in the selection. Box frames are laminated, and your only "upgrade" is usually solid doors. Don't kid yourself, new cabinets are new cabinets and even with this option you can make a dramatic upgrade to your kitchen so if you have a tight budget you still have options.
#2 - Budget is still a criteria, but you just got a bonus at work:). GREAT! Now your options have multiplied umpteen times (I love "Umpteen"...no math involved). There are a plethora of manufacturers out there that sell stock cabinets using "good" quality materials with enough "upgrade" options to give your kitchen the 100k look, without the 100k price tag. Crown molding, faux pillars, architectural trim, panelling, higher grade hinges/closers, and on and on when cleverly designed can make your new kitchen the subject of envy of all of your friends and neighbours. Consider option 2 as the "gates to the field" have opened up for you. Enjoy the bounty that awaits you in available options.
#3 - Custom Cabinetry...Who are we kidding, when is budget NOT a criteria? But say you just got a bonus at work... Consider this as the gates to HEAVEN opening up for you. The sky is the limit because now we're talking custom. Not peasant like restrictions of stock measurements/materials (I kid). You can get any material, in any dimension, with custom trim and the highest grade hinges, pulls, closers, shelves, etc. We're talking hand cut joinery where a single cabinet door can be 10+ pieces individually cut/joined. We're talking a truly ONE OF A KIND kind of kitchen. NOBODY else in the world will have the exact same kitchen cabinets as you...pfft...friends and neighbours who?
If you're in the Option 3 category, you need a designer and you need a custom cabinet maker. I'm not going to lie to you, a lot of people claim to be custom cabinet makers. Sure, if custom kitchen cabinets means your cabinets come out looking like 50 other people's cabinets...not so custom. For a truly unique design, you need a master cabinet maker at your disposal so bypass the showrooms and the big outfits.
There are a lot of custom kitchen cabinet makers, so make sure you look around and try to find a smaller shop with lower overhead. Big outfits function off of production, which means templates and a range of selections that are often recycled and reused. Find the small outfits...That's where you tend to find better deals and the true "Custom" experience.
Whatever option you choose, planning is key. This is something you don't want to rush into. An intelligent decision based off budget, layout, material selection and choosing the right supplier can add a great amount of value to your home. Cabinets are undeniably the most important element of any kitchen. Best of luck, may the cabinets you choose bring you years of functional and aesthetic pleasure.
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