Choosing Kitchen Cabinets

AABA KITCHEN offers high quality solid wood, wood veneer, thermofoil, laminate and melamine kitchen and bath cabinetry in Toronto. We offer styles from more formal and traditional to sleek and contemporary, all in timeless finishes. We add meaningful innovation and functional storage to make the kitchen for easier prepping, cooking, entertaining and living. We also have the accessories, organizational features and hardware with cabinetry solutions that add long-lasting value and bring utility, comfort and beauty to the kitchen.

What to Know?

Kitchen is the true heart of a home and one of the first thing you see when walk in a kitchen are cabinets. They have a large impression on the whole feeling of the kitchen and choosing kitchen cabinets is one of the most stressful decisions you’ll make for your kitchen to store those fat burners. Cabinets have a big influence on your budget as well as on your kitchen looking. One of the first thing you see when walk in a kitchen are cabinets and they have a large impression on the whole feeling of the kitchen.

Not only the look is important but also making a decision on how much money you want to expend for your cabinets has a critical role. That’s because various types of construction techniques and materials are used which can have a big impact on the overall cost. Materials can range from “good”, “better” or “best” quality. For example, what kind of drawers are used, full extension ones or what kind of hinges are used, soft-close ones and many other things. You can still find good products at an affordable price in AABA KITCHEN.

Just be aware that cabinets generally consume about half of the typical kitchen budget so you’ll want to make sure what you’re getting for your money. The best way is to understand the differences in construction and materials and how these elements impact the quality and durability.

Now before choosing the material, think about your lifestyle, how you use your kitchen and how much storage space you need and all the appliances you will need, like a large coffee maker, rice cooker,fridge and more. The best decisions start with good planning.

Where to Start?

The first thing you want to do is to clarify your goals for how you want your kitchen to look and function so that you’re finally satisfied with the result. You should do this regardless of whether you’re thinking of replacing your existing cabinets with the same layout or you have plan for a completely new layout.

Here are some questions which can help you in this process:

  • What don’t you like about your current cabinets?
    Write down exactly what you dislike so to look for solutions when it’s time to buy new. Maybe you don’t have enough space or perhaps it’s poorly allocated space without good organizational features. The more specific you can be about what it is you want to have or change, the more focused you’ll be about targeting the right options.
  • How long do you plan on staying in the home – are you updating for the purpose of reselling or do you plan on staying long term?
    The answer to this question may determine the price you’re willing to pay as well as the level of qualification and customization you want to build in. If you plan to stay in your current home for a long time, you may want to spend more money to get more durable construction and materials. On the other hand, if you’re planning to sale your home in the near future, you may want to limit your investment to a functional but more cost-effective cabinet style and construction.
  • What is the style of your home and your kitchen? Do you want to stay with the existing style or do you want to change it?
    Identifying the style you’re looking for will help narrowing your focus on the available choices and also provide some guidance for us as a kitchen designer and cabinet maker.
  • What amount of storage space do you need? Is it enough now or you need more space?
    Look at what you currently have on your countertops or in other places which you prefer to store inside your cabinets. Knowing how much stuff you need to accommodate will help you understand the amount of space you’ll need. Remember that the fewer items you store on your countertops, the more working space you’ll have.
  • What is most important to you – aesthetic appeal or durability and quality construction?
    Achieving your dream kitchen is a worthy goal but at the same time be realistic. When there’s a limited budget, it may not be possible to afford high quality materials/construction as well as exotic woods and finishes. Be wise and rational about apportion your money between quality materials/construction and aesthetic items like door styles, finishes and decoration. Usually there’s a happy medium somewhere in between.
  • Do you really need completely new cabinets or will a face-lift enough?
    If your current cabinets are in good condition and you don’t want to change the current layout of your kitchen, perhaps all you need is a refreshment of the current style. They’re typically less expensive and take less time than replacing your existing cabinets. However, most of the time customers prefer to change the whole cabinetry as mostly there is not much difference in the pricing if you change the whole cabinets or just do some refreshments.
    Refacing is one way to put a fresh face on your existing cabinets. It involves re-skinning them with a new wood or laminate veneer and replacing the doors. There are other renovation options too.
    Replacing doors and new hinges are available to provide a new look and style to your existing cabinets at a fraction of what it would cost to completely replace them.
    Replacing the knobs and pulls with new ones is another way to change the look of existing cabinets. Don’t think that entirely new cabinets are necessary if the only problem with your existing ones are some tired doors and/or a style that no longer appeals to you. Replacing doors, hardware and even refacing can provide a totally new look at a lower cost than new units.
  • Do you need cabinets for an outdoor kitchen, laundry room or garage?
    Yes, there are cabinets for outdoor kitchens  Even though they serve the same functionality as their indoor counterparts, they need to be made from materials that are suitable according to the circumstances.
    Laundry cabinets are also very similar to those used in the kitchen but there are some that are made with more organizational features specific to their functionality.
    If you’re looking for garage cabinets, you can recycle some old kitchen units and mount them on the garage walls. If that won’t do, we can help you to have new cabinets for your garage.

Choosing Cabinet Materials:

AABA Kitchen Cabinets come in five class options: Solid-WoodWood VeneerThermofoilLaminate and Melamine. Most cabinets are made from hardwoods, but to reduce costs, these hardwoods are often applied as veneers over a substrate, such as plywood. Cabinetry that is not solid-wood or wood veneer is generally Laminate or Thermofoil, both of which are applied to substrates and are durable and cost effective.

Wood warps easily as its moisture content changes. That’s why it’s important that the wood be finished on all sides before it leaves the factory. Unfinished cabinetry should be finished on-site as soon as possible to prevent warping. Veneered cabinets are more stable than solid lumber in high-humidity areas.

LaminateLaminate is made of three resin-saturated layers; a base layer of paper, a printed and colored layer (which may look like wood), and a protective transparent layer. Heat and pressure fuse a laminate to a substrate. The weight of the substrate makes laminate cabinets heavier than those made of wood. Laminate is used to cover exterior cabinetry surfaces, the fronts and backs of doors, and some interior surfaces. come in a range of colors and patterns, including some that mimic wood.

MelamineHigh-pressure laminates are difficult to damage, giving vertical surfaces the same durability as countertops. Melamine, also called Low-pressure laminates, just like laminates but are less impact-resistant than high-pressure laminates.

ThermofoilThermofoil is a vinyl film applied to a substrate with heat and pressure. The application process makes it possible for thermofoil to resemble wood detailing more closely than laminate can. Most often white or almond thermofoil cabinets are easy to care for and less likely to chip than painted cabinets. come in a range of colors and patterns, including some that mimic wood.