Unfinished Kitchen Cabinets

Unfinished kitchen cabinets are a great option for homeowners looking to remodel their kitchens for a few different reasons. First of all, they are inexpensive, much more so than finished cabinets. And second, they give buyers the chance to create a custom look with stain, varnish or paint to make their kitchen stand out. Unfinished cabinetry is like a blank palette that can accommodate any design taste. If there is existing wood trim in the room that has a certain finish to it you can recreate that finish to match or cover your unfinished kitchen cabinets in some lighter or darker yet complementary color to set off the trim and make it new again.

The goal of any kitchen remodel is to bring new life to the room and to really dazzle with the design. The advantage of unfinished kitchen cabinets is that homeowners are in charge of what these products look like when they are done. Many homeowners prefer the look of painted cabinets to stained ones. Choosing unfinished cabinetry is an easier way to end up with that look. You do not have to prepare the surface before hand, just begin with the proper primer and off you go. Any color by itself or combinations of colors can be had, giving homeowners a really one of a kind chance to create something special and memorable in their kitchens.

Kitchen Design Ideas

Choosing to purchase unfinished kitchen cabinets rather than those that have already been finished in one way or another or even refinishing kitchen cabinets leaves you with the ultimate control over your kitchen's design. Some would say that wood cabinets in birch and maple simply deserve a nice light or medium colored stain to allow their natural wood tones and grain patterns to show through on the doors and drawer fronts. There is some logic in this argument, as really any quality cut wood piece does look great with a nice stained finish. But this look is not for everyone. And that is precisely the beauty of using unfinished kitchen cabinets for your remodel project. You start with units in whatever material you choose, and finish them according to whatever style suits you.

But really, the design freedom is not the only advantage to going this route as we work through our kitchens to bring them up to date and improve overall design flow. The cost is a huge factor and one that should not be summarily dismissed or glossed over. Let's be honest: unfinished kitchen cabinets are way cheaper than ones that come with a finish already applied. Even when you add the expense of brushes and whatever stains or paints you wish to use, that savings still largely holds up. The trick is to do a good enough job to come out with cabinetry that looks professional rather than a hackneyed do it yourself job. To this end, homeowners have to decide for themselves where their talents lie and whether they'd rather tackle the job themselves or catch a pro painter on the weekend and offer him a few bucks to do the honors.

Custom Cabinet Hardware

These and other details need to be attended to if you want to end up with fabulous unfinished cabinets and not just ones that look like you got them really cheap. One example of an important detail is in finding the right custom hardware to match the visual design you're going for with your unfinished kitchen cabinets. A nice oversized door pull for the pantry that coordinates with drawer knobs and smaller door pulls for the rest of the cabinets can bring them all in together and coordinate the look. But the hardware needs to set off the finish that you applied to your unfinished kitchen cabinets and not just blend in or it's a wasted detail and a wasted investment. And most of us buying this sort of cabinetry are certainly not interested in wasting money.

Finishing Kitchen Cabinet Doors

Unfinished kitchen products like cabinet doors give homeowners free reign to create a great custom look for the room. For example, folks might choose to remove the doors and finish them in a lighter or darker stain color than the rest of the cabinet box, creating a strong visual impact once they are reinstalled. Whether they are painting or staining, buyers have a lot of latitude with these unfinished pieces to do what they want with them. The only danger lies in going too far with a theme or in trying to pull off something more complex than what their ability affords them.

Kitchen cabinets purchased unfinished save money and present the buyer with an extraordinary opportunity for creativity. Homeowners with a unique or out of the box idea for their remodeling projects should consider purchasing unfinished kitchen cabinets.