Whether you're building homes or serving drinks at a bar, attractive cabinetry can make a great impression, attract new customers and enhance the reputation of your business.

Cabinets come in a wide range of styles, materials and prices, ranging from expensive custom cabinetry made by a small cabinet manufacturer to wholesale cabinetry made by a discount cabinetry manufacturer. But no matter what type of cabinetry you have, it can easily be enhanced with the proper accessories and supplies for cabinetry. These include:

1. Cabinetry hardware, such as hinges, pulls and knobs;

2. Thermofoil and wooden cabinetry doors and drawer fronts;

3. And shelves to maximize the storage space in your cabinets.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase hardware for cabinets

Attractive hinges, pulls and knobs are a simple and affordable way to dress up your cabinetry. They can be used to change the style of existing cabinets or enhance the look of discount kitchen cabinets.

I recommend: MyKnobs.com is a leader in the decorative hardware industry. It has an inventory of more than 300,000 hinges, knobs and pulls, from more than 70 different brands, so you are sure to find something you like. Spokane Hardware Supply specializes in stocking hard-to-find knobs and pulls. Additionally, the company stocks a wide range of cabinetry hardware, including cabinet label holders, cabinet locks, concealed hinges, latches, bumpers and drawer slides.

Find new doors and drawer fronts for bathroom and kitchen cabinetry

New doors and drawer fronts are another great and easy way to update the look of wooden cabinets. Cabinet makers have lines of doors that are available in enough styles, colors, materials and finishes to satisfy even the most picky designer.

I recommend: Kitchen Cabinet Depot sells a wide range of wooden and rigid thermofoil cabinet doors. You can get a quote instantly online, and the company offers a 90-day best price guarantee. Check out Western Cabinet Door for a good selection of replacement kitchen cabinet doors, drawer fronts and drawer boxes. Discounted volume pricing is available for contractors and cabinet makers.

Maximize storage with new shelves for your cabinets

New shelves can enhance your cabinets and, at the same time, make them more functional. Shelves can be bought off the shelf or custom made to meet your exact storage needs.

I recommend: Cabinet Transformations creates custom-built shelving, slide-out shelving, drawers, bins and dividers for cabinets. Products can be installed in a fixed or adjustable position. If you are looking for something simple that does not require exact sizing or installation, Organize-It offers a large selection of wire stacking shelves and drawer and cabinet organizers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When ordering accessories and supplies for cabinetry, be sure to purchase a little more than you will need. This way, if something such as a knob or door breaks or is damaged in the future, you will be able to easily replace it, even if it is discontinued.

Builders, remodelers and home designers must know the value that quality cabinetry contributes to the overall look of a home. Guiding customers to the selection of cabinets requires knowledge concerning the variety of options available in kitchen cabinetry and custom cabinetry for all rooms of a home.

Consider the lifestyles of individual customers and offer a line of cabinets that can adapt to needs such as storage for children’s playrooms or entertainment centers for media rooms. Specialty options such as wooden cabinetry designed for storing the collection of a wine enthusiast will broaden the base of customers you service.

Look for cabinetry stock with these ideas in mind:

1: Custom cabinetry is often more expensive, but serves well for difficult functional needs. TV cabinets, entertainment centers and cabinetry for recreation rooms often need to be made in odd shapes or styles to suit the need.

2: Cabinet manufacturers who offer discount kitchen cabinets can help service clients who need a kitchen cabinet line that’s the most affordable.

3: Wooden cabinets made from such woods as maple, oak, cherry and pine add warmth and character to living spaces.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Save on wholesale cabinetry lines and offer customers great deals

Buy cabinetry stock direct from the manufacturer and get great deals on name-brand cabinets in a variety of styles from Direct Buy.

I recommend: Request a free visitor’s pass at the online reservation center and view showroom exhibits and discount kitchen cabinets.

Create kitchen cabinetry and cabinetry for customized rooms and add interest to living

Individual needs of specialized rooms in the home often require custom cabinetry. Storage for media or rec-room equipment or outdoor kitchen cabinetry, for example, can be customized to fit the individual lifestyle and add a touch of elegance.

I recommend: Find a showroom by clicking on a state and see what Quality Custom Cabinetry, Inc. can do for your customers. They design specifically for the customer’s needs and tastes.

Design a dandy living and working space while keeping design standards in mind

Planning a kitchen workspace, for example, must be done by creating a cabinetry layout that looks great and also functions well.

I recommend: Functional styles can be planned by looking at the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s guidelines for planning with access standards. For example, find out the recommended distance between work centers by clicking on that icon.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Mix and match discount kitchen cabinets with custom cabinetry whenever possible in order to give customers a variety of versatile options to choose from.
• •  Look for cabinetry that incorporates features such as pullout trash cans and 'Lazy Susan' rotating shelves for storing items at easy access.
• •  Provide variety in design by offering choices in cabinets that range from simple to fancy, antique to contemporary.

When buying cabinets, you have a wide range of choices, from custom cabinetry to discount kitchen cabinets. A quick cabinetry industry overview shows a similar range regarding cabinet manufacturers. A number of large manufacturers try to appeal to the masses with discount cabinetry and stock products. But about half of the nation's cabinet makers are small custom operations, with sales of less than 5 million dollars a year and fewer than 100 employees.

Whether you're a developer looking to place a large order of kitchen cabinetry for a line of new homes or a business owner looking for wooden cabinetry for a small space, you want to be sure you are making the most of cabinetry you select. So start by deciding if you want:

1. Custom cabinetry made to your specifications;

2. Stock cabinets that are already built and ready to be installed;

3. Or earth-friendly cabinets that meet environmental standards.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find custom cabinetry manufacturers

Custom cabinetry manufacturers build custom cabinets specifically for you. The cabinets are made only after your order is placed, and they are made to your exact specifications. A custom cabinet will cost you more than other types of cabinets and often take months to arrive at the installation site, but many feel custom cabinetry is worth the price and wait.

I recommend: Craftspeople at Heritage Custom Cabinetry use traditional woodworking techniques to create custom cabinets in a range of styles. The company's designers work hard to create the exact look you want. Cabinet Innovations is a designer and manufacturer of custom kitchen cabinets, bookcases, entertainment centers and wet bars. All finished cabinets are made from 100% American products.

Find manufacturers of stock cabinets

Stock cabinets are premade in standard sizes, styles and materials. But what you lose in choice, you gain in price. Stock cabinets are often quite a bit cheaper than custom cabinets. Additionally, they are normally stored in a manufacturer's warehouse and can be delivered in about a week.

I recommend: Kitchen Kompact is a cabinet manufacturer that has a large line of stock cabinetry. The company's cabinets are designed to make the best use of a space to create optimum storage capacity. Wellborn Forest Products offers three product lines with 74 door styles, three types of wood and a range of finish selections.

Find a green cabinetry maker

A trend gaining popularity in the cabinet industry is cabinets that are built from environmentally friendly materials. These so-called 'green cabinets' are manufactured with environmental sustainability in mind.

I recommend: Canyon Creek Cabinet Company has been using green manufacturing techniques since 1990. The company sells products made from sustainable wood species, has reduced natural gas and electricity use in its plant, and has reduced the amount of polluting compounds in its finishes. Omega Cabinetry also makes environmental stewardship a priority by working to use sustainable products, reduce air pollution and conserve energy.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before purchasing cabinets, be sure to check into the manufacturer's warranty. Also, ask if touch-up products and repair materials are easily available.

Whether you sell cabinets or are looking to purchase cabinets for yourself, it's important to understand the key terms related to the industry. By visiting a showroom, you can see many different types of cabinets, which will give you the opportunity to decide what type of finish you want on your cabinets. You may also be able to see different styles of cabinets, such as country kitchen cabinets. The choices you make can have a big effect on the price, so pay close attention to your selections.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Custom cabinetry

Custom cabinetry is designed exactly to your specifications. It is ideal for odd-shaped rooms or those that have a specific image in mind, but it is more expensive than purchasing pre-made cabinets.

I recommend: View the gallery of custom cabinetry at Quality Custom Cabinetry.

Cabinet finishes

All cabinets have a finish, or final coat, that protects the surface. These finishes can produce different effects, such as a shiny or matte finish.

I recommend: Kitchen-Cabinets-and-Hardware.com explains some of the different types of finishes.

Country kitchen cabinets

Country kitchen cabinets are a popular style for cabinets. Even within this broad category, there are several smaller categories, such as French country kitchen cabinets or English country kitchen cabinets. The style is meant to create a homey feeling.

I recommend: Learn more about country kitchen cabinets at CALFinder.

Arch doors and slab doors

Arch doors and slab doors refer to styles of cabinet doors. An arch door has an arch shape carved into the middle, while a slab door is a uniform piece of wood.

I recommend: View examples of arch doors and slab doors at KraftMaid.

Showroom

Customers can view different styles of cabinets in a showroom, which is a large space with many different examples set up. As the customer walks from area to area, it should feel as though they are in a real kitchen or bathroom. Showrooms help customers decide which style would work best for their area.

I recommend: Bob Vila takes a tour through a showroom.

Manufacturer direct cabinets

While custom cabinets are often expensive, a business owner can save money by purchasing their manufacturer direct cabinets. These are cabinets that the manufacturer makes standard, without any custom specifications. Still, there are often many options to choose from and you are likely to find something that fits in your area.

I recommend: View examples of manufacturer direct cabinets from Cabinet World.