Resources

Everything you need to know before you buy cabinets.

Straight answers on materials, construction, sizes and budget — then try it all in the planner.

Planning & measuring Materials & construction Styles & details Buying & budget Care & how-tos How to measure FAQ Design help

Materials & construction

Particleboard vs. Plywood Cabinets: An Honest Comparison

Plywood has a great reputation and particleboard has a bad one. The real story is more interesting, and it can save you from paying for the wrong thing.

6 min read

Planning & measuring

Kitchen Planning Guide: A Step-by-Step Checklist

Everything to gather before you design: room measurements, ceiling details, appliance specs, style choices and the storage features you actually want.

6 min read

Planning & measuring

Kitchen Dimensions: The Numbers That Make a Layout Work

Aisle widths, counter heights, cabinet depths and landing space: the standard measurements designers start from, and when it makes sense to bend them.

5 min read

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Planning & measuring

Built-In Appliance Cabinets: Ovens, Microwaves and How They Fit

Wall ovens and built-in microwaves need cabinets sized around them. Here are the common cabinet types, what each is for, and how to avoid a bad fit.

5 min read

Designing Kitchen Cabinets for an 8-Foot Ceiling

36 in uppers with crown, or 42 in uppers straight to the ceiling? How each option looks, what it stores, and the tall-cabinet detail that trips up a lot of installs.

5 min read

Kitchen Dimensions: The Numbers That Make a Layout Work

Aisle widths, counter heights, cabinet depths and landing space: the standard measurements designers start from, and when it makes sense to bend them.

5 min read

Kitchen Planning Guide: A Step-by-Step Checklist

Everything to gather before you design: room measurements, ceiling details, appliance specs, style choices and the storage features you actually want.

6 min read

What Is a 10x10 Kitchen (and Why Everyone Quotes One)?

The 10x10 kitchen is the industry's standard yardstick for comparing cabinet lines. Here's what it includes, what it leaves out and how to use it without getting misled.

4 min read

Farmhouse Sink Cabinets: How to Plan and Prep for an Apron-Front Sink

Apron-front sinks are gorgeous and heavy, and they sit differently than any other sink. Here's how to size the cabinet, support the sink and get a clean fit.

5 min read

Materials & construction

Assembled vs. RTA Cabinets: Pros, Cons and Who Each Suits

Cabinets arrive either built and ready to hang, or flat-packed for you to put together. Here is how to decide which way makes sense for your project.

5 min read

Cabinet Finishes Explained: Stain, Paint, Glaze and More

Two cabinets with the same door style can look completely different depending on the finish. Here is how each one is made, how it ages, and what to expect.

6 min read

Cabinet Hardware Guide: Knobs, Pulls, Hinges and Slides

Hardware is the jewelry you see and the machinery you feel. Here is how to choose both, plus where to place knobs and pulls so they look right and work well.

6 min read

Dovetail vs. Metal Drawer Boxes: What Makes a Drawer Last

Kitchen drawers get opened thousands of times a year. Classic dovetail wood boxes and modern metal-sided systems both handle it well, in different ways.

5 min read

Framed vs. Frameless Cabinets: Which Is Right for Your Kitchen?

The difference is a strip of wood around the front of the box. It changes the look, the storage, the installation and the door styles you can choose.

6 min read

Particleboard vs. Plywood Cabinets: An Honest Comparison

Plywood has a great reputation and particleboard has a bad one. The real story is more interesting, and it can save you from paying for the wrong thing.

6 min read

Natural Wood Characteristics: Grain, Streaks, Knots and Aging

Mineral streaks, pin knots and color shifts are not defects. They are proof your cabinets are real wood. Here is what to expect from the most common species.

6 min read

Styles & details

Cabinet Door Styles: A Field Guide for Your Kitchen

Shaker, slab, raised panel, beadboard and more: what each door style looks like, the mood it sets, and how inset and overlay change the whole picture.

6 min read

Furniture-Style Details That Make Cabinets Look Custom

Legs, corbels, aprons, end panels, valances and decorative toe kicks: small add-ons that turn a row of boxes into something that looks built for the room.

6 min read

Glass Cabinet Doors: Choosing, Buying and Installing

A few glass-front cabinets can lighten a whole wall. Here’s what to check before you buy, which glass to pick and how the panels get installed.

5 min read

Cabinet Molding and Trim: Every Piece Explained

Crown, riser, light rail, toe kick, scribe, fillers and panels: what each trim piece does, where it goes, and when you actually need it.

7 min read

12 Kitchen Remodel Ideas That Actually Change How You Live

Not just prettier cabinets: layout moves, storage upgrades and design choices that make a remodeled kitchen work better every day.

7 min read

Crown Molding on Staggered-Height Cabinets

Mixing cabinet heights adds depth, but it creates awkward crown transitions. Here’s how to plan the returns so the trim looks right and the doors still open.

5 min read

Buying & budget

Kitchen Cabinet Buying Guide: From First Idea to Final Order

Buying cabinets is a sequence of decisions, not one big leap. Here is the order that keeps the project on budget and free of surprises.

7 min read

Buying Kitchen Cabinets Online: What to Expect and What to Check

Ordering cabinets online can save time and give you more choice — if you know how to judge a seller you cannot walk into.

6 min read

What Drives the Cost of Kitchen Cabinets

Two kitchens the same size can be priced very differently. Here is what moves the number — and how to compare quotes fairly.

7 min read

Custom vs. Semi-Custom vs. Stock Cabinets

The three tiers differ in how much you can change, how long you wait and how closely the cabinets fit your room. Here is how to pick the right one.

6 min read

Replace or Reface Your Kitchen Cabinets?

Refacing changes the face of your kitchen; replacing changes the whole kitchen. Here is how to tell which one your cabinets actually need.

6 min read

Care & how-tos

How to Clean and Care for Kitchen Cabinets

A few simple habits keep cabinets looking new for decades. Most damage comes from water, heat and the wrong cleaner — all avoidable.

5 min read

How to Install Cabinet Handles and Knobs

A beginner-friendly weekend project: where to place pulls on doors and drawers, how to build a jig, and how to drill clean holes the first time.

5 min read

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