Hawaiian mango and African sapele wood cabinetry create the stunning centerpiece of this Kailua kitchen—the cabinets even cover the refrigerator doors and freezer drawers. Design by Glenda Anderson, of Details International. Woodwork by King & Zelko Hawaiian Woodworks.

Cabinets can be the crowning glory of your kitchen—or the biggest eyesore. When it comes to choosing the right ones, there’s more to consider than what meets the eye.

“It’s what you can’t see that will keep your cabinets looking good year after year,” says Csaba Meresz, of Hawaii Hale Design Center. “It’s all in the details. Materials, construction, hardware, installation—those are the things that make a good cabinet.”

So don’t rush it. “You are making a 15-to-25 year decision,” says Steve Pak, of American Cabinetry. “It’s one of the first and most important phases of the project. Use time as your ally.” 
Here’s some advice from the experts to help you get started.

Style

Wood still reigns supreme as the most requested cabinet material.

“We try to follow a natural wood style because it transcends time,” says Tom Zelko, of King and Zelko Hawaiian Woodworks. “Every spectrum of color is displayed in natural wood. It's timeless.”
Right now, richly colored woods, such as cherry and African mahogany, are all the rage, with even darker woods, such as black wood wenge and red eucalyptus robusta gaining popularity. Various shades of classic wood, such as maple, however, are always in style, says Val Chan, of LF International Trading.

In addition to color, pay attention to the quality of the wood, advises Denise Cao, of Golden Cabinets. "Ultimately, the price will depend on the wood. Is it soft maple? Hard maple? Wood can always be stained, but it's the quality that counts."

Pacific Cherry cabinetry is a warm choice for this Maunawili kitchen remodel by Hawaii Hale Design Center.

Simple Shaker- and contemporary Shaker-style cabinets remain in high demand for their classic look as well. Zelko recommends a Shaker style, in particular, because the doors blend in and hold up well in the Hawaiian environment.

If wood isn’t your thing, laminate and lacquer doors offer a variety of stylish design options. Pak suggests laminate doors with a flat surface for homeowners who desire minimal maintenance and a sleek look. Snaidero Hawaii exclusively carries European-made Snaidero cabinets in wood finishes, but also in many design-forward, alternate options like glossy, metallic Italian lacquer.

“We introduce new cabinet styles often,” says Mark Shigei, of Snaidero Hawaii. “Design trends are always changing, and we are always at the front line.”

Hardware

The best advice we heard about hardware: Don’t skimp! The moving parts of the cabinets are used every day, over and over, and their importance shouldn’t be overlooked.

“Clients should pay special attention when choosing cabinet hardware,” says Zelko. “Pay attention to how the door/drawer opens and closes and how the drawer slides.”

Most designers and homeowners prefer a full-extension drawer slide with a soft-close. Full extension allows for “a smooth glide with total access to the drawers,” says Greg Molica, of Hawaii Woodcrafts, while a soft-close stops a drawer from slamming shut. A drawer supported by two side- or under-mounted slides is also much stronger than one with a single slide centered underneath, say the experts at HPM Building Supply. A good slide, such as a ball-bearing one, can support at least 75 pounds of weight.

Zelko recommends purchasing the best hardware that you can afford—with a warranty. Look for a lifetime hardware warranty to ensure that any future problems can easily be remedied. Who makes the good stuff? Many high-end cabinets now utilize Blum hardware. The company’s innovative, quality hinge- and drawer slide hardware is regarded among the best. Blum is readily available from many quality cabinet suppliers, including Snaidero Hawaii and Golden Cabinets.

When it comes to door and drawer handles and pulls, “You want to find the style that best matches the style of your cabinets,” says Shigei.  “But you should always choose what feels comfortable in your hand.”

Construction

Top-quality cabinets are made like good furniture. You have to know what to look for in the cabinet box, drawers and shelves.

In traditional, face-frame cabinetry construction, the cabinet box is the cabinet’s backbone—the stronger the better. “Face-frame cabinets have a hardwood frame on the face of the cabinet box,” explains Chad Teixeira, of Ohana Building Supply. “This frame covers the unfinished edges of the sides of the box, adding stiffness to the cabinet and providing a strong base for adding hinges.” Conversely, a frameless cabinet—the less common of the two—has a modern, European-style look and is typically built from man-made materials and clad with veneer.

“Doors on frameless cabinets usually completely overlay the cabinet box with only a slight reveal between them, offering an unbroken appearance, unlike most face-frame cabinets, which allow the frame to show between lipped doors,” Teixeira says.

Most of our experts suggested a plywood box, but also mentioned that one company’s plywood box can vary significantly from another’s. Make sure to feel each one out for quality. Archipelago Hawaii, Refined Island Designs, offers green-certified, marine-grade plywood.

If you’re looking to save, a particleboard box could be an option. While plywood is often the preferred box material of choice, “particleboard is a price-saving option for homeowners,” says Laurent Chouari, of Archipelago Hawaii. “ Although typically not popular in Hawaii, quality, modern particleboard is well made and can withstand our environment,” Chouari says.

Glenda Anderson, of Details International, agrees: "Not all pressed-wood products are bad. Some are even superior to wood and, as a plus, they don't attract termites." Anderson suggests heavy-weight, European-made pressed wood for its durability.

For the cabinet box, thickness varies. “Some use rather thin, 3/8" sides, while the better ones use ¾" sides,” says Chouari. As a guide, look for around ½" to ¾" thickness.

When considering drawer construction, wood dove-tailed drawers are standard, says Zelko. The best ones have solid-wood sides, dovetail joinery and a plywood bottom.

Lastly, for shelves, look for about ¾" thick shelves constructed with wood or medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Particleboard shelves sometimes sag.

Extra Options

Today’s cabinets offer endless options for storage customization. Which to choose? Ultimately, it depends on your needs and how you choose to organize your kitchen.

“Having a well-organized kitchen makes the day-to-day routine easier,” says Zelko, “but there is the additional cost to take into consideration.”

If you have a lot of big pots, utensils, plates, serving dishes and platters, for instance, specialized options can save you a lot of hassle. Extra-deep drawers, full-extension pull-outs and wine and spice racks all help you easily access everything without digging around. Magic
Corner cabinets and Lazy Susans are also great for making the most of previously wasted space.

The bottom line? “Extra options are great, as long as they add functionality to the kitchen,” says Teixeira. Adds Pak, “If you remodel or create the new kitchen of your dreams, and you still need to dig inside your cabinets just like in your old kitchen, well, that makes no sense.”

Installation

Protect your cabinetry investment with proper installation.

“You can purchase the highest- quality, greatest cabinets in the world. But if you can’t execute the plan and details, your kitchen becomes a failure,” says Pak. “You need an installer who is licensed, talented and team-oriented to complete the other half of the project. He is the last part of the puzzle that completes the picture.”

Depending on the details of the project, you can expect installation to cost about 25 to 50 percent of your budget. Some companies, such as Snaidero Hawaii, offer free cabinet-installation services.

Looking to cut costs? While Zelko recommends having a licensed contractor remove your old cabinets, “clients can save money by removing the old cabinetry themselves.”


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