Bathroom

Remodeling your kitchen means you have to decide on 5 elements: color, cabinetry, flooring, countertops, and your appliances. If you’re having a hard time figuring out where to start when it comes to redesigning your kitchen, start with your cabinets and countertops, and then work with your colors, appliances, and floors. For more information on how you should remodel your kitchen, keep reading.

What Type of Cabinets Should I Get?

Custom kitchen cabinets are an investment that you’ll be able to enjoy for years. We recommend starting with this decision because while it’s easy to change wall colors or buy a new toaster, it’s not as easy to change your cabinetry design.

Custom cabinets work as a good anchor to remodel your kitchen around. If you’re having trouble figuring out where to start, we recommend thinking about cabinets and branching off from there. As your brainstorming evolves, you can always change your cabinetry design before the remodeling process starts.

As custom cabinet makers, we offer a wide variety of design services when it comes to cabinets. Custom cabinets themselves have a lot of design variations, so we put together a custom cabinet design checklist to assist with those decisions.

What Kind of Countertops Should I Go With?

We recommend you decide on custom countertops second because they often go hand-in-hand with your custom cabinet design. Deciding on these two design options together helps make the process easier and helps you plan for other elements like appliance and wall colors.

We usually recommend something like granite or quartz countertops because of their durability, aesthetics, and ease of use. If you can decide on one of those options, matching cabinets with your countertops becomes easier and that piece of your puzzle works to staple everything else together.

What Type of Flooring Does My Kitchen Need?

Your kitchen flooring is sometimes a top priority, while other times it’s lower on your list. The weighted value here is dependent on how badly you need new floors.

If you have old laminate floors that are warped or discolored, they may be what prompted you to think about remodeling your kitchen in the first place.

New floors can often be expensive though, so be sure to budget your remodeling project before you begin. You don’t want to make a quick decision on new floors just because you’re having new cabinets installed, otherwise, the expenses may sour the excitement of a kitchen remodel.

Here at Centennial Woodworking, we want this process to be fun for you, so feel free to talk with us about your dreams and we’ll help lay out a kitchen remodeling budget in advance.

What Type of Appliances Will Match My Kitchen?

While it’s not very expensive to purchase a new toaster, it can be expensive to buy a new fridge or oven.

When it comes to your appliances, you want them to compliment your countertops, cabinets, floors, and wall color. That’s a lot of things to think about when trying to decide what will work!

Solid gray, jet black, or silver are themost common appliance colors because they generally match with anything. There are other options to consider, though, like rich red or bright yellow appliances.

If you’re hoping to have a lot of color in your kitchen, talk with us and we’ll make sure to recommend cabinets that go nicely with it. The possibilities are endless, but that doesn’t mean every option will work.

As custom woodworking experts, we’re here to help because we have years of knowledge and experience in the craft.

What Color Should My Kitchen Be?

We put color last because although it’s the most common element people think about, it’s also the easiest to alter.

Painting your walls will take time and a budget, but it’s not as much as everything else might. Color is also easier to consider than trying to think about cabinet wood types or flooring designs. Color samples are also easier to work with than wood and flooring samples.

When it comes to color, there are too many options to list them all. If you’re wondering what matches best with some common kitchen colors though, like red, blue, white, or gray, we actually have a kitchen color guide to help you get some ideas!

Need Kitchen Remodeling Help?

We hope this step-by-step read has helped provide some clarity or reassurance in your kitchen remodeling project. If you’re hoping to have custom cabinets built and installed, contact Centennial Woodworking online or by phone at (517) 449-9400. As your Greater Lansing Area Woodworkers, we’ve had the honor to work on hundreds of projects, and can’t wait to amaze you with yours.

Have you ever wanted to design your own cabinet? Ever wondered about the process? As a custom cabinet designer, we can create just about anything and we wanted to give you a sample of the experience! If you’re in the mood to get crafty and creative, this blog is for you.

1.) What Type of Cabinet Are We Making For You?

Do you want a custom kitchen cabinet? A custom cabinet for your laundry room or pantry? Do you need a custom pull out a drawer or a custom cabinet that serves as a wardrobe?

There are a lot of options, so here’s a list.

Check what types of cabinets you’re dreaming of!

2.) Sizing Goals

Now that you’ve decided what type of cabinet (or cabinets!) you need, we’ll have to talk about your goals for it.

If you’re looking for storage solutions for things like dishes, cups, and plates you may want them to be higher off the ground or closer to your countertops. If you’re looking for a custom laundry room pantry will it store laundry detergent and things like dog food, spare blankets, and more? With a custom entertainment center, are you hoping to have carved spots for a surround sound system?

There are a lot of sizing goals to consider, so here are some general fill-in-the-blank-questions that will help us build your cabinetry.

1. How many shelves would you like? ________
2. Will this cabinet connect to others or stand alone? ________
3. How many items are you hoping to store? ________
4. Will you want pull out drawers, sliders, standard doors, multiple? ________
5. Will any large items be stored in this like a TV or kitchen appliances? If so, what? ________

3.) Wood Type

When it comes to the type of wood for your cabinets, you may already have an idea, or you may not! Below we have a few of the most common wood types with a brief explanation of why they’re unique or favored. Check which one you want your custom cabinets to be made out of!

• Cherry – A luxury wood with that rich, warming color.
• Hickory – Extremely durable wood that holds up well against scratches.
• Oak – A sturdy domestic wood with random grain pattern variations.
• Maple – Another durable and solid wood type that has a natural light color.
• Birch – A light wood with simple patterns.
• Ash – Another sturdy domestic wood. Ash is clean and often has even grains.
• White Oak – Incredibly durable and almost impervious to water.
• Red Oak – Durable, classic grain that always finishes smooth.
• Walnut – Lot of variation to keep a variety.
• Mahogany – Highly resistant to rot, termites, and mold.

The type of wood your cabinets are made out of matters when it comes to feel, durability, and look. As a custom cabinet maker, we’ll be sure to help find the right one for your home!

4.) Color

When people start thinking of investing in custom cabinets, color is one of the first things that comes to mind. In the woodworking industry, we often call color stain. The stain is applied to alter the color, shade, or tone of your piece.

Of course, you want custom cabinets that match your kitchen color, but you also have to be mindful of the wood type you choose. Some woods are beautiful without a layer of paint, while others look wonderful with a new shade.

Below we have some common color options for cabinet stains, but not every stain is available for every type of wood.

And there are tons of other options so don’t hesitate to ask us about cabinets! No matter your decision, we will make sure your cabinetry has a profile that’s cleanable, durable, and long-lasting.

5.) Handles

Can’t forget the knobs! When it comes to custom cabinetry, we can turn just about anything into a knob. Below we have a few of the most common knob options to think about. With each of these, color is also a variation you should keep in mind! Color can be determined by the material type or a custom finishing.

6.) Matching It

Custom cabinets are beautiful alone, but that beauty is only complimented when it matches everything else. Whether it’s decor, wall colors, or a custom granite countertop, there’s a lot of variation in how you can design your home.

Here we have a list of possible add ons and general items that you can think about while planning out your custom cabinets! This is more of a check-off list, as we want to make sure you’ve thought about these things in conjunction with your custom cabinets.

Ready for Custom Cabinets?

We hope this custom cabinet designing experience has given you a few ideas! When you’re interested in having your dream cabinets built, feel free to reach out and contact us online or by phone at (517) 449-9400. As custom cabinet makers in the Greater Lansing area, we love any challenge or design idea! For more of our content, swing over to our blog page!

Bathroom and kitchen cabinets often look the same. Yet, there are key differences that could complicate your next remodeling project. Not only do bathroom and kitchen cabinets come in different dimensions, but they’re designed for different rooms. Fortunately, our custom cabinet makers are able to create exactly what you want for your home.

Continue reading to learn about the differences between bathroom and kitchen cabinets. We’ll also talk about the advantages of designing custom cabinets.

If you have more questions about kitchen or bathroom cabinets, please feel free to contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Can I Use Kitchen Cabinets in the Bathroom?

While you can use kitchen cabinets in the bathroom, you’d better be prepared for a lot of work. For example, you’ll need to remove any drawers in the kitchen cabinet to make room for under-sink plumbing. You’ll also need to take the kitchen cabinet apart so you can seal the wood. Otherwise, your cabinets will be vulnerable to moisture.

The last thing you want is for your new bathroom cabinets to not fit or block the doorway. Since kitchen cabinets are often taller and deeper than their bathroom counterparts, this is a real concern. The easiest solution is to hire one of our bathroom cabinet makers. They’ll be able to build custom bathroom cabinets to complement your home and the space you have available.

Depth and Height

Kitchen cabinets tend to be 24 inches deep, while bathroom cabinets are around 21 inches deep. It makes sense that kitchens would have deeper cabinets as you need to store appliances, pots, pans, groceries, and other essentials. Bathroom cabinets tend to not be as deep, which can make it challenging for you to store everything you need where it’s most convenient.

Bathroom cabinets also tend to be shorter than kitchen cabinets (31 inches vs. 34 inches). Since most people prefer not to crouch to get things out of their cabinets, we’ve noticed manufacturers are starting to make taller bathroom cabinets. Yet, bathroom cabinets still tend to be shorter than their kitchen counterparts.

Customization

Ask our kitchen cabinet makers about built-in options like lazy susans, spice racks, or wine racks. Before starting your project, we often ask how you plan on using your custom kitchen cabinets. That way, we have a better idea of what customization would work best for your storage needs and lifestyle. We’re also able to customize your bathroom cabinets so you can put more things away and free up counter space.

Styles

Many of our clients ask if their custom bathroom cabinets have to match those in the kitchen. Our answer is that it depends on what you prefer. If your bathroom is just off the kitchen, you may want the cabinet styles to complement each other. Otherwise, most bathrooms are far enough away from the kitchen that you could choose a different style without ruining your home’s aesthetic. This is especially the case if your bathroom is down the hall or on another floor from your kitchen.

Our custom cabinet makers in Laingsburg, MI are ready to turn your design ideas into reality. To request a quote for custom cabinets, call Centennial Woodworking at (517) 449-9400.