Intro to Cabinet Doors

When choosing your cabinet doors, there can be a lot of options. For example, are solid wood panel doors worth it? Should you go with 42” high uppers? What are the pros and cons of choosing melamine for the cabinet interiors with wood finished frames and doors? I am going to give you a brief overview of cabinet doors. So, lets get to it. There are three main types of cabinet doors—slab, wood frame with ¼” plywood or MDF panel and solid wood panel doors. Each have their own value and quality. Slab doors are cheap looking and to be honest, you’re getting saw dust and glue dressed up in pretty colours. They work when you just want a simple, affordable kitchen. If you are looking for something with a lot more elegance and character as well as the quality, you need a great cabinet maker. Then you can design a beautiful kitchen space that will last.

Beautiful maple doors with dovetails

My favourite kind of cabinet doors are the wood framed doors. They are low maintenance and more affordable than having a solid wood door yet you can achieve the look of having a mission/shaker style. Simple yet elegant wooden bead insets can be added to dress it up if it’s too simple. They are also compatible with glass as well as stained glass. With slab doors, the options are many. The wood-framed doors allow for upgrades to your kitchen while still achieving that clean, rich look. As well, there is less weight on the door hinges which, in turn, increases the longevity and functionality of the door hardware than if you were to go with solid wood doors. It’s the middle of the pack option that brings that wood finish look into the dream kitchen while still sitting at a quite an affordable price point.  

Solid wood doors look amazing if you are going for the traditional wood kitchen feeling—the beauty and elegance being expressed through the grains of wood and the cabinetmaker’s art. If that is the look you are going for then yes, 100%, solid is the way to go. Some negatives to consider though are the price point and the fact that solid wood can take on moisture and crack overtime so you might start to notice these things. Minor

cracks though don’t need to be a bad thing as they can add character to the kitchen. Some other positives are that the profiles on the panel of a solid wood door will add more character and definition to the door creating a very warm and welcoming space because of the flow through the kitchen of the wood grains and the cabinetmaker’s expression.  

So, there you have it, a brief summary of kitchen cabinet door options. I hope this piqued your interest on the topic, stay tuned for more cabinetry blogs.