Wood Cabinets Bring Out the Best in Your Kitchen

by Kelly Richardson
Face Your Kitchen Columnist

Warm chestnut. Thick maple. Gleaming oak. It seems as though the classic connection between wood and cabinet just can't be denied. If you have some money to spend, redoing your kitchen with wood cabinets is an attractive choice.

While they may be a bit more expensive than synthetic materials, one look at an all-wood cabinet set may convince you that there's just no other way to go. Wood cabinets can be more durable, customizable, and distinguished than their synthetic counterparts. Here are a few of the more popular wood cabinet styles that homeowners are going crazy over.

Popular Wood Cabinets

• Chestnut. Chestnut wood is fairly soft, and cabinets are characterized by a straight, coarse-textured grain and light to medium-red color.
• Maple. Also used to create musical instruments, maple is hard, usually fine-grained, and attractively colored. Maple wood cabinets are popular because of their beauty and durability.
• Oak. Oak is sturdy wood used in traditional furniture. Oak wood cabinets are generally straight grained with a coarse texture. Oak offers classic good looks at a reasonable price.

If you're looking for ways to personalize your wood cabinets you have several options to choose from. Custom wood cabinets let you design your kitchen based on your personality and attitude.

Custom Wood Cabinets

• Painted. Continue a kitchen theme with professionally painted cabinets.
• Carved. Wood carvers can transform your cabinets with looks from ethnic to rococo.
• Treated. Choose from glazed stain, glazed paint, or other unique treatments.

Try an online search or canvassing local home improvement centers to find the pricing and option information on solid wood cabinets. Your kitchen will thank you for it.

About the Author
Kelly Richardson covers the home improvement scene in between his seasonal projects. His articles appear wherever intelligent interior design is valued.