Thread: Which Route should I go with my Kitchen Cabinets?

Depends on a few things I guess like how much time you can devote to the project, your own capabilities as a woodworker and of course, your budget. Pre-assembled would be the most simple way to do it but would probably be expensive. Ready to assemble I would think would not be too difficult and much less time consuming than making the whole things from scratch also cheaper than pre-assembled cabinets.
Making the whole thing yourself would be probably the most costly but most satisfying if your skills are up to the task.
Personally, I would opt for pre-assembled or ready to assemble and decide if I wanted to make the doors.
I have no idea of the cost involved in any of the options. I had a new kitchen installed a couple of years ago, New Guinea Rosewood and it looks great but cost over $20,000 to have installed by the professionals.

BTW, welcome to the forum.

Hi Jim,

I work for a company that does mostly kitchens and there can be a lot of things to consider. It comes down to your capabilities, budget and time constraints. Here are my thoughts:

- How long can you and your family live without a kitchen while the old one is ripped out and the new one installed to a functional level. Remember that plumbers and electricians are required (at least in Australia they are) to complete most jobs. Co-ordinating these bits and pieces are often the most stressfull and the slowest part of kitchen renovations.

- Can you accurately cut panel material in your home workshop? If so, you're well on the way to doing it yourself. If unsure, I'd recommend against it as I see problems evolve even with our CNC cut kitchens.

- The fastest, least intrusive, most expensive (and least fun for you) is to have someone else do the job for you. I know that this goes against what we stand for as woodworkers and DIYer's, but if you have a wife or kids who don't share your passion - the time spent cooking with the microwave in the Laundry is not fun for anyone. You also get warranties and legal protection against faults and mistakes!

- The option of getting a kitchen cut and assembling/installing it yourself is the happy medium for many people. In Australia we call it flat pack and some companies such as Ikea supply a range of different cabinets that you can mix and match to fit your space. This is ok if you have an open end to your kitchen where you may put a breakfast bar or small return. When it comes to fitting cabinets between two walls (the U shaped kitchen) you need to give it more thought, especially if you want particular style cabinets in that pre-determined gap!

- If you can get someone to help custom design your kitchen, then cut it and supply it as a flat pack it would be better (in my opinion). It'll cost a little more than an Ikea kitchen but there's no constraints and you should get expert advice. However my company won't supply flat pack to anyone other than qualified Cabinet Makers and this may be something you find as well.

- Regarding your doors and panels, if you make your own from MDF just make sure they are properly sealed. Water and other liquids are the enemy, and they're in abundance in the kitchen.

I hope this makes sense and helps