Kitchen cabinets

Renovating your kitchen is not only a great way of making aesthetic and practical improvements to your home but it also significantly increases the re-sale value of your property.

Whether you want to update the look of your kitchen, turn it into a more functional and friendly area, or improve the storage space, there are many benefits to changing your kitchen cabinets. And the investment always pays. Read on for the different options open to you.

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The different types of cabinets
Major categories of materials
Melamine
Laminate
Enamelled board
PVC
Wood
Wood veneer
Stainless steel and other metals
Glass
Stock or custom cabinets?
Accessories that make all the difference
Current trends

The different types of cabinets

Contemporary, country, traditional, ethnic… Whatever the look you want to create in your kitchen, you will be able to choose from a myriad of different shapes, colours, materials and craftsmanship. For example, cupboards are available with framed or frameless construction, glass doors, a combination of doors and drawers, right-angled or rounded corners, and much, much more.

It goes without saying, therefore, that the look of your new kitchen cabinets will not only be determined by your own personal taste, style and budget, but also by your choice of materials.

Major categories of materials

Melamine, laminates, lacquered board, PVC, wood, wood veneer, stainless steel, and glass are among the materials most commonly used by kitchen cabinet manufacturers. This means that, just as for any decorating project, you need to learn about the characteristics of each of these materials and then decide which to use, bearing in mind your needs and lifestyle demands.

Melamine

Gone are the days of the cold, white melamine cabinets that tended to yellow with age. Nowadays, melamine sports a chic and distinguished look. Incredibly versatile, it can be a marvellous imitation of wood; it comes with trims and mouldings, and is offered in the most up-to-date colours.

Melamine is a very popular kitchen material made from decorative paper and resin glued to pressed wood. Its quality usually depends on the quality of the pressed wood that is used.

Pros:
  • Available in a wide range of colours and designs
  • Can imitate wood and be enhanced with mouldings and trims
  • Offers a good appearance/price ratio
  • Affordable

Cons:
  • Less shock- and scratch-resistant than other materials
  • Difficult to repair if damaged

Precautions:
  • Check for cracks that could affect durability
  • Make sure the finish and colour are uniform
  • To increase the resistance, use PVC-covered, round-edge panels
  • To save without compromising on quality, use a thicker melamine for shelves and a thinner one for cabinet doors

Laminate

Laminate is made of thin sheets of resin-impregnated paper, heat-sealed together. Available in a wide array of colours and textures, laminate, like melamine, is one of the most versatile materials available.

Pros:
  • Much more durable than melamine
  • Available in a wide range of colours and textures
  • Some imitations are very realistic

Cons:
  • Costs 30 to 40 % more than melamine
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