Does Anyone Still Like White Laminated Kitchen Cabinets?

Make the Budget Stretch

• Cost is a big factor for most homeowners. While the look of laminate cabinets might not measure up to high-end solid cherry cabinets, for example, the budget usually determines many choices. For a second home at the beach, inexpensive cabinets work fine over time and might allow dollars for a high-end gas range of restaurant quality or a stainless steel refrigerator.

Plan a Fine Design

• Beauty is in the design planning. Using some oak or cherry trim, along with other techniques, will make white laminate cabinets look artistic. You can, for instance, install dark cherry-stained hardwood flooring, white laminate cabinets and crown molding around the ceiling stained in dark cherry. The contrast works well.

Make Cleanup Easy

• White laminate cabinets are user-friendly. If you have several children, or you entertain a lot, you can use a simple spray cleaner to keep stains off the cabinets. Dark cabinets can hide food stains, but for sanitation purposes, you want to clean your cabinet doors often. Cleaning high-end wood cabinets involves a more lengthy process than spray cleaning. Foods and fingerprints can stain or erode high-quality wood cabinets, too.

Incorporate High-end Materials

• White goes with everything. While you should not use granite countertops in a kitchen with laminate cabinets, you can install granite tile countertops. The less-costly granite tiles look fine with white laminate. All colors of wall and floor tiles work well with white cabinets, too. Don't overlook the fact that stainless steel appliances fit beautifully with white cabinets.

Select Quality Hardware

• Laminate cabinets can benefit from quality hardware. Use high-quality door hinges to support the cabinet doors over time. Door pulls in nickel, stainless or wood are important as well; however, the hardware holding doors to cabinet frames is most important. If cabinet doors look worn in 10 years or so, you can easily replace just the laminate-covered doors.