I recently did a kitchen renovation job that we nicknamed the blues. The homeowners had a case of the blues, because their kitchen was stuck in the seventies. Furthermore, their kitchen was literally covered in blue. The tiles were blue, with white accent tiles sporadically placed, the cabinets were blue (yes you read that right) and the refrigerator was blue as well. The stove and dishwasher were white, but you get the idea of how blue things were. We decided a complete redesign would cure all of these blues.

We completely gutted the kitchen. Appliances, the blue kitchen cabinets, two large pantry kitchen cabinets, and we stripped the walls of the ugly tiles. After this was done we realized that one of the walls could be knocked out as well. It would be nice to open this wall, but the homeowners also wanted an option to keep part of that wall closed. This is where we turned to the pantry kitchen cabinets. It you’re not familiar with a pantry–a quick definition is as follows: a pantry kitchen cabinet or a kitchen pantry cabinet is a large closet type cupboard in your kitchen. There are a few different styles of height and width. It is eighty four to ninety six inches tall and about eighteen inches to two feet wide. These are the large cabinets that you see in the corners of kitchens. It is basically a food storage cupboard and the name comes from the old style -large, walk in pantries that were in most eighteenth and nineteenth century house designs.

So now that you are more familiar with a pantry kitchen cabinet, we now can go into how these kitchen cabinets helped turn this room into a feature in the house.

The homeowners were on a budget, so I suggested RTA cabinets. (Ready to assemble cabinets, which are pre-assembled cabinets). These cabinets saved the homeowner $3200 dollars (Three Thousand Two Hundred Dollars) over a quote they received from Lowe’s. The homeowners were actually familiar with the RTA style kitchen cabinets but were unsure if the RTA cabinets carried the pantry kitchen cabinets. After I informed the homeowners that RTA kitchen cabinets, not only make pantry kitchen cabinets, but the RTA cabinets are actually a better quality than retail stores like IKEA, Home Depot or Lowe’s.

So finally we got to the kitchen, installed RTA kitchen cabinets, painted the kitchen a nice white (no blue), added some accent tiles in a nice shade of brown, and then came to the wall that was removed. We added one pantry to this wall and then had an open space that the homeowners wanted to keep open but also have an option to close it off. This is where we decided to use a double pantry that acts like a false wall. When you opened the double pantry doors, it did not open into a cupboard, instead it opened into the other room. It was a great idea and it demonstrates how there are many uses for a pantry kitchen cabinet. So make sure you add a pantry cabinet to your kitchen and start thinking of the many ways it can be used.

Everything old is new again. That age-old adage is proving itself to be true in the kitchen cabinet world according to a recent BuilderOnline.com article, which stated, “… after years of white or neutral tones, and the emergence …of brightly colored cabinets, dark finishes [on kitchen cabinetry] appear to be making a comeback with home buyers.”

The article suggests that this return to kitchen cabinet yesteryear may be attributable to: 1) today’s open floor plans and 2) the upscale look dark cabinetry conveys. “No longer separated from other living areas by walls … home buyers looking for a seamless transition between spaces might be inclined to use cabinets that complement other home furnishings,” the article rationalizes of the first reason. Of the second, it suggests, “For some buyers, white cabinets suggest entry-level melamine kitchens or those found in multifamily rental apartments, while darker finishes project luxury.”

A leading manufacturer of kitchen cabinets, including a selection of wood door styles, finishes, and decorative cabinet hardware, can afford homeowners a full spectrum of cabinetry choices. In terms of wood species, cherry, an elegant, multi-colored hardwood, is a nice option. In its raw state, it has a pinkish-brown hue with occasional shades of white, green, pink or even gray. Natural or light stains accent these color variations. Small gum pockets, streaks, pin knots and figures are common. Cherry wood will darken or “mellow” with age. This mellowing is a natural occurrence and a benefit of owning solid cherry cabinetry.

However, the same darkened effect can be achieved with lighter woods through various finishing techniques. Stained finishes like cognac, cabernet, chestnut, chocolate kafee and peppercorn provide a rich look to kitchen cabinets. To create the look of freshly restored heirloom cabinetry, homeowners may want to consider an antique glaze finish like antique chocolate with mocha glaze.

Traditional glazed finishes like chocolate with mocha glaze, garnet with ebony blaze and chocolate with ebony glaze lend sophistication to kitchen cabinets as well. During this process, a base stain is applied to the wood and followed by a glaze flood coat to add richness and warmth.

For those homeowners who are seeking upscale appeal, burnished finishes are a nice option. A base stain is applied to the wood, which is then followed by a glaze flood coat to add richness and warmth. Burnished chestnut, chocolate, autumn blush and cabernet burnished finishes look as attractive as they sound.

Finally, a cost-effective way of achieving the dark wood effect is with painting. Several coats of heavily pigmented stain saturate the wood for rich, beautiful color. These finishes are semi-opaque, meaning some of the natural beauty of the wood grain may be visible.

Homeowners who would like to darken up their kitchen cabinets have a lot of choices to choose from. They can opt for wood that has a natural dark finish or they can choose a lighter wood and obtain the same effect with various finishing techniques. A kitchen cabinet manufacturer that specializes in wood door styles and finishes can help them select the rich cabinetry they’re craving.