How To Choose Kitchen Cabinets, Hardware, And Finishes

What makes a great kitchen different from a…. meh kitchen?

Is it the appliances? Maybe the layout?

Nope. It’s the cabinets, hardware, and finishes – and how they work together.

The three Cs are where most kitchens succeed – and fail. Pick the right stuff, and your kitchen looks and feels awesome. Get it wrong, and even high-end renovations look….cheap.

Don’t worry though, because choosing cabinets, hardware, and finishes isn’t difficult once you know what matters.

Whether you’re starting from scratch, or working with an older kitchen, here’s exactly what you need to know to transform your kitchen into something that actually works.

Table of Contents

How to Choose the Right Cabinet Style
Cabinet Materials: What Actually Holds Up
How to Pick the Right Hardware
Choosing Finishes That Work Together
Common Mistakes to Avoid

How to Choose the Right Cabinet Style

It should come as no surprise that cabinet style is the biggest decision you’ll make in any kitchen design and renovation project.

Why? Cabinets cover more surface area than any other element of a kitchen. Their style sets the tone for the entire room. Choose the wrong style and it’s hard to unify everything else around it.

The most popular cabinet styles for kitchens right now are:

Shaker – clean lines, recessed panel, complements most aesthetics
Flat-front (slab) – modern / minimal aesthetic with seamless finish
Raised panel – traditional with detailed edges, good for classic kitchens or farmhouse style
Beadboard – cottage-core textured finish, usually only used on lower cabinets

Shaker cabinets come out on top every year because they go with just about everything. Modern kitchen or traditional? You can get away with shaker style without looking like you opened a restaurant kitchen.

But…

Style isn’t everything. Whatever cabinet style you choose should complement the other materials in the kitchen. Slim, flat-front cabinets clash next to detailed crown moulding (for example). Design cohesion matters more than you realise.

Cabinet Materials: What Actually Holds Up

Did you know that cabinets are the most expensive element of any kitchen renovation?

There’s a good reason why….

With kitchens constantly exposed to heat, moisture, and abuse, cabinet materials have to be able to stand the test of time. Especially now…

94% of updated cabinets now include specialty storage features like pull-out bins and tray drawers, according to a recent industry report. That’s more weight and movement on cabinet boxes than ever before. They need to be built to last.

Here’s the lowdown on cabinet materials:

Solid wood – Most durable, biggest luxe feel, highest price tag
Plywood – Strong material that resists moisture well, best for cabinet boxes
MDF (medium-density fibreboard) – Super smooth finish, great for painted cabinets
Particle board – Budget-friendly but weakest material long-term

Most folks land on plywood boxes with solid wood or MDF doors. You typically don’t realise the difference until something breaks. Crazy stuff happens when cheap particle board cabinets are overloaded with heavy sink bowls and faucets.

Pro-tip: Don’t cheap out on cabinet materials. Spend more time and money here than anywhere else. Cabinets are one of the biggest expenses in any kitchen renovation.

How to Pick the Right Hardware

One area where homeowners routinely mess up? Hardware.

They settle on cabinets, choose countertop material, then rush to pick hardware at the last minute. By then, they feel like their options are limited so something is almost always off.

Here’s a better way: Choose your hardware finish first, before cabinet colour and countertops.

Below are the most popular kitchen hardware finishes right now:

Brushed nickel – neutral, crisp, works with nearly any cabinet colour
Matte black – stylish and modern, becoming more popular than ever
Brass/gold – warm finish that compliments white, navy, or dark greens
Chrome – ultra-sleek and shiny, mostly seen in modern or industrial kitchens
Oil rubbed bronze – traditional warmth, good for farmhouse kitchens

There’s one hardware rule that almost never changes: Stick to one hardware finish throughout the entire kitchen. Yes, even on your range hood.

Mixing and matching hardware finishes is trendy…right now. Before you know it, your kitchen will feel dated because you tried to be too cool.

Regarding size, stick to bar pulls between 3-5 inches on upper cabinets. Longer bars between 5 and 8 inches look good on lower cabinets + drawers.

Choosing Finishes That Work Together

Cabinet colour trends shift faster than any element in your kitchen. And honestly? They deserve to change because…

Paint colours come and go. But wood? Granite? Quartz? Those finishes last for decades.

Just be careful you don’t get stuck on one cabinet finish too long. Trends will come and go, but you don’t want your kitchen to feel dated.

With that out of the way, here’s what you should think about when choosing a finish:

Lighting is everything. Bright, white cabinets can feel bright and welcoming in a kitchen with lots of natural sunlight. In a kitchen with poor lighting, those same cabinets feel smaller and cheap.

Always check how your cabinet colour samples look under your kitchen lighting before making a final decision.

Consider countertops and backsplashes together. Cabinet colour, countertop material, and backsplash tile should work together. Don’t match colours or textures too much. Aim for complementary. A warm wood cabinet pairs best with cream coloured stone countertops and neutral backsplash tile.

Remember your hardware! Using contrasting hardware or cabinet accents is a quick way to unify your finishes.

Pay attention to undertones. Yes, even white cabinets have different colours mixed in. Take a swipe of grey paint and hold it up next to a basket of whites. Some have violet tones. Others have green or yellow.

You get the idea.

If your countertops have cool grey undertones and your cabinets have warm yellow, they won’t look good together. They’re “both neutral” colours, but the contrast is too much.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Kitchen design and renovation fails come down to five things:

Trendy hardware that looks dated in a few years
Skimping on cabinet box material to save money now
Choosing too many different finishes
Not testing cabinet samples in the room
Forget to plan storage when choosing cabinet style

Renovations themselves are worth the money. Minor kitchen renovations averaged 113% ROI nationally according to 2025 Cost vs. Value Report. Making smart design choices – from cabinets to hardware to countertops – will pay off for you too.