The kitchen is at the very heart of the home; people prepare, cook and share their meals here. The kitchen is also often used as a place to socialise with friends and family and to simply relax. This is why the kitchen needs to be as organised and well structured as possible. Well made, quality cabinets play a large role in this organisation, as without enough storage, the kitchen can become overcrowded, messy and generally an unpleasant place in which to spend time. When renovating a kitchen, it really is worth investing in cabinets that are of a high quality and also suit the aesthetics of the room as a whole.

Cabinets come in three forms. There are stock cabinets, semi-custom built cabinets and, of course, custom cabinets. Those who are doing a complete renovation and want their bespoke kitchens to be made exactly to their specifications will go for the third option of entirely custom made cabinets, as these will be designed to fit in with their design concept. Yet there is a middle ground; even those who want bespoke kitchens installed can choose to have some ready-made pieces integrated into the design, either for convenience or because it suits their budget. Stock cabinets come in a range of sizes and finishes and can be transformed into semi-custom cabinets if you wish, by sanding and repainting them, or changing the handles or even adding a carving into their grain to give the design a bit more flair.

Custom cabinets can sometimes be the best option for bespoke kitchens, as those who are putting in the effort, time and money that it takes to completely renovate the room will generally want their cabinets to be as unique as the rest of the room. The benefit of having cabinets custom made is that you can choose the exact colour, finish, style, size and shape to create your ideal storage piece. In terms of price, this will vary quite dramatically, depending on the grain of wood, paint colour and handles that are chosen. If you decide on a hard-to-source wood or handle, this will of course increase the cost, so it’s important to do a lot of research before beginning the renovation process in order to get a better idea of what your overall budget should be.

Whilst wood is one of the most popular options for cabinets in both standard and bespoke kitchens, there are quite a few other options. Wood is slightly easier to work with in terms of customising it to suit your design specifications. Softwood and hardwood can be used in cabinet building, so there are plenty of options with this material. Laminate cabinets are another option; these can be slightly less expensive than wood and tend to be easy to clean. They do, however, need a back support, which will help to prevent the laminate from warping. Other people prefer the durability and practicality of stainless steel cabinets. These cabinets tend to give the kitchen a very modern, sleek look and may not be the best choice if you want a more rustic, warm look in the room.