Cabinets are one of the most prominent features in a kitchen; serving as the cornerstone of a functional, hardworking cooking space and one of the most visible design elements. Therefore, choosing the right door styles, materials and features that perfectly match your requirements and personal taste is key to maximising your kitchen’s functionality and style.
At KNB we are leading providers of cabinets in the Nottingham area and offer our customers a wide range of styles and cabinet designs to choose from. To help you on your way to picking the perfect kitchen, read our guide below on how to choose cabinets that not only look great, but perform beautifully.
Cabinet Door Designs
Shaker Doors
Simplistic
This style of cabinet door is very simple, with clean lines and a distinctive look and feel. Shaker cabinets can be sourced from a variety of woods, and there are many different paint colours, stains and hardware variations available to enhance their visual appeal and individuality. Such a classic cabinet door design can be used in both traditional and contemporary kitchens.
Flat Panel Doors
Versatile
Flat Panel cabinet doors are designed so the centre panel is flat rather than raised or contoured. Many come in wood or laminate, although laminate tends to be a more budget friendly option and is more versatile in terms of colours and schemes. The minimalist design of flat door cabinets means they tend to work best in contemporary kitchens, and are ideal if you are looking for a sleek, streamlined finish.
Raised Panel Doors
Timeless
Cabinets with raised panels feature accentuated carved detailing which is most suited to traditional, country and formal style schemes. This design adds extra dimension to your cabinet doors, and has an elegant, timeless feel. Raised panel doors can be sourced from a range of materials, but are most commonly made from wood.
Recessed Panels Doors
Customisable
A simple style that can be used in both traditional and contemporary kitchens, recessed panel doors are highly versatile and can be easily customised. These cabinet door designs have a flat centre panel – either square or arched in shape – that is recessed back from the face of the door frame.
Best Cabinet Door Materials
Solid Wood – The Popular Choice
Cabinets constructed from solid wood are the most popular choice, because of the warm natural look they create. The extensive range of wood species adds to the appeal of this traditional material. Whether you choose maple, pine, oak, or walnut, you can customise your cabinets to create a rich, cosy ambiance or a bright and airy space.
Laminate – The Cost-effective Choice
Laminate is cost effective and comes in a variety of patterns and colours. It is essentially designed to mimic other materials such as granite and wood. The laminate is fundamentally a sheet of paper which is heat bonded to the cabinet doors which are made of MDF – Medium Density Fibreboard – which is usually cheaper than solid wood.
Painted or Lacquered – The Bespoke Choice
MDF core cabinets can be coated with paint or lacquer in any colour of your choice. This is a great option if you are looking for a completely bespoke design, and allows you to be more creative. You could try playing around with colours, contrasting a bright colour with neutral shades to accentuate different areas of your kitchen.
High Gloss Foil – The Sleek Choice
If you’d like cabinet doors with a sleek, shiny finish, you may want to choose a high gloss foil material, which can be glued to MDF core cabinets. High gloss foil reflects light around the room, helping to create the illusion of a bigger kitchen.
Stainless Steel – The Modern Choice
Stainless steel is one of the newest materials used for cabinets in Nottingham, but is becoming increasingly popular due to its modern appeal. It is also very hygienic and can be contrasted with other materials to soften the look and add texture.
Glass – The Elegant Choice
Glass cabinet doors look attractive and can be used in both contemporary and modern style kitchens. They usually come in either a single framed panel or with a number of windows in one frame.
Cabinet Door Finishes
Glazing
If you’d like to add an extra special touch to your wooden doors, glazing is a great option. Glazes can be used to dramatically enhance the colour and tone of wood, while gently accentuating cracks and joints to create a more natural look.
Staining
Wooden cabinet doors can also be stained, which is ideal if you’d like them to have more colour without covering up the natural beauty of this raw material.
Antiquing
There are a variety of techniques that can be used to make wooden doors look more unique. Distressing, wearing and cracking can all add a more naturally aged appeal, which can help to enhance the ambiance of a traditional or country style kitchen.
Cabinet Door Hardware
Your choice of cabinet hardware (handles and door pulls) can make a big difference to the final look of your cabinets. Here at KNB we offer an extensive range of door handle colours, including aluminium, lacquered, cast iron, oak, sanded and stainless steel. Shapes vary from simple, straight bar handles, to more traditional drop and knob designs, right through to T bars and cups.
Depending on the look you are going for, your hardware selections can be consistent, or you can opt to be more creative with a variety of types and finishes. This can work well in both modern and traditional kitchens.
Whatever your design vision, we can help you pick the perfect cabinet door hardware to help bring your dream kitchen to life. We will also take care of the practical considerations, such as making sure you choose the right pieces that will not only look and feel good, but will perform beautifully.
To find out more about our kitchen fitting services in Nottingham, including our free no obligation design quotation, please visit our fitted kitchens page.