Susan Palmer Designs - Information about Honolulu kitchen cabinets, plywood cabinets in Hawaii, Overlay, inset, frameless cabinets, Cabinet Hardware, and cabinet door finishes
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Kitchen Cabinets - Differences and Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available in Honolulu



Hawaii Kitchen remodeling and home improvement


Cabinets are the most important part of a kitchen or bath; they are the foundation of these rooms, and can make a big difference in the success or failure of a kitchen and bath remodel. There are also climate and material issues to consider when replacing or installing kitchen cabinets in Hawaii. Here are a few points to consider when choosing cabinetry for your kitchen or bath remodel:

Know the differences in cabinet types, materials, quality, & finish

There are many different components that make up a kitchen cabinet, here are a few of the key elements:

Plywood, MDF, and Particle Board

- These are the most common types of material used in the manufacture of kitchen cabinets, and not all are created equal. There are differing qualities in each of these three types - Wood-Mode and Brookhaven use a furniture quality Plywood as well as a furniture quality Particle board. The reason that these types of materials are offered are not due to pricing, rather, different climates require different types of materials for structural integrity over time. Humid, wet areas, such as Manoa, may be more suited to one type of material over another that is better suited for a dryer environment such as Hawaii Kai, and considerations for costal environments such as Kahala that will need to take into consideration the salt air to find the best kitchen cabinet materials & construction method. These key points are just some of the reasons that it is important to consult with a kitchen designer to choose the type of material that best fits your tastes, as well as your environment.


Cabinet Hardware and Drawers

Higher quality cabinets will have either stainless steel drawers or wooden drawers with dovetail joins. The drawer slides are equally important -- hardware manufacturers such as Blum offer Blumotion Slides which are typically found in higher quality cabinetry and come with a lifetime warranty. Poor quality drawers can fall apart and cheap slides can derail after only a few years, so it is important for the long run to have drawers and slides that will function properly over the life span of your kitchen. Hardware such as hinges and handles are also important, as the quality of these effect the overall quality and function of door opening as well as door finish.

Overlay, Inset, Framed Cabinets

The most common custom kitchen cabinet in Honolulu homes is known as a frameless full-overly or "European Style" cabinet. These cabinet types are recognized as a door that overlays the frame less 3/4" cabinet box with a concealed, a.k.a. "european hinge", style of door hinge, which is installed on the inside of the door and cabinet. Traditional American methods for building kitchen cabinets consisted of a framed cabinet, which can have either an overlay or an inset door. A frames cabinet is a traditional american style of cabinet building and is rarely seen these days with an overlay door. A framed cabinet is one where the cabinet box has a frame around the door opening into the cabinet with an exposed hinge. Inset doors are cabinet doors that open and close within the frame of the cabinet and are usually found in more traditional or classical kitchen cabinet designs.

honolulu kitchen cabinet - inset & overlay


Factory Finish

The finish of your cabinets is equally important in the long term life of your kitchen. Factory finished cabinets have multiple steps and will not require re-finishing or yearly finish maintenance, are more durable and protective of your wood, and, if certified, will not leak harmful gasses into your home. Unfortunately, cheap imported cabinetry from countries without strict manufacturing laws most likely contain harmful chemicals used in the varnishes, which will then off-gas into the air -- it's difficult to know what kind of chemicals or the associated health risks, as the lack of regulations in certain foreign countries don't require disclosure of harmful materials, or do not have to be substantiated in order to be exported.

Warranty

It is important to find out the details of cabinet warranties, if any, are offered with your kitchen and bath cabinets. Most build-on-site cabinets have a warranty that ends when the cabinet builder leaves your home, so it is important to ascertain the terms of warranty, and any limitations, before purchase. The typical warranty period is about three years for semi and custom cabinetry. Brookhaven cabinets have a 10 year warranty, and Wood-Mode cabinets have a Lifetime Warranty.

Susan Palmer Designs is based in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, but also does kitchen and bath remodeling design on outer islands including Maui, Kauai, Lanai, and the big island of Hawaii.

Visit our showroom at the Shops at Dole Cannery, or call us at (808) 599-7606 to set up an appointment today!










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Visit The Susan Palmer Designs Showroom

SUSAN PALMER DESIGNS
THE SHOPS AT DOLE CANNERY
650 IWILEI RD. SUITE #195
HONOLULU, HI 96819
TELEPHONE : (808) 599-7606
EMAIL:

SHOWROOM HOURS:
M-F 10:00 - 5:00*
SATURDAY BY APPOINTMENT
* we reccomend that you call ahead to schedule an appointment, as we may be out of the office on jobsites.

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