The Boston Homeowner’s Custom Cabinet Handbook: How to Choose The Best Cabinets For Your Home

When it comes to the most-used rooms in the house, like the kitchen, we can only hope the materials we invest in when we undergo a renovation or project last us for years to come—in durability, in style, and in functionality. Since a project like a kitchen upgrade is expensive and time consuming, it would give Boston homeowners a bit more peace of mind if we could do more than just hope for the best. 

An investment in kitchen cabinets, for example, can feel like a risk. Will they last against all the wear and tear of knives and heavy pots and pans? Will they stand the test of time in terms of style? Will they be the perfect fit for my space and my lifestyle? The tricky thing is that you don’t know these answers until the cabinets are all installed and paid for. That’s where hand-crafted custom cabinets come to save the day and make it all make sense.

New England’s leading custom cabinet maker, Crown Point Cabinetry, has heard these concerns for years and have dedicated their time to making sure you get the perfect cabinets for your home—that means the perfect fit for your space and lifestyle, the durability you need for your home-chef endeavors, and timeless styles you won’t grow tired of in just a couple years. Here’s your guide to choosing the best tailor-made cabinets for your kitchen, as guided by Crown Point Cabinetry’s catalog.

Durability

From the jump, Crown Point Cabinetry holds themselves to a standard that surpasses the industry standard for durability. First and foremost, if you invest in custom cabinets from Crown Point, you’ll be pleased to find that the interiors of every cabinet and every drawer box are made of American black walnut.

Walnut is the top choice for a beautifully durable material when it comes to cabinets, so much so that most other companies will charge extra for it. Plus, the face frame, doors, and drawer fronts that Crown Point makes are 1-inch thick, whereas the industry standard is ¾-inch. Altogether, that means you’re getting cabinets that will last you for the long haul. 

With that kind of durability, you’ll want to take advantage of the opportunity and make sure the cabinets you choose look good for the long-term on the outside as well. Regardless of the wood species, Crown Point hand selects from premium lumber for color and grain. Plus, to ensure your cabinetry stays as beautiful as it was the day you bought it, they use an oven-baked finish for every painted or stained piece.

Style

Once you know that your cabinets are built to last, Crown Point also gives you the option to build a style you’ll always love. It’s easy to mix and match cabinet features to ensure you’re achieving the style you want for your home. If you have a traditional or farmhouse-style kitchen, for example, match a beaded inside edge with a beadboard panel for some old-school flair. A beadboard can also work for coastal homes, and in that case, try matching it with a square-molded inside edge. For a modern look, try combining a square fineline door and a frameless face. 

Don’t neglect the choice of wood! The material itself can create a wide range of effects. For example, a knotty cherry look can create a raw, organic feel, perfect for the wild life you plan to lead at your new lake house, for example. If you’re looking for an adaptable choice that will fit into changing styles over time while still wowing your guests, try Douglas fir on the outside–and of course, you’ll always have the walnut interior on the inside to impress.

Functionality

You can really maximize those walnut interiors by taking full advantage of designing the space inside your cabinets. It’s also important to remember that, with Crown Point, all interior panels and dividers are made of matching walnut as well–which means organizing your cabinet space will feel like an indulgence. 

You can choose from a wide array of organizational options to make sure your cabinets fit your lifestyle. An adjustable divider, for example, allows you to change up your organization as your cooking techniques and tools evolve over time. You can also take things up a notch with features like a spice ramp and a wave knife block.

The types of drawers as a whole can also be selected to fit your needs. A cutting board drawer, with catch pan, is perfect for the avid home chef. A bread drawer is specially designed to maintain the freshness of your bake-at-home creations. And a paper towel drawer will make things easy for cleanliness obsessives. 

That customizability can get even more intensive if you speak directly to a cabinetmaker like Crown Point. They can walk you through optimization options for accessibility concerns, safety and more. And the best part, when working with a craft-focused cabinetmaker like Crown Point, is that no matter how custom you get, you’ll always have incredible fundamentals like walnut interiors to get you excited about your new kitchen style.