8 Cupboard Door Styles to Beautify Your Kitchen
Selecting the perfect cupboard doors for your kitchen is all-important. Houzz shows you the latest styles that are built to last
Your cupboard door style can be one of the most important factors in your kitchen’s new design. Not only are cupboard doors one of the most visible design elements in a kitchen, they can also be one of the most expensive. From the elaborate to the simple, there’s a door for every style of kitchen. Take a look at some of the better-known styles here and see which will work for your home’s style and budget.
2. Louvered
Horizontal wood slats are typically used on windows, furniture pieces and interior doors, but they add a distinct architectural style to kitchen cupboards. However, be aware that these beauties come with a heavy price tag.
Many louvered doors have spaces between each slat, making them great for cupboards that require ventilation – like a cupboard near a radiator, a dedicated clothes drying cupboard in a laundry room or cabinetry for cable boxes and DVD players.
Horizontal wood slats are typically used on windows, furniture pieces and interior doors, but they add a distinct architectural style to kitchen cupboards. However, be aware that these beauties come with a heavy price tag.
Many louvered doors have spaces between each slat, making them great for cupboards that require ventilation – like a cupboard near a radiator, a dedicated clothes drying cupboard in a laundry room or cabinetry for cable boxes and DVD players.
3. Flat
Simple but stylish, the flat-panel cupboard door is void of any expensive details. Its hard lines and minimalist form make it a great fit for contemporary and modern interiors.
Many flat doors come in decorative laminate or wood. Laminate tends to be more budget friendly and offers a greater variety of colours and sheens.
Simple but stylish, the flat-panel cupboard door is void of any expensive details. Its hard lines and minimalist form make it a great fit for contemporary and modern interiors.
Many flat doors come in decorative laminate or wood. Laminate tends to be more budget friendly and offers a greater variety of colours and sheens.
4. Inset
Although this style tends to be one of the most expensive on the market, it’s a classic look that’ll last for generations. The inset door gets its name because it is set inside the cupboard frame – typical cupboard doors rest on the outside of the frame. The door is designed and constructed with extremely precise measurements so that it nests inside the frame and opens and closes properly, even when the wood expands and contracts.
This door style usually requires exposed hinges rather than the typical concealed hinges of other door styles that are included in the cost of the cupboard box. Make sure that your budget takes this into account – two hinges per door will quickly add up.
Although this style tends to be one of the most expensive on the market, it’s a classic look that’ll last for generations. The inset door gets its name because it is set inside the cupboard frame – typical cupboard doors rest on the outside of the frame. The door is designed and constructed with extremely precise measurements so that it nests inside the frame and opens and closes properly, even when the wood expands and contracts.
This door style usually requires exposed hinges rather than the typical concealed hinges of other door styles that are included in the cost of the cupboard box. Make sure that your budget takes this into account – two hinges per door will quickly add up.
5. Distressed
If you’ve always dreamed of having an antique-style kitchen, then you’ll love the distressed-looking cupboards available from most manufacturers.
Choose any door style and opt to have the corners rubbed off or have other distressing techniques done for that age-old feeling. All this extra work will cost you, though; there’s usually a 15 to 20 per cent mark-up for a tradesperson to actually destroy your brand-new doors.
If you’ve always dreamed of having an antique-style kitchen, then you’ll love the distressed-looking cupboards available from most manufacturers.
Choose any door style and opt to have the corners rubbed off or have other distressing techniques done for that age-old feeling. All this extra work will cost you, though; there’s usually a 15 to 20 per cent mark-up for a tradesperson to actually destroy your brand-new doors.
6. Beadboard
Love cottage style? It doesn’t get more cottage chic than beadboard. The centre panel of the cabinet doors in this style are made to look like traditional beadboard panelling. Beadboard was used in the past as a decorative wall treatment before plaster, drywall and paint became common.
While all-white beadboard cabinetry can give your kitchen a bright and clean feel, all the little cracks and crevasses on this door style can be a pain to keep clean.
Love cottage style? It doesn’t get more cottage chic than beadboard. The centre panel of the cabinet doors in this style are made to look like traditional beadboard panelling. Beadboard was used in the past as a decorative wall treatment before plaster, drywall and paint became common.
While all-white beadboard cabinetry can give your kitchen a bright and clean feel, all the little cracks and crevasses on this door style can be a pain to keep clean.
7. Thermofoil
These doors are moulded out of MDF (medium-density fibreboard), wrapped in a plastic-type coating and then baked under intense heat to create an impervious seal. Durable and cost-effective, they come only in solid colours and imitation wood grain.
Often mass-produced, Thermofoil cabinetry comes at very competitive price points. It’s durable, but it’s also extremely difficult to repair any damage to it. Some lighter colours can also yellow from sunlight and heat over time.
These doors are moulded out of MDF (medium-density fibreboard), wrapped in a plastic-type coating and then baked under intense heat to create an impervious seal. Durable and cost-effective, they come only in solid colours and imitation wood grain.
Often mass-produced, Thermofoil cabinetry comes at very competitive price points. It’s durable, but it’s also extremely difficult to repair any damage to it. Some lighter colours can also yellow from sunlight and heat over time.
8. Custom
Can’t find any door style on the market that really complements your unique design intention? Design your own!
Contact a local designer or craftsperson to help you create a personalised design. This Shaker-style cabinet door has a centre panel of corrugated metal instead of wood for an industrial and utilitarian look that can stand up to years of abuse.
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Can’t find any door style on the market that really complements your unique design intention? Design your own!
Contact a local designer or craftsperson to help you create a personalised design. This Shaker-style cabinet door has a centre panel of corrugated metal instead of wood for an industrial and utilitarian look that can stand up to years of abuse.
MORE
Push and Pull: Kitchen Hardware That’s As Practical As It Is Pretty
15 Low-Effort, High-Impact Updates for Kitchen Cupboards
How to Organise Your Kitchen Cupboards
Think Like a Designer: 5 Steps to a Well-Planned New Kitchen
The Shaker-style cabinet door is the most common door style in kitchens today. This five-piece flat-panel style has a frame made from four pieces and a single flat centre panel for the fifth piece.
Shaker cabinetry gets its name from the distinctive Shaker furniture style, which uses simple, clean lines and emphasises utility. Shaker-style doors became popular because their simple style lends itself to just about any decor – from contemporary to traditional – with variations in wood species, stains, paint colours and hardware.
This classic style can work with a variety of budgets, depending on the wood used. Some manufacturers can even replace the centre door panel with a more cost-effective material. Using a natural finish rather than a painted one could save you up to 20 per cent on your purchase, too.