Cabinet doors help create the mood of your kitchen.
One thing that sets the style of your kitchen is the cabinet doors. Some doors have big arches with a slight curl at the corners. Others evoke a French country or American country style with simplistic edges. While the color of the wood sets a part of the tone, so does the style of the door. Does this Spark an idea?
Shaker Cabinet Doors
In dark or light colors, a Shaker cabinet evokes simplicity.
The Shaker style of cabinet is a very simple construction of a basic square frame with a recessed panel of wood or glass. The frame will be unadorned, without extra moldings. It is a sleek look that lends itself well to modern style. In the Kraftmaid guide, this style is called "square." In the Shenandoah Cabinetry catalog, it is called "Breckenridge."
Mission Cabinet Doors
The mission style is much like the Shaker door but there is a difference. The mission style often has a peg at the joints, which indicates that nails are not the only method being used to connect the wood pieces. It is a very artisan flair that can be suitable for an arts-and-craft style of home. In a medium to dark maple or cherry color, mission-style cabinets are quite elegant.
Arch Cabinet Doors
This is an example of the more simplistic arch style of kitchen cabinet.
The arch is defined as a rounded edge at the top of the frame with a recessed or raised insert panel. In some styles, the Cathedral is accompanied with a slight curl at the top corners. A lower, more simplistic arch can also be defined as a Cathedral arch or as a Roman arch by different companies.
Recessed Kitchen Cabinet Door
One example of recessed doors.
Like a Shaker or mission style door, the recessed door has a frame. The inside panel is flat and shows definite depth away from the frame. This style allows the frame to show off extra molding that makes the statement.
Raised Cabinet Door Styles
Notice the groove between the frame and island if inside panel. That creates a raised door style.
Kraftmaid defines this style as having a frame around an inset panel that has a raised island of wood. Ridges create the space between the frame and the island. Shenandoah Cabinetry has a style called The McKinley Collection that uses this style.
The Slab Door Style
Painted or stained to reveal its wood grain, a slab style gives country elegance.
For the ultimate in sleek design, you can always choose a slab door style. This style is a single piece of wood. As characterized by Kraftmaid, there is no framing, no special moldings to add decoration to each door. It is simply a solid door.
Panel inserts
Bead board is one type of panel insert for your kitchen cabinets.
Another way to define your kitchen cabinet style is with the panel insert. Bead board, a plywood sheet that has grooves evenly spaced lengthwise on the board, gives a country vibe when used as the insert panel. Glass is another insert that can be used to brighten the kitchen and break up the expanse of wood.
Finding what you love
Walk through a sample kitchen.
The best way to decide what you want for your kitchen cabinet doors is to look at them up close and personal. Many home improvement centers have display areas of different styles made by different manufacturers. Kitchen design stores also have displays or samples that you can touch and see, helping you determine what best fits your home.
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