Cabinet Design and Installation: A Complete Guide

15 min readMay 24, 2023

Designing and installing kitchen and bathroom cabinets is a significant part of any kitchen renovation project. It involves a series of complex decisions, from choosing the layout and materials to determining the ideal storage solutions. In this guide, we will walk you through the complete process.

1. Renovation Project Goals

What room(s) are included in the project?
What is most important to you: the budget, a quick project completion, having lots of color options, or creating a dream space?

2. Your Design Style

Do you want to keep the same overall design style for the space or create a new one?
What do you want this room to say about yourself or family?
How does the project space join into other areas of the home?
Do you have examples from magazines or websites that reflect the look you’d like to have?
Do you have preferences for certain colors or materials (wood, metal, glass, etc.)?
What kind of storage and organization needs do you have? Do you cook often? Entertain often?
For bath designs, do you prefer freestanding or wall-mounted vanities?

3. Cabinet Layout and Function

Is the space shape changing or staying the same as it is currently?
Do you have accurate measurements of the space?
What appliances will be part of the space?
For a kitchen design, do you need an eat-in space, a drop zone, a desk area, pet supply storage?
Do you like drawers for storage or do you prefer shelves?
How much pantry space would be ideal?

Kitchen Layout Ideas — Where Style Meets Function

The layout of your kitchen cabinets will largely depend on the overall layout of the kitchen itself. Here are some common kitchen layouts and how cabinets can fit into them:

1. U-shaped Kitchen Layout

A U-shaped kitchen features three walls lined with cabinets and appliances. This layout offers plenty of storage and counter space. A popular choice because of its efficiency, the U-shaped kitchen offers generous counter space and work areas that are close together. It can however, make the cook feel apart from a group when entertaining, as most task will be done while facing one of three walls. To open the space up more, you could add a half wall or use only two walls with peninsula island making up the third side.

2. L-Shaped Kitchen Layout

L-shaped kitchens have cabinets along two perpendicular walls. This layout is great for small to medium-sized kitchens and allows for a good work triangle. This kitchen layout offers flexibility for both large and small homes. It makes use of only two kitchen walls, providing an open sensibility. The L-Shaped minimizes traffic through the kitchen and, typically, features larger expenses of countertops, allowing ease of preparation at mealtime

3. L-Shaped with a Kitchen Island

With the addition of an island, and L-shaped kitchen design offers the added flexibility of providing a space where the cook can interact with others while prepping food, cooking, serving, or cleaning up.

4. G-Shaped Kitchen layout

Featuring a modified “U” shape, the G-shaped kitchen design is very efficient as half or “pony” walls, this kitchen shape can feel confining for today’s cook.

5. Single Wall Kitchen Layout

With layout positions for all the appliances on a single wall, this kitchen design would typically be found in a studio apartment or other very small space.

6. Galley kitchen Layout

In a galley kitchen, cabinets run along two parallel walls. This layout is efficient but may feel cramped in smaller spaces. Open on both ends, the galley kitchen design requires a minimun corridor width of 48″ so the cook can easily maneuver during meal preparation. Kitchen appliances are typically laid out near one another, which can be convenient, but due to the corridor shape of the kitchen, all of the household traffic will pass though the space

Types Of Cabinet Materials

When it comes to outfitting your kitchen, bathroom, or any other room in your house with cabinets, the choice of materials used in their creation is a significant consideration. At UltraCraft, we choose materials that guarantee longevity, robustness, health safety, as well as aesthetic appeal. Our commitment to utilizing the best materials for our cabinets is why we confidently offer an unparalleled 100-Year Limited Warranty in the industry.

What Kinds Of Wood Are Commonly Used In Cabinet Making?

Wood remains a preferred material for cabinet doors due to its natural and traditional appeal. Wood doors lend a warm and inviting feel to kitchens while maintaining their resilience and durability. By applying stains and finishes, you can highlight the unique traits of your chosen wood type, such as grain patterns, knots, and color variations. Alternatively, painting your doors can provide a stronger, more uniform color scheme, yet it maintains the inviting ambiance associated with wood.

1. Alder

Alder offers a random pattern in its appearance that ranges from clear and unmarked to distinctive markings such as closed or open knots, mineral streaks and pin holes
The color ranges from light red to reddish brown.

2. Cherry

Cherry wood has a smooth, closed grain pattern
The color ranges from a light golden-pink tone and darkens to a rich, reddish-brown color as it naturally ages.

3. Maple

Maple cabinet wood is characterized by its smooth, even, and fine grain pattern. Mineral streaks are common in Maple and appear darker when stained.
Natural coloring is predominately white to cream white with occasional reddish-brown tones.

4. Oak

Oak has a very strong, open-grain pattern
Natural coloration ranges from pink to cinnamon reddish tones.
It may include random worm holes, mineral deposits, and closed knots

5. Red Birch

Birch is a medium density hardwood with a smooth surface texture.
It has a tight wood grain that is strong and heavy, with a high resistance to abrasion.
The predominant sapwood color of birch cabinets is white to creamy yellow.
The heartwood varies in color from medium to dark brown to reddish brown. This range in color, along with the wood’s curly or wavy pattern, creates for a distinctive statement in cabinets.

6. Rustic Alder

Rustic alder kitchen cabinets have a more dramatic grain and may contain a variety of pin holes, open and closed knots of various sizes and colors, small cracks, worm holes, worm tracks, bird pecks, mineral streaks and grain variations.
Some knots may have holes up to approximately ¾-inch in diameter through the panel. The holes created by open knots can pass completely through the cabinet door. The larger holes remain unfilled in order to contribute to the desired rustic look.

7. Rustic Cherry

Featuring charming natural attributes of a rustic wood, rustic cherry cabinets include beautiful mineral streaks and pin knots that will not affect the structural integrity of the cabinetry, but instead create a very appealing look.

8. Walnut

Walnut cabinets feature a smooth, fine and general straight wood grain with colors that range from deep chocolate to light reddish-gray brown.
Light yellow or light brown sapwood areas may also be present.
Walnut offers warm, rich colors that accept finishes well, but buyers should note that it tends to mellow and lighten in color with age.

What Other Materials Are Cabinets Made Of Besides Wood?

On the leading edge of fashion and function, UltraCraft Cabinetry alternative cabinet materials that can help you optimize the functionality and contemporary style of your kitchen or bathroom cabinets.

1. Deluxe Veneers

Fast-growing Bamboo is both renewable and sustainable. Our Bamboo veneer is made by thinly slicing blocks of compressed Bamboo shoots, giving each veneer a textured surface and original aesthetic patterns made from growth joints and grains. Bamboo is exceptionally durable with low maintenance.
Cut into a log perpendicular to its growth rings — a rift cut — and the result is lumber with a linear grain pattern. Our Rift Cut Oak veneers are made by combining pieces of dyed rift-cut oak to form a wood block of intentional grain and color. Thinly slicing the block produces veneers which mimic the look of uncommon wood species.

2. EuroTek

The UltraCraft Eurotek Program is a cost-effective solution for achieving the look of wood doors in a quality, low maintenance alternative. You get the benefits of highstyle wood aesthetics, in a high-value product.oo is both renewable and sustainable. Our Bamboo veneer is made by thinly slicing blocks of compressed Bamboo shoots, giving each veneer a textured surface and original aesthetic patterns made from growth joints and grains. Bamboo is exceptionally durable with low maintenance.
The woodgrain simulation is created by permanently laminating printed Eurotek veneer to a durable door constructed of medium-density fiberboard (MDF). This process eliminates expansion and contraction and color variances associated with real wood.

3. Metal

The light and reflections inherent in glass and metal brighten spaces, granting a clean, polished environment, and can also make your kitchen look more spacious.
Going heavier on the amount of metal will result in more of an industrial or commercial flair.

4. Textured Melamine

Modern technology has made melamine an incredibly attractive option in both price and look. UltraCraft Textured Melamine doors are made by thermally-fusing a printed, resin-covered, textured paper to a door form made of medium-density fiberboard (MDF). The result is a durable, low-maintenance finish with an exciting texture that simulates a variety of real woods.

5. Thermofoil

Made by the heat-and-vacuum application of a rigid vinyl to a door form made of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), Thermofoil doors provide a flawless finish with a clean, smooth surface and superior stability.
Thermofoil is low-maintenance due to its moisture-, chip-, and stain-resistant finishes. Its easy care is appealing to many busy families. For most kitchen splatters and spills, Thermofoil cabinets can be easily wiped clean with a soft damp cloth.

6. UltraLux

Engineered to be the most scratch-resistant, high-gloss acrylic surfaces available
Crafted by laminating a sheet of acrylic or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to a door form made of medium density fiberboard (MDF)
Available in glossy, highly-reflective and matte finishes
Linear finishes feature a high-gloss laminate film with a subtle graphic

UltraCraft Door Samples

Enjoy life-size samples of your favorite door/finish combinations in your home before you order cabinets.

UltraCraft Cabinetry color/finish/material/style combinations are virtually limitless! ProFloor & Cabinets’ kitchen designer will help you define your favorite looks on your way to your new kitchen. Sample doors are the best way to visualize what your ideas will look like in your home. Printed posters and brochures, and even designers’ color chips, will never be as accurate — or as exciting — as a sample door custom made
to your specifications.

Before you order cabinets, order sample doors of the combinations you’re most excited about. We’ll be ready in about a week. Live with the samples in your home until you know which look suits your family the best.

Cabinet Design — What Design Style Says Home To You?

Whether your aesthetic leans towards Rustic Farmhouse or Mid-Century Modern, all design styles are rooted in three primary categories: Contemporary, Traditional, and Transitional. You can craft a distinctive and personalized look by selecting specific design elements from these fundamental categories.

1. Contemporary

Contemporary design is ever evolving with no specific reference of time. Its simplistic design is defined by clean lines and deliberate use of texture that presents a subtle, sophisticated feel.

Contemporary kitchen traits include:

A neutral palette featured in sleek finishes
Can feature a touch of the unexpected with a mix of wood grain texture or a splash of colour
Cabinet doors are clean lined with no profile
Minimalist approach to design

2. Traditional

Heavily steeped in heritage. Traditional kitchens favor detailed cabinet doors that are timeless in design and feature luxe details that exemplify elegance.

Traditional kitchen traits include:

Mid-tone to deep rich wood stains
Cabinet doors often have a raised centre panel
Stacked furniture-like mouldings
Symmetrical lines

3. Transitional

Transitional is a blend of both contemporary and traditional design styles. The mix of these design elements creates a kitchen that is relaxed and comfortable to live in.

Transitional kitchen traits include:

Tone-on-tone neutral colour palettes
Cabinet doors are typically inspired by a shaker-like design
Contrast in tone and texture by mixing paint and stain finishes
A less-is-more approach to the use of design embellishments

Types Of Cabinet Finishes And Techniques — Know Your Options When Selecting Cabinet Finishes

A palette of colorful possibilities awaits you when selecting cabinet finishes. Whether you want to bring out the natural characteristics of the wood type you’ve chosen, add personality with hues that complement your unique kitchen design, or create a look reflective of the latest cabinet finish trend, UltraCraft has a wide variety of finish types for your cabinet project.

To help you begin selecting kitchen cabinet finishes, here is a quick overview of different finish options that are available, including stains, paints (also referred to as opaques), glazes and finishing techniques.

1. Cabinet Stains

Stains are applied to cabinet doors to enhance the natural beauty of the wood, while also adding beautiful color. A variety of stain applications are used across our cabinetry brands. Cabinet stains can range from light to very dark. Light stains will allow you to see more of the wood’s natural character, while darker stains will hide much of the grain, but can create richer color and a more dramatic look

2. Paints (Opaques)

Paints are applied to cabinetry products when the desired look is an opaque-colored finish. When using a painted finish on tighter grained types of wood, you will be left with a smooth finish. On coarse-grained wood like oak, the grain texture will be partially visible under the finish.

Don’t see what you want in our paint colors? Have your designer send us a paint swatch or a sample of the item you want to match, and our Color Masters will produce a custom paint color just for you. Then we’ll produce a full-sized sample door in the style you choose so you can take it home and make sure you love it.

3. Glazes

Glazes are meant to highlight the different edges on a piece of cabinetry. They can be applied to both stain and paint finishes. There are two types of glazes: flooded and penned. In the flooded glaze process, the glaze material is sprayed onto the entire cabinet door and is then wiped off everywhere except in the highlight areas. In a penned glaze process, the material is hand-applied to only to the highlighted areas.

Finishing Techniques

1. Linen Finish

Primed and painted wood is lightly hand-brushed with Brown or Nickel glaze creating a linear, brushed look. Available on Maple or MDF with Standard or Low Sheen.

2. Vintage Finish

An innovative blend of light glazing, rasping, rub-off, worm holes, stress cracks, dents and smooth worn edges on any paint color on Maple. Sealed with a clear top coat. Low Sheen only.

3. Rubbed

Primed, painted wood is randomly sanded to reveal bare edges and high points, then sealed with a clear top coat. Add Glaze if available (no Linen, please). Always with Low Sheen.

4. Aged

Painted or stained wood is randomly dented with special tools to cause stress cracks, and sealed with a clear top coat.

5. Heritage

A combination of Rubbed and Aged detailing. Available on paints. Always with Low Sheen.

Kitchen Storage Solution Must-Haves For Everyone.

In an ideal kitchen in Naples, FL, everything finds its rightful spot. Pantries are orderly, drawers maintain tidiness, lazy Susans streamline efficiency, trash bins are concealed, and the bi-fold, swing-out, and flip-up doors add a touch of modernity. Below, we’ve enumerated the top three indispensable kitchen organization strategies that you should incorporate into your remodeling plans.

1. Pull-out Pantry Shelves

Maximize the storage space in your base cabinets and pantry cabinets with these pull-out shelves and organizers.

2. Corner Cabinet Storage

Say good-bye to the awkward wasted space that corner cabinets are known for and say hello to sleek pull-out shelves and lazy Susans.

Naples Florida’s Kitchen And Bathroom Cabinet Solutions

ProFloors & Cabinets is your premier source for luxury kitchen and bathroom cabinetry as an authorized dealer and installer of UltraCraft Cabinets. We’re proud to offer you an unparalleled blend of style, functionality, and craftsmanship, bringing your vision to life with our exceptional range of cabinet solutions.

Our partnership with UltraCraft, a pioneer in the cabinetry industry, allows us to provide you with top-tier quality and innovative designs. UltraCraft’s commitment to craftsmanship is reflected in their industry-leading 100-Year Limited Warranty, ensuring that your investment stands the test of time.

At ProFloors & Cabinets, we understand that your home is a reflection of your style and taste. Whether your aesthetic leans towards Rustic Farmhouse, Mid-Century Modern, Contemporary, Traditional, or Transitional, we have something for everyone. Our team of skilled installers works diligently to ensure that your cabinets are installed with precision, guaranteeing a seamless finish every time.

But we’re not just about aesthetic appeal — we’re also about creating spaces that work for you. Our UltraCraft cabinets are designed with smart organizational solutions, such as neatly arranged pantries, concealed trash bins, and innovative door mechanisms. These features not only ensure your kitchen or bathroom remains clutter-free but also make everyday tasks easier and more efficient.

Discover a world of luxury, durability, and innovation with ProFloors & Cabinets, your trusted UltraCraft Cabinets dealer and installer. Let us help you transform your kitchen or bathroom into a space that is uniquely yours.

Call Profloors & Cabinets at (239) 310–2711 or connect with us online to talk to our UltraCraft’s sales representative.