Is your kitchen in need of a storage and style makeover? Customizing your cabinet bases is one of the best ways to maximize your kitchen’s functionality and aesthetic. With so many options to choose from, you can create a custom kitchen that suits your specific needs and design vision.
From enhancing corner spaces to specialty storage solutions, we’ll provide tips on selecting cabinets tailored to your cooking requirements and interior design goals.
Cabinet Base Basics
Before diving into custom options, let’s review the fundamentals of kitchen base cabinets. Base cabinets are the foundation of your kitchen’s storage. They are typically box-shaped cabinets that sit directly on the floor and support the countertops above.
Standard width for base cabinets is 36 inches, though sizes can range from 12 inches for filler cabinets to as wide as 48 inches for more spacious designs. The standard depths are 24 inches for deeper full-depth cabinets and 12 inches for partial-depth options, while heights commonly come in 34 1/2 or 24 inches.
The basic components of base cabinets are two side panels, a top and bottom, a back panel, and front-facing drawers or doors for accessibility. Materials range from plywood and engineered woods to solid hardwoods like oak and maple. Durability, ease of cleaning, and cost may factor into your cabinet material selection.
Standard Base Cabinets
For simple and affordable storage, standard base cabinets have a basic box design with doors, drawers, or a combination of both. They come ready to assemble and install in your kitchen layout.
Optimal placement of standard base cabinets depends on your kitchen workflow. Frequently accessed items like dishes and cooking tools may do well in cabinets nearest the sink and stove. You may reserve wider cabinets for large pots and small appliances.
To enhance standard base cabinets, incorporate roll-out trays, tilt-out bins, or other organizational accessories. Adjustable shelves provide storage flexibility for objects of various sizes. Standard base cabinets offer versatility at a reasonable cost.
Sink Base Cabinets
A sink base cabinet is modified to fit seamlessly around a built-in kitchen sink. When selecting your sink base, pay close attention to dimensions including the apron front depth, side cabinet width, and desired toe-kick height.
Consider where your sink faucet and accessories like soap dispensers will be located so front clearances accommodate these features. Durability is also key – materials like moisture-resistant plywood and stainless steel can withstand water exposure near the sink.
To make the most of your sink base storage, look for specialized features like tilt-out trays for drying racks, vertical storage dividers, tip-out doors/trays for easy access to items at the back, and built-in garbage disposal housing.
Corner Base Cabinets
Don’t let awkward corner spaces go to waste. Corner cabinets maximize every inch of available storage in your kitchen layout. Base corner cabinets come in a variety of space-saving designs.
A lazy susan consists of a round, rotate shelf set into a corner cabinet so contents spin into accessible view. Diagonal corner cabinets house trays or shelves on an angle in the corner. Swing-out cabinets pivot open for complete access to interior storage.
Other options like blind corner pull-outs with storage pockets and slide-out cabinetry enhance accessibility in corners. Take measurements and visualize how each design might optimize your particular corner area.
Drawer Base Cabinets
For ultra-convenient access to your most used cookware and accessories, consider an all-drawer base cabinet configuration. Drawers allow you to instantly grab what you need without fumbling with doors.
Full-extension drawers give you visibility and access to contents at the very back of the cabinet – no more digging around in dark corners. Drawers equipped with soft-close technology close slowly and silently. Customize drawer dimensions to fit large pots and pans.
To keep contents organized, opt for divided drawers with built-in utensil compartments, spice racks, and cutlery trays. Drawer bases are a bit pricier but deliver big convenience.
Unique Storage Solutions
Beyond basic cabinet forms, there are many specialty cabinet systems and organizational tools to address unique storage needs.
Magic corner cabinets use angled internal shelving to provide full access to a corner. Roll-out trays offer smooth access to items placed at the back of standard cabinets. Tilt-out hampers can hold tall cleaning tools or trash bins.
Other ingenious space-savers include appliance garages to conceal small appliances and pop-up electrical outlets. Get creative with custom kitchen cabinets tailored to your storage challenges.
Customization Options
Selecting semi-custom or full-custom cabinetry gives you creative liberty in your kitchen design. With customized base cabinets, you can choose your ideal dimensions, layouts, and storage accessories.
Consider your overall workflow and eating area to map out cabinet sizes and placements. Mix and match drawer widths and divide large drawers into compartmentalized sections based on what you intend to store.
Choose your preferred finish like painted, stained, or glazed cabinets and hardware like handles or knobs to complete your customized look. The possibilities are truly endless.
Assembly and Installation
Once you’ve selected your customized bases, it’s time for assembly and installation. Many base cabinets ship flat-packed with instructions and hardware for putting them together.
If handy at home improvement, you may opt for DIY assembly and installation. For more complex projects, consider hiring a professional carpenter or kitchen remodeling contractor to ensure cabinets are properly installed and functional.
Proper installation involves securing cabinets to wall studs for stability, careful leveling, and adjustments of doors and drawers to ensure proper alignment and operation.
Key Factors to Consider
When determining your custom kitchen cabinet bases, keep the following key considerations in mind:
- What you intend to store in each cabinet – cookware, appliances, pantry goods?
- Your kitchen’s existing layout, workflow patterns, appliance placements
- How base cabinets will combine with wall mounted cabinets
- Pairing your countertop material and cabinet color scheme
- Setting an overall cabinetry budget
By outlining your specific storage needs, design vision, and budget ahead of time, you can select custom base cabinets tailored to your kitchen.
The right base cabinets lay the foundation for your dream kitchen. Whether you need ultra-convenient cookware storage, specialized organizers, or custom cabinets sized to fit your space, there are endless options to choose from.
Planning your layout, selecting specialty storage accessories, and opting for customization allows you to curate base cabinets precisely suited to your cooking and lifestyle needs. With some thoughtful choices, you can maximize both the form and function of your new or remodeled kitchen.
Turn that unused corner or jumbled lower cabinet into storage perfection with help from the custom cabinet ideas in this article. Soon you’ll have a kitchen as stylish as it is practical, with a custom cooking space you can’t wait to show off.
