Choosing the Right Cabinets: Stock, Semi-Custom, and Custom

Choosing the right type of cabinet for your kitchen is one of the most important decisions you will make when renovating it. Cabinets not only define the aesthetic but will have a lasting impact on your kitchen’s functionality.

Cabinets come in three types: stock, semi-custom, and custom. Fabuwood is exclusively a semi-custom cabinetry company. Understanding each cabinet type, pros and cons, cost, and customization options will help you decide which option is best.

Stock cabinets

Ready to Assemble (RTA) cabinets, are the most budget-friendly option. They are pre-manufactured in standard sizes and are available for immediate purchase and arrive ready-to-assemble. While Fabuwood does not sell RTA cabinets, our semi-custom cabinetry is still budget-friendly.

Cost: $

Availability: Cabinets are pre-built and ready to ship.

Customization/design options: There is a limited selection of colors and materials to choose from, as well as limited design and size options.

Quality: The quality depends on the supplier- some use cheaper materials.

The pros and cons of stock cabinets

Stock cabinets are economical, DIY-friendly, and ready to ship or pick up as soon as they are ordered. However, there is no design freedom and no customization options. RTA cabinets are generally made from lower-quality materials (unlike Fabuwood's high quality semi-custom cabinets) which is why they are the cheapest option. RTA cabinets will work if you want a basic kitchen with standard cabinets.

Semi-Custom cabinets

Semi-custom cabinets offer a balance between affordability and personalization. They are pre-manufactured but offer leeway to modify them to fit your space and design preferences. With Fabuwood semi-custom cabinets, you can choose from a wide range of colors and finishes, and you can modify the cabinets to include custom cutouts and accessories to fit your ideal kitchen design.

Cost: $$                                       

Availability: ready to ship in as soon as five days, depending on modifications and customizations.

Customization/design options: Fabuwood offers various door styles, finishes, and modifications for the depth, width, and height of cabinets, including custom cutouts.

Quality: High-quality construction with Fabuwood’s unique Q12 standards of quality ensures top quality on all cabinetry.

The pros and cons of semi-custom cabinetry

Semi-custom cabinets offer a good blend of customization options and cost. Fabuwood offers high-quality, meticulous craftsmanship and endless color and door style combinations. The fast lead time, high quality, and competitive pricing make Fabuwood cabinets an excellent cabinetry option.

Custom cabinets

Custom cabinets offer unlimited design possibilities. Each cabinet is custom-built to exact specifications, fitting each unique space. Customers completely control each cabinet’s dimensions, materials, and finishes.

Cost:  $$$                                     

Availability: Custom cabinets take weeks to months to build and ship.

Customization/design options: custom cabinets offer unlimited customization options.

Quality: Custom cabinets are generally of the highest quality and are handcrafted by expert woodworkers.

Pros and cons of custom cabinets

Custom cabinets are made with the finest materials and finishes and fit perfectly for each unique space, including unusual layouts. Customers can incorporate features like hidden compartments and custom storage into the cabinets.

However, all the customization comes at a cost. Custom cabinets are the most expensive option, have a long lead time, and are more challenging to install.

How to know which cabinet type is right for you

Choose the cabinet style that fits your lifestyle and your needs. Do you need customizations like pull-outs, lazy susans, drawer inserts, and organization options? Then semi-custom or custom cabinets would be the right choice for you. If you want various color and door style options, semi-custom and custom would also work well.

Fabuwood’s customization opportunities

From quality materials to fillers, toe kicks, pull-outs, and drawer organizers, Fabuwood offers various modification and customization options to create your ideal kitchen layout and design.

Here are just a few personalized accessory and customization options:

Toe Kicks: Custom toe kicks add a beautiful finishing touch to your cabinetry and offer extra storage with toe kick drawers.

Drawer Organization: Fabuwood provides knife and cutlery organizers and charging drawers to keep your drawers neat and easy to navigate.

Lazy Susans: Lazy Susans maximize storage in small spaces, such as corner cabinets.

Custom Cutouts: Custom cutouts create niche spaces like broom closets, optimizing your kitchen space.

Fillers: Fillers are perfect for closing gaps between appliances and the ends of cabinet runs.

Pull-outs and Roll-outs: These features provide easy, accessible organization.

Under-cabinet Lighting: Fabuwood, in partnership with Hafele Lighting, offers top-quality under-cabinet lighting to highlight your cabinetry.

Appliance Garage: The appliance garage keeps bulky kitchenware out of sight but within easy reach.

Finishes, Colors, and Door Styles: Fabuwood offers Signature, Signature Select, and Custom colors in full and partial overlay door styles.

Additional considerations

Space Utilization

• Custom and Semi-custom (Fabuwood) cabinets make the best use of available space, especially in irregular or small kitchens.
• Stock cabinets may require fillers or leave unused gaps.

Trend Adaptability

• Custom and semi-custom (Fabuwood) cabinets are designed to match the latest trends or specific personal styles.
• Stock cabinets might not always align with current trends.

Longevity

• Investing in higher-quality cabinets, whether custom or semi-custom Fabuwood cabinets, pays off in durability and reduces the need for replacements or repairs.

Environmental Impact

• Fabuwood offers sustainable options, including recycled materials and non-toxic finishes.

Choosing the right type of cabinets depends on your budget, timeline, design styles, quality, and customization expectations. Stock cabinets offer a quick, budget friendly option with no customizations and limited variety. Semi-custom cabinets (like Fabuwood cabinets) have a balance between cost and customization, and custom cabinets offer the most customizations at the highest price. By reviewing the pros and cons of each, you can easily choose which would work best for your lifestyle and needs.

Order your sample doors to get a feel for Fabuwood’s semi-custom cabinets and how their quality and color options would look in your space.

FAQS

What do I need to consider when choosing cabinets?

Think about your kitchen layout, budget, design aesthetic, and what you need from your cabinets- custom options or basic RTA cabinets?

What is the most popular cabinet type?

Shaker cabinets are a classic style that will never go out of style. These are available in stock, semi-custom, and custom cabinets.

What is the difference between stock and semi-custom cabinets? 

Stock cabinets are the cheapest cabinet style, but they are not customizable. Semi-custom cabinets offer many customizations and modifications, along with a wide range of door styles and colors, while being reasonably priced.

What are the disadvantages of custom cabinets?

Custom cabinets are costly and have the longest lead time.