When choosing a kitchen cabinet made of wood, it is important to consider the overall look of your kitchen. Would traditional custom kitchen cabinets blend more perfectly with modern kitchen setups rather than something more contemporary?

Whether you only have one design in mind or have already selected a style of kitchen cabinets, it is still imperative that you choose an off-the-shelf or custom kitchen cabinet that embodies craftsmanship. The hard part is often how to tell the difference between a kitchen cabinet that exudes high quality and not just a mass of nailed and plastered particleboard.

Examining the quality of a cabinet
The first thing to check in a custom or wood kitchen cabinet is the drawer (if your cabinet has one). Examine the joinery, the surface texture, the fit of the drawer to the inside of the cabinet, how far the drawer extends, and how smoothly it slides on its rails. Also, try to determine if the drawers slide on high-quality ball bearings, medium-quality rollers, or cheap plastic slide mechanisms.

Check the door hinges and note how far the door swings and if the door fits snugly with the rest of the cabinet.

Another question to ask the cabinet manufacturer or dealer is what type of wood was used in the construction of the cabinet. A wooden cabinet is durable. Favorites include birch, mahogany and alder kitchen cabinets. Stain and finish details also provide a benchmark for quality cabinetry.

Listed below are some names in the industry that make high-quality wood furniture, including ebony, cherry, and alder kitchen cabinets:

or Shiloh Cabinets
o Dura Supreme Cabinets
o Ovation Custom Cabinetry

Form vs. Function
Outfitting your kitchen with high-quality wood cabinets and cupboards adds beauty to your home interior, but it can also add functionality. Many cabinet manufacturers have functional storage options such as knife blocks, tilt bins, pull-out pantry towers, revolving shelves, spice drawers, bin recycling centers, mixing cabinets, pull-out towel cabinets, tray dividers (from kitchen) and many others. A kitchen is generally considered the heart of the home, so why not make it as functional as it is beautiful?

Installation specifications
When purchasing a kitchen cabinet or any other piece of furniture that requires installation, it’s best to opt to have it custom made to fit the specifications and measurements of your kitchen. Ready-made kitchen cabinets may look good with your overall theme, but they may not fit the space you have available. Also, pre-made kitchen cabinets can have structural problems and cause you to modify the kitchen or kitchen walls and ceiling height just to fit the new cabinets, resulting in unnecessary expense.

High-quality craftsmanship exudes taste, even when it comes to a kitchen cabinet. A quality wood cabinet or cupboard comfortably installed in your kitchen not only adds beauty to the room, but also increases the value of your home. The higher quality kitchen cabinets you install in your home, the more value your home will have.