Choosing kitchen cabinets and countertops is a very individualized task. No two homes are exactly alike, and your personal preferences are about as unique as each type of cabinet wood and countertop finishs available today. When you’re in the process of choosing finishes for your Minnesota custom kitchen cabinets and countertops, start with this overview from Minnesota’s own Danner’s Cabinet Shop for an idea of the more common types of wood kitchen cabinets and countertop materials that are in demand today.
Kitchen Cabinet Wood Types
It’s not hard to walk into a Minnesota kitchen showroom and immediately be attracted to the different displays. But when it comes time to choose kitchen cabinets for your own home, it can be a whole different story! Be prepared to learn about the various types of wood available for kitchen cabinets, their unique characteristics, how they will look with the finish you would like, and of course, how they’ll look in your new kitchen.
- Cherry Wood Cabinets offer rich, reddish undertones and are popular not only for their beauty, but also because their even grain allows for easy finish application.
- Oak Wood Cabinets are known as a heavier hardwood with coarse, varying grain patterns that can include knots.
- Maple Wood Cabinets are desirable for their durability and beauty. Maple is typically lighter in color with a subtle grain pattern, and is often recommended when budget is a concern as it can be stained to give the appearance of more expensive woods such as cedar and cherry.
- Alder Wood Cabinets are recognizable by their lighter brown and reddish undertones, and occasional knots, worm holes, and cracks. Alder has a fine grain pattern and is softer than the other hardwood species, so can dent easier than the harder wood species.
- Birch Wood Cabinets are usually a lighter colored wood that offers durability and accepts different stains readily.
Kitchen Countertop Selections
Every so many years, it seems a new material is being featured for use as kitchen countertops. When selecting your Minnesota kitchen countertop, you’ll focus on not just the overall beauty and color, but on the practical aspects such as functionality, care, and maintenance of your kitchen counter material. Here’s our list of a few of the more common countertops available today.
- Granite Countertops are the most popular material for kitchen countertops today. If you’re looking for a unique, durable, natural material, granite still fits the bill and is a popular “must have” when it comes to home resales.
- Cambria Countertops are 93% quartz and are nonporous so they offer more durability than granite with no need to be sealed like granite. This low-maintenance surface is gaining in popularity and is available in dozens of design patterns that are not quite as varied as granite.
- Formica Countertops are the popular affordable choice when looking for beauty and low maintenance. Today’s patterns and colors give your kitchen a custom look without the pricetag that comes along with the natural products.
To contact Danner’s Cabinet Shop, Minnesota’s kitchen design specialists for a free consultation, call 763-753-4002 today.
