Cabinets & Countertops 101

Are you ready to give your kitchen or bathroom a whole new look? Here's a comprehensive guide to help you choose the options and materials that are best for you.

Cabinets

Cabinetry is essentially furniture for the kitchen and the bath. It sets the tone for the entire room, while providing much-needed storage.

Before you begin

Walk around the room and consider what your needs are. Do you want to stow all your towels in the bathroom instead of the hall closet? If so, you might benefit from a few deep cabinets. Do you need a row of vertical dividers in the kitchen for all those cookie sheets?

Think about how many drawers and upper and lower cabinets you would like, plus extras, such as open shelves, glass-front doors and deep drawers.

Consider your options

• Stock: Available in a limited number of styles and finishes, inexpensive stock cabinets are sold in home-improvement stores and can usually be taken home the same day. They generally come in three standard widths: 27, 30 and 33 inches.
• Semicustom: These are sold in the same sizes as stock but come in a wider range of styles and finishes and offer features such as pot racks. Delivery time is four weeks and up.
• Custom: With handmade cabinetry, the sky's the limit — but you'll pay for it. "Elaborate molding finish could easily add 30% to the total and delivery takes at least six weeks.

Keep in mind

Cabinet-box and shelving materials vary, from plywood to medium-density fiberboard (MDF) to particle board, which may sag over time. You'll need to choose from four door styles: slab (little or no ornamentation), recessed panel (a center panel outlined with a frame; shown), raised panel (a center panel raised for contrast) and glass insert (a center panel of glass, clear or frosted, that provides a glimpse of what's inside). As for the cabinet-door materials, there are many choices, the most popular of which are listed along with this article.

Countertops

From meal prep to the occasional spill, these surfaces take a real beating, so it's important to know how the different types compare.

Before you begin

Consider how you live in your kitchen or bath. If you tend to be a messy cook and want to wipe up spaghetti-sauce spills quickly — with just soap and water — look into easy-to-maintain laminate. If durability is your main concern, opt for engineered stone or granite; both are virtually indestructible. And if you're a neatnik, "you should probably think twice about marble," "It stains so easily that you'll be a nervous wreck whenever someone puts a glass down on it."

Consider your options

What type of sink do you want? If you're looking for an undermount sink, which lies below the counter, you can choose any material except laminate, which is glued together and is therefore not 100% waterproof. With solid surface, stainless steel and concrete, you can have a seamless sink, which is made of the same material as the counter.

If you prefer natural and engineered stones, remember that they can come either honed or polished. Honed counters offer a casual, matte look, but they absorb moisture, so they need to be treated annually with a penetrating sealer (about $39 for a quart). Polished counters are glossier and require less stringent care.

Keep in mind

While shopping around, it helps to have a rough idea of how much material you'll need. (Multiply the length by the width, in feet, of the planned counter to get the square footage.) That way, you can estimate how much money you'll spend.

Here's a list of the 12 most common countertop materials.

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