Kitchen Cabinet Buying Guide

This guide narrows a kitchen cabinet decision down to a shortlist: pick a door profile, then a brand, then a finish. The most popular door profile by a wide margin is shaker, and we stock 54 shaker kitchen cabinet door styles across four brands in classic, wide and slim rail versions. If you already know the brand you want, go straight to Fabuwood, Forevermark (TSG Cabinetry), CNC Cabinetry, J&K Cabinetry, St. Martin Cabinetry or Shiloh.

If color is the starting point rather than the brand, the two largest groups are white kitchen cabinets (28 door styles across four brands, compared by undertone, rail width and box construction) and grey kitchen cabinets (46 styles). Warmer finishes are grouped in off-white and antique white, and the whole light end of the range is in light color kitchen cabinets.

For a brand-by-brand comparison read our top kitchen cabinet brands guide, request a kitchen price estimate, or book a free design consultation at a New Jersey or Brooklyn showroom.

Do not forget the backsplash

The tile behind the counter is the decision most often left to the end and most often rushed. Our backsplash tile collection compares 806 options by material, size, finish and look, with guidance on matching tile to shaker, white and grey cabinet fronts.

Choosing the countertop with the cabinets. The worktop is specified against the cabinet finish, not after it, so it is worth shortlisting both at the same time. Our quartz countertops guide breaks 355 slabs down by brand, colour, finish, pattern and slab size, and countertops covers the whole 442-slab catalogue including porcelain.

Once the door style, finish and line are decided, the next question is usually who fits them. Our cabinet, countertop and tile installation page explains how the measurement, the 3D design, the quote and the installation sequence fit together, and what has to be ready on site before cabinets go in.

Once the cabinet color is settled, the backsplash is the next decision. Glass tile is the easiest material to live with behind a range, since it wipes clean and needs no sealing.

Traditional door styles

The raised panel, mitered and glazed doors from every line on this page are listed together, with a construction comparison, in traditional kitchen cabinets.