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Though fun and exciting, a kitchen renovation is bound to be time-consuming and pricey, so you’ll want results that you’ll love right now and later down the road. That may mean choosing classic cabinets.
Cabinets shouldn’t make you wonder, “What were we thinking!?” when you grab your coffee mug each morning. In your research stage, as you peruse ornate millwork, unique textures, and bold colors, take a breath and consider the options. The right cabinet style can transform your kitchen into an attractive and highly functional space.
Choosing the Right Cabinet Style for Your Kitchen
Match Cabinets to Your Home’s Era: Doors and millwork details define a cabinet’s style and the architectural period in which it came into vogue. Colonial-style cabinets feature an understated simplicity that belies their fine workmanship and classic proportions—paint offers the best protection and is easy to maintain. Victorian-inspired wall-hung cupboards with supporting brackets and cornices evoke the late 1800s, while full-overlay slab-type doors create a simple, uniform facade that is the very essence of contemporary cabinet design. Choosing a style that complements your home’s architecture is one of the best ways to ensure your kitchen never looks dated.
When selecting a cabinet style for your kitchen renovation, consider the following factors:
- Maintenance requirements and practicality for your lifestyle
- The overall style you want to achieve
- The potential impact on your home’s resale value
- Your budget and long-term investment goals
- Your home’s architectural style
By carefully weighing these considerations, you can choose a cabinet style that looks great, functions well for your specific needs, and enhances your home’s value. The right cabinets can make your kitchen both beautiful and practical.
Door Details That Define the Look: When evaluating cabinet styles, pay close attention to rails and stiles—the horizontal and vertical frame pieces of the door. Thick rails and stiles suit plain styles like Shaker or Prairie, while thinner ones are dressier and look right in Colonial or modern kitchens. Hardware choices matter too: glass knobs dress up a room with a vintage look, while metal pulls can appear modern. Wide pulls help break up the expanse of large-front drawers. These small details have an outsized impact on how timeless your kitchen feels.
Think Beyond Aesthetics—Design for How You Live: Before settling on a door style, take stock of your household’s habits. As TOH Magazine advises, ask yourself: Are you a neat freak? Glass-front cabinets are sleek, but you may be happier with painted doors that conceal clutter. Consider how many people cook at once, your entertaining style, and whether your kitchen does double duty as a homework station or home office. Traditional kitchen cabinets can serve as ideal storage solutions for these multi-use spaces, so choosing a timeless style that accommodates real life will serve you far longer than chasing trends.
Classic Kitchen Cabinet Styles
With one of these timeless-not-trendy cabinet styles, you’ll be less apt to wince when you enter your kitchen—and feel more secure about your home’s resale value should you someday choose to put it on the market.
Shaker Cabinets: Old-Style Simplicity
Shaker cabinets, rooted in the design philosophy of 1800s Shaker communities, continue to be a popular choice for modern kitchens. These cabinets embody simplicity and functionality, featuring clean lines and a minimalist look that complements various decor styles. A shaker kitchen cabinet typically comprises all wood and features a five-piece rail frame and panel construction with recessed doors.
Construction Details: Shaker cabinetry was originally built into the walls of communal dwellings wherever there was dead space—around chimneys, windows, and doors—between two beams. Flat-panel doors, “mushroom” knobs, and brightly painted finishes are distinctive design features that carry over into today’s Shaker-style kitchens.
This no-frills front suits a variety of countertop materials, from concrete for an industrial vibe to wood for cottage flavor. Metal cup pulls and bar pulls are popular choices, but since the hardware is so easy to switch out, feel free to express yourself with something more striking, like glass knobs or a gold finish.
As TOH Magazine reported in a feature on Shaker style, wide-plank cabinets coated in milk paint can disguise high-tech appliances while maintaining period authenticity. “This kitchen is a great example of early-19th-century design―yet it’s totally up-to-date,” says Tim Tanner, author of Early American Country Homes. Braided rugs, handwoven baskets, and traditional accessories further enhance the Shaker look.
Stock vs. Semi-Custom vs. Custom: The cost of Shaker cabinets largely depends on whether you choose stock (set dimensions with filler strips as needed), semi-custom (a wide array of predetermined sizes), or custom (any size you want). Stock carcasses are typically ½-inch MDF or particleboard sheathed in melamine, while semi-custom and custom options step up to plywood boxes with solid wood doors featuring mortise-and-tenon joinery—giving Shaker details sharper definition.
Cost: Check out ready-to-assemble shaker cabinets at The Home Depot for about $200.
Flat Front: Major Minimalist
Flat-front cabinets, also known as slab-door cabinets, are sleek and modern. They feature a single, unadorned panel as the door front, creating a clean and streamlined look. Flat-front cabinets are available in wood, plywood, MDF, and even metal.
Their simplicity makes them an ideal canvas for showcasing unique hardware, with bar pulls or tab pulls being popular modern choices. Flat-front cabinets’ versatility ensures they can seamlessly fit into various kitchen designs.
Flat fronts are also ideal for handle-free push-release doors, but this look may be a bit too austere to be considered classic. Because there’s no millwork involved, slab doors tend to be very affordable, but of course, the cost will depend on the quality of the material and the finish.
Cost: Check out fully assembled flat front cabinets at The Home Depot for under $350.
Traditional: Tried and True
Traditional cabinets remain one of the most popular styles, offering a timeless appeal that suits a wide range of home designs. Like Shaker cabinets, traditional cabinets feature a rectangular groove on the door face, but a raised center panel instead of a recessed one. They’re a good choice for retaining a period feel in older homes (e.g., colonial, Tudor, Victorian).
Traditional cabinets work well with stone countertops—particularly soapstone and marble—and detailed hardware, such as drop pulls or knobs with decorative back plates that lend a sophisticated “furniture” feel.
Cost: Traditional cabinets are often pricier due to their heaviness and millwork, but The Home Depot has raised-panel base cabinets for just over $230.
Beadboard: Downhome Detailing
Beadboard cabinets, also known as wainscots, are an excellent choice for those seeking an inviting, casual, country-inspired kitchen aesthetic. This style features vertical slats with a tongue-and-groove construction, resulting in a textured, detailed look that isn’t overly ornate.
One of the advantages of beadboard cabinets is their versatility. They’re available in various materials and finishes, and you can tailor the width of the slats to suit your taste. For hardware, rustic black iron or classic cup pulls with an oil-rubbed bronze finish are popular. The wide range of options allows for personalization to match any decor.
While beadboard cabinets can add character to your kitchen, the grooves between slats can accumulate dirt and grime over time. Regular cleaning and maintenance are necessary to keep these cabinets looking their best. However, we think that the upkeep they require is a small price to pay for their quality and appearance.
Pro Tip: Seth Churchill, general contractor in Sharon, Conn., advises: “Prime beaded boards and give them a coat of paint before installing them. That way, if the wood expands and contracts, you won’t see raw wood in between them.”
Cost: Prices for beadboard cabinets vary widely (solid wood typically costs more than milled MDF), but budget-conscious homeowners can upgrade existing cabinets by adding beadboard sheets.
Glass Front: Simply Sparkling
Glass-front cabinets are a bright and airy alternative to solid cabinet doors. They allow you to display decorative items or fine china without worrying about accidental crashes. These cabinets can feature solid glass panes or, more commonly, glass set within frames called mullions. The transparency can make the kitchen feel more open and spacious.
Pro Tip: Kitchen designer Karen Berkemeyer advises: “Add a touch of glass to cabinets that are going to be visible from another room. Then light the interiors to create a visual focal point.”
When Helen Colley, co-owner of a This Old House project house in Key West, Florida, spotted an etched glass-front drawer in a catalog, she knew she’d found the inspiration for her kitchen. “Glass,” she says, “is an interesting and beautiful complement to the cherry and granite that are also prominent in the room.” Her choice reflects the enduring popularity of glass as a kitchen accent material — suitable for not only drawers but cabinet doors of all kinds.
You can purchase glass-front cabinets with clear glass or opt for something a bit different, such as frosted or seeded glass, to add visual interest or provide some privacy.
Cost: While glass-front cabinets are often more expensive than their solid counterparts, you can combine them with opaque doors to create a balanced and visually appealing kitchen design. When used judiciously, the added cost of glass-front cabinets can be a worthwhile investment in your kitchen’s overall aesthetic.
Our Conclusion
Whether you opt for the simplicity of Shaker cabinets, the sleekness of flat-front designs, or the charm of beadboard, each cabinet style offers unique benefits. When making your decision, consider your home’s architecture, your personal taste, and long-term practicality. With careful planning, your new cabinets can improve your home’s appearance, functionality, and resale value.
