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The Most Popular Kitchen Cabinet Styles

October 28th, 2009 | by richard |

Historically, for the majority of people, cabinets were nothing but cabinets. From their beginning, kitchen cabinet styles were cubes with or without doors on them that hung on kitchen walls. After awhile base cabinets were added as homemakers accumulated additional kitchenware and had to have a place to store it. The cabinets were never meant to be nice to look at, because they were meant to be functional. Exceptions to this practice were in the manor houses of the wealthy who had ornate wood and custom-designed storage areas.

During the Victorian age, cabinetry, like the taste in furniture, wallpaper, and carpets, was particularly ornate, built using fine hardwoods. You could have had the good fortune to visit a few of these Victorian houses and marvel at the elaborate cabinetry those people enjoyed. Kitchen cabinet styles were basically limited to what people could afford.

Modern cabinets have evolved into several different styles in an array of different price ranges to satisfy the needs of every homeowner. Instead of simply being basic boxes with shelves any longer, there are numerous specialty cabinets you can choose from, such as a pantry, a cabinet with a pull-up shelf for your stand mixer, or open plate racks. Cabinets are available in solid woods like oak, cherry, maple, and birch as well as various styles with melamine or wood veneers. Tastes can differ from sleek contemporary styles to fancy, hand-carved models. It all depends on what you want.

The initial thing to ponder when picking a kitchen cabinet style is the basic style of your home. The majority of people want to have kitchen cabinets that match the home décor which will allow their kitchen appear that it belongs with the rest of the house. The most popular styles that you can locate for kitchen cabinets include:
* Traditional – formal kitchen cabinet style with hardwoods, dark stains, and
polished brass hardware. Looks like the styles of the 18th and 19th century.
* Contemporary – sleek, streamlined cabinetry with simple, basic lines and flush
doors. Can be made of a
selection of different materials, such as wood, glass, laminates,
chrome, or stainless steel.
* Shaker – very simple, plain wood cabinets
finished with dyes and oils.
* Country – simple lines for a very laid back look.
Finished with paints or stains and either with or without doors
* Rustic – knotty pine, strap hinges, and basic kitchen cabinet
style.
* French Country – European styling with decorative, carved moldings and possibly feet,
more like furniture than kitchen cabinets.
* Arts and Crafts – Square, strong lines done in Mission style. Often of oak.
* Cottage – casual and cozy with uniquestylescabinetry,finishes, and hardware.

With all of these different kitchen cabinet styles to pick from, there’s bound to be one that will look perfect in your home and meld your kitchen into your overall décor. You can also add individual spins to the styles of a few of the cabinets. For instance, you might want to consider adding stained glass panels to the doors or finish them with colored glazes and exotic hardware. As you can see, kitchen cabinets aren’t only cubes any longer. They’re a revelation of your excellent taste.

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