What you need to know before choosing kitchen cabinets

It's more complicated than you think. Here's what to consider before spending big on the wrong ones.

Choosing cabinets for a kitchen remodel seems pretty simple. They are basically boxes to hold dishes, glasses and cooking utensils. How hard could that be?

It turns out that the decision-making process can be quite complex, since there are so many design details and features available - and given the significant investment required. So it's worth making sure you end up with cabinets you'll be happy with for a long time to come.

But how do you know what's best for your home?

"Obviously it depends on what you start with," says Boston-based interior designer Nina Farmer. "An apartment versus a house is very different." The same goes for a traditional house versus a modern house. Your kitchen and reception ambitions should also influence your kitchen design.

To help you sort through the options, we asked interior designers and to kitchen manufacturers how they help their customers find the best fit.

ImageDesigned kitchen by Nina Farmer features ample storage space in cabinets with insert doors and drawers.Credit...Eric Piasecki

Focus on the drawers

Start by considering the lower cabinets: some are made with doors and shelves, but many designers now prefer those equipped with drawers.

"I find that people use something much more than they can pull out, rather than a shelf," Ms. Farmer said. With a drawer, you don't have to bend down to look inside, as all the contents are revealed when you pull it out.

If you prefer the look of a door, there is a workaround: add sliding tray-like drawers inside the cabinet, Ms. Farmer suggested, behind a door that opens on hinges.

"It generally has the same capability," she said. "Sometimes I even have a bottom drawer that opens with the door and then puts another inner drawer on top."

Compared to a design at door and shelf, she says, “it's always more functional. those made by Space Theory tend to look modern and sleek. counters have been a trend for years. But that's not good for everyone.

"Some of our customers really like the exposed shelves," said Christine Stucker, who runs Stewart-Schäfer, an interior design firm with offices in New York and Connecticut, with her husband, James Veal. “But I feel like we need to educate them that it needs to be organized. You can't throw all your kids' mugs and random stuff up there. Some people don't understand that when you see t...