Unembellished Kitchen Cabinets for Lower Prices
When remodeling a kitchen, the cabinets often make up a significant portion of the budget. Pre-finished stock cabinets from big-box stores are convenient, but can be prohibitively expensive for some homeowners. On the other hand, unfinished kitchen cabinets provide a blank canvas to create a fully customized kitchen while saving money in the process.
Unfinished cabinets are built from quality woods like oak, cherry, or maple and assembled with rabbets and sturdy corner blocks. However, they lack doors, drawers, hardware, and any applied finishes. This "naked" state enables maximum flexibility in the design process. Homeowners can stain, paint, or refinish their new cabinets according to personal style and budget.
Cost Savings Benefits
Choosing unfinished cabinets over prefab options yields several money-saving advantages:
- Direct from manufacturer pricing eliminates retailer markups
- Lower cost since finishes and features sold separately
- Save on labor by finishing pieces yourself
Rather than paying extra for unnecessary items, the DIYer can customize to their specific storage needs. For example, drawers can be substituted for cabinets or extra shelves added as desired. This flexibility results in cheaper cabinets tailored to your kitchen's functionality.
Evaluate Expenses
Those new to unfinished cabinets may underestimate additional costs when budgeting their remodel. Be sure to research and approximate expenses for:
- Cabinet shipping or delivery
- Hardware selections
- Paints, stains, finishes
- Basic tools for finishing
- Countertop material
Keep the big picture in mind during planning. Saving hundreds on the cabinet box itself offsets extra fees associated with a custom, unfinished product.
Personalized Design Options
The absence of finishes is actually the root appeal for unfinished cabinets. Rather than settling for someone else's style, the homeowner controls the final aesthetic. Customize with paint colors, hardware finishes, and more to match their unique lifestyle and home.
Finishes
Unfinished cabinets offer a blank canvas for creative applications of:
- Stains - enhance natural wood grain patterns
- Paints - endless color options for a modern look
- Glazes - blend layers for an antiqued style
- Lacquers or varnishes - clear coats protect and shine
Today's products offer durability and easy application for DIY finishing. Water-based varieties also tend to have less fumes and cleanup hassle than traditional oil-based options.
Achieving Professional Results
While unfinished cabinets offer flexibility, achieving furniture-quality finishes still requires proper steps:
- Clean surfaces thoroughly and sand lightly
- Apply wood conditioner for stained pieces
- Add primer coat before painting
- Apply finish in thin, even coats
- Lightly sand raised grains once dry
- Finish with 3-4 coats of polyurethane or varnish
Patience leads to stunning outcomes rivaling custom cabinetry. Allow sufficient drying time between finish layers as well.
Storage and Hardware
Take customization even further by selecting specialized storage inserts, shelves, and hardware:
- Drawers - rollout trays, spice inserts, cutlery options
- Doors - glass panel, mirrored, solid wood
- Handles - modern, traditional, black, brass
Consider pulls and knobs that complement the cabinet finish and overall kitchen decor. Brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze suit a modern, monochromatic style while polished brass fits traditional kitchen aesthetics.
Pieces can be continually adapted over time as well. For example, replace dated hardware for an instant style update down the road.
Built-in Flexibility
Unfinished cabinets truly shine when designing a kitchen from scratch. Optimize every inch by creating built-in banquettes for casual dining nooks or planning specialty pull-out storage for cookware and baking essentials.
Frameless models make integrating appliances easier as well. Design a custom bookshelf or bar area around your cabinets for a seamless, high-end look. Such custom solutions make the most of available space compared to one-size-fits-all prefab kitchens.
Shopping Considerations
Those new to unfinished cabinets should address a few key factors during the research and purchase process:
Set Realistic Budget
Cost savings appeal strongly to many homeowners, but unfinished cabinets vary widely in price. Evaluate needs and budget to determine the best options:
- Affordable - Opt for veneers over solid wood for maximum cost savings
- Mid-Range - Nice look of solid wood doors and face frames
- Premium - All plywood construction and dovetail joinery
Having realistic expectations helps match the right product quality to your budget and remodel goals. Don't sacrifice structural integrity to save a few dollars if planning a lifetime kitchen.
Plan for Added Expenses
Be sure to account for ancillary remodeling expenses as well when budgeting an unfinished cabinet project:
- Countertop material and installation
- New appliances or sink fixtures
- Electrician and plumber fees if relocating things
- Flooring and backsplashes
- Carpentry labor if doing custom built-ins
Research pricing for your entire wish list to avoid cost overruns halfway through installations.
Assess Craftsmanship
Not all unfinished cabinets are equal when it comes to durability and structure. Assess each product for quality indicators like:
- Solid woods versus particle board
- Corner block reinforcements
- Sturdy face frame joints
- Full extension drawer glides
- 3/4" thick cabinet backs
Birch plywood withstands moisture better than MDF or particle board as well. The unseen elements like framing and joinery make a big difference in daily wear and tear over decades.
Lifetime warranties also provide confidence in long-term performance. Don't let upfront cost savings outweigh finding a well-built unfinished cabinet to use for years.
Since unfinished cabinets ship as a blank slate, certain logistics apply for delivery:
- Schedule delivery once foundation, flooring etc are completed
- Assign dedicated clean storage area to avoid damage
- Carefully inspect all pieces on arrival before signing
Small nicks and dents can be touched up, but inspect for defective cabinet boxes or large flaws upfront. Proper planning and storage gives time to finish pieces on your schedule.
With some planning, unfinished cabinets can be used to create a dream kitchen. Rather than a showroom cookie-cutter design, the DIYer can craft an integrated cooking space matching their unique vision and lifestyle at a fraction of the cost.